Remember when Our Lady performed the great “miracle of the sun” witnessed by seventy thousand people? Let us reflect on all the remedies She gave that day; the remedies She gave to the shepherd children and to the world. Our Lady showed Herself as Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Our Lady of Seven Sorrows. Then Christ the King appeared and blessed the world, followed by the good Saint Joseph holding the Child Jesus. If we reflect on how God never acts without a purpose, I think it is safe to assume these “appearances” are the very answers to how the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph! Today, however, I want to focus on Saint Joseph.

How will devotion to Saint Joseph lead to the triumph of Her Heart? Besides Her Divine Son, who else would know Our Lady’s Heart better? As head of the Holy Family and official protector of the Catholic Church we can certainly call him the protector of Her Heart. The “terror daemonum”. He never spoke in scripture yet demons flee before him. Before Christ’s second coming, the world must embrace Saint Joseph. We must, and I repeat we MUST have a strong and intense love for this glorious Saint, who after Mary is the greatest Saint! He must teach men to be men: priests and fathers must resemble him and this is our greatest weakness in the modern generation in which we live. Who is there to protect Her Heart and promote the fullness of the Fatima message? After the death of Father Nicholas Gruner,  I see few priests.

Let us quickly ponder how the other four “remedies” from the miracle of the sun tie in with Saint Joseph. Our Lady appearing as the Queen of Carmel, even those not called to Her Holy Order have an obligation to wear Her Scapular. The Scapular is not just necessary, it is crucial. How can we go to battle without our armor? Devotion to Her sorrows, with Her tears the world will be cleansed of it’s sin. An exorcist priest I know told me Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is the Patron of exorcists. We are in a constant battle with sin in our world and Her tears perform the exorcism over the whole earth. Christ the King, to remind us that when He comes again- this time He will come in all His splendor.

What I especially love about the Discalced Carmelites is Our Holy Mother Teresa set it up where Carmel is the only order that celebrates the most Saint Joseph Feast Days in our Carmelite Breviaries and at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass! Truly the Mass and the Divine Office are what make up our whole way of life. We celebrate today’s glorious March 19th, May 1st Saint Joseph the Worker and the ancient movable feast of the Solemnity of Saint Joseph after Easter! That is why I desire to live as a Carmelite Hermit with a fourth vow to Mary that embraces all of these devotions (remedies) to hasten the triumph of Her perfect Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Divine Providence certainly lead me to consecrate myself to Saint Joseph in 2016 and I believe Our Lady desires this of Her servants. I sense 2020 is going to be a big year for the children of Mary. Truly Saint Joseph is the Father of the Carmelites. Please pray for my dear friend Sister Josepha of the Child Jesus as she makes her first profession of vows today!