Simon Stock
Simon Stock was born in 1164 in Kent in the Kingdom of England. A Monk and member of the Order of Carmel (the Carmelite Brothers), he was nicknamed "Stock" because he lived for many years as a hermit in a tree trunk. Having a great devotion to the Virgin Mary, he received the scapular from the hands of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The body of Simon Stock, who died in 1265 at the venerable age of 101, now rests in the Cathedral of Bordeaux. He was not canonized, but he is celebrated by the Church on May 16. So, let's discover his life, his influence and what he can still tell us today.
At the end of this article on Simon Stock, we also invite you to discover other figures of holiness in the Guide to Saints on Hozana.
What can we learn from Simon Stock?
Simon Stock: a devotion to the Virgin Mary
In 1164, at his birth, Simon's mother dedicated him to the Virgin Mary. Simon’s cries and tears ceased when the image of the Virgin was presented to him. She would also help him later during his years as a forest hermit by comforting and encouraging him.
Established on Mount Carmel, the Carmelites found it difficult to be recognized as a religious order. Worried about the Order's situation, the Virgin, surrounded by angels, appeared to Simon in July 1251 in Cambridge: she then handed him a scapular, as a sign of her maternal protection, saying to him: "Receive, my son, this scapular, as the sign of a close alliance with Me. I give it to you as a habit of your order; it will be for you and for all the Carmelites an excellent privilege, and he who wears it will never suffer eternal fire. It is the mark of salvation in dangers and the happy possession of life that will never end. ”
The scapular is a piece of fabric that goes through the shoulders, down to the back and chest. Today, some religious orders (for example the Carmelites) and lay people wear it. This is how we understand Simon Stock's great devotion to Our Lady. Simon prayed to her frequently (see his prayer below).
At his death in 1265, Simon's last words were for the Virgin: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, poor sinners, now and at the hour of our death. ”
Simon Stock, a servant involved in the recognition of his Order
At the beginning of the thirteenth century, while the Carmelites were not recognized as a religious order, Simon worked hard from his election as vicar general of the Order of Carmelites in 1215, to hope for the confirmation of his Order by Rome. Confronted with opponents to its development in Europe, he always entrusted himself to the Virgin Mary through prayer. The Mother of God made her wishes known to Pope Honorius III by appearing in a dream. Thus, Honorius III confirmed the Rule of the Carmelites in 1226, which was definitively confirmed in 1274 by Gregory X.
What can Simon Stock teach us today?
The place of the Virgin Mary in our lives
Having a special devotion to the Virgin Mary, Simon Stock can help us rediscover Mary.
We can ask ourselves, for example:
· What is the place of the Virgin Mary in our lives?
· Do we entrust our problems to her?
· Do we ask for her intercession with God?
Our relationship to loneliness
Simon Stock lived as a hermit for about 20 years. Thus, we can ask ourselves:
· What is our relationship to loneliness?
· Have we ever had the opportunity to experience a retreat in silence?
· In the image of Simon Stock, do we take the time to withdraw into silence to listen to the voice of the Lord?
Praying to Simon Stock
Simon Stock often recited this prayer to the Virgin Mary.
Flos carmeli
Vitis florigera
Splendor caeli
Virgo puerpera
Singularis
Mater mitis
Sed viri nescia
Carmelitis
Esto propitia
Stella Maris
Flower of Carmel
Flowering vine
Splendor of Heaven
Fertile virgin
Unique
Sweet Mother
Who knew no man,
To the children of Carmel
Be prosperous
Star of the Sea
