St. Joseph
Due to St. Teresa’s devotion to and trust in St. Joseph’ s loving care for her intentions and the needs of the reform, Discalced Carmelites regard St. Joseph as a Protector of the Order and a master of prayer.
Devotion to St. Joseph was a hallmark of St. Teresa of Avila. Teresa attributed her miraculous cure to Saint Joseph. St. Joseph is the silent figure of the New Testament as the Gospels do not record one spoken verse for St. Joseph.
St. Joseph was entrusted by God to exercise his role as father and guardian of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Mt. 1 16, 18-24). Joseph is the last Patriarch who receives the communications of the Lord through the humble way of dreams (Gn 28, 12-14; Mt 1, 20-24). Like the ancient Joseph, he is an upright and faithful man (Mt 1, 19) whom God had placed as guardian of his household. He connects Jesus, the Messianic King, to the descent of David (Mt 1, 1-16; Lk 3, 23-38). Joseph, Spouse of Mary and foster father, guide of the Holy Family in their flight to and return from Egypt, retracing the way of the Exodus (Gn 37; 50, 22-26; Mt 2, 13-21).
Prophet Elijah
In Hebrew, Elijah means “My God is YHWH”. Elijah is held as a model of the contemplative life, particularly by Carmelites who first gathered on Mount Carmel, where Elijah contested the worship of the one true God of the Israelite people against that of the prophets of Baal. The Scriptures describe Elijah as a man who lived in the presence of God and whose zeal for the true God led him into moments of encounter with God both in silence and through his prophetic action. The inspiration found in the person of Elijah pervades the history of the Carmelite Order from its very beginnings and so he is also named “Father of all Carmelites”. The first Carmelites came to the Holy Land drawn by the places where Our Lord had lived.
Carmelites are rooted in a prophetic tradition which goes back to the time of the Prophet Elijah. The original hermits of Carmel chose to reside at the Wadi Carith, Elijah’s well. The choice of location for the Carmelite’s initial foundation placed them within the prophetic shadow of the Prophet Elijah, who is identified as the Father of Carmelites and who is still celebrated as a saint within the Order (Feast Day July 16). Even St. Peter’s Basilica contains a statue of him with a sign stating, “Elijah, Founder of the Carmelites”.
Mother Mary (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)
Mount Carmel is where the prophet Elijah strived against 450 priests of Baal and was given victory by God over them. (1 Kings 18:19–40). Hermits lived on Mount Carmel in northern Israel (near modern day Haifa) in the 12th century, where they dedicated a chapel to Our Lady. These became the first Carmelites. Eventually most fled, as Mount Carmel was taken by the Muslims in 1291, and the remaining brothers were killed and the convent burned. The Carmelites are unique in that they view themselves especially as “brothers of Our Lady,” emphasizing their spiritual fraternity with her.
As we attempt to follow Christ more closely, we Carmelites find inspiration in the Blessed Virgin Mary. She plays a very important part in the life and spirituality of the Order.
From the very beginning Carmelites have had a special place for Mary in their lives.
The Carmelites, formally known as the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount. We imitate the virtues of Mary and experience of the Marian mystery is indissolubly united to Carmelite spirituality. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order.
An important Marian celebration associated with the Order of Discalced Carmelites is the Memorial of ”Our Lady, Mother of Divine Grace,” celebrated on July 23.
Since the ancient hermits that established themselves on Mount Carmel, the Carmelites have been known for their deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. They interpreted the cloud of the vision of Elijah (1 Kings 18:44) as a symbol of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
The Carmelites have spread among the Christian people devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, holding her up as a model of prayer, contemplation and dedication to God.
Because of the invasion by the Saracenes, the Carmelites were obliged to abandon Mount Carmel. One ancient tradition tells us that before leaving, Our Lady appeared to them while they sang the Salve Regina and she promised to be the Star of the Sea for them. They also knew Our Lady by this beautiful name because Mount Carmel rises like a star above the sea. In their quest for God, they came to see the Blessed Virgin Mary as their preeminent guide.
The Carmelites are known for their devotion to the Mother of God, since in her they see the fulfillment of Elijah's ideal. In their religious profession, they are consecrated to God and to Mary, and they take the habit in her honour, as a remembrance that their lives belong to her, and through her, to Christ. The devotion to Our Lady of Carmel was propagated especially in the places were the Carmelites were established.
BEFORE CHRIST
Mount Carmel is a biblical place where the prophet Elijah dwelt. It rises 1,742 feet above sea level and towers above Israel’s Mediterranean coastline. It was here where Elijah prayed to God for the salvation of Israel, which was suffering a terrible drought at the time. He continued to pray and sent his servant up the mountain several times to look for rain. On the seventh try, Elijah’s servant returned with good news. “Behold a little cloud arose out of the sea like a man’s foot” (1 Kings 1:44). Soon thereafter, torrential rains fell upon the parched land and the people of Israel were saved.
Elijah saw the cloud as a symbol of the Virgin mentioned in the prophecies of Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14). The hermits who lived on Mount Carmel followed Elijah’s example and prayed for the advent of the much-awaited Virgin, who would become the mother of the Messiah. The origins of the Carmelite Order can be traced back to Elijah and his hermited disciples.
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