Hi, I’m 16 and have considered wearing a Brown scapula. I am going to confession tomorrow and understand you ha e to enroll in order to wear it, and I have heard one of the cows is a vow of chastity. I don’t plan on having premarital sex, but do feel called to the vocation of marriage, does this mean I would have to be chaste forever? I have also struggled with the sins of lust and masturbation for some time, and would be afraid to break the vow, but I am going to begin devotion to Mary with a pure heart and soul tomorrow, because I want to grow in my relationship with Christ. Please answer, and pray for what I should do!
Also, I run every morning and football season begins on Monday, would I have to wear the scapular when I exercise? I wouldn’t want it to get ruined
Brown Scapular vow of chastity is to vow chastity according to your state in life. Meaning, that as you live your life as a single person, and then possibly as a religious or married person later, you always live chastity according to whatever vocation you happen to be in. So it’s not a vow to not get married. You can enrol and then get married later.
Regarding vows of purity: I read that a vow made as a layperson is binding to God under pains of mortal sin if broken, and only your local parish priest or bishop can remove a vow from your obligations if you ask them to.
So, if you made a vow of chastity, and broke it in an individual way, then you have possible two mortal sins, the sin of breaking a vow, and the sin itself.
However on the other hand, I know you desire to be chaste as a single person, and if you make a vow of chastity as a single person, God will give you special graces through Our Lady and the Brown Scapular to be chaste. (And if you ever slip, just confess).
I would say, yes, get enrolled, if you slip, confess.
Our Lady is the greatest saint in Heaven. She told St Dominic, ‘One day through the rosary and brown scapular I will triumph!’
Our Lady appeared in Fatima holding out a rosary and brown scapular to the crowd during the miracle of the sun.
St John Bosco when he died his remains eroded, but his brown scapular remains incorrupt to this day and is on display in Rome.
The Brown Scapular is miraculous. Our Lady told one of the Pope’s she would deliver on Saturday from purgatory any souls who wore the scapular chastely and recited the Little Office or (instead with a priest’s permission) the Rosary each day.
Our Lady told St Simon Stock, anyone who wears this scapular will not go to hell.
Powerful promise? But it still means we have to be a good catholic while wearing the scapular.
Wear the brown scapular doing sports. It will be a way to evangelise your friends.
Also: go online and get 5 brown scapulars that have plastic around the square parts, the scapular will not wear and tear, and will last years. I got some scapulars with plastic around the square areas, and I bet they could last 3 years each if the cord doesn’t break.
(Definitely go with plastic covering, as otherwise the pictures on the scapulars can get very muddied, which isn’t pleasant)
