Mary, Mother of Carmel, the heart of Synodality

Last July 16, 2023, the Mater Carmeli Community of Bacolod City celebrated the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in a grander way than usual. In honor of our Blessed Mother, we gathered together people who share our love for Her beloved, namely, the elderly who are in the peripheries. For this most vulnerable sector of society, who are poor yet neglected and abandoned, we shall build a home in Brgy. Bagtic, Silay City. Thus, on this special day, which is most significant to all Carmelites and devotees of Mary who wear the brown scapular, held a celebration highlighted by an activity simply dubbed as the “Draw the Raffle Tickets.” The aim of this was to raise funds to fulfill our dream of building a home for our elderly sisters and brothers in Christ.

The first part of the celebration was the Eucharist. It was presided over by Fr. Januaris, a Marian priest. Our Provincial Superior, Sr. Gina Pios, and the Councilors, Sr. Victoria Mesina, Sr. Emily Corazon Bacani, and our Treasurer, Sr. Cynthia Calamba, were present to grace the event. Our different communities in Iloilo also sent their representatives to join us. Likewise did our CMS – Bacolod Group, our mission partners, other lay collaborators, and the residents of the barangay.

The children’s choir of Domus Dei sang in the mass. It was a moving experience of solidarity, and the spirit of communion was so alive! The most exciting part of the event was the raffle draw! The involvement of the people, especially the poor who themselves shelled out what little they had to buy tickets, gave witness to the joy and beauty of belonging to one family of God in active participation in a common mission. Young and old, rich and poor, each had something to share in this quest o f making life more comfortable for the elderly so that they might spend their last years in relative comfort and dignity. There were 3 cash prizes and 10 consolation prizes of rice and cellphones.

Since July 16 reminds all Marian devotees of the Scapular to Mary, the Brown Scapular was also distributed to everyone who attended this event.

What a wonderful celebration it was! On this Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, we concretely experienced the spirit of Communion, Participation, and Mission that are marks of our being children under one Father. It was an experience of solidarity in the journey together towards Synodality. In this journey, Mary is our guiding star and at the heart of our pilgrimage towards Synodality. We imitate Mary, who has always encouraged us to go to the countryside in haste to respond and attend to the needs of the poor.

For these elderly beloved of our Blessed Mother, building a home that shall give them the care and dignity, that they richly deserve in their last few years on earth, has been our longtime heart’s desire. To fulfill this dream, a plan was drafted to build the Divine Mercy Home for the Elderly. For this plan to reach fruition, though, a relatively huge amount is necessary. It was thus fitting that on Her feast this year; the community held the “Draw of the Raffle Tickets” event to raise funds for this gift of love for our elderly sisters and brothers in Christ.

The spirit of Carmel calls the Church and society to a continual seeking of Christ. It also challenges us to stand beside the alienated and the powerless. It calls us to do these things in solitary prayer, in climbing like a pilgrim toward the holy mountain, which is Christ, and in serving and ministering to the poor. (The Spring of Carmel)

It is truly with this spirit of Carmel that we celebrated the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel this Year.

By: Sr. Sandra Telogio, CM