Summary: It was just after the first reading from the Book of Kings where Elijah is upon Mt. Carmel looking for a sign across the ocean on this feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel when the skies upon St. Louis started to change dramatically. As Elijah witnessed a little cloud like a man's hand is rising out of the sea, so did many of the clouds surrounding the Monastery look mysterious. Never fearful Our Lady's children were wrapped safely under her mantle and as the thunder sounded and the lightning flashed, never a drop of rain fell upon her feast day outdoor mass celebration. How awesome it was to have Father Daniel Chowning, OCD from the Discalced Carmelite Hermit Community in Hinton, West Virginia here for Our Lady's feast. He spoke in his homily about the beauty of Our Lady noting that wherever there is beauty there is God. "Mary is resplendent with Heavenly beauty because God dwelt within her and from her womb came Jesus Christ," he said. He then explained how when St. Bernadette saw the Blessed Virgin Mary on July 16, 1858 which was her last apparition, she said that Mary was more beautiful than ever. And, afterwards she said, "Once you see the beauty of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you want to die to see it again." Father reminds us that prayer, that intimate loving relationship with God who dwells within us and when we open ourselves up to that relationship we are transformed, we come to know that we are loved. And once we know we are loved by God, this creates beauty within us. It also allows us to see the beauty in other people and the beauty of the world around us. Intimate prayer with God allows God to imprint His beauty, and His goodness and His love in us. And, to bring out the beauty and the goodness and the love with which He has created in us. Because He created out of love and for love, woven into the very fibers of our being is an image of the Trinity, a God of love, a God of relationship. Father's homily was so wonderful and you can hear it here (along with some thunder-rumblings!) The Luminous Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary and Benediction service can be heard here. Happy Feast day!!!
