Do You Wear the Scapular?

[luxorbis]

I get handmade ones from the Sisters of Carmel, and was enrolled in the confraternity almost three years ago (I believe) on January 1 for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. I wear mine and pray the rosary daily.

Even though I’m terribly restless, absentminded, and anxious, I’m convinced that this devotion to our lady has rescued me from Satan’s clutches, and, I humbly hope, preserved me as a witness to Christ. I recently went through a horrendous year during which I sinned greatly and essentially walked away from the Church. I still wore my scapular. It was my only hope of return in a hopeless time. I am so grateful to the blessed mother for her loving guidance in directing me back to her son and to the Father.

 

[Dorothy]

I get handmade ones from the Sisters of Carmel, and was enrolled in the confraternity almost three years ago (I believe) on January 1 for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. I wear mine and pray the rosary daily.

Even though I’m terribly restless, absentminded, and anxious, I’m convinced that this devotion to our lady has rescued me from Satan’s clutches, and, I humbly hope, preserved me as a witness to Christ. I recently went through a horrendous year during which I sinned greatly and essentially walked away from the Church. I still wore my scapular. It was my only hope of return in a hopeless time. I am so grateful to the blessed mother for her loving guidance in directing me back to her son and to the Father.

Thank you for sharing that! Jesus gave us a great gift when he gave us His Mother at the foot of the cross.

 

[CatholicFireman]

I started wearing mine soon after my reversion. I had no idea about the brown scapular prior to that.

 

[Trad_Catholic27]

Yes I do wear it and the only time I take it off is when I take a bath.

I would like to know is it a sin to take off our Scapular if we get an X ray?

 

[Mike_Dye]

I also wear mine all the time except when I take a bath and sometimes even then when I forget. I figure it needs washing every now and then anyway.

 

[porthos11]

Yes I do wear it and the only time I take it off is when I take a bath.

I would like to know is it a sin to take off our Scapular if we get an X ray?

It’s not a sin to take it off for ANY reason whatsoever. The Scapular is a garment, and as such, it can be taken off whenever needed or convenient.

 

[CatholicFireman]

I take it off when I’m at work ever since it got ripped off at a fire. I lost the St. Serra medal I had attached to it.

 

[Trad_Catholic27]

Thanks Porthos11

The Brown Scapular dates back to St. Simon Stock when he was given a vision of Our Lady urging him to spread the wearing of the Scapular though out the world for the salvation of souls

Those who are devoted to it our promised to never suffer from eternal hellfire because Our Lady would never allow one of her children to lose their souls or their salvation.

 

[zab]

I take it off when I’m at work ever since it got ripped off at a fire. I lost the St. Serra medal I had attached to it.

That would probably make me want to wear it even more! Or at least put it in my pocket. My husband’s grandmother was near death and she was yelling "Get it off of me. It’s choking me! It’s choking me! But it wasn’t choking her or tight at all. I have heard similar things from other people- their loved saying “It’s burning Me!” I think these are tricks of the devil. My husband and I were at the side of his sister when she was dying of colon cancer. Days before, she was still refusing to see a priest (She was 48 years old and had been away from the church for many years). Her dad had given her a scapular and put it near her on the bed. Two days before she died, a priest happened to be in the lobby of the hospital and my father-in-law saw him and asked if he would visit his daughter. Now, the priest happened to be a customer of my sister-in-law who owned an embroidery shop. So he just “dropped in” for a visit. She ended up going to Confession. Then , a couple of days later, when my husband and I came back to sit with her, she was near death. We began to pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and she started grabbing for that scapular on her bed, found it, and held on tight to it. Immediately after we finished praying the rosary. She lifter her head and looked past my shoulder with dilated blue eyes, let out sigh, and she was gone.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

I wear a scapular medal instead of the cloth version. Frankly, this is mostly for reasons of vanity as I often wear dresses that do not hide the regular Brown Scapular. I finally took to wearing it all the time when I made may Temporary Promises as a Lay Carmelite.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

Thanks Porthos11

The Brown Scapular dates back to St. Simon Stock when he was given a vision of Our Lady urging him to spread the wearing of the Scapular though out the world for the salvation of souls

Those who are devoted to it our promised to never suffer from eternal hellfire because Our Lady would never allow one of her children to lose their souls or their salvation.

