Do You Wear the Scapular?

[drforjc]

Just a point of clarification:

The “ceremonial” scapular with BVM on the front panel and IHS on the back panel predates the scapular catechesis that calls for an “ideally” plain scapular.

It’s certainly possible that, in time, actual practice will catch up with the newer documents and we (O.Carm., for me) may eventually see a plain scapular replace the older ones.

 

[fan312]

Anyways, I was invested with the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel today, so I need to change my vote from “No” to “Yes” on the poll.

 

[Dorothy]

Just a point of clarification:

The “ceremonial” scapular with BVM on the front panel and IHS on the back panel predates the scapular catechesis that calls for an “ideally” plain scapular.

It’s certainly possible that, in time, actual practice will catch up with the newer documents and we (O.Carm., for me) may eventually see a plain scapular replace the older ones.

Yes, you are correct that the information needs to trickle down until everyone learns and understands what is in the newer documents.

Many years ago we had a Day of Reflection together with an O.C.D. group. They all had the ceremonial scapulars without embroidery on it.

I also remember hearing, from an O.Carm. nun that in the future we should be having plain scapulars.
as well.

I have not experienced bad feelings, either way, from members when attending retreats with O.C.D. Secular Carmelites.

Peace in Carmel,

Dorothy Third Order Lay Carmelite

 

[CatholicFireman]

Anyways, I was invested with the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel today, so I need to change my vote from “No” to “Yes” on the poll.

Congrats.

 

[porthos11]

You must have confused me with lynvinc, post #73. I just re-read this entire thread to find out where I mentioned a lady that exhibited odd behavior!

Haha yes I did. Sorry.

 

[emanuelGeorge]

Hi everyone,

I was wanting to get some feedback from y’all to see how many of you wear the brown scapular (or other scapulars) and what led you to begin wearing them?

Thanks!

I Wear the brown scapular too! THE BEST decision I have ever made! i can see protection from Mary every day - against sexual sin especially. And whats better, ever since then, a love for Mary and Jesus began to grow! I pray the rosary every day (as best I can)

I had lost my scapular once and looked everywhere for it…- then one day while i was on the phone, I put my hand in my pocket and it was there!- I was so happy!

 

[sanambrosi]

I wear my scapular every day under my shirt. For some reason, the back of it always falls all the way down and the front of it will rise to the bottom of the front of my neck. It looks kind of like a tag to secular people, and they will ask about it. Wearing it really makes for great conversation. You wouldn’t believe how many older people I come across that say that they used to wear it as a kid.

 

[LiamQ]

…what led you to begin wearing them?

As I’m sure you can sympathize with: I take traditions of the Church seriously, and I don’t believe I have much of a prudent choice but give assent to approved apparitions, and so I therefore believe in the spiritual benefits of wearing the brown Scapular.

 

[porthos11]

I Wear the brown scapular too! THE BEST decision I have ever made! i can see protection from Mary every day - against sexual sin especially. And whats better, ever since then, a love for Mary and Jesus began to grow! I pray the rosary every day (as best I can)

I had lost my scapular once and looked everywhere for it…- then one day while i was on the phone, I put my hand in my pocket and it was there!- I was so happy!

Well, while I’m glad you found your scapular, you do realize that if you do lose a brown scapular (and it does happen), you can just get another one and put in on, right?

 

[Dorothy]

Well, while I’m glad you found your scapular, you do realize that if you do lose a brown scapular (and it does happen), you can just get another one and put in on, right?

Yes, the blessing passes on to the next scapular you put on.

Not so if you wear the scapular medal. Just have a new one blessed if the old one gets lost.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

I originally voted “Yes” but now I change my answer to “Not any more.” I didn’t see any point.

 

[CatholicFireman]

I originally voted “Yes” but now I change my answer to “Not any more.” I didn’t see any point.

Sorry to hear that. But it’s a choice, not a requirement anyway.

