Antonio
Alberti detto il Barbalonga (secolo XVII), Madonna e santi
carmelitani. Quadro conservato nella chiesetta di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria a
Taormina. Foto di Giovanni Dall'Orto,
Antonio Alberti called il Barbalonga (17th century), Madonna and Carmelite saints, in the Santa Caterina d'Alessandria church in Taormina, Italy. Picture taken by Giovanni Dall'Orto,
Bienheureux Simon Stock
Carme anglais (+ v. 1265)
Carme anglais du XIIIe siècle qui reçut de la Vierge Marie le scapulaire en signe de prédilection et de protection, à une époque où l'avenir du Carmel en Europe était des plus sombres.
Il n'a pas été canonisé officiellement et est vénéré par les carmes et dans de nombreux diocèses.
"... Il mourut à Bordeaux le 16 mai 1265 au cours d'une visite qu'il effectuait des maisons de son Ordre en Aquitaine. Son culte liturgique apparaît à Bordeaux en 1435, en Irlande et en Angleterre en 1458, dans le reste de l'Ordre en 1564. Sa réputation de sainteté était étendue et à partir de 1423 il y eut de fréquents prélèvements de ses reliques, la dernière datant de 1950. Depuis son décès jusqu'en 1793 son corps fut conservé chez les carmes de Bordeaux. Durant la Révolution il fut caché par le père Soupre. Par la suite il fut déposé à la cathédrale dans la chapelle de Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel, sous l'autel de Notre-Dame de la Nef. Ainsi, par saint Simon Stock, Bordeaux se trouve étroitement relié à l'histoire de l'ordre du Carmel et au développement du culte de la Vierge. On le fête le 17 juillet, plus particulièrement à la Cathédrale Saint André." (Histoires de la sainteté en Gironde - diocèse de Bordeaux - texte en pdf)
Simon Stock sur le site du Carmel en France.
Étude historique sur le scapulaire.
16 mai au martyrologe romain: À Bordeaux, en 1215, le trépas du bienheureux
Simon Stock, prêtre. D'abord ermite en Angleterre, il entra dans l'ordre des
Carmes, qu'il dirigea admirablement. Célèbre par sa dévotion singulière envers
la Vierge Marie, il mourut en visitant les couvents de son Ordre en France.
Martyrologe romain
SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/10026/Bienheureux-Simon-Stock.html
Gabriel
Antonio Corvoysier (1659–1725), La
Virgen del Carmen entregando el escapulario a San Simón Stock, 1697, 223 x
142, Museo del Prado
SAINT SIMON STOCK
Général des Carmes
(1164-1265)
Anglais d'origine, saint
Simon Stock naquit d'une très illustre famille du Kent dont son père était
gouverneur. Lorsqu'elle le portait, sa mère le consacra à la Sainte Vierge. On
le voyait souvent tressaillir entre les bras de sa mère lorsqu'elle prononçait
le doux nom de Marie. Pour apaiser ses cris et ses pleurs, il suffisait de lui
présenter une image de la très Sainte Vierge Marie. Il n'avait pas encore un an
qu'on l'entendit plusieurs fois articuler distinctement la salutation
angélique. Cette dévotion précoce ne peut provenir que d'un mouvement
extraordinaire de l'Esprit-Saint.
A douze ans, Simon se
retira au désert dans le creux d'un arbre, d'où lui vint le surnom de Stock qui
signifie "tronc", en langue anglaise. Sa nourriture consistait en
herbes crues, quelques racines et pommes sauvages, un peu d'eau claire lui
servait de breuvage. Son habit se composait de ronces et de chardons qu'il
serrait étroitement sur sa chair nue.
Renchérissant sur ces
mortifications volontaires, il se frappait avec des fouets garnis d'épines très
piquantes. Bien que le tronc d'arbre où il avait élu domicile ne lui offrait
pas la liberté de s'étendre pour dormir, il prenait son bref repos dans ce gîte
précaire. Au sein de cette retraite sauvage, ses prières montaient sans
interruption vers le ciel. Saint Simon Stock passa vingt ans dans la plus
entière solitude, nourrissant son âme des célestes délices de la contemplation.
S'étant privé
volontairement de la conversation des hommes, il jouissait de celle de la Très
Sainte Vierge Marie et des anges qui l'exhortaient à persévérer dans sa vie de
renoncement et d'amour. La Reine du Ciel l'avertit qu'il verrait bientôt débarquer
en Angleterre des ermites de la Palestine. Elle ajouta qu'il devait s'associer
à ces hommes qu'Elle considérait comme Ses serviteurs.
En effet, Jean lord Vesoy
et Richard lord Gray de Codnor revinrent de Terre Sainte, ramenant en effet
avec eux quelques ermites du Mont-Carmel. Docile aux directives de la Mère de
Dieu, saint Simon Stock se joignit à ces Pères, en 1212.
Élu vicaire général de
l'Ordre des Carmes en 1215, le Saint travailla de toutes ses forces à obtenir
de Rome la confirmation de son Ordre pour l'Occident. Il ne manquait pas
d'adversaires pour en empêcher l'extension en Europe. Mais Simon Stock supplia
la Vierge Marie par d'instantes prières et beaucoup de larmes de défendre
Elle-même cet Ordre qui Lui était consacré. Apparaissant en songe au pape
Honorius III, la Mère de Dieu lui fit connaître Ses volontés, et en 1226, ce
pape confirma la Règle des Carmes.
La Mère de miséricorde
apparut un jour à Son serviteur, toute éclatante de lumière et accompagnée d'un
grand nombre d'esprits bienheureux, Elle lui remit un scapulaire en disant:
«Reçois Mon fils ce scapulaire, comme le signe d'une étroite alliance avec Moi.
Je te le donne pour habit de ton ordre; ce sera pour toi et pour tous les
Carmes un excellent privilège et celui qui le portera ne souffrira jamais
l'embrasement éternel. C'est la marque du salut dans les dangers et de
l'heureuse possession de la vie qui n'aura jamais de fin.»
La dévotion au scapulaire
de Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel se répandit non seulement parmi le peuple, mais
aussi parmi les rois et les princes qui se trouvèrent fort honorés de porter
cette marque des serviteurs de la Très Sainte Vierge.
Saint Simon Stock,
présent au concile général de Lyon tenu sous le règne du pape Innocent IV, y
prononça un éloquent discours contre les divisions qui agitaient alors
l'Église. Il mourut dans la vingtième année de son généralat et la centième de
son âge, après avoir laissé d'admirables exemples de vertu. La mort le cueillit
dans la ville de Bordeaux, alors qu'il visitait ses monastères. L'Église ajouta
ses dernières paroles à la salutation angélique: «Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu,
priez pour nous pécheurs, maintenant et à l'heure de notre mort.»
Tiré de Mgr Paul Guérin,
édition 1863, p. 229-233 -- Résumé O.D.M. -- Bollandistes, Paris, éd. 1874,
tome V, p. 582
SOURCE : http://magnificat.ca/cal/fr/saints/saint_simon_stock.html et
Nicolas Mignard. La Vierge remettant
le scapulaire à saint Simon Stock. 1644. Huile sur
toile, 273 x 212, Avignon, Musée Calvet.
Le don du scapulaire à
l’ordre du Carmel
CONTEXTE HISTORIQUE [1] : LES ERMITES DU MONT CARMEL REVIENNENT EN EUROPE
L'Ordre du Carmel est né au tournant des XII° et XIII° siècles, dans le silence
et la solitude de quelques pauvres ermitages aménagés sur le promontoire du
Mont Carmel, dans le souvenir du saint prophète Elie. Après l'échec des
croisades, ces ermites (qu'ils soient d'origine arabe ou européenne) viennent
s'installer dans les grandes villes d'Europe médiévale. Ils n'ont pas de
fondateur, pas d'appuis humains. Ils s'appuient sur la parole de Jésus « en
dehors de moi, vous ne pouvez rien faire. » (Jn 15,5). Ce que chante la Vierge,
en son versant positif : « Le Puissant fit pour moi des merveilles. Saint et
son Nom. » (Lc 1, 49).
AUX DIFFICULTÉS INSTITUTIONNELLES DE SIMON STOCK, MARIE RÉPOND PAR UN SIGNE DU
SALUT
Lors du chapitre général de 1247, l'Ordre a adopté une mouture revue de la
Règle primitive et s'inscrit désormais dans la mouvance des Ordres mendiants.
Son général s'appelle Simon Stock, et suppliant Marie de l'aider dans les
difficultés institutionnelles, il lui dit chaque jour :
« Fleur du Carmel, Vigne fleurie, Splendeur du Ciel, Vierge féconde, Unique,
Douce Mère, mais qui ne connut pas d'homme, aux Carmes accorde tes faveurs,
Etoile de la mer ».
Et un jour Marie lui apparaît, présentant le scapulaire. Elle se montre ensuite
à Jacques Duèse qui deviendra le pape Jean XXII.
Ces deux visions se résument en ces termes : le scapulaire est donné à l'Ordre
du Carmel pour le salut éternel[2].
Aux Carmes lui demandant de les aider dans leurs difficultés institutionnelles,
la Vierge répond par une promesse portant sur la seule chose qui compte
vraiment : le salut éternel.
Et le Carmel trouve sa vraie sécurité, sa fécondité en se tournant vers sa
Mère, comme un enfant.
Voici le plus ancien témoignage de la vision de Simon Stock, le 16 juillet 1251
:
« Souvent Simon Stock suppliait la glorieuse Vierge Marie, Mère de Dieu et
patronne de l'Ordre de doter de quelque privilège les Frères qui portent son
nom.
Chaque jour d'une voix très dévote, il lui disait en ses prières :
"Fleur du Carmel, vigne fleurie, splendeur du Ciel, Vierge-Mère, Unique,
Douce Mère, qui ne connus point d'homme, aux enfants du Carmel donne tes privilèges,
Etoile de la Mer."
Et un jour, la glorieuse vierge Marie lui apparut accompagnée d'une multitude
d'anges et lui dit :
"Voici le privilège que je donne à toi et à tous les enfants du Carmel.
Quiconque meurt revêtu de cet habit sera sauvé." »[2]
La deuxième vision est attribuée à Jacques Duèse qui deviendra le pape Jean
XXII, pape d'Avignon à partir de 1316. Lisons simplement l'extrait d'un récit
datant de 1465 :
« Quiconque entrera dans cet Ordre et observera dévotement ce genre de vie sera
sauvé éternellement et délivré de la peine et de la coulpe. Et si au jour de
leur passage en l'autre vie, ils sont amenés au purgatoire, moi la Mère de la
grâce, je descendrai le samedi au purgatoire après leur mort et je délivrerai
ceux que j'y trouverai et les ramènerai à la montagne sainte et à la vie
éternelle. » [3]
LA PROFONDE SIGNIFICATION DU SCAPULAIRE [4]
Il y a dans le geste de réception du scapulaire une merveilleuse attitude
d'humilité, de simplicité, de foi, celle du petit enfant qui se laisse habiller
par sa mère. [...]
Que l'habit religieux, que le signe du scapulaire, renvoient au salut, rien
n'est plus normal, rien n'est plus juste. Qui dit salut, évoque nécessairement
les « fins dernières », si peu prêchées aujourd'hui : la mort, le jugement, le
purgatoire, l'enfer ou le paradis. Or c'est précisément à ces réalités ultimes
que les promesses du scapulaire nous reconduisent. [...]
Accueillir le salut, accepter de se laisser sauver (reconnaître donc que, de
soi, l'on est perdu) ne consiste pas d'abord en de grandes choses. C'est
humblement ouvrir une porte, celle de notre cœur, de notre liberté. Et cela
peut se réaliser, se manifester, s'incarner par un petit geste tout simple
comme de recourir à l'intercession, à la protection de Marie et se laisser
revêtir du « vêtement du salut ». [...]
Tous les critiques, les adversaires du scapulaire du Carmel ont toujours tenu
le même discours : c'est trop beau pour être vrai, c'est trop simple. Le salut
ne peut s'obtenir à un prix si dérisoire ! Ce qui est certain, c'est que de
notre côté le salut est radicalement hors de notre portée au seul plan naturel.
Celui qui a payé le prix, c'est le Christ par la valeur infinie de son sang
versé, de sa vie livrée dans l'Amour du Père. Revêtir le scapulaire, comme nous
ne cessons désormais de le dire, ce n'est pas chercher un moyen magique qui
fonctionnerait à côté de l'économie du salut, mais entrer pleinement dans cette
économie par la médiation maternelle de la Vierge Maie. Le scapulaire ne nous
dispensera bien sûr pas d'un authentique chemin de conversion ; il en sera
comme l'écrin et le symbole.
