The Scapular Devotion

[SenorSalsa]

Do you think the Chaplet of St. Michael would be a good substitute for the Little Office?

I know the rosary is the norm for a substitute, but I dont feel as connected praying that as I do with the Chaplet.

If it helps the chaplet is nine salutations, one to each of the choirs of angels. For things like Charity, Humility, Obedience, Holiness, etc. Each followed by an Our Father and 3 Hail Marys.

To me, it isnt any different than the Rosary. While it is “Marys prayer” it calls for meditation on Jesus’ life, not Marys, so why not meditate on the virtues of the Angels, whom Mary is Queen over.

 

[LilyM]

Well it’s nowhere near as directly Marian as either the Little Office or the Rosary.

Is there any other Marian devotion that appeals to you? The Angelus maybe? The Litany of Our Lady? Something like that that you could say every day instead?

 

[SenorSalsa]

I dont want to simply argue, but how is the Rosary more directly Marian than the Chaplet, other than Mary gave it to us?

what if I added a the prayer to Mary, Queen of Angels at the end?

 

[LilyM]

I dont want to simply argue, but how is the Rosary more directly Marian than the Chaplet, other than Mary gave it to us?

what if I added a the prayer to Mary, Queen of Angels at the end?

You think the fact that Mary gave it (and repeatedly recommended it) to us means nothing? That in itself is a very important reason. The chaplet, on the other hand, was given to us by St Michael, not Our Lady - and its prayers honour HIM and the Angels led by him, not Mary.

Another reason is that the Rosary involves direct meditation on events in Mary’s life -all of the Joyful Mysteries, the Wedding at Cana, the Crucifixion at which she was present, Pentecost (she was there too, remember) and her Assumption and Coronation. Where in the Chaplet are we directed to ponder these events in the life of Our Lady?

The third, and what makes it the best substitution for the Little Office, is that it was in fact originally devised for illiterate laypeople as a substitute for the psalms prayed by priests and monks (which praying of the psalms developed into today’s Liturgy of the Hours and Little Office).

By the way, is it even permitted to substitute anything other than the Rosary for the Little Office? The scapular leaflet that I have gives no indication that anything other than the Rosary is to be substituted for the Little Office.

 

[SenorSalsa]

Sistersofcarmel.com has it listed as

*Wear the Brown Scapular continuously.

*Observe chastity according to one’s state in life (married/single).

*Recite daily the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin OR Observe the fasts of the Church together with abstaining from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays OR With permission of a priest, say five decades of Our Lady’s Most Holy Rosary OR With permission of a priest, substitute some other good work.

and i will say its not that im against saying the Rosary, its just that to me I just feel like Im saying a bunch of individual prayers, I dont feel like I have gained anything after I finish praying it. Its just much easier for me to meditate on the Salutations of the chaplet.

 

[LilyM]

Sistersofcarmel.com has it listed as

*Wear the Brown Scapular continuously.

*Observe chastity according to one’s state in life (married/single).

*Recite daily the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin OR Observe the fasts of the Church together with abstaining from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays OR With permission of a priest, say five decades of Our Lady’s Most Holy Rosary OR With permission of a priest, substitute some other good work.

and i will say its not that im against saying the Rosary, its just that to me I just feel like Im saying a bunch of individual prayers, I dont feel like I have gained anything after I finish praying it. Its just much easier for me to meditate on the Salutations of the chaplet.

If it says you can, that’s fine. I may have an older version of the leaflet. If your priest gives you permission, go for it.

I would tend though to think more in terms of what Our Lady has indicated is pleasing to her than what was easy for me (unless something was seriously difficult) and go for the Rosary. But it’s your call of course, in consultation with your priest.

 

[SenorSalsa]

If it says you can, that’s fine. I may have an older version of the leaflet. If your priest gives you permission, go for it.

I would tend though to think more in terms of what Our Lady has indicated is pleasing to her than what was easy for me (unless something was seriously difficult) and go for the Rosary. But it’s your call of course, in consultation with your priest.

right, and thats what I mean, I dont want to pick a prayer that “mixes” devotions, but at the same time I want a prayer that will help me live the Christian life.

I think what I will do is say the Chaplet, then invoke Mary as Queen of the Angels through the prayer she gave:
“August Queen of Heaven! Sovereign Mistress of the angels! Thou who from the beginning hast received from God the power and mission to crush the head of Satan, we humbly beseech thee to send thy holy Legions, that, under thy command and by thy power, they may pursue the evil spirits, encounter them on every side, resist their bold attacks and drive them hence into the abyss of eternal woe. Amen.”

And then pick one of the Salutations, on a 9 day rotation(which i just relized makes for a good Novena oppurtunity), and meditate on the virtue it discusses, and how Mary exemplifies that virtue, as well as how I can attain it

 

[NeedImprovement]

I would like to think I have a fairly deep devotion to St. Michael (wear a blessed medal of him +scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel also], have read a lot about him, recite a few various prayers addressed to him). I wouldn’t give up my Rosary for anything else though.

I tried praying the chaplet of St. Michael and another to the nine choirs of Angels earlier in my life with some success, but one thing which used to bother me was that on all the chaplets (set of beads) meant to be used for praying the chaplets of the Angels, I’ve never seen one with a crucifix attached - only a medal…usu. of the Angel(s) being invoked.

Can you please confirm for me @ SenorSalsa:

Is it just me, or the suppliers here around Montreal; or is there no crucifix attached to the chaplets of the holy Angels ?

ps (I’m pretty sure the Rosary is meant to be a meditation on the life of Jesus *and Mary *- Mary being our role model par excellence on how to live our lives with Christ).

 

[SenorSalsa]

They dont attach Crucifixes to the Chaplets, just a medal of St. Michael(or sometimes another angel), or so said one site I visited that I cant find again.

Mine has a “medal” that is not actually metal, but some strange material, with the famous picture of St. Michael casting Satan into Hell picture on it

 

[NeedImprovement]

They dont attach Crucifixes to the Chaplets, just a medal of St. Michael(or sometimes another angel), or so said one site I visited that I cant find again.

Mine has a “medal” that is not actually metal, but some strange material, with the famous picture of St. Michael casting Satan into Hell picture on it

Thanks for the info.

…Definitely one of my favorite images - St. Michael victorious in battle.

God Bless.

 

[Margarite]

The OP said that they prefer the chaplet to the Rosary.

Well, the Chaplet is quite short. And you said that you pick one each day and concentrate on that, well, why don’t you pick one each day and concentrate on that during the rosary, think about each decade and how that particular part of the Chaplet is revealed in the decade.
Mary is the Mediatrix of all graces, we, as Catholics, should develop a close relationship to our Heavenly Mother, especially through the rosary. If you have trouble, ask St. Michael to help you honor his queen, ask him to help you concentrate. Ask your Guardian Angel too. He likes to be asked, and he loves Our Lady and the rosary deeply.