 

[emanuelGeorge]

Well, while I’m glad you found your scapular, you do realize that if you do lose a brown scapular (and it does happen), you can just get another one and put in on, right?

Yes of course, I just liked that one because it was given to me by my spiritual director…
But i might need to replace it since the string is old and looks like it will tear any moment…

 

[AKDee]

I have worn the brown scapular for about a year now. I believe it helps me. Perhaps it’s subliminal- the presence of the scapular keeping me more mindful of my baptismal promises. Or perhaps it pleases Our Lady that I wear it and she helps me and leads me closer to Jesus. I don’t know. I just know it helps. St. John Paul II is one of my heroes, and he wore the brown scapular, and my understanding is that he credits Our Lady with saving his life the day he was shot, and that he refused to allow the doctors to remove his scapular when he had surgery. St. Josemaria Escriva also said the brown scapular was something we should all wear.

 

[drforjc]

I originally voted “Yes” but now I change my answer to “Not any more.” I didn’t see any point.

Please seek some help. It is obvious that your are suffering from a crisis, both spiritual and psychological. The pattern and content of your posting makes that clear.

I will pray for you.

 

[otjm]

I wear the Red Scapular of the Passion and the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

I take it that is your call sign?

 

[Lost_Sheep]

Please seek some help. It is obvious that your are suffering from a crisis, both spiritual and psychological. The pattern and content of your posting makes that clear.

I will pray for you.

Not to get this thread off on an irrelevant tangent, but long time followers of CAF know that I have serious doubts about whether God cares about me or not. Everyone tries to assure me that He does, but I’m simply not feeling it. I never have. I was diagnosed with clinical depression in 1994 but hindsight tells me I’ve probably had it since childhood. I even tried to kill myself a year and a half ago after getting fired from my job twice in three years. There is nothing more disheartening then seeing yourself as a failure, attempting to end your life, and then failing at that too.

I have been through countless psychiatrists, psychologists, medicines and spiritual advisors. Nothing has helped. I truly believe in my heart that God not only does not care about me, but He has singled me out and is deliberately making my life miserable on purpose. People tell me “God loves you. He saved your life, didn’t He?” My response is that He only saved my life so He could continue to torture me.

So no, I don’t wear a scapular, I don’t pray, and the only reason I go to mass on Sunday is because I don’t want to get into a fight with my wife over it. But don’t go to communion and I’m only there in body; not in spirit.

If God indeed loves me then He is going to have to prove it to my satisfaction.

P.S.

Don’t waste your time praying for me. It won’t do any good.

 

[AKDee]

Not to get this thread off on an irrelevant tangent, but long time followers of CAF know that I have serious doubts about whether God cares about me or not. Everyone tries to assure me that He does, but I’m simply not feeling it. I never have. I was diagnosed with clinical depression in 1994 but hindsight tells me I’ve probably had it since childhood. I even tried to kill myself a year and a half ago after getting fired from my job twice in three years. There is nothing more disheartening then seeing yourself as a failure, attempting to end your life, and then failing at that too.

I have been through countless psychiatrists, psychologists, medicines and spiritual advisors. Nothing has helped. I truly believe in my heart that God not only does not care about me, but He has singled me out and is deliberately making my life miserable on purpose. People tell me “God loves you. He saved your life, didn’t He?” My response is that He only saved my life so He could continue to torture me.

So no, I don’t wear a scapular, I don’t pray, and the only reason I go to mass on Sunday is because I don’t want to get into a fight with my wife over it. But don’t go to communion and I’m only there in body; not in spirit.

If God indeed loves me then He is going to have to prove it to my satisfaction.

P.S.

Don’t waste your time praying for me. It won’t do any good.

Mother Theresa is being sainted, I think tomorrow? And she went through 50 years of feeling like God wasn’t there for her. Do you think God didn’t love her? How does that jive with her now being a saint- in God’s presence eternally?