LE SCAPULAIRE : UN SACRAMENTAL
Le scapulaire est un sacramental : c'est un objet béni par l'Église pour
inspirer de bonnes pensées et pour augmenter la dévotion, et, plus nous avons
de dévotion, plus nous recevons de grâce.
Le signe de la Croix est le principal sacramental utilisé dans l'Église, à côté
duquel nous avons le Crucifix, l'eau bénite, le buis béni, les bougies, les
cendres de l'entrée en carême, les images de la Bienheureuse Vierge et des
Saints, le chapelet, la médaille miraculeuse.
Le catéchisme de l'Eglise catholique (§ 1667-1677) explique les sacramentaux.
N.B. Le 13 octobre 1917 l'apparition de Fatima s'est présentée à Lucie en tant
que Notre Dame du Carmel (donnant le scapulaire) : on peut y voir un silencieux
appel à porter son scapulaire comme un signe de consécration à son Cœur
Immaculé.
[1] Cf. Fr. Philippe de Jésus-Marie, o.c.d., Le secret du Carmel, le scapulaire
et la vie mariale, Editions du Carmel, Toulouse 2010, p. 5-22
[2] Ibid., p. 18
[3] Ibid., p. 19
[4] Ibid., p. 24-25
CEC : Catéchisme de l'Eglise catholique, 1998.
Synthèse Françoise Breynaert
SOURCE : http://www.mariedenazareth.com/2279.0.html?&L=0
Marc Arcis (1655–1739), Saint Simon Stock , circa 1690, 170 x 89 x 65, Musée des Augustins, Toulouse, France
Marc
Arcis (1655–1739), Saint Simon
Stock , circa 1690, 170 x 89 x 65, Musée des Augustins, Toulouse, France
Le jour où le frère Stock a reçu le scapulaire de Notre-Dame du Mont Carmel
Anne Bernet - publié
le 15/05/23
Mort à Bordeaux en 1265,
Simon Stock, religieux anglais réformateur du Carmel n’a pas été canonisé
officiellement, mais il est fêté le 16 mai. Ce qui est sûr, c’est qu’il est
l’auteur… d’une partie de l’Ave Maria !
Si vous visitez à
Bordeaux la cathédrale Saint-André,
peut-être aurez-vous la curiosité de vous arrêter devant le tombeau de Simon
Stock et vous demanderez-vous qui est enterré là. Il s’agit d’un religieux
anglais, mort en odeur de sainteté, même si la procédure de canonisation
officielle n’a jamais été menée à son terme, mais néanmoins tenu pour saint
dans l’Ordre du Carmel, et pour bienheureux ailleurs. Non sans raison.
Jean de l’arbre creux
En l’an 1164, dans le
Kent, vient au monde un enfant baptisé John que sa mère, très pieuse, consacre
aussitôt à Notre-Dame et élève dans une immense dévotion envers Marie. Est-ce
avec le consentement de cette mère édifiante, ou celle-ci est-elle déjà morte à
l’époque ? Vers 1176, John, âgé d’une douzaine d'années, se retire au
désert, tel le jeune Jean Baptiste, son saint patron. Il prend pour abri un
arbre creux — stock en anglais — de sorte qu’il devient vite pour le
voisinage John Stock, Jean de l’arbre creux. L’endroit est très inconfortable,
puisque l’on ne peut même pas s’y allonger pour dormir, mais c’est précisément
le but recherché et la réputation de sainteté du très jeune ermite s’étend
bientôt au loin. On dit, et sans doute est-ce vrai, que le garçon est en
fréquent colloque avec les anges et leur Reine. Après quelques années de
retraite, John se sent prêt pour aller porter l’Évangile et entame une carrière
de prédicateur itinérant.
Au cours de ses
pérégrinations, il rencontre un groupe de religieux venus de Terre Sainte, les
premiers de leur ordre à poser le pied en Angleterre, qui lui expliquent leur
vocation d'ermite et leur installation sur le Mont Carmel, là où a vécu le
prophète Élie. Cette vie de prière, de méditation, de solitude et de labeur
correspond exactement à ce que John recherche depuis sa prime jeunesse et,
quittant son pays, il part pour le Royaume latin de Jérusalem, crée au
lendemain de la première croisade, presque un siècle auparavant ; là, il se
fait recevoir parmi les carmes et prend Simon pour nom de religion.
La reconquête musulmane
Va-t-il goûter aux joies
spirituelles de cet asile choisi et vivre le reste de ses jours dans cette
communauté qu’il a élue, sur ce mont sacré ? Non… À ses saints, Dieu
réserve parfois des parcours beaucoup plus compliqués que l’existence paisible
et recueillie qu’ils s’imaginaient. Simon n’est pas arrivé en Terre Sainte au
bon moment. Au lendemain de la prise de Jérusalem par les croisés, en 1099, le
monde musulman est divisé, affaibli, ce qui permet aux barons d’Occident, qui
disposent pourtant de bien peu de troupes, de prendre le contrôle de la
Palestine, du Liban, d’une partie de la Syrie et d’y fonder des fiefs et
principautés solides regroupés autour du souverain de Jérusalem, mais les
choses ont changé. Depuis quelques années, l’Islam s’est retrouvé un chef, en
la personne de l’émir kurde Saladin, valeureux guerrier et preux authentique
dont les talents militaires renversent la situation et permettent de reprendre
plusieurs points stratégiques d’importance. Les Francs tiennent bon, en grande
partie grâce à l’héroïsme du très jeune roi de Jérusalem, Baudouin IV, qui,
bien que rongé par la lèpre depuis son enfance, combat pour la chrétienté tant
qu’il lui est resté un souffle de vie. Sa mort, sans descendance, à 24 ans,
fait passer la couronne du royaume latin à sa sœur Sibylle, ou plutôt à l’époux
que la petite reine s’est choisi, Guy de Lusignan. Le drame est que Sibylle a
pensé à ses intérêts plutôt qu’à ceux de ses États ; tombée amoureuse de
Lusignan pour sa grande beauté, elle n’a pas écouté ceux qui la mettaient en
garde contre la prétentieuse sottise de ce cadet de la noblesse poitevine,
grisé par cette couronne tombée du ciel, et contre sa couardise…
Quelques années suffisent
à Lusignan pour anéantir l’œuvre de ses prédécesseurs. En juillet 1187, contre
l’avis des Maîtres des Ordres du Temple et de l’Hôpital, qui connaissent
Saladin, il engage l’armée franque dans le défilé des Cornes de Hattin, où
l’émir va l’écraser… Pour le Royaume latin, ce désastre marque le commencement
de la fin ; certes, son dernier bastion, Saint-Jean d’Acre, ne tombe qu’en 1291,
mais, d’ores et déjà, faute d’une entente efficace des souverains chrétiens, la
reconquête musulmane est inévitable.
Il réforme le Carmel
Cela, les Carmes le
comprennent peu à peu et, dans les années 1220-1230, alors que les armées
islamiques se rapprochent dangereusement du Mont Carmel que les croisés
successifs n’ont pas l’intention de défendre, bien d’autres positions étant
prioritaires, ils admettent qu’ils vont, eux aussi, devoir s’en aller et
regagner l’Europe tant que le rapatriement peut se faire dans les meilleures
conditions. Ils s’y résolvent au début des années 1240.
Simon a déjà plus de 70
ans, ce qui fait de lui, pour l’époque, un vieillard mais l’âge n’a pas entamé
son intelligence, son bon sens et ses capacités d’administrateur, raison pour
laquelle il est élu prieur général de l’Ordre du Carmel en 1247. La situation
des carmes est alors catastrophique. Leur charisme propre, érémitique,
étroitement lié aux Lieux Saints, s’adapte mal à la réalité ecclésiale
européenne. Certains frères s’en vont, les vocations tarissent, la disparition
de l’Ordre semble désormais quasi inévitable. Quelle marge de manœuvre cela
laisse-t-il à un vieillard, peut-être nommé à ce poste pour assumer un rôle de
liquidateur ? Mais Simon Stock, nouveau général des carmes, n’a pas
l’intention d’enterrer sa communauté ; bien au contraire ! Avec une ardeur
juvénile, il décide de la transformer. Lui qui a tant chéri l’érémitisme
comprend que l’époque attend autre chose. Ce qui fonctionne, désormais, ce sont
les Ordres mendiants, tels ceux fondés par François d’Assise et Dominique de Guzman ;
alors, il réécrit la règle carmélitaine pour l’adapter à ces nouvelles
aspirations de la catholicité et obtient la bénédiction du pape Innocent IV.
Cela va-t-il suffire ? Peut-être pas mais Notre-Dame, véritable Maîtresse
de l’Ordre, va s’en mêler et prendre les choses en main.
Un nouvel habit, pour l’Éternité
Rentré en Angleterre, où
il examine les possibilités d’ouvrir des maisons dans les grandes villes
universitaires, là où se trouve la jeunesse, donc les éventuelles vocations,
Simon, en juillet 1251, séjourne à Cambridge. Le 16 juillet, fête de Notre-Dame
du Mont Carmel et fête patronale de l’Ordre, alors qu’il est en oraison, la
Sainte Vierge lui apparaît ; elle tient un scapulaire,
c’est-à-dire, au sens premier du terme, un vaste vêtement qui couvre les
épaules, scapula en latin, de couleur beige. Se penchant vers Simon,
elle lui dit : "Mon fils bien-aimé, recevez pour vous et tout mon
Ordre ce scapulaire. C’est le signe particulier de ma faveur, que j’ai obtenu
pour vous et pour mes fils du Carmel. Celui qui mourra revêtu de cet habit sera
préservé du feu éternel." Autrement dit, aucun carme mort revêtu de ce
nouvel habit de l’Ordre, ce qui signifie qu’il est demeuré fidèle jusqu’au bout
à ses vœux, ne risquera l’enfer. Cette promesse peut nous sembler, à nous qui
ne prenons plus au sérieux la menace de la damnation éternelle, sans intérêt,
d’autant qu’elle va avec une vie de renoncements et d’austérités peu tentante,
mais, au XIIIe siècle, alors que l’on redoute la sévérité du jugement divin et
que la perspective de se perdre pour l’éternité cause de vraies angoisses même
aux meilleurs chrétiens, une telle garantie a de quoi séduire.
L’histoire de
l’apparition de Notre-Dame au prieur général et de sa promesse se répand, et
suscite une vague de vocations sans précédent. Le Carmel est sauvé. Les années
qui suivront seront, pour Simon, une période d’intense activité car il fonde,
entre autres, les maisons carmélitaines de Cambridge, puis d’Oxford, Paris,
Bologne, situées dans de grands centres universitaires où le recrutement de
novices sera facilité.
"À l’heure de notre
mort"
Tout cela est si opportun
que certains historiens modernes, soulignant que la première version de
l’apparition du 16 juillet 1251 sera rédigée au XVe siècle, laisseront entendre
qu’il ne s’est peut-être rien passé ce jour-là et que Simon aurait tout
inventé, réussissant une remarquable opération de communication. Cette version
ne tient pas. D’abord parce que ce genre de manipulation sacrilège n’est guère
dans les mœurs du temps, et surtout parce que le Ciel se chargera d’entériner
de maintes manières les promesses faites par Marie à Simon. L’extraordinaire
floraison mystique du Carmel, les immenses figures de sainteté qui
l’illustreront ne sauraient être le fruit d’une fraude, pas plus que la vaste
popularisation du scapulaire qui, au fil du temps, réduit à une petite pièce de
tissu symbolique, pourra être donné aux simples fidèles et entraînera la
création de nombreuses confréries.
Enfin, pour se persuader
tout à fait de la sainteté, et donc de l’honnêteté de Simon, il faut s’arrêter
à ses derniers instants, le 16 mai 1265, à plus de cent ans. Quels sont, en
effet, les ultimes paroles de Simon ? "Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu,
priez pour nous, pauvres pécheurs, maintenant et à l’heure de notre mort."
Quoi d’étonnant, direz-vous, n’est-ce pas la fin de l’Ave Maria devenu familier
aux catholiques grâce à la propagation du rosaire par les dominicains ? Eh
bien, parce que, jusqu’à ce 16 mai, la prière s’arrêtait à "Vous êtes
bénie entre toutes les femmes et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est
béni." C’est après la mort du général du Carmel que l’Église a honoré sa
piété mariale en rajoutant ses derniers mots. Quelle meilleure accréditation
pouvait-elle donner à l’homme et au message dont il a été le porteur ?
Lire aussi :Épiphane
de Salamine, l’ombrageux chasseur d’hérésies
Lire aussi :Camille
de Soyécourt, la « Mademoiselle de trop » qui restaura le
carmel en France
Lire aussi :Domitille,
la sainte qui aurait pu être la première impératrice chrétienne
The
Virgin Mary giving the Scapular to Saint Simon Stock - by Alfonso Balzico (1825-1901)
- Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome, Italy.
