Shield of Carmel

The Shield of Carmel or

The Carmelite Crest

 

There have been several explanations of the design and they are all connected with the Prophet Elijah of the Old Testament. The Carmelites trace their origin to the hermits who lived in the spirit of Elijah on Mount Carmel in the twelfth century.

 

The peak or point in the centre of the shield is taken to represent Mount Carmel, the scene of the Prophet’s greatest triumph over the false prophets of Baal, and the dwelling place of the followers of Elijah. The star in the lower part symbolises Elijah while the two stars above it represent Christ and Mary. Many saints and early writers have seen a symbol of Our Lady in the cloud which Elijah saw arising from the sea to bring rain to the parched land of Israel (see 1Kings 18:44). The early hermits built an oratory in honour of Our Lady on Mount Carmel and chose her as their patroness. Later they become known as the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. Others have seen the lower star representing us and the upper stars representing Elijah and Mary, the two great models for the Order, guiding us up the Mount towards Christ. Another interpretation sees the lower star representing Elijah and the Prophetic Tradition while the two upper stars represent the Greek (Eastern) Tradition and the Latin (Western) Tradition.

 

The sword symbolises the power and zeal of Elijah. In the Scriptures Elijah appears again and again as God’s Prophet, speaking out boldly against abuses and reminding the Israelites of their special calling to live as God’s people. The sword is sometimes shown as flaming, to suggest the ardent and zealous spirit of the Prophet; moreover it recalls the fire which he called down from heaven upon the mountain of Carmel to confound the false prophets of Baal (see 1Kings 18:38). Elsewhere in the bible we are told, Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, his sword flashing like a torch (see Ecclesiasticus 48:1).

 

Around the crest are grouped twelve stars. The number is meant to refer to the crown of the woman in the Book of Revelations (or the Apocalypse), who has always been taken as a figure of Our Lady, And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet and her head a crown of twelve stars (Revelations 12:1).

 

 

The motto or legend consists of the words of Elijah taken from the First Book of the Kings, 19:10: With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of Hosts. In Latin the phrase reads: Zelo zelatus sum pro Domino Deo exercituum. These words express the whole life of the prophet Elijah and the very spirit that moved him. The crest or coat of arms stands as an emblem of that tradition and is associated with Carmelite spirit which has been handed down to us.

 

 

source:

http://www.carmelites.ie/crest.html

Monks

The Carmelite Monks of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel are a monastic or cloistered Roman Catholic community.

In the solitude and silence of their monasteries, the Carmelite monks seek to perpetuate the charism of the Blessed Virgin Mary by living the word of God day and night.

The Carmelite Monks are the only monastery of contemplative, cloistered monks within the family of Carmel. Their life is characterized by prayer and contemplation. This community of Carmelite hermits live a hidden life of silence and prayer and separation from the world for the good of the Church.

The friars (brothers) are the oldest continually-surviving branch of the Carmelite Family. The very first Carmelites were hermits living on Mount Carmel. There were always solitary hermits or communities of monks on Mount Carmel. The Order was created and given their rules by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, St Albert Avigadro. This became known as the Carmelite Rule of St Albert.

The Carmelite monks live in accordance to the primitive Carmelite Rule and the ancient monastic observance of Carmelite men and are devoted to Mary and serve God through prayer, community and fraternity. The Carmelites also keep alive the ancient eremitical custom of permitting the monks to take walks during recreation through the woods and countryside within the monastery.

Inspired by the life and spirit of Prophet Elijah, the purpose of Carmelite life is precise - it is a life of prayer and sacrifice for the sanctification of priests and the salvation of souls.

Like the 13th-century hermits, the Carmelite monks are dedicated to a life of solitude.

Mount Carmel

Mount Carmel has always been a symbol of beauty. Mount Carmel is of great importance for Carmelites because the Order of Carmelites has its origins on this beautiful mountain in Palestine. The name means garden or orchard. It seems in the Old Testament this mountain has been mentioned twenty-nine times and is especially associated with Prophet Elijah. It rises 1,742 feet above sea level and towers above Israel's Mediterranean coastline.

