- The Seal of Mount Carmel
- The Motto
- The Flaming Sword
- The Crown of Gold
- The Halo of Stars
The Seal of Mount Carmel
At the centre of the seal is Mount Carmel, the birthplace of our Carmelite order, its peak reaching toward the heavens. In the 9th century BC, the prophet Elijah resided on Mount Carmel and experienced a profound encounter with God. Centuries later, in the early 12th century, a group of hermits, inspired by Elijah’s memory, gathered there to pursue “a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ” (Carmelite Rule). The cross on top of the mountain was added in the 16th century, to distinguish the Discalced Carmelites from the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance.
The seal also features three six-pointed stars, representing three significant eras in the history of Carmel:
- The prophetic era, represented by the star within the mountain, spans from the time of the prophet Elijah to St. John the Baptist.
- The Greek epoch, when the order expanded across the East and West, extends from St. John to Berthold, the first Latin General.
- The third epoch, which begins with Berthold, continues until the end of time.
The stars also serve as a tribute to members of the Carmelite order. The star within the mountain represents those journeying toward the summit of Mount Carmel (heaven), while the two stars in the sky honour the Carmelites who have gone before us, attaining their life’s goal of union with God in eternal joy.
The Motto
The banner encircling the seal bears the motto of our Order. These words, spoken by the prophet Elijah, reflect his prophetic fervour and unwavering devotion to the one true God: “Zelo zelatus sum pro Domino Deo exercituum”—“With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of Hosts” (1 Kings 19:10).
The Flaming Sword
Above the seal, continuing through the banner, is an arm holding a flaming sword to represent Elijah’s fiery spirit and unwavering passion for the one true God, whose word “burned like a torch” (Eccl. 48:1). He was the solitary prophet who desired God alone and lived continually in His presence. Elijah calls us to carry “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Carmelite Rule) and to maintain a loving, contemplative awareness of God’s presence at all times.
The Crown of Gold
The Crown of Gold represents the Kingdom of God. In affirming God as our Sovereign Lord of Carmel, we do our best to serve Him with “a pure heart and a steadfast conscience” (Carmelite Rule), pledging unwavering allegiance Jesus and drawing inspiration from Our Lady, as well as from Saints Teresa of Jesus and John of the Cross.
The Halo of Stars
The halo of twelve stars above the crown represents our model, the Blessed Virgin Mary whom St. John imagined in the Book of Revelation as “a woman clothed with the sun… on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Revelation 12:1).
These stars also represent the twelve principles of our rule: obedience, chastity, poverty, recollection, mental prayer, divine office, chapter, abstinence from meat, manual labour, silence, humility, and supererogation (works or good deeds performed by saints beyond what is necessary for their own salvation, whose merit is believed to benefit others in need of indulgence.)