Alfonso Balzico ; 19th-century statues in Rome
; Paintings of Saint Simon Stock
; Santa Maria
della Vittoria in Rome - Interior ; Statues of Virgin Mary in
Italy ; Our Lady of the Scapular ; Sculptures of Our Lady
of Mount Carmel
Also
known as
Simon Anglus
Simon the Englishman
Profile
Little is known of his
early life. Legend says that at age twelve he began to live as a hermit in
a hollow oak tree; the name Stock is believed derived from the old
English for tree trunk. Itinerant preacher. Pilgrim to
the Holy Lands, but left when invading Muslims chased out Christians.
Joined the Carmelite Order soon
after its arrival in England.
Simon lived and studied for
several years in Rome, Italy and Mount Carmel.
Elected sixth general of the Carmelites in 1247 around
age 82. He helped the Order spread
through England,
southern and western Europe.
Founded houses in Cambridge, England in 1248,
Oxford in 1253, Paris, France in 1260,
and Bologna, Italy in 1260.
Revised the Rule of the Order to
make them mendicant
friars instead of hermits.
Regardless of these
successes, the Order was
oppressed on all sides, including by the clergy and
other orders. The friars took their woes to their patroness,
the Virgin
Mary. Tradition says that in answer, she appeared to Simon bringing him
the brown
Scapular of Mount Carmel. “This shall be the privilege for you and for
all the Carmelites,” she
told him, “that anyone dying in this habit shall
be saved.” On 13 January 1252 the Order received
a letter of protection from Pope Innocent
IV, protecting them from harassment.
Born
c.1165 in
Aylesford, County Kent, England
16 May 1265 in
the Carmelite monastery at Bordeaux, France of
natural causes while on a visit
skull transferred
to the Carmelite friary
in Aylesford, England in 1951
never formally canonized
venerated by the Carmelites since
at least 1564
the Vatican has
approved Carmelite celebration
of his feast
Carmelite friar
holding a scapular
Carmelite friar
receiving the scapular from
the Blessed
Virgin
Carmelite friar
surrounded by and praying for
souls in purgatory
elderly man in a Carmelite habit in prayer
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Lives
of the Saints, by Father Alban
Butler
Saints
and Saintly Dominicans, by Blessed Hyacinthe-Marie
Cormier, O.P.
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
Saints
and Their Attributes, by Helen Roeder
other
sites in english
Saint
Simon Stock and the Brown Scapular
Virgin Giving the Scapular to Saint Simon Stock, by Pierre
Puget
images
video
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
sites
en français
fonti
in italiano
Readings
Carmel’s Flower,
Vine ever blossoming,
Heaven’s splendor!
Virgin who bore a child.
No one is like thee.
Mother gentle and kind.
Yet never touched by man!
To Carmelites give
thou the privilege.
Help us Star of the Sea.
– Simon Stock
MLA
Citation
“Saint Simon
Stock“. CatholicSaints.Info. 17 May 2024. Web. 25 September 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-simon-stock/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-simon-stock/
Museo
Parroquial. Pastrana. Castilla-La Mancha, Guadalajara. Spain. La Virgen del
Carmen impone la casulla a San Simón Stock, pintura, Óleo sobre cobre, Siglo
XVII
Article
(Saint)
(May 16)
(13th
century) Born at Aylesford in Kent. After dwelling as a hermit in
the hollow trunk of a tree (Stock), he joined the Carmelite Order, of which he
became General, organising its Constitutions and illustrating it by his piety
and learning. It was to him that Our Blessed Lady presented the Brown Scapular
and gave the promise of her special protection to all who should wear it. Saint Simon died at
Bordeaux in France,
A.D. 1265.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate. “Simon
Stock”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
8 May 2017. Web. 25 September 2025. <https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-simon-stock/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-simon-stock/
Peinture à l'huile signée Basilio de Salazar et datée 1629 représentant la Vierge offrant un scapulaire à Simon Stock, avec à côté de lui sainte Thérèse d'Avila ou sainte Claire. Église Saint-Roch de Grézieu-la-Varenne
St. Simon Stock
Feastday: May 16
Although little is known
about Simon Stock's early life, legend has it that the name Stock, meaning
"tree trunk," derives from the fact that, beginning at age twelve, he
lived as a hermit in a hollow tree trunk of an oak tree. It is also believed
that, as a young man, he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he joined
a group of Carmelites with whom he later returned to Europe. Simon Stock
founded many Carmelite Communities, especially in University towns such as
Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, and Bologna, and he helped to change the Carmelites
from a hermit Order to one of mendicant friars. In 1254 he was elected
Superior-General of his Order at London. Simon Stock's lasting fame came from
an apparition he had in Cambridge, England, on July 16, 1251, at a time when
the Carmelite Order was being oppressed. In it the Virgin Mary appeared
to him holding the brown scapular in
one hand. Her words were: "Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of
thy Order; it is the special sign of my favor, which I have obtained for thee
and for thy children of
Mount Carmel. He who dies clothed with this habit shall
be preserved from eternal fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of
danger, and a pledge of special peace and protection." The scapular (from
the Latin, scapula, meaning "shoulder blade") consists of two pieces
of cloth, one worn on the chest, and the other on the back, which were
connected by straps or strings passing over the shoulders. In certain Orders,
monks and nuns wear
scapulars that reach from the shoulders almost to the ground as outer garments.
Lay persons usually wear scapulars underneath their clothing; these consist of
two pieces of material only a few inches square. There are elaborate rules
governing the wearing of the scapular: although it may be worn by any Catholic,
even an infant, the investiture must be done by a priest. And the scapular must
be worn in the proper manner; if an individual neglects to wear it for a time,
the benefits are forfeited. The Catholic Church
has approved eighteen different kinds of scapulars of which the best known is
the woolen brown scapular, or the Scapular of
Mount Carmel, that the Virgin Mary bestowed
on Simon Stock. His feast
day is May 16th.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=746
Giuseppe Romei, La Madonna dona il
suo scapolare a San Simone Stock
Santa Maria del
Carmine (Florence) - Convent ; Paintings of Saint Simon Stock
Simon Stock, OC (PC)
Born at Aylesford, Kent, England, 1165; died in Bordeaux, France, on May 16,
1265. A late tradition tells us of Simon's birthplace but nothing much is known
of him until c. 1247, when he was elected the sixth prior general of the
Carmelite order. He is said to have been a hermit and then went on a pilgrimage
to the Holy Land, where he joined the Carmelites. He returned to Kent when the
Islamics drove the Carmelites out.
Simon became prior general at a time of difficulty for the order, and was the
English leader who consolidated its position. He laid the groundwork for new
foundations in four university cities (Cambridge (1248), Oxford (1253), Paris
(1260), and Bologna (1260)) and expanded the order into Ireland and Scotland as
well.
He also revised the rule to make the Carmelites an order of mendicant friars
rather than hermits, which was approved by Pope Innocent IV in 1237. According
to another late tradition, in 1251, Saint Simon experienced a vision of the
Virgin Mary, as a consequence of which there arose the widespread
"Scapular devotion." In this controversial vision the Blessed Mother
promised salvation to all Carmelites who wore in her honor the brown scapular
that she showed him. The authenticity of the occurrence is seriously contested
by scholars. Two well-known hymns to Mary are usually attributed to his
authorship.
In 1951, what remained of
Saint Simon's relics were removed from Bordeaux to the old friary, now renewed,
at Aylesford. The surname Stock is not found attributed to Simon until a
century after his death; it may have come from a legend that he lived inside a
tree trunk in his youth. Simon Stock has never formally been canonized, though
he has long been venerated, and the celebration of his feast was permitted by
the Holy See (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney). In art, Saint Simon Stock is a
Carmelite holding a scapular in his hand. He might also be shown receiving the
scapular from the Blessed Virgin or interceding for the souls in purgatory who
surround him (Roeder).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0516.shtml
Remise du scapulaire à St Simon Stock, circa 1690, église Sainte-Madeleine de Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines
St. Simon Stock
Born in the County of Kent, England,
about 1165; died in the Carmelite monastery at Bordeaux,
France, 16 May, 1265. On account of his English birth
he is also called Simon Anglus.
It is said that when twelve years old he began to live as a hermit in
the hollow trunk of an oak, and later to have become an itinerant preacher
until he entered the Carmelite
Order which had just come to England.
According to the same tradition he went as a Carmelite to Rome,
and from there to Mt.
Carmel, where he spent several years. All that is historically certain is
that in 1247 he was elected the sixth general of the Carmelites,
as successor to Alan, at the first chapter held
at Aylesford, England.
Notwithstanding his great age he showed remarkable energy as general and did
much for the benefit of the order, so that he is justly regarded as the most
celebrated of its generals. During his occupancy of the office the order became
widely spread in southern and western Europe,
especially in England;
above all, he was able to found houses in the university cities
of that era, as in 1248 at Cambridge,
in 1253 at Oxford,
in 1260 at Paris and Bologna.
This action was of the greatest importance both for the growth of the
institution and for the training of its younger members. Simon was also able to
gain at least the temporary approbation of Innocent
IV for the altered rule of the order which had been adapted to European conditions.
Nevertheless the order was greatly oppressed, and it was still struggling
everywhere to secure admission, either to obtain the consent of the secular
clergy, or the toleration of other orders. In these difficulties, as
Guilelmus de Sanvico (shortly after 1291) relates, the monks prayed to
their patroness the Blessed
Virgin. "And the Virgin
Mary revealed to their prior that they were to apply fearlessly
to Pope
Innocent, for they would receive from him an effective remedy for these
difficulties". The prior followed
the counsel of the Virgin,
and the order received a Bull or letter of
protection from Innocent
IV against these molestations. It is an historical fact that Innocent
IV issued this papal
letter for the Carmelites under
date of 13 January, 1252, at Perugia.
Later Carmelite writers
give more details of such a vision and revelation.
Johannes Grossi wrote his "Viridarium" about 1430, and he relates
that the Mother
of God appeared to Simon Stock with the scapular of
the order in her hand. This scapular she
gave him with the words: "Hoc erit tibi et cunctis Carmelitis privilegium,
in hoc habitu moriens salvabitur" (This shall be the privilege for
you and for all the Carmelites,
that anyone dying in this habit shall be saved). On account of this great privilege many
distinguished Englishmen,
such as King Edward II, Henry, Duke of Lancaster, and many others of the
nobility secretly wore (clam portaverunt) the Carmelite scapular under
their clothing and died with it on. In Grossi's narrative, however, the scapular of
the order must be taken to mean the habit of the Carmelites and
not as the small Carmelite scapular.
As was the custom in medieval
times among the other orders, the Carmelites gave
their habit or at least their scapular to
their benefactors and friends of high rank, that these might have a share in
the privilege apparently
connected with their habit or scapular by
the Blessed
Virgin. It is possible that the Carmelites themselves
at that period wore their scapular at
night in a smaller form just as they did at a later date and at the present
time: namely, in about the form of the scapular for
the present third
order. If this is so they could give laymen their scapular in
this form. At a later date, probably not until the sixteenth century, instead
of the scapular of
the order the small scapular was
given as a token of the scapular brotherhood.
Today the brotherhood regards this as its chief privilege,
and one it owes to St. Simon Stock, that anyone who dies wearing the scapular is
not eternally lost. In this way the chief privilege and
entire history of the little Carmelite scapular is
connected with the name of St. Simon Stock. There is no difficulty in granting
that Grossi's narrative, related above, and the Carmelite tradition
are worthy of belief,
even though they have not the full value of historical proof (see SCAPULAR).
That Simon himself was distinguished by special veneration of
and love for
the Virgin is
shown by the antiphonies "Flos
Carmeli" and "Ave Stella Matutina", which he wrote, and which
have been adopted in the breviary of
the Calced Carmelites. Besides these antiphonies other
works have been incorrectly attributed to him. The first biographical accounts
of Simon belong to the year 1430, but these are not entirely reliable. However,
he was not at this time publicly venerated as a saint;
it was not until 1435 that his feast was
put in the choral books of the monastery at Bordeaux.
It was introduced before 1458 into Ireland and,
probably at the same time, into England;
by a decree of
the General
Chapter of 1564 its celebration was commanded for the entire
order.
APA citation. Hilgers, J. (1912). St. Simon Stock. In The Catholic
Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved May 14, 2013 from
New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13800a.htm
MLA citation. Hilgers, Joseph. "St. Simon Stock." The Catholic
Encyclopedia. Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 14 May
2013 .
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Michael C.
Tinkler.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. February 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, D.D.,
Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2023 by Kevin Knight.
Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13800a.htm
Madonna
del Carmelo ritratta con San Simone Stock padre
Carmelitano, San Dionigi l'aeropagita e Sant'Antonio da Padova, Cathedral
(Santa Lucia del Mela) - Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Fonte battesimale
An unfailing way to leave
purgatory: Turn to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Larry Peterson - published
on 07/15/20
The graces from Carmel go
all the way back to the Old Testament.There is a place near where the prophet
Elijah lived that is one of the most “biblical” places on earth. It is 1,742
feet above sea level, hovering high over the coast of the Mediterranean. It
was here where Elijah prayed to God, asking Him to save Isreal from the
onslaught of an ongoing drought.
He prayed and prayed and
asked his servant to go up the mountain and look for signs of rain. On the
seventh try, Elijah’s servant returned, exclaiming, “Behold, a little
cloud that looked like a man’s foot rose from the sea.” Soon after,
torrential rains fell upon the parched land. The crops grew, the animals
thrived, and the people were saved. The place was called Mount Carmel.
Elijah saw the cloud as
the symbol mentioned in the prophecies of Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14) Therefore,
the Lord Himself will give you a sign: “The Virgin shall be with Child, and
bear a Son and name Him Immanuel.”
Over the centuries, many
hermits lived on Mount Carmel, and following Elijah’s example continually
prayed for the arrival of the much-awaited Virgin who would become the mother
of the Messiah. The very beginnings of the Carmelite Order can be traced
back to Elijah and the hermits of Mount Carmel. Many consider these hermits to
be the first Carmelites.
The hermits living on
Mount Carmel during the 12th and 13th centuries were the first
Carmelites as we know the order today. They built a chapel dedicated to
the Blessed Virgin, whom they called the Lady of the Place, or the Star of the
Sea.
In the 13th century,
Simon Stock was on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He had been elected as the
sixth superior general of the Carmelites.
He joined a group of
hermits on Mount Carmel. On Sunday, July 16, 1251, Simon Stock was
kneeling in prayer when Our Lady appeared to him. The Blessed Mother said to
Simon, “This shall be the privilege for you and for all the Carmelites, that
anyone dying in the habit shall be saved.”
It is said that the
Blessed Mother gave a scapular — a small, simplified version of the sleeveless
apron worn over the Carmelite habit — to Simon Stock. It became known as the
Brown Scapular, to distinguish it from other sacramentals promoted by
members of religious orders. Six months later, on January 13, 1252, the order
received a letter of protection from Pope Innocent IV, defending them from any
harassment or denial of this event.
Read more:
Is
the brown scapular just a Catholic “lucky charm”?
What is known as the
Sabbatine Privilege is attached to the wearing of the Brown Scapular. The
name Sabbatine Privilege comes from a papal bull issued by Pope John
XXII on March 3, 1322. According to the Holy Father, the Blessed Virgin
gave him the following message in a vision that was directed to all those who
wear the Brown Scapular. “I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the
Saturday (Sabbath) after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory,
I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life
everlasting.”
Based on Church
tradition, three conditions must be fulfilled to obtain the benefits of this
Privilege and the Scapular: (1) Wear the Brown Scapular; (2) Observe chastity
according to one’s state in life; (3) Pray the Rosary.
To receive the spiritual
blessings associated with the Scapular, one should be formally enrolled in the
Brown Scapular by either a priest or a layperson who has been given the
authority to enroll. Once enrolled, no other scapular needs to be blessed
before wearing. The blessing and imposition are attached to the enrolled person
for life.
Read more:
This
priest was saved from a bullet by wearing his Brown Scapular
The feast day of Our Lady
of Mount Carmel is July 16, the same day she appeared to Simon Stock.
Interestingly, Simon Stock was never officially canonized, though he has been
venerated by the Carmelites since 1564. And with Vatican approval, he has been
given the feast day of May 16. He is also called St. Simon Stock and churches
and schools have been named after him.
On the
750th anniversary of the bestowal of the Brown Scapular, Pope St. John
Paul II said, “Over time this rich Marian heritage of Carmel has become,
through the spread of the Holy Scapular devotion, a treasure for the
whole Church.”
Read more:
This
is why Satan hates the Brown Scapular
Read more:
The
saints tell us what Purgatory is actually like
See this slide show to
learn about recognizing habits, including those of the Carmelites:
SOURCE : https://aleteia.org/2020/07/15/an-unfailing-way-to-leave-purgatory-turn-to-our-lady-of-mount-carmel/
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696–1770), The Madonna of Carmel and the Souls of the Purgatory, circa 1730, oil on canvas, 210 x 650, Pinacoteca di Brera
Where did the Brown
Scapular of Our Lady come from?
Philip Kosloski - published
on 05/15/24
Tradition states that the
Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was given to St. Simon Stock, an
English Carmelite monk, in the 13th century.
Many Catholics are
familiar with the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a sacramental
that is frequently given to children at the time of their First Communion.
However, not everyone is
aware of the origin of the Brown Scapular devotion.
What is a scapular?
First of all, its
important to explain what a scapular is and how they are connected to religious
orders.
The Catholic
Encyclopedia explains: “The scapular (from Latin, scapula, shoulder)
forms a part, and now the most important part, of the habit of the monastic
orders. It is usually worn over the habit or soutane … It consists
essentially of a piece of cloth about the width of the breast from one
shoulder to the other (i.e. about 14 to 18 inches), and of such a length
that it reaches not quite to the feet in front and behind.”
This larger type of
scapular is worn by many religious orders, such as the Carmelites,
Dominicans, Benedictines and some Franciscans.
It may have originally
been an apron used for work that was placed over the top of a
religious habit.
Eventually the laity
would be permitted to wear smaller scapulars, which are small square
pieces of cloth, suspended from ribbons to hang front and back, and
typically worn underneath clothing.
Where did the Brown
Scapular come from?
The Brown Scapular of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel is associated with the Carmelite Order, which has its
roots among hermits who lived in the Holy Land.
The precise history
regarding the scapular worn by Carmelites is shrouded in legend, as the Catholic
Encyclopedia explains:
According to a pious
tradition the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Simon Stock at
Cambridge, England, on Sunday, July 16, 1251. In answer to his appeal
for help for his oppressed order, she appeared to him with a scapular in her
hand and said: "Take, beloved son this scapular of thy order as a badge of
my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace;
whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is the sign
of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the
covenant."
There is some debate as
to the veracity of this legend, but at the same time, "Although it has now
been sufficiently shown that this testimony cannot be supported by historical
documents, still its general content remains a reliable pious tradition; in
other words, it is credible that St. Simon Stock was assured in a
supernatural manner of the special protection of the Blessed Virgin for his
whole order and for all who should wear the Carmelite habit."
The Carmelite habit still
traces its history to St. Simon Stock, and the Brown Scapular devotion likely
developed around that time period.
Read also :How
the Brown Scapular is a powerful reminder of baptism
Read also :This
priest was saved from a bullet by wearing his Brown Scapular
SOURCE : https://aleteia.org/2024/05/15/where-did-the-brown-scapular-of-our-lady-come-from/
Sebastian Stettner (1699–1758), Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Madonna with the Scapular. Madonna extradites the scapular to St Simeon Stoke, 1740, Former secondary altar piece in Kalocsa Cathedral
ST. SIMON STOCK
MAY 16th
On May 16, the Catholic
Church remembers Saint Simon Stock, a twelfth- and thirteenth-century Carmelite
monk whose vision of the Virgin Mary is the source of the Brown Scapular
devotion.
Simon was born during
1165 in the English county of Kent. He is said to have been strongly devoted to
God from his youth, to the point that he left home at age 12 to live in the
forest as a hermit. Following the customs of the earliest monks, he lived on
fruit and water and spent his time in prayer and meditation.
After two decades of
solitary life in the wilderness, he returned to society to acquire an education
in theology and become a priest. Afterwards, he returned to his hermitage until
the year 1212, when his calling to join the Carmelite Order – which had only
recently entered England – was revealed to him.
During the early 13th
century, a group of monks in the Holy Land sought formal recognition as a
religious order. Their origins were mysterious, and by some accounts extended
back to the time before Christ, originating in the ministry of the Biblical
Prophet Elijah.
The Carmelites’ ascetic,
contemplative lifestyle was combined with ardent devotion to the Blessed Virgin
Mary. It is she who is said to have appeared to Simon Stock, telling him to
leave his hermitage and join the order that would soon be arriving with the
return of two English Crusaders.
Impressed by the
Carmelites’ rigorous monasticism, Simon joined in 1212 and was sent to complete
a course of studies at Oxford. Not long after his return to the order, he was
appointed its vicar general in 1215. He defended the Carmelites in a dispute
over their legitimacy, later resolved by the Popes.
In 1237, Simon took part
in a general chapter of the Carmelites in the Holy Land. Facing persecution
from Muslims, a majority of the monks there decided to make their home in
Europe – including Simon’s native England, where the order would go on to prosper
for several centuries
After becoming the
general superior of the Carmelites in 1247, Simon worked to establish the order
in many of Europe’s centers of learning, including Cambridge, Oxford, and
Paris.
Late in his life, Simon
Stock reportedly received a private revelation about the Brown Scapular, a
monastic garment worn by Carmelites.
“To him,” an early
chronicle states, “appeared the Blessed Virgin with a multitude of angels,
holding the Scapular of the Order in her blessed hands, and saying: ‘This will be
a privilege for you and for all Carmelites, that he who dies in this will not
suffer eternal fire.’”
This vision was the
source of the Brown Scapular devotion – a tradition which involves the wearing
of an adapted version of the garment, along with certain spiritual commitments,
by lay Catholics as well as priests and religious.
St. Simon Stock died in
France in 1265, 100 years after his birth. He has been publicly venerated since
the 15th century.
SOURCE : https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-simon-stock-702
Jacopo
Guarana, Madonna con Bambino e i santi Cristina, Gregorio Barbarigo e Simone
Stock, Valnogaredo (Cinto Euganeo, Veneto), chiesa di San Bartolomeo
Jacopo Guarana, Madonna and Child with saints Christina, Gregorio Barbarigo and Simon Stock, Valnogaredo (Cinto Euganeo, Veneto, Italy), Saint Bartholomew church
SIMON STOCK
Although little is known about Simon Stock's early life, legend has it that the
name Stock, meaning "tree trunk," derives from the fact that,
beginning at age twelve, he lived as a hermit in a hollow tree trunk of an oak
tree. It is also believed that, as a young man, he went on a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land where he joined a group of Carmelites with whom he later returned to
Europe. Simon Stock founded many Carmelite Communities, especially in
University towns such as Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, and Bologna, and he helped
to change the Carmelites from a hermit Order to one of mendicant friars. In
1254 he was elected Superior-General of his Order at London. Simon Stock's
lasting fame came from an apparition he had in Cambridge, England, on July 16,
1251, at a time when the Carmelite Order was being oppressed. In it the Virgin
Mary appeared to him holding the brown scapular in one hand. Her words were:
"Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of thy Order; it is the special
sign of my favor, which I have obtained for thee and for thy children of Mount
Carmel. He who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal
fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger, and a pledge of
special peace and protection." The scapular (from the Latin, scapula,
meaning "shoulder blade") consists of two pieces of cloth, one worn
on the chest, and the other on the back, which were connected by straps or
strings passing over the shoulders. In certain Orders, monks and nuns wear
scapulars that reach from the shoulders almost to the ground as outer garments.
Lay persons usually wear scapulars underneath their clothing; these consist of
two pieces of material only a few inches square. There are elaborate rules
governing the wearing of the scapular: although it may be worn by any Catholic,
even an infant, the investiture must be done by a priest. And the scapular must
be worn in the proper manner; if an individual neglects to wear it for a time,
the benefits are forfeited. The Catholic Church has approved eighteen different
kinds of scapulars of which the best known is the woolen brown scapular, or the
Scapular of Mount Carmel, that the Virgin Mary bestowed on Simon Stock. His
feast day is May 16th.
SOURCE : http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=746
Torri
del Benaco (Veneto), chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo - Statua di san Simone
Stock
Torri
del Benaco (Veneto, Italy), Saints Peter and Paul church - Statue of saint
Simon Stock
Santi
Pietro e Paolo (Torri del Benaco) - Interior ; Sculptures of Saint Simon
Stock
Feast: May 16
He was descended of a good family in Kent. From his infancy he turned all his
thoughts and affections to attain to the most perfect love of God, and studied
to devote all his moments to this glorious pursuit. In this earnest desire, in
the twelfth year of his age, he retired into a wilderness, and chose for his
dwelling a great hollow oak tree; whence the surname of Stock wee given him.
