July 16, 2026. Gospel: Luke 11:27-28. Our Lady of Mt Carmel.

27 And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck.Factum est autem, cum haec diceret : extollens vocem quaedam mulier de turba dixit illi : Beatus venter qui te portavit, et ubera quae suxisti. 28 But he said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.At ille dixit : Quinimmo beati, qui audiunt verbum Dei et custodiunt illud.Today are commemorated the favors granted to the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, successors to those early Christians who built a chapel in her honor on Mount Carmel. The institution and habit of the Carmelite Order as now known are due to Our Lady's instructions first to Saint Simon Stock and later to Pope Honorius III. She promised special protection in life and after death to all who adopted the Tertiary's rule of life and wore her habit. For lay people, this habit takes the form of the Brown Scapular. It is not a charm or a superstition, but a sacramental and a sign of devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, calling those who wear it to live a life of faith, prayer, and trust in her intercession.Music: Magnificat. Adoremus Hymnal #549.