Dear Saints,

Mary’s protective care of all her children is nothing new for us as Christians. One of the oldest Marian prayers, the Sub tuum praesidium (“We fly to thy protection…”), can be found on a papyrus that dates back to as early as the second century. With our patronal celebration of our Lady’s queenship of Carmel, we are reminded of her gift of the brown scapular to Saint Simon Stock with the promise to protect from eternal fire those who wear it and persevere in grace, chastity, and the related devotional practices. (Highly recommended—please reach out if you haven’t been invested yet and would like to be!)

Saint Paul teaches us that the mystery of God is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). Mary isn’t our Mother because we wear a piece of brown wool; she is our mother because Jesus is alive in our hearts! The brown wool is a sign that we need not fear any obstacle as we seek to hear and do the will of God, because she who wrapped the Son of God in swaddling cloths at Bethlehem and covered him in a shroud at Calvary likewise extends her mantle of protection over us today. Happy feast!

Deo Gratias!

Lucas Folan