Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.
Stabant autem juxta crucem Jesu mater ejus, et soror matris ejus, Maria Cleophae, et Maria Magdalene. Cum vidisset ergo Jesus matrem, et discipulum stantem, quem diligebat, dicit matri suae : Mulier, ecce filius tuus. Deinde dicit discipulo : Ecce mater tua. Et ex illa hora accepit eam discipulus in sua.
- John 19.25-27
The Crucifixion, Unknown late 15th Century Early Netherlandish Artist, c. 1475-1485
A Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Our Lady of Mount Carmel
A powerful prayer, may be prayed over nine days as a novena.
Composed by Saint Simon Stock (c. 1165-1265) an English Carmelite hermit. Members of the Carmelite order lived atop Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, and in 1247 the first general chapter of the Carmelite Order held outside the Holy Land was established in Aylesford in Kent. The prayer is derived from St. Simon Stock's longer prayer Flos Carmeli (Flower of Carmel). Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The Carmelites also call Our Lady 'Star of the Sea' (Stella Maris) to signify her promise to rise like a star above the sea to guide them through the difficult waters of life.
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succour me in this necessity; there are none that can withstand your power. O, show me herein you are my Mother.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. (3 times)
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands. (3 times)
Amen.
Sometimes the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be are repeated three times after this prayer:
Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Link to download a copy of this Prayer
Our Lady of Mount Carmel with Bishop Saints, Gaspar Miguel de Berrío, 1764
Flos Carmeli
Flower of Carmel, Tall vine blossom laden; Splendour of heaven, Childbearing yet maiden. None equals thee.
Mother so tender, Who no man didst know, On Carmel's children Thy favours bestow. Star of the Sea.
Strong stem of Jesse, Who bore one bright flower, Be ever near us And guard us each hour, who serve thee here.
Purest of lilies, That flowers among thorns, Bring help to the true heart That in weakness turns and trusts in thee.
Strongest of armour, We trust in thy might: Under thy mantle, Hard press'd in the fight, we call to thee.
Our way uncertain, Surrounded by foes, Unfailing counsel You give to those who turn to thee.
O gentle Mother Who in Carmel reigns, Share with your servants That gladness you gained and now enjoy.
Hail, Gate of Heaven, With glory now crowned, Bring us to safety Where thy Son is found, true joy to see.
Amen.
Flos Carmeli, vitis florigera, splendor caeli, virgo puerpera singularis.
Mater mitissed viri nescia
Carmelitis
da privilegia
Stella Maris.
Radix Jesse
germinans flosculum
nos ad esse
tecum in saeculum
patiaris. Inter spinas quae crescis lilium serva puras mentes fragilium tutelaris.
Armatura fortis pugnantium furunt bella tende praesidium scapularis.
Per incerta prudens consilium per adversa iuge solatium largiaris.
Mater dulcis Carmeli domina, plebem tuam reple laetitia qua bearis.
Paradisi clavis et ianua, fac nos duci quo, Mater, gloria coronaris.
Amen.
Our Lady of Carmel giving the brown scapular to St Simon Stock, Cathedral San Cristobal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Flower of Carmel Blooming Fine, and the Brown Scapular
After Saint Simon Stock was elected friar of the Carmelites in Aylesford, and they began to suffer harassment for their faith, they turned to the Blessed Virgin Mary for help. On 16 July 1251, St. Simon Stock appealed to the patroness of the Carmelites, Our lady of Mount Carmel, with this prayer that is still recited by members of the Carmelite Order:
Flower of Carmel,
Blooming fine,
Splendour of Heaven,
Mother Divine,
None like to thee,
peerless and fair,
thy children of Carmel,
saved by thy care,
Star of the sea.
Immediately his room was filled with light. Accompanied by angels, the Blessed Virgin, with child Jesus, presented him with the brown scapular. “This shall be a privilege for you and for all Carmelites: whoever dies clothed in this shall not suffer eternal fire, rather, he shall be saved.” The venerable Catholic devotion of wearing the Brown Scapular comes from this apparition and Our Lady's words and has been extended to all the faithful. The feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was instituted to commemorate the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Simon Stock at Aylesford on 16 July 1251.
Brown Scapular, European, c. 1851-1930
The inscription translates from French as “Remember us your children, Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary, protect us”.
Brown Scapulars - Handmade by Carmelite Sisters in Colorado, U.S.A.
Brown Scapulars - Handmade by Carmelite Sisters in Lismore, N.S.W. Australia.
Brown Scapulars - Handmade by Carmelite Sisters in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
O Queen, who art the beauty of Carmel, pray for us.
Regina decor Carmeli, ora pro nobis.
Another Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Also derived from the Flos Carmeli.