It’s living a devout life according to the example of Mary that keeps us from hell. This is what truly marks us as Our Lady’s children Simply wearing the Brown Scapular is not an automatic get-out-of-hell free card.

 

[porthos11]

Thanks Porthos11

The Brown Scapular dates back to St. Simon Stock when he was given a vision of Our Lady urging him to spread the wearing of the Scapular though out the world for the salvation of souls

Those who are devoted to it our promised to never suffer from eternal hellfire because Our Lady would never allow one of her children to lose their souls or their salvation.

While we are certainly free to believe the story about St. Simon Stock, the authoritative Carmelite catechesis on the Brown Scapular is this: carmelitanacollection.com/catechesis.php. This was prepared jointly by both Carmelite orders.

The Brown Scapular is firstly, a sign of one’s association with Carmelite spiritual life, which includes a devotion to the Blessed Mother and entrusting oneself to her maternal care. As the Catechesis clearly and correctly states, the Brown Scapular is given first and foremost by the Order, not by our Blessed Mother. What we should believe of its benefits should always be governed by what the Church teaches about sacramentals in general, primarily, that they dispose us to receive grace.

More than any visions or legends, even though the faithful are permitted to believe them, they are not and should not be the basis for one to wear a brown Scapular. One wears it to place themselves under our Blessed Mother’s protection as the Carmelites are, and to share in spiritual benefits with them as we practice Carmelite spirituality to a degree (in my case, by the praying of the Liturgy of the Hours and the reading of Scripture).

This is why the Carmelites are working so hard to bring back the proper spirituality of the brown Scapular, as they have recognized that it has become one of the most abused sacramentals in the Catholic Church, the faithful having lost the connection between it and the Carmelite Order. And since the Carmelites “own” the Brown Scapular, their Catechesis and judgment carries the day.

 

[CatholicFireman]

That would probably make me want to wear it even more! Or at least put it in my pocket. My husband’s grandmother was near death and she was yelling "Get it off of me. It’s choking me! It’s choking me! But it wasn’t choking her or tight at all. I have heard similar things from other people- their loved saying “It’s burning Me!” I think these are tricks of the devil. My husband and I were at the side of his sister when she was dying of colon cancer. Days before, she was still refusing to see a priest (She was 48 years old and had been away from the church for many years). Her dad had given her a scapular and put it near her on the bed. Two days before she died, a priest happened to be in the lobby of the hospital and my father-in-law saw him and asked if he would visit his daughter. Now, the priest happened to be a customer of my sister-in-law who owned an embroidery shop. So he just “dropped in” for a visit. She ended up going to Confession. Then , a couple of days later, when my husband and I came back to sit with her, she was near death. We began to pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and she started grabbing for that scapular on her bed, found it, and held on tight to it. Immediately after we finished praying the rosary. She lifter her head and looked past my shoulder with dilated blue eyes, let out sigh, and she was gone.

Good point. I guess I’ll give it another try at work.

 

[zab]

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 have been wearing the cloth scapular every day for at least the past 20 plus years. I had read about it decades ago. I seem to remember being enrolled in the scapular near the time that I made my First Communion but my memory is faded. My deceased father-in-law used to occassionally send us Catholic periodicals, and information. After reading about the rosary and the scapular as an adult, I began to wear it, then I wore the scapular medal for a while. But after I read the book by Louis Mary Demontfort, “True Devotion to Mary”, I made my consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I have been wearing the cloth scapular everyday since. About 25 years ago or so, our pastor at that time began the yearly enrollment of people into the Brown Scapular on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Each pastor since have continued the practice. Our present pastor does the enrollment on the Saturday nearest the Feast. Anyway, in case my memory of my childhood enrollment was not correct, I have been enrolled again as an adult. Once you have been enrolled in the Brown Scapular, you don’t need to get each replacement of worn out scapulars blessed again. Whereas, if you wear a blessed scapular medal and should you need to replace it for any reason, that blessing does not transfer to another medal.

