House Scapulars

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Victoria33

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Alright, I have an acquaintance who actually places Scapulars on the doors going in and our of their house, on the door knobs. I have seen this done in a Church as well.

I thought too, it’s a bit foggy, I once saw over-sized scapulars made for houses.

Has anyone ever heard of any of this of which I speak. And I do thank you in advance.
 
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Scapulars are vestments meant to be worn on the body. I have seen people talk about hiding scapulars among the belongings of unbelievers, in the hope that they will convert. This is superstitious thinking.

If you have so many scapulars that you can’t wear them (more than one) then obviously you can do something decorative with them, just as you would drape a rosary on a statue or a painting. But understand that it is strictly decorative usage and the scapular does not work like an amulet to ward off evil spirits from your doorknobs.
 
Scapulars are vestments and their sacramental efficacy comes from the faith of the person who wears them.

Would you hide a prom dress in a girl’s bed in the hope she gets asked out to the prom? Would you hide galoshes in your son’s closet in the hope that he didn’t get muddy in the rain? Nope…
 
Neither does a hidden scapular. It’s just a clump of wool.
 
And what, the water of baptism is just water and doesn’t do anything? Don’t forget God chose to work through material things for the salvation of souls. Was Jesus being superstitious when he put clay on a blind man’s eyes and healed him?
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Yes, actually the water of baptism does not need to be blessed, it is ordinary water. So, if I drink it, then it nourishes me physically, but does not regenerate my sins; it is only in combination with the baptismal ritual: form, intent, minister, and subject, that baptismal water has efficacy.

Jesus puts clay on a blind man’s eyes. The faith of the blind man is instrumental in the healing. Jesus does not run home and make clay in his backyard and hide it under Mary’s bed, hoping the blind man will feel something.
 
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My first search engine choice did not find this so readily but I tried again with another one:

https://www.leafletonline.com/benediction-protection-scapular

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Benediction and Protection House Scapular​

3.5" x 4.25", not real big.

The link does not say too much about “application”,

So, I’m not making any judgements per se, I thought I did once see an over-sized scapular one before and the above fits that.
 
There’s no power in hiding a sacramental — any sacramental — in and about anyone’s home or bedroom. That indeed borders on superstition (if not outright superstitious).

The power of the sacramental comes from it being seen by others (and by being seen by oneself). Sacramentals are powerful reminders and acknowledgement to us (when we seen them) that God is always present in our lives.

So want to hang a scapular where it can be seen by everyone? Great! Go for it!
But please don’t hide them underneath the mattress of someone’s bed.
 
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Yes, there are also plenty of sources where you can purchase a St. Joseph statue designed to be buried upside down in your front yard, sold as a “St. Joseph Home Selling Kit” with explicit instructions. That doesn’t make it a valid Catholic devotion.
 
PeterT said:
The power of the sacramental comes from it being seen by others (and by being seen by oneself).
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No, the power of a scapular comes from the faith of the person wearing it. The scapular may well be hidden underneath clothing so nobody sees it in daily life. It is still sacramentally efficacious.
 
Anesti33 said:
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PeterT:
The power of the sacramental comes from it being seen by others (and by being seen by oneself).
Click to expand...
No, the power of a scapular comes from the faith of the person wearing it. The scapular may well be hidden underneath clothing so nobody sees it in daily life. It is still sacramentally efficacious.
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That’s because the one who is wearing it knows that it’s there. They don’t have to see it to be reminded of it.
 
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This is amusing if we consider the origin of the scapular. It is a religious vestment and each color signifies a particular religious institute (except for the green, I believe.)

The novice would be invested with the scapular with great ceremony when making her vows. It would be a treasured piece of the habit and she would take very good care of it. Of course, a scapular is more or less an apron, so in daily labors it would get soiled and torn, eventually.

To refuse the scapular or to doff it and go outside without it was tantamount to leaving the Order. The religious’ vows would be forfeit if she would not return and wear the scapular. It would create great scandal and, to most religious, would be unthinkable.

Unfortunately, it seems perfectly rational and normal today to stash them in hiding places rather than piously wear them.
 
Likewise the one who hides the scapulars knows they are there, and prays daily. Why is that any different? Are a mother’s prayers for the conversion of her children less effective because her children do not know she is praying?
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Please reread my first post on this topic.

The power comes from OTHERS seeing it and being reminded of God, being reminded that Christ died for us. A non-Catholic sees a crucifix hanging on a wall and immediately is reminded of the Catholic Church and that they’re in the presence of people who believe in the Catholic faith. That right there is a power testament and can aid in the conversion of those who are not Catholic (or practicing Catholics).

Similar things can happen when a non-Catholic sees a scapular hanging on a door knob or a rosary on top of a table.
 
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PeterT said:
The power comes from OTHERS seeing it and being reminded of God
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No, it doesn’t. A sacramental’s efficacy comes from the faith of the person using it. Not a third party.

A person who hides a scapular and prays about it may experience some sacramental effects, but a person who does not know about a sacramental hidden under her mattress will not benefit at all.
 
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PeterT said:
A non-Catholic sees a crucifix hanging on a wall and immediately is reminded of the Catholic Church and that they’re in the presence of people who believe in the Catholic faith.
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I agree with this but it wasn’t quite clear in your first post that you had evangelization in mind.
 
<<Yes, there are also plenty of sources where you can purchase a St. Joseph statue designed to be buried upside down in your front yard, sold as a “St. Joseph Home Selling Kit” with explicit instructions. That doesn’t make it a valid Catholic devotion.>>

I went on a retreat at Visitation Monastery and the retreat master told us to not purchase those “St. Joseph Home Selling Kits” as it is not a valid Catholic devotion. We can certainly pray to St. Joseph for his intercession to help sell our home, but we do certainly do not have to bury the little plastic statue of him upside down on our property.

Someone must have thought that up some time ago, and then it seems to have slipped into many Catholic supply stores.
 
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to win a St. Joseph kit in a raffle. It was a simple plastic statue, the kit probably retailed for $10. I “rescued” it, hopefully preventing it from being used in the intended manner. It’s a nice little statue! (He’s completely safe here, because I have no front yard!)
 
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Of course, I agree with this 100%. That’s the power of prayer.

(But one does not need to hide a sacramental in someone’s home or bedroom to pray for that person. God will hear your petitions regardless if you have or have not hidden a scapular in someone’s home.)
 
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