While he here mortified his flesh with fasting and other severities, he
nourished his soul with spiritual dainties in continual prayer. His drink was
only water; and he never touched any other food but herbs, roots and wild
apples. While he led this course of life, he was invited by a divine revelation
to embrace the rule of certain religious men who were coming from Palestine
into England. Albert, the holy patriarch of Jerusalem, having given a written
rule to the Carmelite friars about the year 1205, some brothers of this order
were soon after brought over from mount Carmel by John lord Vescy and Richard
lord Gray of Codnor, when they returned from the Holy Land. These noblemen some
time after settled them, the latter in the wood of Aylesford, near Rochester in
Kent, the former in the forest of Holme, near Alnewick in Northumberland; which
houses continued the two most famous convents of this order in England till
their dissolution in the thirty-third year of the reign of Henry VIII. But we
are assured by Bale, who before his apostacy was himself a friar of the English
province of this order,1 and by Lambert2 and Weaver3 in their accurate
descriptions of the Antiquities of Kent, that the first or most ancient convent
of these friars in England was that at Newenden in Kent, which was founded for
them by Sir Thomas Archer or Fitz-Archer, whose family flourished for many
centuries upon that manor. The first arrival of these friars in England is
placed in the annals of the order, quoted by F. Cosmas de Villiers,4 in 1212.
Simon, who had then lived a recluse twenty years, imitating the Macariuses and
Arseniuses in the most heroic practices of penance and contemplation, was much
affected with the devotion of these servants of God to the blessed Virgin,
their edifying deportment, and their eremitical austere institute, and joined
their holy company before the end of the year 1212. After his admission he was
sent to Oxford to finish his studies; and having run through his academical
course he returned to his convent, where so bright was the example of his piety,
that the virtue of the rest seemed to suffer an eclipse by the extraordinary
lustre of his sanctity. Such was his reputation, that in 1215 Brocard, prior of
mount Carmel, and general of the order, appointed him vicar-general, with full
power over all the western provinces. Many clamors being raised against this
institute, St. Simon repaired to Rome in 1226, and obtained from pope Honorius
III. a confirmation of the rule given to this order by Albertus; and another
from Gregory IX. in 1229. Some years after, St. Simon paid a visit to his
brethren on mount Carmel, and remained six years in Palestine, where, in 1237,
he assisted at the general chapter of the order held by Alanus the fifth
general. In this assembly it was decreed, that the greatest part of the
brethren should pass into Europe, their settlements in the east being
continually disturbed by the persecutions, oppressions, or threats of the
Saracens. In 1240 many were sent to England, and in 1244, Alanus himself, with
St. Simon, having nominated Hilarion his vicar on mount Carmel, and in
Palestine, followed them thither, there being already five monasteries of the
order erected in this island.
In a general chapter held at Aylesford in 1245, Alanus resigning his dignity,
St. Simon was chosen the sixth general, and in the same year procured a new
confirmation of the rule by pope Innocent IV., who at the saint's request
received this order under the special protection of the Holy See, in 1251. St.
Simon established houses in most parts of Europe; but this institute flourished
nowhere with so great splendor and edification as in England, and continued so
to do for several ages, as the annals of the order take notice. St. Simon, soon
after he was promoted to the dignity of general, instituted the confraternity
of the Scapular, to unite the devout clients of the Blessed Virgin in certain
regular exercises of religion and piety. Several Carmelite writers assure us
that he was admonished by the Mother of God in a vision, with which he was
favored on the 16th of July, to establish this devotion." This
confraternity has been approved, and favored with many privileges by several
popes.5 The rules prescribe, without any obligation or precept, that the
members wear a little scapular, at least secretly, as the symbol of the order,
and that they recite every day the office of our Lady, or the office of the
church; or, if they cannot read, seven times the Pater, Ave, and Gloria Patri,
in lieu of the seven canonical hours; and lastly, that they abstain from
flesh-meat on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays; or if this cannot be done,
that they double for each of these days the seven Paters, &c. St. Simon
cured several sick persons by giving them the scapular; the reputation of which
miracles moved Edward I., king of England, St. Louis of France, and many
others, to enrol their names in this confraternity.
St. Simon governed the order with great sanctity and prudence during twenty
years, and propagated it exceedingly from England over all Europe being himself
famous for his eminent virtue, and a great gift of miracles and prophecy. He
wrote several hymns and decrees for his order, and several other useful things
for its service, says Leland. At length, in the hundredth year of his age,
having a call to France, he sailed to Bordeaux, where God put an end to his
labors some months after his arrival, in 1265, on the 16th of July. He was
buried in the cathedral of that city, and was honored among the saints soon
after his death. Pope Nicholas III. granted an office to be celebrated in his
honor at Bordeaux on the 16th of May, which Paul V. extended to the whole
order. See his authentic life, written soon after his death, also Stevens's
Monast. Angelic. t. 2, pp. 159, 160; Leland, de Script. Brit. t. 2, c. 277, p.
294; Papebroke, t. 3, Maij, p. 653; Newcourt's Repertorium, (on the Carmelite
friars,) vol. 1, p. 566; Weaver, p. 139; Fuller, b. 6, p. 271; Dugdale's
Warwickshire, p. 186, ed. 1730; F. Cosmas de Villiers a S. Philippo, Bibl.
Carmel. t. 2, p. 750.
Endnotes
1 Bale, Cent. xii. 20
2 P.139.
3 P.139.
4 Bibliotheca Carmelitana, ed. Anno 1752, t. 2, p. 750.
5 See the bulls of Pius V., Clement VIII., Paul V., Clement X., &c.
(Taken from Vol. V of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other
Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler, the 1864 edition published by
D. & J. Sadlier, & Company)
Provided Courtesy of: Eternal Word Television Network. 5817 Old Leeds Road,
Irondale, AL 35210
www.ewtn.com
SOURCE : http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/SIMONSTO.HTM
Pierre
Puget (1620–1694), Virgin Giving the Scapular to
St Simon Stock, circa 1650, 78.5 x 53.5, Musée des beaux-arts de
Marseille
ST. SIMON STOCK.
Feast Day: May 16th
SIMON was born in the county of Kent, England, and left his home when he was
but twelve years of age, to live as a hermit in the hollow trunk of a tree,
whence he was known as Simon of the Stock. Here he passed twenty years in
penance and prayer, and learned from our Lady that he was to join an Order not
then known in England. He waited in patience till the White Friars came, and
then entered the Order of our Lady of Mount Cannel. His great holiness moved
his brethren in the general chapter held at Aylesford, near Rochester, in 1245,
to choose him prior-general of the Order. In the many persecutions raised
against the new religious, Simon went with filial confidence to the Blessed
Mother of God. As he knelt in prayer in the White Friars' convent at Cambridge,
on July 16th, 1251, she appeared be fore him and presented him with the
scapular, in assurance of her protection. The devotion to the blessed habit
spread quickly throughout the Christian world. Pope after Pope enriched it with
indulgences, and miracles innumberable put their seal upon its efficacy. The
first of them was worked at Winchester on a man dying in despair, who at once
asked for the Sacraments, when the scapular was laid upon him by St. Simon
Stock. In the year 1636, M. de Guge, a cornet in a cavalry regiment, was
mortally wounded at the engagement of Tehin, a bullet having lodge near his
heart. He was then in a state of grievous sin, but had time left him to make
his confession, and with his own hands wrote his last testament. When this was
done, the surgeon probed his wound, and the bullet was found to have driven his
scapular into his heart. On its being withdrawn, he presently expired, making
profound acts of gratitude to the Blessed Virgin, who had prolonged his life
miraculously, and thus preserved him from eternal death. St. Simon Stock died
at Bordeaus, A.D. 1265.
REFLECTION.--To enjoy the privileges of the scapular, it is sufficient that it
be received lawfully and worn devoutly. How, then, can any one fail to profit
by a devotion so easy, so simple, and so wonderfully blessed? "he that
shall overcome, shall thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot
out his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before My
Father and before His angels." (Apoc. 3: 5.)
SOURCE : http://jesus-passion.com/Saint_Simon_Stock.htm
Painting
of San Simon Stock from the 18th century by C. Pola. On display at the Regional
Museum in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico
St. Simon Stock,
Confessor
HE was descended of a
good family in Kent. From his infancy he turned all his thoughts and affections
to attain to the most perfect love of God, and studied to devote all his
moments to this glorious pursuit. In this earnest desire, in the twelfth year of
his age, he retired into a wilderness, and chose for his dwelling a great
hollow oak tree; whence the surname of Stock was given him. Whilst he here
mortified his flesh with fasting and other severities he nourished his soul
with spiritual dainties in continual prayer. His drink was only water; and he
never touched any other food but herbs, roots, and wild apples. Whilst he led
this course of life, he was invited by a divine revelation to embrace the rule
of certain religious men who were coming from Palestine into England. Albert,
the holy patriarch of Jerusalem, having given a written rule to the Carmelite
friars about the year 1205, some brothers of this Order were soon after brought
over from Mount Carmel by John Lord Vescy and Richard Lord Gray of Codnor, when
they returned from the Holy Land. These noblemen some time after settled them,
the latter in the wood of Aylesford, near Rochester in Kent, the former in the
forest of Holme, near Alnewick in Northumberland; which houses continued the
two most famous convents of this Order in England till their dissolution in the
thirty-third year of the reign of Henry VIII. But we are assured by Bale, who
before his apostacy was himself a friar of the English province of this
Order, 1 and
by Lambert, 2 and
Weaver 3 in
their accurate descriptions of the Antiquities of Kent, that the first or most
ancient convent of these friars in England was that of Newenden in Kent, which
was founded for them by Sir Thomas Archer or Fitz-Aucher, whose family
flourished for many centuries upon that manor. The first arrival of these
friars in England is placed in the Annals of the Order, quoted by F. Cosmos de
Villiers 4 in
1212. 5 Simon
who had then lived a recluse twenty years, imitating the Macariuses and
Arseniuses in the most heroic practices of penance and contemplation, was much
affected with the devotion of these servants of God to the Blessed Virgin,
their edifying deportment, and their eremitical austere institute, and joined
their holy company before the end of the year 1212. After his admission he was
sent to Oxford to finish his studies; and having run through his academical
course he returned to his convent where so bright was the example of his piety,
that the virtue of the rest seemed to suffer an eclipse by the extraordinary
lustre of his sanctity. Such was his reputation that in 1215 Brocard, prior of
Mount Carmel, and general of the Order, appointed him vicar-general, with full
power over all the western provinces. Many clamours being raised against this
institute, St. Simon repaired to Rome in 1226, and obtained from Pope Honorius
III. a confirmation of the rule given to this Order by Albertus; and another
from Gregory IX. in 1229. Some years after St. Simon paid a visit to his
brethren on Mount Carmel, and remained six years in Palestine, where, in 1237,
he assisted at the general chapter of the Order held by Alanus the fifth
general. In this assembly it was decreed, that the greater part of the brethren
should pass into Europe, their settlements in the East being continually
disturbed by the persecutions, oppressions, or threats of the Saracens. In 1240
many were sent to England, and in 1244, Alanus himself with St. Simon, having
nominated Hilarion his vicar on Mount Carmel and in Palestine, followed them
thither, there being already five monasteries of the Order erected in this
island.
In a general chapter held
at Aylesford in 1245, Alanus resigning his dignity, St. Simon was chosen the
sixth general, and in the same year procured a new confirmation of the rule by
Pope Innocent IV. who at the saint’s request received this Order under the
special protection of the Holy See in 1251. St. Simon established houses in
most parts of Europe; but this institute nourished no where with so great
splendour and edification as in England, and continued so to do for several
ages, as the Annals of the Order take notice. St. Simon soon after he was
promoted to the dignity of general, instituted the confraternity of the
Scapular, to unite the devout clients of the Blessed Virgin in certain regular
exercises of religion and piety. Several Carmelite writers assure us that he
was admonished by the Mother of God in a vision, with which he was favoured on
the 16th of July, to establish this devotion. 6 This
confraternity has been approved, and favoured with many privileges by several
popes. 7 The
rules prescribe, without any obligation or precept, that the members wear a
little scapular, at least secretly, as the symbol of the Order, and that they
recite every day the office of our Lady, or the office of the church; or, if
they cannot read, seven times the Pater, Ave, and Gloria Patria, in lieu of the
seven canonical hours; and lastly, that they abstain from flesh-meat on
Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, or, if this cannot be done, that they
double for each of these days, the seven Paters, &c. St. Simon cured several
sick persons by giving them the scapular; the reputation of which miracles
moved Edward I. king of England, St. Lewis of France, and many others, to enrol
their names in this confraternity.
St. Simon governed
the Order with great sanctity and prudence during twenty years, and propagated
it exceedingly from England over all Europe; 8 being
himself famous for his eminent virtue, and a great gift of miracles and
prophecy. He wrote several hymns and decrees for his Order, and several other
useful things for its service, says Leland. At length, in the hundredth year of
his age, having a call to France, he sailed to Bourdeaux, where God put an end
to his labours some months after his arrival in 1265, on the 16th of July. He
was buried in the cathedral of that city, and honoured among the saints soon
after his death. Pope Nicholas III. granted an office to be celebrated in his
honour at Bourdeaux on the 16th of May, which Paul V. extended to the whole
Order. See his authentic life, written soon after his death; also Stevens’s
Monast. Anglic. t. 2, p. 159, 160; Leland, de Script. Brit. t. 2, c. 277, p.
