Brown Scapular Devotion or Good Luck Charm?

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robdaddyf

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I’ll start with my ultimate question…How can wearing a brown scapular “save the wearer from eternal fire” in a special way…that is apart from or above and beyond the ongoing Salvific work accomplished by and through Jesus Christ? I understand that Mary’s “special protection” is asked by the wearer…the scapular is a sign of her pledge…yet I have a difficult time understanding what purpose the scapular itself would serve if in fact Our Lord and His/Our Blessed Mother. If it is merely a reminder of this reality, great! But if in some way Our Blessed Mother would overlook one of her children…or further still that Our Lord Himself would overlook us that ISN’T wearing a scapular seems ridiculous…as if to say that His daily ongoing protection and intercession on our behalf isn’t enough?

I’ve heard Fr. Corapi and Mother Angelica encourage enrollment in the Brown Scapular and following their advice I have been enrolled (because I trust them immensely and believe they are truly worth listening to) yet this concerns me because there seem to be so many loose ends in this practice theologically speaking. Can anyone out there help? I’ve tried asking this question to the apologists and they haven’t answered it…I’ve searched this website and can only find vague explanations of this practice. I’m troubled because since I’ve been enrolled I thought I would be able to give myself to this practice more fully but find myself at a loss until I can get more clarity. Anyone? Anyone?
 
Well, it’s kind of like the whole ‘faith and works’ thing.

Nobody denies that we are saved by faith (which in itself is a free gift). We also know that God has given each of us in life sufficient grace whereby we can be saved. . .which grace we have free will to accept or reject.

Now the brown scapular is a pious practice/ devotion. Graces are conferred. Certainly one could be saved without ever engaging in any pious practice/devotion such as this. Certainly, one could live a whole life practicing every devotion in the book and still wind up not saved.

Then why would one choose a devotion? Not because we think that God will give us ‘extras’. Not because we think He will ‘only’ take those who do such things.

We choose these devotions as a pious practice, exercises in humility, in acknowledging that we in and of ourselves can do nothing to ‘gain’ salvation. We are told of graces we can achieve through such practices when done with the proper intention.

Now. . .I’m sure you’re imaging a guy (call him Philip) who wears the brown scapular and thinks, “I’m good to go now.” But Phil lives a very sinful life while wearing that scapular.

When Phil dies, rest assured, there will be some way that he isn’t wearing that scapular. God will not be mocked. If (as we believe) God has the power to give graces as He wills, He likewise has the power to know when His graces are being denied, or presumed unfairly. He WILL take care of this. We can trust Him.

What we should be doing if we are invested in the Brown Scapular is not indulging in all sorts of “What if” ideas but simply living our lives for Jesus as best we can, listening to Him, trusting Him, and obeying Him. If he has given us a promise, He WILL BE true to that promise. There will be nobody who will somehow ‘get in’ unfairly because of the Brown Scapular; neither will there be those denied simply because they 'didn’t wear a scapular."

Trust Him.
 
Devotion! The Brown Scapular is a sacramental. There is a good article in the Catholic Encyclopedia on the difference between the sacraments and sacramentals (holy water, medals, scapular, etc.) and how and why God has promised graces through them. The whole article is here: newadvent.org/cathen/13292d.htm

This might whet your appetite. There is a lot more…It is not magic or charms or superstition.
The special virtue recognized by the Church and experienced by Christians in the sacramentals should consist in the official prayers whereby we implore God to pour forth special graces on those who make use of the sacramentals. These prayers move God to give graces which He would not otherwise give, and when not infallibly acceded to it is for reasons known to His Wisdom.
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Sooo helpful…very very helpful…THANK YOU!! It does seem the material often presented with these things are whacked out then…at least they are not in line with Church teaching to one degree or another. I was surprised to hear that John Paul the Great would be involved in a “superstition” as Holy as he is…as I heard he wore the brown scapular as well. Things weren’t adding up and your personal response as well as links provided have helped me immensely.

I am not “officially” Catholic as yet. Me and my family will be going through RCIA in September and your responses certainly help me move more fully into the Church. I am truly grateful. May God bless you for your kindness to a total stranger!
 
