Homily for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel | Brown Scapular Meaning | Mary Queen of Carmel | “Do Whatever He Tells You” | Carmelite Devotion
Praise be to Jesus Christ
During a war, a young mother was running with her two little children as bombs fell on the village. Just a few steps from the shelter, an explosion struck. When rescuers arrived, they found the mother lying on the ground, lifeless. Her arms were wrapped tightly around the children. She had shielded them with her own body. The children were unharmed. She had given her life so they could live.
One of the rescuers, with tears in his eyes, said softly, “This mother is a real queen”. She is a queen not because she wore a crown, but because she gave everything for her children.
Who is a queen?
A queen is someone who reigns with authority. Her duty is not just to be admired, but to protect, to defend, and to guide her people. A true queen is honoured, yes, but she is also obeyed. Her words carry meaning. Her people trust her wisdom.
And what about her people, her subjects? Their responsibility is more than singing her praises. They are called to live a life of loyalty. And in any kingdom, everything belongs to the ruler: the land, the army, the wealth, and even the people’s service. So when we say Mary is the Queen of Carmel, we are making a bold and beautiful statement that everything in Carmel belongs to her and she is our ruler. If I say Mary is Queen of my life, then my thoughts, my time, my choices, and my struggles, all of it, belongs to her and it must be used according to her wish. But what does this Queen ask of us?
She doesn’t ask for gold or grand words. She gives us just one instruction:
“Do whatever He tells you. “That’s what she said to the servants at the wedding in Cana. The wine had run out, the joy was fading, and people were confused. Mary didn’t try to solve the problem herself. She turned to the servants, pointed quietly to her Son, and said, “Do whatever He tells you.”
She trusted that obedience to Jesus was enough and it was. That trust turned water into wine. It changed sorrow into celebration. It is still her voice, request and command to us today. She never draws attention to herself. Her greatness lies in her humility. She is Queen, yes, but she always leads us to the true King, Christ our Lord.
And what makes her words so powerful is that she herself lived them first. From the angel’s greeting to the Cross, Mary obeyed. At the Annunciation she said, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” On Calvary, she stood in silence beneath the Cross, trusting and obeying. Her entire life was shaped by listening and doing God’s will.
One of the clearest signs of her protection as Queen was her intervention in the life of the Carmelite Order. In the 13th century, when the Order was struggling and uncertain, Mary came to the aid of her sons. She gave them the Brown Scapular, a simple piece of cloth, but full of meaning. To St. Simon Stock she said, “Receive, my beloved son, this scapular. It is a sign of my protection. Whoever dies wearing it shall not suffer eternal fire.”
That was not just a message of comfort, but it was the gesture of a Queen who watches over her people. It was her way of saying, “I am with you and stay close to me , and I will not let you be lost.”
Moreover, the scapular is not only for Carmelites, this is something many forget. It is a gift for all her children, for anyone who wants to belong to her and walk with her. However, scapular is not a magic charm, but it is a sign of relationship. It quietly says, “I am yours,I place myself under your care, and I will follow your word.”
Even today, millions of people around the world wear it- priests, sisters, lay people, farmers, mothers, students – wear it with a silent promise: I belong to you and I am ready to obey Jesus.
Saint Teresa of Avila said, “Mary will never abandon those who place their trust in her.” And Saint John of the Cross reminds us that in silence and surrender, God speaks most clearly.
So today, on this feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, let us honour Mary not just with flowers or songs, but with something more lasting: our hearts, our will, our obedience.
Let us truly become her subjects by living her one royal command:
“Do whatever He tells you.”
Mary, my Queen, I give you all that I am. Help me to do whatever Jesus tells me, just as you did.
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God Bless…