Mount Carmel is a mountain spur projecting into the sea south of Haifa, Israel. Its bold outline can be seen for many miles. The Greek philosopher Pythagoras was reportedly attracted to Carmel by its sacred reputation.

Some hermits lived on Mount Carmel near the Fountain of Elijah in northern Israel in the 12th century. The name of our Order has been derived from Mount Carmel, the place of our outset, as by the end of the twelfth century, a group of Crusaders settled on the western slopes of Mount Carmel.

About 1156, the Order of Carmelites was founded, and a new monastery was built in honour of St. Mary of Mount Carmel.

The entire recorded history of Mount Carmel is one of a place of worship. It is on the heights of Mount Carmel that the Carmelite Order originated in the Holy Land. We do not have a particular founder.

Today the Order is found on all five continents.

Hermits

A hermit is a person living in solitude as a religious discipline. The root of the word is the Greek erēmos, meaning “solitary.” A life of solitude isn't for everyone, but a hermit chooses it for any number of reasons. The hermit lives a life hidden within the heart of the Mystical Body of Christ, His Church.

The first Carmelites were hermits living on the slopes of Mount Carmel. This community of Carmelite hermits lived a hidden life of silence and prayer and separation from the world for the good of the Church. This Roman Catholic religious community observed the eremitical charism of the first hermits on Mount Carmel and the primitive Carmelite Rule of St. Albert of Jerusalem.

It is well known that the early Carmelites were hermits. It seems that they were men from Western Europe who had gone to the Holy Land as pilgrims.

The first Carmelites came as pilgrims to Mount Carmel to live a solitary lifestyle. These early hermits were mostly laity, who lived an unofficial religious life and they lived in separate cells or huts and their vocation was contemplative prayer. The foundation of their life was the Eucharist and Sacred Scriptures.

 

Carmelite Order

The Carmelite Order has no founder as such. However the origins of the Carmelite Order can be traced back to Prophet Elijah and his disciples. During the late 12th century and the beginning of the 13rd century, under the title of “Saint Mary of Mount Carmel”, the Order of Carmelites had its formal beginning. Thus the Discalced Carmelites are a religious Order whose heritage reaches back to a community of hermits living on Mount Carmel in Palestine during that time.

Some hermits from Europe and others, possibly former crusaders, settled on the slopes of Mount Carmel near the Spring of Elijah. After their military service was complete, these crusaders decided to remain in the Holy Land, pledging “allegiance to Jesus Christ”.

This group of hermits formed the first Carmelites, who were officially known as the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. They lived a life of solitude on the mountain of Carmel like our spiritual father St. Elijah.

In 1247 the Pope Innocent IV granted to the Carmelite Order the privilege to be one of Catholic mendicant Orders. Today the Carmelites are one of the four great mendicant Orders (those Orders whose corporate as well as personal poverty made it necessary for them to beg for alms). In fact there are two Orders of the Carmelites -- "The Carmelites", also known as of the "Ancient Observance" or "Calced", and "The Discalced (shoeless) Carmelites" or "Teresians".

The Carmelite Order is one of the five ancient Religious Orders in the Catholic Church, and first one to be dedicated to Mary. Today the Carmelites are a religious Order of Roman Catholic priests, brothers, nuns, and laity serving the Church. We follow an 800-year-old tradition of spirituality.

 

Blessed Virgin Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, the mother of God. The Carmelites are known for their devotion to the Mother of God. Mary serves as the patron saint of all Carmelites, watching over us with motherly care due to her role as the mother of Jesus Christ. Since the very beginning, the Blessed Virgin Mary has been our preeminent guide. Prophet Elijah saw the cloud as a symbol of the Virgin mentioned in the prophecies of Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14).  Even the theologians see in that little cloud a figure of Mary.

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. Mary, along with the Old Testament prophet, Elijah, is considered a spiritual founder of our Order.

For this reason the Carmelites were formally known as the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. Till date we place ourselves under her maternal protection. An ancient saying in the Carmelite Order states: Carmelus totus Marianus est, that is, "Carmel is totally Marian."

Devotion to Mary as Mother is a characteristic expression of Carmelite Spiritualty.