God’s Garden
August 13, 2012
The geographic Mount Carmel that we take our Carmelite name from is a mountain range along the Mediterranean in Israel. It is a green oasis surrounded by desert; hence, its name “Carmel,” which means “the Garden of God” in Hebrew. The metaphorical Carmel is a way of life, our disposition as we make our spiritual path up Mount Carmel.
The images and insights presented here represent a small sampling of what has bloomed in “God’s Garden” over the course of our 800-year existence. Welcome to our Carmelite garden; we hope you are nourished by what grows here and invite you to comment and share it with others.
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As a convert, it has taken me much prayer, reading and reflection to feel a sense of devotion to Mary. Respect for her as a model of Christian fealty to God was not hard for me at all. But, it has been difficult for me to break the distance I always felt between her and me to get to a sense of devotion. Recently, that distance evaporated as I was reflecting on my initial meeting with Jesus to give an accounting of my life. I realized that I would be overwhelmed and tongue-tied. “I will be like Moses before Aaron agreed to speak for him in front of Pharoah,” I thought. “I need an advocate–someone to speak for me.” As soon as I thought of the word “advocate,” I thought of Mary. Suddenly, the distance between us evaporated. Now, I am very grateful that she is my spiritual mother. I am extremely grateful for her patience, waiting on me in my struggle to find my way to devotion to her. Yes, in the Garden of Carmel, devotion to her is a very special flower.
How beautiful!! Thanks for sharing.