294; Papebroke, t. 3, Maij, p. 653; Newcourt’s Repertorium, (on the Carmelite
friars,) vol. 1, p. 566; Weaver, p. 139; Fuller, b. 6, p. 271; Dugdale’s
Warwickshire, p. 186, ed. 1730; F. Cosmas de Villiers a S. Philippo,
Bibl. Carmel. t. 2, p. 750.
Note 1. Bale, Cent.
xii. 20. [back]
Note 2. P.
139. [back]
Note 3. Ib. [back]
Note 4. Bibliotheca
Carmelitana, ed. Anno 1752, t. 2, p. 750. [back]
Note 5. Our English
monastic historians say in 1240. So Dodsworth, (in his Extracts concerning this
Order in England,) Dugdale, in his Warwickshire, first edition, p. 117; in the
new edition, with notes, in 1730, we read, by mistake, 1250 for 1240. Bp.
Tanner, (Not. Monast. p. 395, and pref. p. xxxiii.) Leland, (de Scriptor. p.
293,) Lambert, Weaver, &c. But confound the first coming of these friars
with the second, when, to shun the persecution of the Saracens, they forsook
Palestine. Dugdale (Bacon) calls the Lord Vescy or Vesey, in 1240, William, not
John. [back]
Note 6. From the
silence of F. Philip Biboti, a Spanish Carmelite friar, who died in 1391, and
wrote in ten books a history of the institution of this Order, called Speculum
Ordinis Carmelitani; also Lives of Illustrious Men of this Order: likewise from
the silence of Thomas Waldensis (who defended this Order against Wickliff, t.
3, c. 75, 89, and 92,) and others. Launoy, in an express dissertation, in 1653,
contested the authenticity of this vision; but it is refuted by F. Cosmas de
Villiers, (Bibl. Carmel. t. 2, p. 753,) and Pope Benedict XIV. (De Canoniz. t.
4, part 2, c. 9. pp. 74, 75,) upon the testimonies of several ancient writers
of this Order, collected by Theophilus Raynaudus, in his Scapulare Marianum,
Op. t. 7, especially of Peter Swaynton from Norfolk, the saint’s companion and
director for many years, and the first author of his life. [back]
Note 7. See the
bulls of Pius V., Clement VIII., Paul V., Clement X., &c. [back]
Note 8. Bishop
Tanner reckons about forty houses of the Carmelites or White Friars in England
at the dissolution of abbeys. Præf. to his Notitia Monast. [back]
Rev. Alban
Butler (1711–73). Volume V: May. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
SOURCE : http://www.bartleby.com/210/5/162.html
Ebersmunster
( Elsass ). Klosterkirche: Hochaltar - Altarbild ( 1820 ): Übergabe des
heiligen Skapuliers an den heiligen Simon Stock.
Ebersmunster
( Alsace ). Abbey church: High altar painting ( 1820 ) - Madonna giving the
holy scapular to Saint Simon Stock.
Maître-autel de
Saint-Maurice d'Ebersmunster ; Paintings of Saint Simon Stock
; 1820 paintings from France ; 1820 paintings in Bas-Rhin
Saints and
Saintly Dominicans – 16 May
Saint Simon Stock is one
of the glories of Catholic England. At an age when most children are only
beginning to show a glimmer of intelligence, his virtue was so remarkable that
he was admitted to the sacraments, but this privilege brought on him the jealousy
of his brother, who attributed his fervor to singularity, illusion and
hypocrisy and even so far forgot himself as to strike him. He was led by
providential circumstances to join the Carmelite Order. These religious had
hitherto had their principal residence in Palestine on Mt. Carmel, that spot so
peaceful, so beautiful and suitable for contemplation; they continued there the
life of those ancient ascetics, who, since the time of Elias, had inhabited
that holy mountain, and who had been so eager later on to venerate Mary, then
still living. Saint Simon was the instrument employed by God to bring the
Carmelites into the West of Europe, where he opened for them a larger and surer
field for the diffusion of the spirit of Christianity. At eighty years of age,
still indefatigable, he founded monasteries in England, Ireland, Scotland, in
Holland and in France, and he ended his long course of labors at Bordeaux, at
the age of ninety, whilst pronouncing the last words of the “Hail Mary.” The
Blessed Virgin showed by her choice of Saint Simon Stock to propagate in the
world the scapular of Mount Carmel, how much she loved this good and faithful
servant.
Prayer
O Blesed Mary, make my
heart like the Mountain of Carmel.
Practice
Pray for the increase of
religious institutes in England.
– taken from the
book Saints
and Saintly Dominicans, by Blessed Hyacinthe-Marie
Cormier, O.P.
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saints-and-saintly-dominicans-16-may/
Wallfahrtskirche
Maria zum Berge Karmel, Baitenhausen, Stadt Meersburg, Bodenseekreis. Prozessionsfahne,
Anfang 18. Jh., A. Bastian zugeschrieben; Motiv: Maria reicht dem Generaloberen
der Karmeliten, Simon Stock, das Skapulier
Wallfahrtskirche
Maria zum Berge Karmel (Baitenhausen) ; Religious standards
in Baden-Württemberg ; Paintings of Saint Simon Stock
Miniature
Lives of the Saints – Saint Simon Stock
Article
Simon was born in the
county of Kent, and left his home when he was but twelve years of age to live
as a hermit in the hollow trunk of a tree, whence he was known as Simon of the
Stock. Here he passed twenty years in penance and prayer, and learnt from our
Lady that he was to join an Order not then known in England. He waited in
patience till the White Friars came, and then entered the Order of our Lady of
Mount Carmel. His great holiness moved his brethren in the general chapter held
at Aylesford, near Rochester, in 1245, to choose him prior-general of the
Order. In the many persecutions raised against the new religious, Simon went
with filial confidence to the Blessed Mother of God. As he knelt in prayer in
the White Friars’ convent at Cambridge on 16 July 1251, she appeared before
him, and presented him with the scapular in assurance of her protection. The
devotion to the blessed habit spread quickly throughout the Christian world.
Pope after Pope enriched it with indulgences, and miracles innumerable put
their seal upon its efficacy. The first of them was worked at Winchester on a
man dying in despair, who at once asked for the Sacraments when the scapular
was laid upon him by Saint Simon Stock. The Saint died at Bordeaux A.D. 1265.
To enjoy the privileges
of the scapular, it is sufficient that it be received lawfully and worn
devoutly. How, then, can any one fail to profit by a devotion so easy, so
simple, and so wonderfully blessed?
“Behold the sign of
salvation, a safeguard in danger, the covenant of peace and everlasting
alliance!” — revelation of Our Lady to Saint Simon Stock in giving him the
scapular
In the year 1636 M. de
Guge, a cornet in a cavalry regiment, was mortally wounded at the engagement of
Tehin, a bullet having lodged near his heart. He was then in a state of
grievous sin, but had time left him to make his confession, and with his own
hands wrote his last testament. When this was done the surgeon probed his
wound, and the bullet was found to have driven his scapular into his heart. On
its being withdrawn he presently expired, making profound acts of gratitude to
the Blessed Virgin, who had prolonged his life miraculously, and thus preserved
him from eternal death.
He that shall overcome
shall thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name out
of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before
His angels. — Apocalypse 3:5
MLA
Citation
Henry Sebastian Bowden.
“Saint Simon Stock”. Miniature Lives of the Saints
for Every Day of the Year, 1877. CatholicSaints.Info.
27 February 2015. Web. 25 September 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/miniature-lives-of-the-saints-saint-simon-stock/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/miniature-lives-of-the-saints-saint-simon-stock/
Workshop of Pedro Caetano (1762–1830), Nossa Senhora do Carmo e São Simão Stock, Museu da Inconfidência, Tiradentes Square in Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais
The
Carmelite Review – Saint Simon Stock
This great saint and
favored son of Mary has been already made familiar to our readers, since he was
the privileged one through whom our Blessed Mother bequeathed to us the holy
Scapular, His early life was that of a hermit. His biographers tell us that he
passed his youthful days in the trunk of an oak tree. In the natural order that
giant of the forest gives us the diminutive acorn; in Saint Simon the order is
reversed, and we behold a giant in holiness. The historic English oak in which
was hidden the Magna charta, the famous document which gave temporal
rights to a nation, bears somewhat of a similarity to this other venerable oak
tree “rich in humility’s flower” which lodged the saintly Englishman who was to
be the heavenly appointed means of giving to his Order and the universal Church
the great privileges of the Brown Scapular.
The details of his life
we shall leave for a more lengthy sketch in some future number of The Review,
suffice it to say that he was appointed Superior-General of the Order of
Carmel. It was his lot to witness stormy days in his native land. He saw his
Order threatened with destruction, but his courage failed not. He knew too well
that his Blessed Mother would protect her brethren. Then it was that he
composed, and often fervently repeated, that beautiful prayer Flos Carmeli,
Flower of Carmel. On that memorable day, the 16th of July, 1251, the Queen of
heaven came to him with the holy Scapular, and addressed him in those consoling
words,
“Receive, most beloved
son, the Scapular of thy Order, a sign of my confraternity, a privilege both to
thee and to all Carmelites.” Saint Simon had seen the vine of Carmel
transplanted from the hallowed soil of Palestine, and now saw it firmly rooted
in the land which was “Mary’s Dowry.” Before his happy death the saint beheld
the vine of his order spreading its branches throughout the European continent.
At his death he left 7,000 flourishing monasteries with a total membership of
180,000. His spiritual children modeled their lives after that of their father.
They were, so to speak, new blossoms on the old but fruitful tree on the mount.
It rejoiced the heart of Saint Simon to behold his disciples like so many
“May flowers blooming
around him
Fragrant, filling the air with a
Strange and wonderful sweetness.”
The saint died at
Bordeaux and was buried there. His last words were “Ave Maria!” About
twenty-two years ago a large portion of the relics of the saint were
transferred to the Carmelite church in London. It was an occasion of great
festivity. The ceremonies were presided over by the late Cardinal Manning.
The practical advice for
the Feast of Saint Simon, which occurs on May 16th is designated on the
calendar of the League of the Sacred Heart, viz: “Wear the Scapular.”
– text taken from the
article “Flowers of Carmel” in the May 1893 edition of The Carmelite Review
magazine, authored by P.A.B.
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/the-carmelite-review-saint-simon-stock/
Pietro Novelli, Madonna del Carmelo con san Simone
Stock, sant'Angelo di Gerusalemme, santa Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi e santa Teresa d'Avila (1641), olio su
tela; Palermo, Museo Diocesano
Pietro Novelli, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Carmelite saints (Simon Stock (standing), Angelus of Jerusalem (kneeling), Mary Magdalene de'Pazzi, Teresa of Avila), 1641
San Simone Stock
m. Bordeaux, Francia,
1265 circa
Simone Stock fu un Priore Generale dell'Ordine Carmelitano di nazionalità inglese, venerato per la sua santità, e morto verso il 1265 a Bordeaux in Francia. Dopo la sua morte, i pellegrini che visitarono la sua tomba hanno registrato i suoi miracoli, dando così nel sec. XIV inizio ad un culto locale. Verso il sec. XV, nei Paesi Bassi, emerse una leggenda circa un certo "San Simone" che aveva avuto una visione della Nostra Signora, nella quale Lei gli appariva con lo scapolare promettendogli: "Questo è il privilegio per te e per i tuoi: chiunque morirà rivestendolo, sarà salvo." In pochi anni, i due racconti furono uniti e a Simone Stock, il Priore Generale, fu accreditata la visione della Nostra Signora. Il nuovo racconto fu rapidamente elaborato con dettagli biografici immaginari circa la vita di Simone, come la sua nascita a Kent in Inghilterra, la sua vita eremitica vissuta in un tronco di un albero, e la composizione del Flos Carmeli (un inno carmelitano molto bello alla Nostra Signora che in realtà era noto già nel sec. XIV, e dunque prima della leggenda). Il culto verso San Simone Stock e la devozione allo scapolare si diffusero rapidamente nei sec. XV - XVI e numerosi fedeli furono iscritti allo Scapolare. Lungo i secoli, pittori da tutto il mondo tradussero in immagine il racconto della visione dello scapolare, opere d'arte che si trovano in tutte le chiese carmelitane dell'Ordine. Nel sec. XVI, il culto a San Simone Stock fu inserito nel calendario liturgico di tutto l'Ordine.
