Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Feast Day: July 16th
On July 16, 1251, Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock and gave him the Scapular. The Mother of God told St. Simon, “Whosoever dies clothed in this [scapular] shall not suffer eternal fire.” She also told him, “Wear it devoutly and perseveringly, it is my garment. To be clothed in it means you are continually thinking of me, and I in turn, am always thinking of you and helping you to secure eternal life.” The Blessed Virgin Mary told St. Dominic, “One day, through the Rosary and Scapular, I will save the world.” Francis of Yepes was the brother of St. John of the Cross. It was revealed to Francis by some devils that there were three things that especially tormented them: the first is the Holy Name of Jesus, the second is the Name of Mary, and the third is the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. “Take off that habit,” they cried to him, “which snatches so many souls from us. All those clothed in it die piously and escape us.” Mary is the protector of the Carmelite Order throughout the world. Mary is also the model of the interior life for us all. Interior life means the life of union with God. The following prayer of St. Simon Stock is seven centuries old and has been known as a prayer to obtain powerful help from the Mother of God – Pray it any day, but especially on her feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel on July 16th!
Prayer of Flos Carmeli (Flower of Carmel) by St. Simon Stock
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succour me in this necessity; there are none that can withstand your power.
O, show me herein you are my Mother, O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. (pray 3 times)
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands. (pray 3 times)
Pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Mother and Ornament of Carmel, Pray for us!
Virgin, Flower of Carmel, Pray for us!
Patroness of all who wear the Scapular, Pray for us!
Hope of all who die wearing the Scapular, Pray for us!
St. Joseph, Friend of the Sacred Heart, Pray for us!
St. Joseph, Chaste Spouse of Mary, Pray for us!
St. Joseph, Our Patron, Pray for us!
O sweet Heart of Mary, Be our Salvation!
Mount Carmel is the highest point in the mountain ridge found in northwest Israel which juts into the Mediterranean Sea above the port city of Haifa. Mention of Mount Carmel is found in the Old Testament regarding Elijah and Elisha (1 Kgs 18:19-46 and 2 Kgs 2:25; 4:25). Mount Carmel is venerated by the Carmelite Order as the site of its founding. This coffee cake is named for Our Lady of Mount Carmel because oranges and cinnamon are found in this area of the world and also because it’s a mountain of caramelized sweetness for your family to enjoy. Tell your children about the Brown Scapular and give them each one; the protection of our families is of extreme importance. You may also put Scapulars that have been blessed under people’s mattresses or over the doors entering your home as protection and blessing for your family as well.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Orange Ring
Feast Day: July 16th
My children do not like marmalade or nuts, but they love this coffee cake! I make it with homemade biscuits.
Oven Temp: 350 Degrees You will need a lightly buttered 12 cup Bundt pan.
1/2 c. orange marmalade
2 T. chopped walnuts
1 c. pure cane brown sugar
3/4 t. cinnamon
2 (12 oz) cans refrigerated buttermilk flaky biscuits or homemade biscuits (recipe below)
1/2 c. butter, melted
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 12 cup Bundt pan. Spoon the marmalade into the bottom of the Bundt pan and sprinkle with walnuts. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. *Make homemade biscuits now if using. Separate the biscuits and dip each biscuit in the melted butter and then in the sugar mixture. Stand the biscuits on edge in the pan, spacing evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and drizzle with the remaining butter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for a few minutes and invert onto a serving plate. Always remember when you are inverting a hot coffee cake to make sure that your children are not close by, in case any of the hot topping spills out of the sides.
*Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
2 c. Non-GMO Flour
4 t. Aluminum Free Baking Powder
½ t. Sea Salt
½ c. Butter, cold and cut in small chunks
1 c. Buttermilk
In a large mixing bowl, combine the 2 c. flour, 4 t. aluminum free baking powder & ½ t. of sea salt. Whisk gently to combine.
Cut the cold butter into cubes and combine into the flour mixture using a pastry blender. Work in until the mixture looks crumbly and there are still some large butter chunks remaining.
Add the cup of buttermilk and toss with a fork to combine. Do not over work the dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface & knead 3 or 4 times.
Pat or roll the dough into a ¾ inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter or juice glass.
Copyright Building the Family Cookbook, Suzanne Fowler, 2003
