Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Ave Maria!  Today we honor the Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  The Web is full of lovely and informative articles about her.  Some of them can be found here, here,and here.  As for me, I pray to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to guard and guide my prayer and solitude, which is so central to the life and vocation of a consecrated virgin.  Like Mary, our mother and our sister, we consecrated virgins keep and ponder in our hearts the Incarnate Word.  As Our Lady gave birth to her Son in faith even before she gave birth to him in the flesh, we strive to bring Christ to birth within us and around us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, through Whom the Rite of Consecration of a Virgin was bestowed upon us on our glorious wedding day.  Placing ourselves under the mantle of Our Lady's tender love, with her we magnify the Lord with and rejoice forever in God our Savior.  Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, pray for us!