I have a question about brown scapulars. Most I have seen are made of simple cloth. But I have seen some that are made of like a plastic? Do those count as the same sacramental?
 
robdaddyf said:
Sooo helpful…very very helpful…THANK YOU!! It does seem the material often presented with these things are whacked out then…at least they are not in line with Church teaching to one degree or another. I was surprised to hear that John Paul the Great would be involved in a “superstition” as Holy as he is…as I heard he wore the brown scapular as well. Things weren’t adding up and your personal response as well as links provided have helped me immensely.

I am not “officially” Catholic as yet. Me and my family will be going through RCIA in September and your responses certainly help me move more fully into the Church. I am truly grateful. May God bless you for your kindness to a total stranger!
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Well this former fundamentalist preacher is wearing a brown scapular as I type. It is a wonderful devotion and a reminder to me always of Who it is I serve. I will tell you there are many things I used to struggle with that are gone since I put on the scapular and began to say the rosary often.
Welcome to the Church. There are many other wonders you will discover.
 
Little_Katie said:
I have a question about brown scapulars. Most I have seen are made of simple cloth. But I have seen some that are made of like a plastic? Do those count as the same sacramental?
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While I was involved in my examination of this sacramental (after I had already been enrolled…go figure) I found a site that is incredibly helpful called New Adventnewadvent.org/cathen/13508b.htm Here is a link to a helpful page…it’s long but it contains a section regarding requirements.
 
The scapular medals
This is the section I’m referring to…my assumption is that “medals” are okay…but plastic…maybe not so much…hope this helps…

Since 1910 and the regulation of the Holy Office of 16 December of that year (Acta Apost. Sedis, III, 22 sq.) it is permitted to wear, instead of one or more of the small scapulars a single medal of metal. This medal must have on one side a representation of Jesus Christ with His Most Sacred Heart and on the other an image of the Mother of God. All persons who have been validly invested with a blessed woollen scapular may replace such by this medal. The medal must be blessed by a priest possessing the faculty to bless and invest with the scapular or scapulars which the medal is to replace. The faculties to bless these medals are subject to the same conditions and limitations as the faculties to bless and invest with the corresponding scapulars. If the medal is to be worn instead of a number of different scapulars, it must receive the blessing that would be attached to each of them, i.e. as many blessings as the number of scapulars it replaces. For each blessing a sign of the Cross suffices. This medal must also be worn constantly, either about the neck or in some other seemly manner, and with it may be attained all the indulgences and privileges of the small scapulars without exception. Only the small (not the large) scapulars may be validly replaced by such medals.
 
Welcome home, Rob! Welcome to the fold and God bless you! :extrahappy:

I have purchased a scapular, but haven’t been enrolled yet because we’re short a priest and our pastor is up to his elbows in alligators 🤷 I decided to get one, though, because I was particularly attracted to the scapular’s humble origin as a work apron. When I put the scapular on, I’m getting dressed to do my work for Christ. 👍

I have read in a number of places that the scapular should be made of wool, or a scapular medal should be metal. It is highly encouraged that one wear the fabric scapular unless this is a grave inconvenience (e.g. you’re hiking through the jungle and it’s falling apart because of the moisture). A medal “counts” just by being on your person, like if your Rosary has a scapular center and you keep it in your pocket, but my feeling is that if you’re going to wear the scapular, then wear it. Humility is a major ingredient in my scapular devotion, and if I quit wearing the fabric scapular because the strings are sticking out and I’m vain about it, then that’s where I need Mary’s help.

I can kind of see where a plastic scapular would be conceived–some people don’t like to ever be without their scapular and will wear it in the shower, etc.–but it strikes me as weird and I don’t think I would go for it.
 
robdaddyf said:
I was surprised to hear that John Paul the Great would be involved in a “superstition” as Holy as he is…as I heard he wore the brown scapular as well. Things weren’t adding up and your personal response as well as links provided have helped me immensely.
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Your whole family is going through RCIA? That’s awesome. Praise God. 😃

Indeed a lot of things are seen as “superstitious” but only when not properly understood or when falsities are spread. It’s good that you actually asked to learn the truth and had the sense to have this cleared up. A lot of people often times get the wrong impression on something and don’t go looking for the truth. 😦
 
Thanks! Your prayers on our behalf as we enter into the Church would be greatly appreciated. It is true that many people I’ve met with that have found out that we’re converting have a large number of misconceptions and grievously wrong information about what the Catholic Church teaches and believes. It saddens me in fact and I know the only reason I have “come home” is by the abundant, truly abundant grace of God and the prayers of the faithful that pray for me and the thousands like me that find themselves searching and questioning hoping to find truth who will find it in the arms of Our Lord’s Body.

