Mount Carmel is overlooks the city of Haifa, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. The view is breathtaking and conducive to lifting the soul to God in praise and thanksgiving. Hence, a group of monks seeking solitude and peace built a chapel there in the 12th century. In 1251 Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock and gave him the scapular, a narrow cloth resembling and "front-back" apron. A smaller version consists of two patches of brown cloth attached to a "shoelace" which hang down on the chest and the back, and is popular to this day, gives us another opportunity to recall Mary's motherly care and protection, something which in these "lockdown" and limited activity days is sorely needed. We can be victims of our own anxiety as day after day we find our movement curtailed to the basic essentials. But it is a time when, as today's gospel passage reminds us, to come to Jesus who is really the only one who will refresh us by taking our burdens upon him. His yoke is easy and his burden is light. (Mt 11:28-39). May Mary help us, as she is wont to do, to accept this invitation of Jesus to let him carry our burdens. The only price we pay is to surrender them to him.
Bro. Rene
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