Our Morning Offering – 16 July – The Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
“The Flos Carmeli
The Flower of Carmel”
By St Simon Stock (1165-1265)
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel,
fruitful vine, splendour of Heaven,
Blessed Mother of the Son of God,
Immaculate Virgin,
assist me in this my necessity.
O Star of the Sea,
help me and show me herein
that thou art my Mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Queen of Heaven and earth,
I humbly beseech thee from the bottom of my heart,
to succour me in this my necessity.
There are none that can withstand thy power.
O show me herein, that thou art my Mother. Amen.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for those who have recourse to thee.
(Repeat three times)
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands.
(Repeat three times)
This prayer, the “Flos Carmeli” (“The Flower of Carmel”), was composed by St Simon Stock (1165-1265), a Carmelite, so-called because he and other members of his order lived atop Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. St Simon Stock was visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary on 16 July 1251, at which time, she bestowed upon him a scapular, or habit, (commonly called “the Brown Scapular”), which became part of the liturgical clothing of the Carmelite order
Oral tradition tells of St Simon Stock praying, with a passionate intensity to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, during a time of great distress and hardship for the Order. With fervour and faith, he prayed his prayer, the Flos Carmeli for the first time. And Our Lady answered his prayer. Thus, for seven centuries the Flos Carmeli continues to be prayed to the Blessed Mother with the firm faith that she she will answer its request with her powerful help.
AnaStpaul 