Mother of Carmelites - Fr. Benson

Hello Everyone:
Today is Day 2 of our 9 day Novena to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Here is another talk taken from "Take This Scapular" p. 28. This talk is again by Fr. Benson, O Carm. This is a critical talk for today. If you are a member of the Third Order, you know how little Our Lady is talked about. How we know she has significance in the Order but it is downplayed and almost never talked about. I know, I have been in the Order since 1994 until I left in 2013 (the year I was asked to leave because I wanted to live the Old Rule.) After reading this little writing of Fr. Benson, you too will realize that it is better to live the Old Rule rather than the new and "improved" Rule of Carmel. When I found and read the Old Rule, I said, "This is exactly what I was looking for!" This talk is confirmation of that - enjoy!

Again - the faith and simplicity of Fr. Benson shines in this talk:

"Mary is our Mother in a more special way. The bond between her and her Carmelite children is one still closer and truly singular. Mary has entered into a relationship with Carmel, which has no parallel. First of all, we claim her as the Foundress of our Order, since we may well suppose that the inspiration to become its Founder came to Elias from the fair Lady of his vision on Mt. Carmel. Each Carmelite can attribute his vocation to Mary, the Mother and Ornament of Carmel. The annals of the Order give instances of Mary's intervention on its behalf. Every member of the Order owes his perseverance to the powerful inspiration and maternal assistance which Mary gives him. Our Blessed Lady always was, and still is, the Order's living Rule, of which its written Rule is but a copy, so that imitation of Mary sums up the life of a Carmelite. She teaches and protects us from the dangers of body and soul in life and in death. Truly she is the Hope of All Carmelites! The Carmelite is highly favored in having in Mary so loving, solicitous, and powerful a Mother. And this then is another reason why we believe Mary will keep her Scapular Promise, because she is in a very special way the Mother of all Carmelites, of all who wear her Scapular. 

Suppose that you knew of someone who thought enough of you to wear your picture day and night, week after week, year after year, for a lifetime. What kindly feelings towards that person would you not entertain? Would you not do all in your power for a person who manifested such enduring affection for you? Is it so wonderful then that Mary obtains from her Divine Son the grace of a happy death for one who all his life was so thoughtful of her as never to put aside her picture, her badge, her Scapular?"

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