Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Carmelites

7-16-2010

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Patroness of the Order.

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Holy Mary

Holy Mother of God

Virgin of Virgins

Virgin most prudent

Virgin most venerable

Virgin most faithful

Mirror of justice

Cause of our joy

Spiritual vessel

Seat of wisdom

Seat of wisdom

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Those who want to live their devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to the full must follow Mary into the depths of her interior life. Carmel is the symbol of the contemplative life, the life wholly dedicated to the quest for God, wholly orientated towards intimacy with God; and the one who has best realized this highest of ideals is Our Lady herself, 'Queen and Splendor of Carmel'

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Carmel, place of reflection

Mary, a perfect model of interior life of prayer and contemplation

And Mary pondered all these things in her heart

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Mary had a true wisdom, so different from the "worldly" wisdom of which Paul speaks in Corinthians

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• Didn't always know the answers or the outcome
• But sought to be the maidservant of the Lord.
• A person of true wisdom

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Biblical wisdom is essentially a practical instruction about how to live properly

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• Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Sirach, Wisdom of Solomon, Psalms, Song of Songs-the wisdom literature
• This would have been the wisdom literature of which Mary was aware
• The biblical literature on which she reflected

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Since for the Jewish people of biblical times there was no concept of afterlife other than the shadowy existence of sheol.

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The believing Israelite had to find God in this life, in the here and now because that was all that was to be had

A life of faith, hope and love had to be lived for the glory of God alone and not for an eternal reward

That isn't a bad stance for us to take as well.

Perhaps after the crucifixion she reflected on Sirach: Accept whatever befalls you, in crushing misfortune be patient; for in fire gold is tested.

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Certainly the section on wisdom itself from the book of wisdom describes both wisdom and Mary:

For in her is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique,

Manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain ...

For she is an aura of the might of God and pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;

Therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.

For she is the refulgence of eternal light the spotless mirror of the power of God, the image of his goodness ....

For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom

For she is fairer than the sun and surpasses every constellation of the stars. Compared to light, she takes precedence;

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We pray for the gift of wisdom

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us

Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us.