On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down. // Matthew 13:1-2

After the mad rush of trying to find a parking spot in downtown Denver, we walked into the Cathedral, looking for an open pew. Despite the Gothic Cathedral being dimly lit, you could feel that it was nearly full. Finally having found a few open spots, we sat down and breathed a sigh of relief that the busyness of the coming days could not reach us in this place.

Having settled into our seats, I saw a light coming through the stained-glass window on the western wall of this beautiful church, an image of Mary. This moonlit image of Our Lady broke through the darkness, inviting each of us present into a moment of beauty and rest, a gift of peace. Minutes later, the candles processed in with the light of Christ and the moonlit icon was eclipsed by the radiance of her Son. 

Every year on this date, we honor Mary under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of the Carmelite Order whose foundation is claimed to have begun on Mount Carmel, a mountain overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, a place of beauty and peace. And even though it is liturgically the Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, we can still remember this devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel on her Feast of July 16. 

I invite you to take time and rest with Mary this Sunday. Gaze upon her heart and ask her to show you what it means to live a life dedicated to the Heart of God. Invite this tender and beautiful Mother into your own earthly pilgrimage. Let her help light the way of the precarious climb as you continue ascending the great mountain, finding your peace in intimacy with the Triune God. Let Our Lady of Mount Carmel show you today what it means to live in the sanctuary of your soul, a place reserved for God alone and set apart from the busyness of life. 

“O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity.” (Flos Carmeli Prayer)