Our Lady of Mt Carmel

The story of Elijah on Carmel is one of faith and faithfulness.  Elijah reminds us that to be prophetic is a most difficult task.  From our place in history we can easily read of these heroes of the bible and become amazed at their bold words and wisdom.  Yet they were sometimes afraid and even doubted their own effectiveness.  God used these broken instruments to convey the premise of the covenant and call men and women to holiness.

That we honor the Blessed Mother is of no surprise.  Mary's unconditional 'Yes' is founded on a deep intimacy that she has with God.  Passion, intimacy, and conviction, when nurtured by love and affection, allow persons to make bold and stand for what is right and true.  To be sure we have seen this take place throughout history whereas person committed to true and goodness have faced many obstacles to set things right.

The hermits who settled on Carmel in the twelfth century were truly prophets, maybe not in our sense, but because their lifestyle and prayer-life was so counter-cultural.  From the mountaintop vista they invite other sojourners to look to the heavens for guidance and direction in their life.  This gives us a clue also.  We need models of faith to follow, and are cajoled into seeking what is right and good. 

Today we are asked again to ponder the mystery of the Incarnation.  God become one like us so that we could be prophetic in becoming more holy - like God.