Patterns of Prayer: Heart to Heart with Mary, Our Sister

Mother Madonna and Sister Veronica have a joyful way of presenting – sharing their talk by passing the microphone back and forth, always smiling and exuding such happiness that you can’t wait to hear what’s coming next.

Mary, our… Sister?

Many struggle with the idea of Mary as our sister because they view Mary first and foremost as our mother and as the Queen of heaven… and, to them, That is That.

But Mary has long been viewed by Carmelites as our sister.

Mother Madonna and Sister Veronica reminded us of this by referencing the book Institution of the First Monks (text extract available online at https://www.themathesontrust.org/papers/christianity/tenbooks-extract.pdf and audio series of talks by Paul Chandler, O.Carm. available from the Carmelite Institute at https://www.carmeliteinstitute.net), in which the original monks on Mount Carmel referred to themselves the ‘Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel’.

Sister Veronica reminded us that “Mary had a unique identity of her own…Mary is part of our own story. She remains close to us to help us along the way.”

They both posited the question, “How do we relate to Mary as Sister now, in our own times? It is important to remember that she is not a symbol but a real living person whom we can know and love….As we have said Mary is part of our own story. She remains close to us to help us along the way.”  

My own personal answer to this is that she is always with me. In very dark times, I have literally felt her saving grace. When I have wanted to give up, somehow, she has been there, watching my back, not letting me go.

We pray, Carmelites, we pray.

They went on to expound that “on an even deeper level, she is a pattern for us in the formation of our souls through the journey of contemplation. Though Mary is an individual, she is also the entire Church in such a way that all of our lives are taken up into the mystery of her life, which is the most perfect reflection of the life, death and resurrection of her son, our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Think about that for a minute.

What comes to mind for me in this reflection is the Holy Rosary (CarmelPrays – https://carmelprays.com/pray-the-rosary). My formation Director, Celina Hess, told me that when she prays the rosary, she is ‘sitting with Mary, slowly turning pages of a precious scrapbook and contemplating the life of her son at every mystery. She kept these things in her heart…Mary is a pattern for us in the formation of our souls through the journey of contemplation’.

Little did she know, I am an avid scrapbooker. How much more profound could my formation director lead me to Mary as my sister?

Heart to Heart with Mary – “When we live immersed in the spirit of the Blessed Virgin, we are able to be quietly present as sisters to the little and poor ones of this world. There is nothing grand or intimidating about us Carmelites.” We look to her for our pattern for prayer in our daily heart to heart with Mary.

NOTE: Visit their website at www.carmelofmary.org for more information on the sisters and about an upcoming short story from Sister Veronica titled “Inscription on the Stone”, coming soon!

Melody McCloskey, T.O.Carm.
Regional Coordinator
Northern California and Nevada