Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Making a novena.

You don't have to make a novena - but if you want to you can.  If you forgot to begin, or you didn't know one was being said, you can start at any time - joining your prayer to those who have been doing so already. (All Carmelites have been doing so.)  If you miss a day, you can just keep going the following day as if you never missed a day - knowing other people praying the novena never stopped.  It's not like a chain letter or anything - you can't be 'disqualified'.  It's not a test or a competition.  It doesn't even matter how you pray, or what prayers you use - or how many you say.  Oh!  Oh!  And you don't have to be holy to pray, you don't even have to be in the state of grace - but Our Lady is known to help with that.

So remember, Our Lady's feast is on the 16 of July, and she would like to hear from you.  She wants you to wear her scapular too.  You don't have to be a Carmelite to wear her scapular or make a novena to her.  If you don't want to wear a cloth one, you can wear a scapular medal instead - but you have to have it blessed.

O all-blessed, immaculate Virgin, ornament and glory of Mount Carmel, thou who dost look with most gracious countenance on those who have been clothed with thy venerable livery, look kindly also on me and take me under the mantle of thy maternal protection. Strengthen my weakness with thy might; enlighten the darkness of my heart with thy wisdom; increase in me faith, hope and charity. So adorn my souls with graces and virtues that it may always be dear to thy divine Son and thee. Assist me during life, comfort me in death with thy most sweet presence, and present me as thy child and faithful servant to the most Holy Trinity, that I may be enabled to praise and extol thee in heaven forever. Amen.