The presence of our Lady pervades the whole history of the Order. This had its beginnings on Mount Carmel and got its name from a chapel dedicated to our Lady there. With the Church's approval it is committed to live in allegiance to Jesus Christ and to his Mother. Led by our Holy Parents, our Teresian Carmel treasured this commitment and strongly reaffirmed it. They acknowledge Mary as 'Lady' and 'Mother' of Carmel and propose her to us as a model of prayer and surrender of self on our pilgrimage of faith. They present her as she eagerly ponders God's word in her heart and with complete docility to the grace of the Holy Spirit, is inseparably united with her son in the joys and sorrows of his Paschal Mystery.

Our Lady, as portrayed in the Gospels, is thus put before us as the perfect embodiment of the ideal of our Order, and we are drwn to follow her closely. With the attitude of the 'poor of the Lord' we must ponder on God's word in faith and spend ourselves in a manifold service of love. Then our life will truly resemble hers and, under her guidance, we shall be made to share more fully in the mystery of Christ and his Church.

In this way our profession, which binds us in a special manner to our Lady, and which we have put in her hands, will become a reality in our life. That too is what the scapular we wear symbolises: that we belong to Mary and that we strive to be clothed in her virtues so as to mirror in the world the beauty of her holiness.

This presence of Our Lady characterises our apostolic mission too. Our filial love for her impels us to deepen our knowledge of her by careful study of  the scriptures so that we can present her faithfully to others as a model and guide in their quest for union with Christ and his Church.