During her life on earth, the Blessed Virgin Mary showed herself to be the perfect image for the disciple of Christ. For this reason, in her apostolic mission the Church follows the example of the Virgin Mother of God - the perfect model of the following of Christ - especially in her commitment to our redemption, which Mary actively participated in from her "Fiat" to the Incarnation, to her presence at the foot of the Cross, and in her solidarity with the first Christian community gathered in prayer.
Veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the obligation to spread this devotion, are intrinsic parts of our Order's mission within the Church. In keeping with the intention of the Church itself, therefore, we generously promote veneration of the Blessed Virgin, especially in the liturgy. The example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as it emerges from the liturgy itself, will inspire the faithful to imitate their Mother and, through her, her Son. This will lead them to celebrate the mysteries of Christ with the same dispositions and attitudes with which the Virgin contemplated her Son in Bethlehem, in Nazareth, and in his self-emptying, and exulted together with all of her new children at his Resurrection.
As Carmelites, we express our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel by celebrating her Commemoration every year with special solemnity. All other Marian feasts included in the liturgical calendar are also celebrated solemnly. The Marian shrines in which we exercise our apostolate and to which the faithful traditionally come in large numbers, are held in high regard. They strive to be more and more centres where the Word is prayerfully heard and where there is liturgical life. In particular, our shrines endeavour to become centres of reflection on the path taken by Mary and centres of evangelisation, with special attention to popular devotion to the one who is Mother of God, of the Church, and of all humanity. Shrines also have an exemplary function: they are places of welcome, attracting vocations; places of solidarity, providing services to needy brothers and sisters; places of ecumenical commitment with meetings and prayers.
Faithful to the spiritual heritage of our Order, we seek to channel our diverse works to the goal of promoting the search for God and the life of prayer. In our various apostolates we are inspired by Mary: her presence among the Apostles; her motherhood of the Church, which she received at the foot of the Cross; her attentiveness to the Word of God, and her total obedience to the divine will. To this end, we Carmelites foster and nourish among the people the memory of Mary and devotion to her.
