Dr Jeanette Pinto –
Mount Carmel, a mountain range northwest of Israel, comes from the Hebrew Har Ha-karmele. The city of Haifa is on its north eastern slope. In Biblical names, the meaning of the name Carmel is ‘Circumcised lamb’, ‘harvest’, ‘full of ears of corn’. Carmel was an ancient Israelite town in Judea, lying about 12 kms from Hebron, which shot into fame due to a spectacular miracle that took place on the mountain.
According to the Book of Kings, Mount Carmel is mentioned as a “holy mountain”, sanctified since early times in Egyptian records of the 16th century B.C. It had fallen into ruin by the time of King Ahab, but the prophet Elijah revived and brought new life to it. (1 Kings 18). Due to its height, it was for long a centre of idol worship and its reference is in the Bible as in the scene of Elijah’s bold confrontation with the false prophets of Ahab. It is here that Elijah told Ahab, “I have not made trouble for Israel, but you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed Baal.”
Now who was Baal? Baal was a god worshipped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites. It was designated as the god of fertility and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. Elijah wanted the people to know the true God. He was certain that the true living God was present with him, and so he summoned the people from all over Israel to meet on Mount Carmel.
When all were gathered there, Elijah instructed the prophets of Baal to place the animals of sacrifice to their god on a stone altar and make it an offering to God. They did so and all the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah invoked aloud with chanting and shouting asking their god to accept their offering. After much noise and crying out to their god, nothing happened, and the offering remained untouched.
Then Elijah placed their offering of sacrificial bulls on the altar erected of 12 stones, and poured water over it to wet the surrounding. He lifted his hands and eyes and prayed intensely to God to prove that He is God of Israel. Soon down came a roaring fire that consumed the sacrificial offering, the wood, the stones, scorched the earth and dried up the water in the trench. When the people saw this, they were amazed, threw themselves on the ground and exclaimed. “The Lord is God; the Lord alone is God.” Not long after, God sent rain to show that he still loved them. This was the great miracle of Mount Carmel, which made it known as a very holy place.
About the end of the 12th century and early mid 13th century, small groups of Latin hermits settled on the slopes of Mount Carmel wishing to imitate Prophet Elijah living a solitary way of life. These first hermits embraced a life of silence and solitude abiding in small grottos or caves in the mountain meditating the Word of God. They were a cloistered and ascetic order of nuns, living largely in silence. They built a chapel in the midst of their hermitages, which they dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, calling it “Lady of the place”.
Since the 15th century, popular devotion to the Blessed Virgin centered on the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also known as the Brown Scapular. Traditionally, Mary is said to have given the Scapular to an early Carmelite named Saint Simon Stock (1165-1265). The brown scapular is worn as a sign of love and devotion for the mother of God. You must be a Catholic to become a part of the confraternity of the Brown Scapular. Many Catholics wear it, in fact those who wear it are rarely without it except perhaps when bathing. It is like a wedding band, a symbol that signifies our love or commitment to another, in this case to the Blessed Mother, and through her to our Lord Jesus Christ. The liturgical feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated on 16th July.
The Carmelites today are a religious order of Roman Catholics who consider Elijah and his disciple Elisha as spiritual Fathers of the order. They do not leave the monastery unless, when necessary, like when they need to see a doctor. They only speak if it is essential, leaving more time for contemplation and prayer.
Interesting is Chile’s struggle for independence. In 1811, General Carrera and General O’Higgins asked the Vicar of Santiago to offer a Mass for success in their struggle for independence against Spain. In the cathedral was a statue. General de San Martin placed his baton in the right hand of the statue and named her patron saint of the Army of the Andes. In 1818 the Spanish army advanced on Santiago. Chileans crowded into the cathedral to pray, promising Our Lady to raise in her honour, church at the site where Chile’s declaration of Independence was signed, if successful in defeating the Spanish. Miraculously their prayers were answered and work on the church had begun.
In 1923 at the request of the Chilean bishops, the Vatican proclaimed the Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. Thereafter Our Lady of Carmel was given the title – Queen and Mother of Chile.
Dr. Jeanette is former Principal of Sophia College, member of Human Life Committee and a parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church, Chembur – Mumbai