Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2022: Day 5

Scripture
1 Kings 19:1-8

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.”

Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep.

Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.

The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.”

He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.

Reading
The Richness of Pentecost

The two great miracles of the Feast of Pentecost are the transformation of the fearful, despondent Apostles into fearless, heroic men, who openly admit that they are more interested in the word of God than in that of humans. And the second, that they received the gift of giving testimony to the Good News of the Gospel, so that all could understand them.

Fear kept them imprisoned in the upper room. They prayed. Their prayer was their first good deed. Without me Thou canst do nothing. They were united in prayer with Mary the mother of the Lord [Cf. Ac 1:12-14]. Their trust was not betrayed. Spiritus ubi vult spirat [Jn 3:8].

God’s ways are not the ways of man [Cf. Is 55:8-12]. Infirmos hujus mundi elegit ut confundat fortia [1 Cor 1:27]. How often do we see the Church failing in our judgment, not adapted to the time. Ourselves inadequate as Saul and Gideon.

God chooses and bestows His invincible power. How many saints weak, illiterate, incompetent in the eyes of the world worked miracles because of their faith in God. Martha, Martha, turbaris erga plurima [Lk 10:41].

We have to look more to God. Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat [Ph 4:13]. Thou stands before difficult things. Pray with Mary the Mother of the Lord. Turn your eye to God and ask Him what you should do. ln lumine tuo videbimus lumen [Ps 36:9].

We live in a time of radicalism. Let us not be overwhelmed by the radicals of worldly wisdom but let us be radical as well. The axe to the root. Elias in the desert, despondent. Ambulavit in fortitudine cibi illius usque ad montem Dei Horeb [1 Kg 19:8]. The Spirit of God came upon him.

Novena Prayer

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.
O Star of the Sea, help me
and show me herein that 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.

Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!

English translations of the writings of Saint Titus Brandsma and their source texts are owned by the Titus Brandsma Institute and the Dutch Carmelite Province. The translators vary from one source text to another. The texts are freely available for personal use. We are deeply grateful to the Titus Brandsma Institute for providing these translations. For questions or requests contact the Titus Brandsma Institute.

All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer