Live Under the Mantle!

These words, “Live under the mantle!” were spoken to me by a beloved Carmelite nun whom I came to know in my youth. It was summer, and I was visiting with a few of the Carmelite nuns in the parlor of their monastery. It was a hot day (no air conditioning for these nuns who took penance seriously) and the collar of my shirt was unbuttoned in an effort to stay a little cooler. Sister Anne spied the Brown Scapular hanging around my neck. She pointed at it and exclaimed, “Live under the mantle!” She then launched into a wonderful little talk on the importance of the Brown Scapular in our spiritual life.
 
Sister told the story of the apparition of Our Lady to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251 in Aylesford, England. St. Simon was the Master General of the Carmelite Order (properly known as the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel). Things were not going well for the Carmelite Fathers and Brothers. They were driven out of Palestine by Saracen invaders in the 1220’s and 1230’s. Arriving as hermits to Europe in places like Cyprus, Sicily, France and England, they were not well accepted either by society in general or by Church authorities. They had to reformulate their constitutions (the rule by which they lived) to move from the life of hermits to the life of mendicant friars (like the Franciscans and the Dominicans). There was hostility from outside their Order and division within. These were the worries of St. Simon Stock.
 
Tradition tells that the Mother of God came to St. Simon Stock accompanied by a multitude of angels. She held in her hands the Scapular of the Order and said, “This shall be to you and to all Carmelites a privilege, that anyone who dies clothed in this shall not suffer eternal fire.” This Scapular was a full-length mantle that hung over the shoulders down the front and back of a person. This is the basis for the small scapular worn by so many of the faithful today.
 
After this apparition, the fortunes of the Carmelites were reversed and they became accepted and well established throughout Europe. Their devotion to the Blessed Virgin remained as the hallmark of their Order. They believed that wearing their scapular was a reminder that they were under the protective mantle of Mary.
 
The faithful who wear the Brown Scapular are of the same mind. They know that wearing it is not magical or superstitious. The Brown Scapular is a sign, a reminder that we live under the protection of the Mother of God. That is what Sister Anne said to me many years ago, “Live under the mantle!” Know that you are under the protection of her who brought salvation into the world in the Person of her Son Jesus. It is a call to live a life of holiness, a life of devotion to her and a life of love and service to our brothers and sisters.
 
There is a beautiful hymn written in the 13^th century in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel called “Flos Carmeli”—the Flower of Carmel. It is a wonderful prayer and meditation for us to use as we contemplate the role of Mary in the life of the Church and in our own lives.
 
Flower of Carmel,
Tall vine blossom laden,
Splendor of heaven,
Childbearing yet maiden.
None equals thee.
 
Mother so tender,
Who no man didst know,
On Carmel’s children
Thy favors bestow.
Star of the Sea.
 
Strong stem of Jesse
Who bore one bright flower
Be ever near us
And guard us each hour,
who serve thee here.
 
Purest of lilies,
That flowers among thorns,
Bring help to the true heart
That in weakness turns
and trusts in thee.
 
Strongest of armor
We trust in thy might
Under thy mantle,
Hard press’d in the fight,
we call to thee.
 
Our way uncertain,
Surrounded by foes,
Unfailing counsel
You give to those,
who turn to thee.
 
O gentle Mother,
Who in Carmel reigns,
Share with your servants
That gladness you gained
and now enjoy.
 
Hail, Gate of Heaven,
With glory now crowned,
Bring us to safety
Where thy Son is found
true joy to see.
 
Dear friends, we are sons and daughters of God the Father and sons and daughters of the Mother of God herself.  So, let’s live under the mantle!
 
Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh