On this feast we remember when Mary first gave the scapular to a monk whose name was Simon Stock.  A scapular was originally part of a religious habit and looked like a piece of cloth worn over the shoulders like an apron.  The front and back portions of this original scapular were fastened together under the arms by straps which gave it the shape of a cross.  In the course of time the scapular the a reduced form of the scapular came into use for people who weren’t in a religious order to wear.  Many people still wear scapulars today.  Instead of being large and shaped like a cross, this version is small and worn over the shoulders to symbolically represent carrying the cross of Christ.

When Our Lady appeared to Saint Simon Stock and showed him the brown scapular, she declared that those who wore it devoutly would receive special graces.  It’s important to remember that wearing a scapular is not a good luck charm, but a sacramental; a “holy thing” given to us by God to make us ready to better receive the graces of the sacraments.

In the spirit of creating a memorable moment, we’re not above making use of a pun or two, as you’ll soon see.  First a brief lesson:

Carmel [kahr’-muhl]: A mountain in Israel, the site of the altar built by Elijah mention in 1 Kings, chapter 18, and site of the original Carmelite monastery.

Caramel [ker’-a-mel]: A candy or sauce typically made from cooked sugar, butter, and milk.

It’s not uncommon to hear both of these words pronounced “carmel,” so we suggest you make use of that for a little tasty fun!  Try one of these desserts in celebration of today’s feast.

Make Our Lady of Mount Carmel sundaes using ice cream, caramel sauce, and your favorite toppings.

Make a Bundt cake recipe and then generously dribble the top and sides with caramel sauce. Add candy like Rollos to the top of the cake to make it look like a crown in honor of the Blessed Mother.

Make edible scapulars, with brownies, black shoe string licorice, and colored icing to decorate the brownie rectangles. You could make individual scapulars by cutting a 9 x13 pan into 24 pieces or cut the pan in half and make one large scapular.