O beautiful Flower of Carmel, most fruitful vine,
Splendour of Heaven, holy and singular,
who brought forth the Son of God,
still ever remaining a Pure Virgin,
assist me in this necessity.
O Star of the sea, help and protect me!
Show me that Thou art my Mother.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
Mother and Beauty of Carmel, Pray for us!
Virgin, Flower of Carmel, Pray for us!
Patroness of all who wear the Scapular, Pray for us!
Hope of all who die wearing the Scapular, Pray for us!
St. Joseph, Friend of the Sacred Heart, Pray for us!
St. Joseph, Chaste Spouse of Mary, Pray for us!
St. Joseph, Our Patron, Pray for us!
O sweet Heart of Mary, Be our salvation!
Amen.
Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel from the Raccolta
O blessed Virgin, full of grace, Queen of all Saints, how sweet it is for me to venerate thee under the title of our Lady of Mount Carmel. It takes me back to the days of the prophet Elias, when thou wast prefigured on Mount Carmel under the form of the little cloud, from which, as it increased, there fell a kindly rain, symbolic of the sanctifying graces that come to us from thee. Even from the days of the Apostles, thou hast been honoured under this mystic title; and today I am filled with joy at the thought that we are united with those first clients of thine, and in union with them we salute thee, saying: O beauty of Carmel, glory of Libanus, thou purest of lilies, mystic rose in the flowering garden of the Church. Meanwhile, O Virgin of virgins, be mindful of me in my misery, and show thyself my Mother. Shed upon me ever more and more the living light of that faith which made thee blessed; inflame me with that Heavenly love wherewith thou didst love thy dear Son, Jesus Christ. I am filled with miseries both spiritual and temporal. I am straitened by many sorrows in body and soul, and I take refuge, like a child, in the shadow of thy motherly protection. Do thou, Mother of God, who hast such power and might, obtain for me from blessed Jesus, the Heavenly gifts of humility, chastity, and meekness, which were the fairest ornaments of thine Immaculate soul. Do thou grant me to be strong in the midst of the temptations and bitterness, which so often overwhelm my spirit. And when the days of my earthly pilgrimage are accomplished according to God's holy will, grant that my soul may obtain the glory of Paradise, through the merits of Christ and thine intercession. Amen.
Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel
Ave Maris Stella
Dated back to at least the 9th century.
Hail, O Star of the ocean, God's own Mother blest, ever sinless Virgin, gate of heav'nly rest.
Taking that sweet Ave, which from Gabriel came, peace confirm within us, changing Eve's name.
Break the sinners' fetters, make our blindness day, Chase all evils from us, for all blessings pray.
Show thyself a Mother, may the Word divine born for us thine Infant hear our prayers through thine.
Virgin all excelling, mildest of the mild, free from guilt preserve us meek and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless, make our way secure till we find in Jesus, joy for evermore.
Praise to God the Father, honour to the Son, in the Holy Spirit, be the glory one. Amen.
Ave maris stella, Dei Mater alma, atque semper Virgo, felix caeli porta.
Sumens illud Ave Gabrielis ore, funda nos in pace, mutans Hevae nomen.
Solve vincula reis, profer lumen caecis mala nostra pelle, bona cuncta posce.
Monstra te esse matrem: sumat per te preces, qui pro nobis natus, tulit esse tuus.
Virgo singularis, inter omnes mites, nos culpis solutos, mitis fac et castos
Vitam praesta puram, iter para tutum: ut videntes Iesum semper collaetemur.
Sit laus Deo Patri, summo Christo decus, Spiritui Sancto, tribus honor unus. Amen.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Baby Jesus with His Most Sacred Heart
Chaplet of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
This Chaplet has a Crucifix, a Medal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and 3 sets of 3 beads. It can also be prayed using nine of the rosary beads.
On the medal the following prayer is said:
O most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, assist me in this necessity. O Immaculate Virgin and Star of the Sea, help me and show me that you are my mother and protector.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of heaven and earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to help me in my needs for there are none who can withstand you grace. Pray for me and help me to obtain assistance in this life. Amen.
On each set of three beads: pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.
On the crucifix the following prayer is said:
Most blessed and immaculate Virgin, ornament of splendour of Mount Carmel, thou who regardest with particular goodness those who wear thy scapular, benignly look upon me also, and over me with the mantle of thy maternal protections. Fortify my weakness with thy strength, illuminate the darkness of my mind with thy wisdom, increase Faith, Hope and Charity within me, adorn my soul with such graces and virtues that it may be always precious to thee and thy divine Son. Assist me in life, console me at the hour of death with thy most loving presence and present me to the most holy Trinity as thy son and devout servant, to eternally praise and bless thee in heaven. Amen.
Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Basilica of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Maastricht, Netherlands
This Webpage first posted on
The Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 16 July 2022.
Immaculate Queen of Peace, pray for us.