 

[Dorothy]

While we are certainly free to believe the story about St. Simon Stock, the authoritative Carmelite catechesis on the Brown Scapular is this: carmelitanacollection.com/catechesis.php. This was prepared jointly by both Carmelite orders.

The Brown Scapular is firstly, a sign of one’s association with Carmelite spiritual life, which includes a devotion to the Blessed Mother and entrusting oneself to her maternal care. As the Catechesis clearly and correctly states, the Brown Scapular is given first and foremost by the Order, not by our Blessed Mother. What we should believe of its benefits should always be governed by what the Church teaches about sacramentals in general, primarily, that they dispose us to receive grace.

More than any visions or legends, even though the faithful are permitted to believe them, they are not and should not be the basis for one to wear a brown Scapular. One wears it to place themselves under our Blessed Mother’s protection as the Carmelites are, and to share in spiritual benefits with them as we practice Carmelite spirituality to a degree (in my case, by the praying of the Liturgy of the Hours and the reading of Scripture).

This is why the Carmelites are working so hard to bring back the proper spirituality of the brown Scapular, as they have recognized that it has become one of the most abused sacramentals in the Catholic Church, the faithful having lost the connection between it and the Carmelite Order. And since the Carmelites “own” the Brown Scapular, their Catechesis and judgment carries the day.

Thank you for your post. Carmelites are hoping that the latest catechesis, that explains much about the
Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, will trickle down to everyone.

Peace,

Dorothy…Third Order Lay Carmelite

 

[SilverAvenger]

I wear it permanently since 14th November 2014.

How I got to use the scapular:

I kept stumbling upon it online, reading stuff about it, and such. I decided to get invested with it, but I just didn’t found anyone who sold scapulars in Portugal, and my mom is anti-religion, so ordering online was a no-no. Then I dreamnt with St John Paul II, my dad’s Patron Saint, in front of a church in Lisbon. He told me to make one myself, since I couldn’t find one for sale, and go there. Now, I made it, and atempted to be invested in other churches, but the priests either didn’t knew what that was, or blantlantly told me to my face that it was superstition and refused. So I ended up following the dream and got invested. A week later, there I was again, offering two scapulars I made to the statue of Mary, Mother of Carmel from that church, whose scapulars are constantly being stolen.

I wear them constantly until they fall apart. Then I make a new one and burn the old.

 

[CatholicFireman]

I wear it permanently since 14th November 2014.

How I got to use the scapular:

I kept stumbling upon it online, reading stuff about it, and such. I decided to get invested with it, but I just didn’t found anyone who sold scapulars in Portugal, and my mom is anti-religion, so ordering online was a no-no. Then I dreamnt with St John Paul II, my dad’s Patron Saint, in front of a church in Lisbon. He told me to make one myself, since I couldn’t find one for sale, and go there. Now, I made it, and atempted to be invested in other churches, but the priests either didn’t knew what that was, or blantlantly told me to my face that it was superstition and refused. So I ended up following the dream and got invested. A week later, there I was again, offering two scapulars I made to the statue of Mary, Mother of Carmel from that church, whose scapulars are constantly being stolen.

I wear them constantly until they fall apart. Then I make a new one and burn the old.

That’s a lovely scapular. You are very talented.

 

[SilverAvenger]

That’s a lovely scapular. You are very talented.

Thank you very much. I made that one Specificaly for Mary and Jesus. Mines are plane, only with a gold or silver colored cross like that one in the middle I also make them for sale, alongside rosaries

 

[CatholicFireman]

Thank you very much. I made that one Specificaly for Mary and Jesus. Mines are plane, only with a gold or silver colored cross like that one in the middle I also make them for sale, alongside rosaries

It reminds me of the smaller crusader scapular.

 

[SilverAvenger]

It reminds me of the smaller crusader scapular.

Ohh! I saw those ones online. They don’t sell them here. Only in Fatima you can find scapulars, and they’re almost umbearable to wear. One strap is always twice as long as the other and the model that has them matching, has them so lenthy that one end rests in the middle of your back and the other rests on your belly button we wear them for Mary, not for penance, and the mess they make is more like penance…not to mention that sleeping with those is a choking hazard.