God does love you. It’s impossible for God NOT to love you. God is love, and he loves all of us. Sinner or saint, he loves every one of us.

That’s not to diminish your obvious struggles- mental illness is a horrible thing, and I pray that you find the key to get better. They’re learning more and more about it all the time so don’t give up hope. I have struggles in that area also, and sometimes I get more help from lifestyle changes and diet and supplements than from counseling or prescriptions.

I also wouldn’t- if I were you- avoid sacramentals that can help you. I’d get back to wearing the scapular. Get back to prayer. Say the chaplet, or a rosary. Just make the sign of the cross, if you find the other stuff to be too much.

I went through a few months this year where I didn’t feel God at all, where I felt abandoned. My priest-confessor told me that in the scheme of things, how we FEEL doesn’t actually matter. God demands our obedience and our faithfulness. My priest follows the Ignatian spirituality of consolation/desolation and you are in what my priest would term a period of desolation. Pray for consolation. There’s nothing wrong with telling God that you don’t feel you can keep going and that you badly want to feel His loving presence. But also pray for strength. My priest says that periods of desolation are when we tend to grow the most, spiritually, and that generally afterward we see how we really needed to go through that.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

Mother Theresa is being sainted, I think tomorrow? And she went through 50 years of feeling like God wasn’t there for her. Do you think God didn’t love her? How does that jive with her now being a saint- in God’s presence eternally?

I don’t know and I don’t care. I’m not Mother Theresa and she isn’t me. Apples and Oranges.

God does love you. It’s impossible for God NOT to love you. God is love, and he loves all of us. Sinner or saint, he loves every one of us.

Prove it.

That’s not to diminish your obvious struggles- mental illness is a horrible thing, and I pray that you find the key to get better. They’re learning more and more about it all the time so don’t give up hope.

I already have.

I have struggles in that area also, and sometimes I get more help from lifestyle changes and diet and supplements than from counseling or prescriptions.

I’ve tried everything. Nothing has helped.

I also wouldn’t- if I were you- avoid sacramentals that can help you. I’d get back to wearing the scapular. Get back to prayer. Say the chaplet, or a rosary. Just make the sign of the cross, if you find the other stuff to be too much.

It’s pointless. God has my number. No matter what I do it is not going to make any difference and I have 58 years of case history to back that up.

I went through a few months this year where I didn’t feel God at all, where I felt abandoned. My priest-confessor told me that in the scheme of things, how we FEEL doesn’t actually matter. God demands our obedience and our faithfulness. My priest follows the Ignatian spirituality of consolation/desolation and you are in what my priest would term a period of desolation. Pray for consolation. There’s nothing wrong with telling God that you don’t feel you can keep going and that you badly want to feel His loving presence. But also pray for strength. My priest says that periods of desolation are when we tend to grow the most, spiritually, and that generally afterward we see how we really needed to go through that.

If all that worked for you, that’s great. I’m happy for you. But I’m not in a *period *of desolation; my whole life has been desolation. What I’m saying is, prayer etc. has never worked for me and I doubt that it ever will. There is nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise.

 

[AKDee]

If all that worked for you, that’s great. I’m happy for you. But I’m not in a *period *of desolation; my whole life has been desolation. What I’m saying is, prayer etc. has never worked for me and I doubt that it ever will. There is nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise.

I hope you change your mind someday. The only thing that can’t get you back into a relationship with God is your refusal to do so, which is the sin of final impenitence.

You mention your depression goes back to childhood- there is a treatment out now called EMDR. I’m going to be starting it myself in two weeks. It’s non-invasive, not a drug, and can help in cases of PTSD, depression, anxiety and phobias. In my opinion, it’s groundbreaking. You might look into it as an option.If you want, I’ll let you know how it goes after I start it, but I’m super encouraged about its potential for me and I think it’s got potential to help many people for who other forms of therapy and Rx drugs aren’t working.