An interesting thing that I never expected is that I find myself with a deep love for the Holy Father Benedict the XVI. I’ve been reading his “Jesus of Nazareth” book and find myself drawn to him deeply as a person. I watch this humble man and experience a very “fatherly” inclination toward him…like I know beyond knowing that he is a trustworthy man who deeply loves God and wants to do his best to love the Church. It’s beautiful really.

Thanks again and may God bless you all!
 
Those “plastic” scapulars that I have seen seem to have the cloth parts of them simply encased in plastic to protect them.
 
robdaddyf said:
Sooo helpful…very very helpful…THANK YOU!! It does seem the material often presented with these things are whacked out then…at least they are not in line with Church teaching to one degree or another. I was surprised to hear that John Paul the Great would be involved in a “superstition” as Holy as he is…as I heard he wore the brown scapular as well. Things weren’t adding up and your personal response as well as links provided have helped me immensely.

I am not “officially” Catholic as yet. Me and my family will be going through RCIA in September and your responses certainly help me move more fully into the Church. I am truly grateful. May God bless you for your kindness to a total stranger!
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My thinking on some of the materials is that someone is using some of the most inspiring (almost sensational) stories and focusing on the one side of this (God’s) and minimizing ours (devotion). This can make it seem superstitious in the eyes of many but it may draw interest from some who may not have given wearing 2 pieces of brown wool a second look.
 
robdaddyf said:
Thanks! Your prayers on our behalf as we enter into the Church would be greatly appreciated. It is true that many people I’ve met with that have found out that we’re converting have a large number of misconceptions and grievously wrong information about what the Catholic Church teaches and believes. It saddens me in fact and I know the only reason I have “come home” is by the abundant, truly abundant grace of God and the prayers of the faithful that pray for me and the thousands like me that find themselves searching and questioning hoping to find truth who will find it in the arms of Our Lord’s Body.

An interesting thing that I never expected is that I find myself with a deep love for the Holy Father Benedict the XVI. I’ve been reading his “Jesus of Nazareth” book and find myself drawn to him deeply as a person. I watch this humble man and experience a very “fatherly” inclination toward him…like I know beyond knowing that he is a trustworthy man who deeply loves God and wants to do his best to love the Church. It’s beautiful really.
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Don’t be sad about them but PRAY. Just as God’s grace and prayers helped you, help them too. 🙂

I’m also reading that book slowly to not just run over things and miss the details. Very good book and I appreciate him a lot more because of it. I saw that there’s the “rumor” that he might work on continuing the book during his current vacation. He hurt his right arm but it seems he records his thoughts more than write so let’s hope he can advance on it. 😃
 
Don’t forget there is more to this than just buying a scapular and wearing it, you must be invested/enrolled in the Brown Scapullar/confraternity. I don’t know how that is done in the NO as many NO priests don’t even approve of this devotion, but my investment was in Latin and a very beautiful thing indeed. There is a prayer, a morning offering that is prayed every morning as well. The brown scapular goes along well with Marian consecration which H.H. Pope John Paul II approved of as did many Popes before him.
 
the scapular doesn’t save… it’s just a sign of salvation and a sacramental to help you.

there were some documented cases of people who were dying outside of grace and wore the scapular, but what happened is they somehow lost it before they died.

it is true that everyone who wears the scapular will go to Heaven… but NOT because it saves you outside of what Christ is doing… or outside of grace… rather, it’s a sign that you ARE in the state of grace when you die. and during life, God uses it to give graces - not through it, but as an occasion of grace (this is the difference between sacraments and sacramentals)

hope that helps…
 
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