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PIERTH, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1913.
NO. 3,086.
PRICE THREEPENCE.
SEVENTIETH TEAR.
Ancient Traditions of Carmelites Outlined by Franciscan Father *Mary in the Vision of Elias 900 Years B.C. Carmelite Monasticism Under the Old and New Dispensations aroma of flowers which perfumed the the evening air above Carmel was but a faint counterpart of that stream of prayer which rose constantly, like intense, before the throne of the All Holy. With the passage of time, the people of Israel conceived a deep veneration for the holy monks of Carmel, and it became the custom to make pious pilgrimages there on great festal days. When Our Lady was a little girl, the home of Joachim and Anne was but a short distance from Cannel, and it is certain that Mary visited the Monks of Carmel in company of her holy parents. The monks would hardly recognise in this litle girl the Virgin of Elias' glori-
*Mission of Therese of Lisieux in the Modern World . .
-a
.
The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was celebrated at the Cermelite Monastery, Dalkieth, on Friday last. Solemn High Mass was offered at 9.30 a.m., at which His Grace the Archbishop presided, assisted by Very Rev. Father Moss and Rev. Father Bernard, Rev. Father Vawdrey, O.F.M., O.S.B. was the celebrant; Rev Father de Piazzi, the deacon; and Rev. Father Rev. Father Nolan, the sub-deacon. McGillicuddy was the assistant -priest, and Rev. Father Rafferty Master of Ceremonies. At 3.30 p.m., the occasional sermon was preached by Rev. Father Vawdrey, O.F.M. Then followed Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and the veneration of the relic of St. Simon Stock. Preaching from the text, "I will lead her into the wilderness, and there I will speak to her heart," Father Vawdrey said: To-day, my dear brethren, we have gathered here in Nedlands to honour Mary under the title of "Our Lady of While this is one of Mt. Carmel." Mary's most widely known and best loved titles, it is by far the oldest, because Mary was known and loved as Queen of Carmel 900 years before she It seems astonishing that was born. Mary could be known so long before God gave her to the world, and yet it was so.
Carmel is a mountain to the north To -day, Carmel has lost of Palestine. much of its former loveliness, but in Old Testament times, it was of
sur-
passing beauty. It is really a promontory, which rises steeply from the Mediterranean to some 600 feet. Its summit was crowned with oak and pine trees. Its slopes were rich with olive and orange groves, which cast their shadows on the crystalline streams which gush from the mountain's foot, and flowers of richest hue and perfume spattered its verdant slopes. It was on the summit of Carmel 900 years before the birth of Christ, that a holy man, a prophet, lay prostrate in prayer. He was beseeching God to
have mercy on His people and end a drought which had devastated Israel for seven years. In all that time not so much as a dew -drop had fallen on As Elias prayed the parched land. -for Elias was the prophet's namea tiny cloud, no bigger than a man's hand, rose from the blue waters of the grew it Rapidly Mediterranean. until it covered the entire heavens. Then from the cloud fell torrents of cool, refreshing, life-giving rain on the Now, while the prodying country. phet's companion and the people of Israel saw only a cloud, Elias saw a In the vision far more entrancing. full clarity of mystic light, he saw in that cloud an image of Mary Immaculate, the virgin Mother of God-as yet unborn. And that image never faded from Mount Carmel. In his life and personality, Elias so
eloquently expresses the spirit and ideals of Cannel, that we will see something more of his career. Elias appeared rather suddenly on the stage of history. When we first meet him, he has just received a difficult and dangerous commission from God. In the time of the prophet, there ruled a civil and ruthless king named This Achab is one of the Achab. most unscrupulous tyrants in history. He would not hesitate instantly to destroy anyone who opposed his will in Compared to the slightest degree. Achab, our modern Hitlers and Mussolinis are mere children. And Elias was sent by God to upraid We Achab for his crimes and 'sins. would naturally expect to learn that Eliad faltered, at least momentarily, on receiving this command. And yet he did not hesitate. He went immediately to the king, and called him the Furblackguard and villian he was. ther, he threatened Achab and the entire nation with punishment. Before all and above all, Elias was a man of prayer, of contemplation. It was in the long hours of communion with God that Elias found that greatness of soul which made his life story The Holy Spirit, so spectacular.
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THE LITTLE FLOWERthirty centuries after Elias, but like him with a mission from God.
speaking through the inspired writer, says of the truly prayerful soul: "I will lead her into the wilderness, and there I will speak to her heart." What marvellous intimacies. God whispered to the heart of Elias on Carmel is something This we we cannot even imagine. know, that because Elias surrendered himself so completely to the action of divine grace, and was so dominated by the Spirit of God, the Almighty manifested his power through the prophet in numerous ways. During the long centuries which stretched between Elias and the com-
ing of Christ, a constant stream of holy souls, burning with love of God, sought refuge on the holy mountain of Carmel. There they found, in solitude and silence, the union with God for which they were athirst. And ever before their wondering and loving eyes, the vision of the Virgin to come; that vision which Elias had bequeathed to his spiritual sons. From the very beginning Mary was Queen of Cannel. The holiness of that holy mountain was but a faint reflection of the beauty of virtue which flourished then. The
ous vision. There is an ancient tradition that, when Jesus was returning with Mary and Joseph from Egypt, they visited the Monks of Carmel. As Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, was but a day's journey from Carmel, we can be sure that the Holy Family went with other pious Israelites on pilgrimages to Carmel. During the years of His public life, Jesus journeyed to and fro throughout Palestine and, always, Carmel looked down on the scene of His wanderings. The earthly life span of the Man-God passed rapidly. Came at last the day of His Ascension into Heaven, followed eight days later by Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles in the form of tongues of flame. Burning with zeal, the Apostles and disciples went forth to preach Christ Crucified. In the vast crowd which listened with amazement while the Apostles preached in divers tongues, was a group of monks from Carmel. They had come to Jerusalem for the Passover and were among the 3,000 baptised that day. On returning to Carmel they brought to their fellow monks the story of Christ and His redemption. The monks eagerly embraced the Faith, and the life of love and prayer on Cannel went on, not in the dawn light of prophesy, but in the full noon of fulfilment. We would expect that the holy men of Carmel who had so longed for the coming of Mary would be fervent in their devotion to the Mother of God. This, indeed, was the case. It is do record that the first shrine erected in Mary's honour in the Christian world (Continued on Page 11.)
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