Martirologio Romano: A
Bordeaux nella Guascogna, in Francia, beato Simone Stock, sacerdote, che fu
dapprima eremita in Inghilterra e, entrato poi nell’Ordine dei Carmelitani, ne
fu in seguito mirabile guida, divenendo celebre per la sua singolare devozione
verso la Vergine Maria.
Per quanto risulti dalle "notizie" più antiche, Simone Stock fu un Priore Generale inglese, venerato per la sua santità, e morto verso il 1265 a Bordeaux in Francia. Dopo la sua morte, i pellegrini che visitarono la sua tomba hanno registrato i suoi miracoli, dando così nel sec. XIV inizio ad un culto locale.
Verso il sec. XV, nei Paesi Bassi, emerse una leggenda circa un certo "San Simone" che aveva avuto una visione della Nostra Signora, nella quale Lei gli appariva con lo scapolare promettendogli: "Questo è il privilegio per te e per i tuoi: chiunque morirà rivestendolo, sarà salvo." In pochi anni, i due racconti furono uniti e a Simone Stock, il Priore Generale, fu accreditata la visione della Nostra Signora. Il nuovo racconto fu rapidamente elaborato con dettagli biografici immaginari circa la vita di Simone, come la sua nascita a Kent in Inghilterra, la sua vita eremitica vissuta in un tronco di un albero, e la composizione del Flos Carmeli (un inno carmelitano molto bello alla Nostra Signora che in realtà era noto già nel sec. XIV, e dunque prima della leggenda).
Il culto verso San Simone Stock e la devozione allo scapolare si diffusero rapidamente nei sec. XV - XVI e numerosi fedeli furono iscritti allo Scapolare. Lungo i secoli, pittori da tutto il mondo tradussero in immagine il racconto della visione dello scapolare, opere d'arte che si trovano in tutte le chiese carmelitane dell'Ordine. Nel sec. XVI, il culto a San Simone Stock fu inserito nel calendario liturgico di tutto l'Ordine. La sua festa si celebrava comunemente il 16 maggio. Dopo il Concilio Vaticano II, che tolse questa celebrazione dalla riforma del calendario liturgico, è stata di recente riammessa.
Sebbene la storicità della visione dello scapolare non sia attendibile, lo stesso scapolare è rimasto per tutti i Carmelitani un segno della protezione materna di Maria e dell'impegno proprio di seguire Gesù come sua Madre, modello perfetto di tutti i suoi discepoli.
Autore: Anthony Cilia
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696–1770), La Vierge du Carmel apparaît à saint Simon Stock (1175-1265), circa 1746, 66 x42, Louvre Museum
Quanta sapienza racchiudono
le parole di Cicerone, quando afferma che la Storia è “testimone del tempo,
luce della verità, vita della memoria, maestra di vita, messaggera del
passato”! Esse si applicano in modo speciale ai grandi personaggi, ma
soprattutto se erano santi, poiché il ricordo del cammino di virtù da loro
percorso nel passato illumina il presente e proietta una luce per il futuro.
Un filone di profetica devozione mariana
Elia, il tesbita, è una di queste figure paradigmatiche. Nato nel 900 a.C., egli “appare all’improvviso nella storia del regno di Israele, e già con una luce prodigiosa: ‘Allora sorse Elia profeta, simile al fuoco; la sua parola bruciava come fiaccola. (Sir 48, 1)”.
Avendo consumato la sua esistenza nello “zelo per il Signore, Dio degli eserciti” (I Re 19, 14), unse Eliseo come suo continuatore, essendo poi elevato con “un carro di fuoco e cavalli di fuoco” e salì “nel turbine verso il cielo” (II Re 2, 11). Egli “ancora non è morto, secondo una consacrata tradizione nella Chiesa Cattolica”, e prima della seconda venuta di Cristo, “vicina al grande e terribile giudizio universale, Elia dovrà ritornare”.
Tra i suoi fatti mirabili c’è la terribile siccità da lui imposta a Israele per le sue infedeltà e il ritorno della pioggia, preannunciata dalla “nuvoletta, come una mano d’uomo” (I Re 18, 44) che aveva intravisto dalla cima del Monte Carmelo. Essa è considerata da molti esegeti come una prefigurazione di Maria Santissima.
In quella regione rocciosa, Elia e i suoi discepoli diedero inizio a un filone di profetica devozione alla Madonna, che raggiunse il suo apogeo nel Nuovo Testamento. Esso costituisce, pertanto, “una specie di ponte, dall’inizio della devozione a Maria Santissima, secoli prima che Lei nascesse”, fino ai suoi ultimi devoti, alla fine del mondo.
Col trascorrere degli anni, sorsero tra i seguaci del tesbita gruppi di eremiti
che lì, in Palestina, avrebbero dato origine ai primordi dell’Ordine del Carmelo.
Quando esso si trasferì in Europa, nel XIII secolo, uno dei primi regni a
riceverlo fu quello dell’Inghilterra, che gli ha dato uno dei suoi membri più
illustri: San Simone Stock.
Consacrato a Maria nel seno materno
Figlio di nobile famiglia di baroni inglesi, nacque nel 1164 nel Castello di Harford, contea del Kent, di cui suo padre era governatore. Complicazioni durante la gestazione, derivanti dalla robusta costituzione del nascituro, facevano temere la perdita della vita materna al momento della sua nascita. Ciò nonostante, la pia baronessa consacrò il bambino alla Madonna e lui venne al mondo senza particolari difficoltà. E, “fin dalla culla, Simone ebbe per la Madre di Dio la più tenera devozione”.
In segno di gratitudine, la madre era solita, prima di allattarlo, rinnovare la sua offerta pregando in ginocchio un’Ave Maria. Quando si dimenticava, per distrazione, il piccolo si rifiutava di alimentarsi. Si racconta che il bambino si asteneva dal latte materno il sabato e alla vigilia delle feste mariane, e che per calmarlo per un qualche malessere bastava presentargli un’immagine della Vergine Maria.
Dotato di rara intelligenza, prima di compiere un anno di vita sapeva
l’Ave-Maria e imparò a leggere non appena cominciò a parlare. Seguendo l’esempio
dei genitori, cominciò molto presto a recitare il Piccolo Ufficio alla
Santissima Vergine, costume che non abbandonò mai. A sei anni comprendeva il
latino e, infiammato d’amore, pregava i Salmi diverse volte al giorno,
inginocchiato per rispetto alla Parola di Dio.
Crescita in scienza e virtù
Sentendosi incapace di orientare gli studi di un figlio così precoce, dopo averlo guidato nelle prime lettere, suo padre lo portò a Oxford, dove “fu saggio nell’età in cui i bambini iniziano a studiare”. La scienza dei Santi, tuttavia, attirava Simone più che quella degli uomini e, con ciò, i suoi direttori gli permisero di partecipare ai Sacramenti nell’età in cui “il bambino comune discerne appena il bene dal male”.
A mano a mano che cresceva in scienza, si purificava la sua devozione alla Madonna. A dodici anni, leggendo un trattato dell’Immacolata Concezione – sette secoli prima della proclamazione del dogma! –, sentì un tale impeto di amore che, mosso dal “desiderio di avere una certa somiglianza con la più pura delle vergini, che ha sempre considerato come sua Madre, consacrò la sua verginità a Dio”.
La delicatezza della sua coscienza e la paura di macchiare la sua purezza lo aiutarono a evitare persino quello che aveva la parvenza del peccato. E la sua ascesi lo faceva fuggire dalla vigilanza paterna per prendere, come penitenza, una razione giornaliera di erbe crude, insalata di legumi e frutti selvatici, con pane e acqua.
Tutto questo suscitò una grande invidia nel suo fratello maggiore che, a
dispetto dei consigli paterni, conduceva una vita dissoluta e mondana. La
santità del giovane Simone era quindi per lui un rimprovero costante.
Inizialmente, tramava insidie contro la sua innocenza, seguite da prese in giro
per la sua pietà, per poi passare alla persecuzione aperta, con calunnie e
maltrattamenti.
Lungo periodo di solitudine
Temendo di cadere nelle seduzioni del mondo e mosso da un moto interiore della grazia nei suoi pochi dodici anni Simone decise di abbracciare la solitudine, rifugiandosi in una vasta foresta vicina a Oxford. Trovò lì un albero di dimensioni straordinarie con un’ampia cavità nel tronco e in essa improvvisò una cella. Un crocefisso e un’immagine della Madonna, unici oggetti che aveva portato con sé, servirono da ornamento per la sobria abitazione. Come cibo raccoglieva erbe, radici amare e frutti selvatici.
In mezzo a consolazioni cominciava per Simone una nuova via, di tentazioni e prove. Il demonio gli provocava scrupoli, timori e crudeli rimorsi per peccati mai commessi. Per vincerli, intensificava le sue austerità e preghiere e, con l’aiuto della Santissima Vergine, usciva sempre vincitore. “Alcuni autori affermano che gli Angeli si ricreavano in sua compagnia e addolcivano con la loro presenza gli orrori del suo isolamento”.
Il tempo scorreva veloce! Molto favorito da grazie speciali, ricevette una
visita della Madonna, che gli manifestò la contentezza di Dio per i venti anni
di vita solitaria già trascorsi. A seguire gli rivelò che era stato scelto per
unirsi all’Ordine del Carmelo quando questo venisse dalla Terra Santa in
Inghilterra, e che avrebbe affrontato le contraddizioni di cui l’ordine sarebbe
stato oggetto sotto la sua direzione.
Ingresso nell’Ordine del Carmelo
Al fine di prepararsi al meglio per questi eventi futuri, Simone tornò a Oxford per completare i suoi studi di teologia e ricevere il ministero sacerdotale. Ciononostante, i piani di Dio non sono governati da ritmi umani: i primi carmelitani avrebbero tardato ancora quindici anni prima di mettere piede sul suolo inglese…
Nel frattempo, il nostro Santo era tornato alla vita solitaria e, ad aumentare la sua perplessità, nel 1207 il Regno d’Inghilterra era caduto in una funesta interdizione papale. Il disaccordo tra il Re Giovanni Senza Terra e Papa Innocenzo III, a proposito della nomina del nuovo Arcivescovo di Canterbury, si intensificò al punto da obbligare il Pontefice a una drastica decisione.
Nel 1212 arrivarono finalmente in Inghilterra i primi religiosi provenienti dal Monte Carmelo. Nel ricevere questa notizia così bene augurante, annunciata dalla stessa Santissima Vergine, Simone si affrettò a unirsi a loro, che avevano ricevuto l’incarico di dare inizio alla fondazione di monasteri nell’isola. L’interdizione papale, tuttavia, lo impedì. Nell’attesa di giorni migliori, i religiosi si ritirarono in un bosco ad Aylesford, proprietà di un frate carmelitano di origine inglese, e cominciarono a vivere come anacoreti. Lì il novizio ricevette l’abito carmelitano dalle mani del Beato Alano, allora priore della piccola comunità.
Questo superiore conoscendo i rari talenti del nostro Santo, gli ordinò di
ritornare a Oxford e di specializzarsi in Teologia, malgrado la sua ripugnanza
per gli ambienti mondani che sarebbe stato obbligato a frequentare. Il
religioso obbedì, ma, una volta ottenuto il titolo, approfittò della
circostanza favorevole offerta dalla fondazione di un eremo carmelitano nelle
vicinanze di Norwich per ritornare alla vita solitaria, insieme ad altri
religiosi venuti dalla Palestina.
Primi ostacoli da vincere
Passo dopo passo, si compiranno le profezie della Madonna. San Broccardo, secondo Superiore occidentale dell’ordine, conoscendo le meraviglie della grazia operate tra i solitari di Norwich, in particolare a favore di Simone, volle averlo come coadiutore, e nel Capitolo Generale del 1215 lo nominò Vicario Generale per tutta l’Europa, dove le case si erano moltiplicate in pochissimo tempo.
A causa del bene enorme fatto alla Chiesa, il padre dell’invidia infuse una tremenda persecuzione contro l’ordine: animate da falso zelo, alcune personalità cercarono di sopprimerlo, con il pretesto che andava contro i dettami del IV Concilio Lateranense.
Vigile, Simone unì tutto il Carmelo in preghiera e ricorse a Papa Onorio III.
Il Pontefice inviò due commissari a informarsi della situazione in loco, ma
questi si lasciarono sedurre dagli oppositori. Maria Santissima, nel frattempo,
venne Lei stessa in soccorso dei suoi figli: il Papa dichiarò che la Regina del
Cielo gli aveva ordinato di “approvare la regola del Carmelo, confermare
l’ordine e proteggerlo contro l’attacco dei suoi avversari”. Con la Bolla Ut
vivendi normam, del 1226, egli effettua le decisioni celesti e autorizza nuove
fondazioni in Europa.
