King David and Carmel

The detective instinct in me loves wandering around Google, and this morning I typed in ‘Carmel Christmas’ out of curiosity, and discovered the existence of Carmel in the US state of Indiana – basically it seems a suburb of Indianapolis these days.  I am familiar with Carmel City in California but did not know of this other Carmel.  It came up on Google because it has a highly reputed Christmas Market.  Apparently the city was originally called Bethlehem, but on being informed in 1874 that there was another city called by that name in Indiana, the city fathers changed the name to Carmel.  On investigation, I find that the choice of the new name is said to have been connected with 1 Samuel 25, which tells the extraordinary story of King David’s dealings with a couple who lived in Carmel: Abigail, a shrewd and highly intelligent woman who had the misfortune to be married to a foolish drunk of a husband.  I don’t know why this story should have so impressed the early denizens of the American town – I would have thought it more likely that they were inspired by the association of Elijah with Mount Carmel.  Be that as it may, I think the reference to King David makes all this highly appropriate as we anticipate the Christmas season – for was not Jesus known as the Son of David?

Intercessions:

Marie, Philippa, Agnes – cancer

Bernard – cancer, and wife Angela

Elara, Siena – infants with severe medical issues

Rosemarie – multiple afflictions