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Views from the Choir Loft

Carmel 1

Fr. David Friel · July 16, 2017

S A SON of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Doylestown, PA, my favorite title for Mary is an easy pick. Of course, the feast of Mt. Carmel, which we celebrate every July 16th, has long been associated with the brown scapular. For those of us who wear it, the scapular is meant as a sign of Mary’s protection and a reminder that we are her children.

The actual place called Mount Carmel—a 1,724-foot ridge in the Holy Land—has been the site of a monastery from around the 12th century. Since that time, men and women have lived there, devoting themselves to prayer and contemplation. This is the special charism of all Carmelites: prayer and contemplation.

The word Carmel, itself, is a Hebrew word meaning “God’s Vineyard.” Every Carmelite monastery, therefore, tries to be a fruitful vineyard of prayer. At the very heart of Carmelite spirituality, of course, is a special devotion to the Blessed Mother. Just as we would say that Jesus is the New Adam—the obedient Man who undid the disobedience of the first Adam—so Carmelites would tell us that Mary, herself, is not only the new Eve, but also the new Eden.

St. Louis Marie de Montfort says it well: “Our Blessed Lady is the true terrestrial paradise of the New Adam, and the ancient paradise was but a figure of her” (True Devotion, #261). Like the Garden of Eden, our Blessed Lady is, in herself, abundantly fruitful, overflowing with every form of riches, beauties, and sweetness.

Just like Mary, we are all called to be Carmels—fruitful vineyards for God. Through the work of prayer and contemplation, we, too, can bear fruit for the Lord and for those around us. By learning from Our Lady’s example, we may even bring forth that most blessed fruit: Jesus, Himself.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and teaches liturgy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The Humanists abominated the rhythmical poetry of the Middle Ages from an exaggerated enthusiasm for ancient classical forms and meters. Hymnody then received its death blow as, on the revision of the Breviary under Pope Urban VIII, the medieval rhythmical hymns were forced into more classical forms by means of so-called corrections.”

— ‘Father Clemens Blume, S.J.’

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