WHO IS OUR LADY OF CARMEL?
"Our Lady of Carmel" is the name that was given to the Blessed Virgin Mary when she became the Patroness of the Carmelite Order and the Discalced Carmelite Order centuries ago. Her feast was originally celebrated on August 15th, a holy day thst Catholics call "The Day of the Assumption" because it is the day when the Blessed Virgin Mary, who never died, was carried in body by the angels to continue living in heaven. Yet, because in 1226, Pope Honorius III had declared July 16 as the day to celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary following a custom which had originated in England, and July 16 was the day, that according to Carmelites' tradition. in thr 13th Century our Lady of Carmel had appeared in a vision to Simon Stock a Carmelite Prior, and gave him the Brown Scapular, the date, previously known as "The Scapular Feast" was selected to celebrate the Festivity in honor of our LADY OF CARMEL
WHAT IS THE BROWN SCAPULAR?
The original "Scapular" was a type of apron that was worn by the monks in the 13th Century. It consisted on two large pieces of cloth, (front and back) that were joined over the shoulders, with strips of cloth. But according to a Carmelites' tradition, on July 16th on the late 14th Century, when Englishman SIMON STOCK, the Prior General of the Carmelite Order in Cambridge, England, was praying to the Blessed Virgin Mary, for something to differentiate his Order, The Virgin appeared to him, in a mystical vision, holding an small version of the monks scapular in her hands and told him: " Whoever dies clothed in this scapular will be saved." and handled him the two small pieces of cloth , now know as the "the Brown Scapular," as a sign of his special relationship with Her, the Mother of Jesus, whom he had pledged to imitate.
Since then, The Brown Scapular, reminds men and women who wear it, of their dignity as Christians, of their commitment to serve others, imitating Mary, to live in peace with each other and their duty to build a family true to God's plan, and a world with Justice for all. It also reminds the scapulars' wearers to fear no evil, because as long as they are wearing Mary's scapular, they will be protected by Her.
Today's Scapular consist of two small pieces of brown cloth. When wearing it, one segment must be hanging on the wearer's chest and the other hanging on his/her back. Because the two pieces of cloth are joined by two straps, the straps must lay over the scapular bone. The scapulars are always worn under the clothes.
THE FESTIVITY OF OUR LADY OF CARMEL
The FESTIVY of OUR LADY of CARMEL, believed to be responsibe for keeping the waters around Spain's shores clean an save for sailing, is very popular in Spain, specially in the South: in Almuñecar, situated in the coast of the province of Granada, in Puerto de la Cruz en Tenerife, in Murcia, Valencia, Catalonia y Andalucia.
The Festivities , always involves music, singing, fireworks, and prayers. So every JULY 16th,in the different villages, a flower-strewn effigy of the statue of Nuestra Señora Del Carmen, is being carried on the shoulders of a group of local sailors. Around different streets, as the procession makes its way to the sea, where the image is met by a flotilla (a group of boats illuminated and decorated) sounding their horns. After prayers are made for those at sea and for those who had perished at sea (Watch the enclosed b-roll) the statue is taken on a boat around the local harbor accompanied in her journey by band's music and songs under a sky illuminated by fireworks.
And with the passing of the years, the tradition keep growing in Spain. Since l981, a local group of scuba divers in Malaga, began joining the festivities by placing an image of the Virgin on the sea bed and praying to her. Since then, the scuba divers follow the tradition every year. Later on, In TENERIFE, the tradition was adopted, but this time by placing the image of the Virgin into a boat for a short ride around the port, and ending the ride releasing white doves. Not this year, because all Festivities were suspended because of the pandemic, but in previous years, Alicante, Nerja, Estepona, Port de Soller, and Torremolinos y Almeria had the biggest celebrations of the "Dia de la Virgen del Carmen" where she is not only celebrated but by the towns' people and carried in procession by the sailors who ask her, in prayers, to always protect those in peril at sea.
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