The feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been a heart-warming day for me for the past 14 years, writes Bianca Murray, the Director of the Mother Teresa House for the Care of the Terminally Ill who is also a third order Carmelite.
In January of 2011 while I was residing in Los Angeles and contemplating what God was asking of me I found myself inspired to lead a life of austerity. I was inspired to pray, fast, give alms, and offer up acts of penance. At the time, I wasn’t really sure why I was being encouraged to do this, but followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit and realized God was calling me to conversion. I felt called to live for God, but was still struggling with walking away from the secular life I spent a decade building.
I prayed A LOT and often felt the guidance of the Holy Spirit along with a strong Marian presence. I felt lonely and, in turn, inspired to find a community of like-minded people that were committed to daily prayer and fasting and had Marian devotions. Throughout my discernment process I felt the guidance of a loving Mother warmly encouraging her child to be protected under Her mantle as she led her ultimately to Her Divine Son.
It didn’t take me long to find a local Third Order of Mount Carmel near my home and I quickly contacted them as a potential aspirant. I was extremely grateful to find a community of lay people (married, single, female, and male members) who were so completely devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This community aspired to lead lives of holiness through their devotion to the Bl. Virgin Mary in the Carmelite Order. They were committed to morning and evening prayer as well as daily Mass and the daily recitation of the rosary. These were all things I was living out in my life already, and in finding this community, I felt like I found my home.
When I moved back to Michigan I was concerned about finding a Lay Carmelite community near me, but learned these communities exist all over the world! In the fall of 2015, I was professed into the Third Order of Carmelites (O. Carm). My profession day was the happiest day of my life! The love and joy I felt on that day is indescribable. Make no mistake. It was the happiest day of my life and I’m married!
Being a Third Order Carmelite has made me a better daughter, sister, auntie, and wife. Once a month our Carmelite community gathers for prayer, formation, and socializing. It’s beautiful time where we don our ceremonial brown scapulars and offer our communal prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and her Beloved Son. We also wear our daily brown scapulars like a lot of Catholics as a devotion to Our Lady in hopes that we will be united with Her and Our Lord when our earthly pilgrimage has ended.
So, on this year’s feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, I encourage you to participate in a Marian devotion. Seek Our Lady’s intercession for any needs you may have, and She will not disappoint! Of this I am certain!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!