Raccoglimento nel Monte Carmelo
Era suonata finalmente l’ora fissata dalla Provvidenza affinché l’Ordine del Carmelo partisse dalla Terra Santa per luoghi più favorevoli, come aveva predetto la Madonna. Per disposizione del Beato Alano, ora eletto Superiore-Generale, Simone Stock si recò fino al Monte Carmelo per partecipare al Capitolo Generale, convocato per porre rimedio ai mali sofferti in Oriente, a causa dell’intolleranza saracena. Il carmelitano inglese provò una gioia indicibile a conoscere il profetico monte sul quale tutto era cominciato con Elia.
Nel Capitolo si decise, infatti, l’emigrazione di tutti i carmelitani in Europa, nonostante l’obiezione di alcuni dei presenti che dicevano di non poter abbandonare, in coscienza, i pochi cristiani dell’Oriente. San Simone ponderò, tuttavia, che era inutile esporsi a un così grave pericolo, ricordando un principio evangelico: “Quando vi perseguiteranno in una città, fuggite in un’altra” (Mt 10, 23).
Mentre si trovavano ancora lì, si intensificò la furia dei saraceni e molti furono i cristiani che persero la vita in quella regione. Si salvarono dalla morte quelli che riuscirono a fuggire nella Ptolemaida, dove si era concentrata l’armata cristiana. Tra questi c’era il nostro Santo.
Narra la tradizione del Carmelo che egli rimase sei anni conducendo una vita di
preghiera sulla montagna di Elia, in attesa di un’occasione propizia per
ritornare al suo paese. Questo si verificò quando alcuni nobili inglesi, che
avevano combattuto in Terra Santa, offrirono ai religiosi la possibilità di
imbarcarsi nelle loro navi, per ritornare in patria, dove avrebbero dovuto
distribuirsi nei vari monasteri già esistenti. San Simone e il Superiore
Generale si diressero a Aylesford.
Segno di predilezione e alleanza con la Madonna
Correva l’anno 1245 quando il Beato Alano convocò il primo Capitolo Generale in Europa, durante il quale egli presentò la sua rinuncia alla carica, essendo eletto all’unanimità San Simone Stock a sostituirlo, a ottant’anni d’età. Sotto il suo governo l’ordine si espanse notevolmente, soprattutto in Francia, dove si moltiplicarono le fondazioni, grazie alla protezione di San Luigi IX.
Pur contando sulla protezione della Santa Sede, il Carmelo fu bersaglio di nuove e virulente persecuzioni che miravano a sopprimerlo. Al culmine dell’afflizione, il Santo si consegnò alla preghiera, a digiuni e penitenze, che finirono per prolungarsi per alcuni anni. Fu in questo stato di trance che compose la celebre antifona Flos Carmeli, che cominciò a recitare tutti i giorni.
Tuttavia, “nelle opere che la Madonna ama, le cose possono arrivare al punto di cadere in pezzi e frantumarsi quasi completamente. Tutto sembra perduto, ma è il momento che Ella riserva per intervenire”.
Il 16 luglio 1251, la preghiera del venerando carmelitano, “come quella del profeta Elia, aprì il Cielo e fece scendere la Regina degli Angeli”. In quella data, “la Vergine Santissima gli apparve, vestita dell’abito dell’ordine, coronata di stelle scintillanti, e tenendo il suo Divino Figlio in braccio”. Aveva in mano lo scapolare, che gli consegnava come tesoriere del suo segno di predilezione e di un’eterna alleanza.
Nello stesso giorno, San Simone consegnò a Don Pierre Swayngton, suo segretario
e confessore, una lettera diretta a tutti i suoi fratelli d’abito, nella quale
registrava la promessa della Madre di Dio di cui era stato depositario:
“Ricevi, mio amato figlio, questo scapolare del tuo ordine, come segno
distintivo e simbolo del privilegio che Io ho ottenuto per te e per tutti i
figli del Carmelo; è un segno di salvezza, una salvaguardia nei pericoli e
garanzia di una pace e di una protezione speciale fino alla fine dei secoli.
Ecce signum salutis, salus in periculis. Chi morirà rivestito con questo abito
sarà preservato dal fuoco eterno”.
Vita longeva unita a Maria
A partire da allora, l’Ordine Carmelitano si estese prodigiosamente e alla fine del XIII secolo, pochi anni dopo la morte del Santo, già possedeva, secondo fonti dell’epoca, più settemila monasteri ed eremi, con circa centottantamila religiosi.
San Simone Stock dedicò gli anni che gli restavano per visitare i Carmeli. “L’Europa vide con ammirazione il santo anziano, nell’estrema vecchiaia, curvo sotto il peso degli anni, logorato dai rigori della vita più austera, non diminuendoli mai minimamente, anche nel corso dei suoi viaggi, percorrere con coraggio infaticabile i monasteri del suo ordine”.
Fu in diverse città del Belgio, Scozia, Irlanda e altri paesi, e nel 1265
giunse a Bordeaux, in Francia, dove il 16 maggio consegnò la sua anima a Dio.
Le sue ultime parole furono le prime che aveva imparato a dire: Ave Maria.
La sua azione continua nell’eternità
Membro del profetico filone eliatico, San Simone Stock rappresenta un istmo tra il passato e il futuro. E siccome la missione dei Santi non termina su questa terra, occorre chiedersi: che farà lui ora, nell’eternità? In questo anno che commemora il centenario delle apparizioni di Fatima, non starà chiamando per la venuta del Regno di Maria lì annunciato?
Infatti, il 13 ottobre 1917, prima del famoso “miracolo del sole”, Maria Santissima Si presentò ai tre pastorelli “come Madonna del Carmelo, coronata Regina del Cielo e della terra, con il Bambino Gesù in braccio”.
Essendo proprio dello spirito della Chiesa amare le grandi sintesi, è bello contemplare come “nel momento in cui la Madonna proclama la sua regalità futura sotto la forma della regalità del Suo Cuore, appare con l’abito della sua più antica devozione, il Carmelo, facendo una sintesi del più antico e del più recente”. La singolare figura di San Simone Stock, il Carmelo e lo scapolare preannunciano, così, il trionfo del suo Cuore Immacolato!
Autore: Suor Juliane Vasconcelos Almeida Campos, EP
Fonte : Rivista
Araldi del Vangelo, Maggio/2017, n. 168, pp. 32-35
SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/90050
_-_S%C3%A0n_Scim%C3%B3n_Stock_o_ri%C3%A7%C3%A9ive_l'abit%C3%ACn_da-a_Mad%C3%B2nna_de_an%C3%B2nimo.jpg)
Arbénga:
capélla do Palàçio do Vésco, Sàn Scimón Stock o riçéive l'abitìn da-a Madònna
de anònimo, êuio in sce téia, segónda meitæ do sec. XVII, 76 x 60. Diocesan
Museum of Albenga
Albenga:
cappella vescovile, San Simone Stock riceve dalla Madonna lo scapolare di
anonimo, seconda metà XVII sec., 76 x 60. Diocesan
Museum of Albenga
16 de mayo
SAN SIMÓN STOCK,
Confesor
n. hacia el año 1165 en Kent, Inglaterra;
† 16 de mayo de 1265 en Burdeos, Francia
San Simón Stock nació en el condado de Kent, Inglaterra, hacia el año 1165, y
murió en el monasterio carmelita de Burdeos, Francia, el 16 de mayo de 1265.
Debido a su origen inglés se le llama también Simon Anglus.
Se dice que desde los 12 años comenzó a vivir como un ermitaño en el hueco de
un roble y que después se convirtió en predicador itinerante hasta entrar en la
orden de los carmelitas, recién llegada a Inglaterra. Según la misma tradición
fue como carmelita a Roma y de allí al Monte Carmelo donde pasó varios años. Lo
que es históricamente cierto es que en 1247 fue elegido sexto general de los
carmelitas, sucesor de Alan, en el primer capítulo celebrado en Aylesford,
Inglaterra. A pesar de su avanzada edad, mostró notable energía e hizo mucho en
beneficio de la Orden, de manera que es considerado, en justicia, el más
celebrado de sus generales. Mientras ocupó el cargo, la orden se expandió por
el sur y oeste de Europa, especialmente en Inglaterra, sobre todo porque fundó
casas en las ciudades de aquella época que tenían universidades, como en 1248
en Cambridge, en 1253 en Oxford, en 1260 en Paris y Bolonia. Esta acción fue de
las de mayor importancia tanto para el crecimiento de la institución como para
el aprendizaje de los miembros jóvenes.
Simón logró ganar la aprobación temporal del Papa Inocencio IV de la regla
reformada de la orden, que se había adaptado a las condiciones europeas. Sin
embargo, la orden fue oprimida y debía luchar en todos los lugares para ser
aceptada, tanto para conseguir el consentimiento del clero secular o la
tolerancia de las otras órdenes. En medio de estas dificultades, tal como
relata Guillermo de Sanvico (poco después de 1291), los monjes rogaban a su
patrona la Santísima Virgen. “Y la Virgen María reveló a su prior que debían
dirigirse sin miedo al Papa Inocencio, pues recibirían de él el remedio para
sus dificultades” (cf. “Speculum Carmel.”, I, 101 sqq; Zimmermann, 325;
“Biblioth. Carmelit.”, I, 609). El prior siguió el consejo de la Virgen y la
orden recibió una bula o carta de protección de Inocencio IV contra esas
molestias. Es un hecho histórico que Inocencio IV emitió esa carta papal
dirigida a los Carmelitas, fechada el 13 de enero de 1252, en Perugia
(“Registr. Innoc. IV”, ed. Berger, III, 24, n. 5563).
Escritores Carmelitas posteriores brindan más detalles de aquella visión y
revelación. Johannes Grossi escribió su “Viridarium” alrededor del año 1430, en
donde relata que la Madre de Dios se apareció a Simón Stock con el escapulario
de la orden en su mano y se lo entregó con las siguientes palabras: “Hoc erit
tibi et cunctis Carmelitis privilegium, in hoc habitu moriens salvabitur” (Este
será el privilegio para ti y para todos los carmelitas, que todo el que muera
con este hábito, se salvará). Debido a este gran privilegio, muchos ingleses
distinguidos, tales como el rey Eduardo II; Enrique, duque de Lancaster y
muchos otros miembros de la nobleza, llevaban secretamente (clam portaverunt)
el escapulario carmelita bajo su ropa y murieron con él (“Specul. Carmelit.” I,
139; Zimmermann, 340). En los escritos de Grossi, sin embargo, el escapulario
de la Orden significa el hábito de los carmelitas y no el pequeño escapulario
carmelita. Como era costumbre entre otras órdenes de los tiempos medievales,
los carmelitas daban su hábito, o al menos su escapulario, a sus benefactores y
amigos de alto rango para que pudieran disfrutar del privilegio aparentemente
ligado a su hábito o escapulario por la Virgen María. Es posible que los mismos
carmelitas de aquel entonces vistieran su escapulario, por la noche, en un
formato más pequeño, así como lo hicieron más tarde y actualmente se
acostumbra, es decir, en forma del escapulario de la actual tercera orden. Si
esto es así, pudieron entregar ese escapulario a los laicos.
Más adelante, probablemente no antes del siglo dieciséis, en vez del
escapulario de la Orden, se entregaba un escapulario más pequeño como símbolo
de la hermandad del escapulario (cf. Zimmermann, 351 sq.; Wessels, “Analecta
Ord. Carmel.” (1911), 119 sqq.). Hoy en día, la hermandad considera esto como
su privilegio principal, que deben a San Simón Stock, de manera que el que
muera con el escapulario no se pierda eternamente. Así, el principal privilegio
y toda la historia del pequeño escapulario carmelita está relacionada con el
nombre de San Simón Stock. No hay dificultad en conceder que la narración de
Grossi, arriba descrita, y la tradición carmelita son dignas de crédito aunque
no tengan el valor completo de las pruebas históricas.
El hecho de que Simón se distinguía por su especial veneración y amor a la
Virgen María, se ve claramente en las Antífonas “Flos Carmeli” y “Ave Stella
Matutina”, que él escribió y que han sido incorporadas al Breviario de los
Carmelitas Calzados. Además de las antífonas, se le han atribuido
incorrectamente otras obras. Las primeras narraciones biográficas de Simón
Stock pertenecen al año 1430, pero no son completamente fiables. Sin embargo,
en esos momentos él no era venerado como santo en su tiempo ya su fiesta no se
incluyó en los libros corales del monasterio de Burdeos sino hasta 1435. Se
introdujo antes de 1458 en Irlanda, probablemente al mismo tiempo en
Inglaterra. Su celebración en toda la Orden se introdujo por un decreto del
capítulo general de 1564.
SOURCE : http://www.tradicioncatolica.com/index.php/2008/05/16/16-de-mayo-san-simon-stock/
