Mount Carmel: A Religious Order united by Love of Jesus and Mary

A vision of Elias the Prophet praying on Mount Carmel foretelling rain on the land after a long drought with a small white cloud, this stood for a young girl, a Virgin, who would give birth to Jesus Christ, Savior of mankind.

Before being swept up by a chariot of fire, Elias left his cloak to Elisha his disciple to signify the transmission of the spirit of Elias to Elisha and his line. This is the origin of the white cloak worn by the Carmelites to this day.

On Mount Carmel halfway between Jerusalem and Lebanon the Carmelites erected the first church dedicated to the Virgin Mary Our Lady of Mount Carmel and All Saints.

The Carmelite Order began with Saint Elias and its Rule was approved by Pope Honorius III and then conformed following the apparition of Our Lady on 16th July, 1251, demanding the faithful to wear the scapular in order to come under her protection and so be saved from the eternal fires. To begin with, there was only a male order and it was not until the 15th century that a feminine branch was formed.

Now there are thousands of priories and convents around the world, which have nurtured thousands of saints. Among these we may mention the following:- Saint Simon Stock, Saint Theresa of Avila, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, Saint Mary Madeleine, Saint Maravillas, Saint Theresa of Chile, Saint Theresa Benedict, Saint Mary of Jesus, Saint Theresa Margaret, Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified, Saint Elizabeth, and Saint Joseph Kalimovsky, to mention only a few. The life of the Carmelites is that of hermits, a life lived in deep intimacy with Christ and Mary his Mother, a a profoundly spiritual life offering the soul entirely to God.

To wear the scapular is a divine grace. Pious people who have wanted to make up for a rather disorderly life, have worn the scapular in hopes of repenting and saving their soul. There is the famous case of the renowned poet La Fontaine; he was worldly and enjoyed the good life with all its pleasures, but at his death the holy scapular was found on his body.

In Lebanon, where the people are of strong faith and are deeply religious… the Paulist Father Boulos el-Ashkar, with the help of Bishop Philip Nabaa, brought Carmelite sisters from Spain to found their first convent at Harissa on 24th August, 1962, dedicated as the Carmel of the Mother of God and of Unity. With the grace and blessing of God it has prospered to the point where the number of nuns has exceeded the figure of twenty-one, which is the maximum allowed. It became necessary to found a daughter house, the Carmel of the Mother of God and Saint Joseph, at Kfarmashoun in the district of Jbeil-Byblos. This was done 10th July, 2005, and there have been many vocations among young Lebanese girls who have answered the call to serve Jesus Christ and his holy Mother.

These cloistered nuns take solemn vows and lead lives of great piety and self-abnegation to lose themselves in love of Christ.

Saint Theresa of Avila reformed the Order, since when there have been Calced and Discalced Carmelites, that is to say shod and unshod, the latter with bare feet in sandals whatever the winter cold. At Harissa the convent is at an altitude of 2,000 feet, almost the same as the height of Mount Carmel itself.

A Carmel is an earthly Paradise for peace of soul and union with Christ. There will certainly be other Carmelite convents in Lebanon. The Carmelites know no discrimination, for the hearts of Jesus and Mary are open to all communities with love and generosity.

Joseph Matar
Translation from the French : Kenneth J. Mortimer

- Mount Carmel Kfarmashoun: >> View Movie << (2018-07-30)
- Interior of Church - Mount Carmel Kfarmashoun: >> View Movie << (2013-07-01)