Wearing a scapular while swimming?

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Donna_P

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How do you wear your scapular when swimming? I put mine around my waist (I have a one piece suit) While this is not how it is supposed to be worn normally - does anyone know if this is still OK??

What do you do when you swim? The only time I take mine off is when I shower.
 
Swimming, showering, whatever – The only time mine ever leaves my neck is when I need to replace it. I’ve never had a problem with it falling/floating off while swimming*.

(* Aside: Perhaps this is because I have “sized” them down a bit lately. The last time I picked up a supply, I must have gotten a bad/cheaply made batch, which the glue (glue!? not stitching!?) holding the panels to the cords disintegrates on contact with water. Seeing as the first place this happened was at Boy Scout camp, I took my trusty pocket knife, punched some holes, threaded the panels back onto the cords, and secured all with double sheet bends. After that treatment, the cords wound up a bit shorter than new, but the fix lasted much longer (years!) than standard scapulars of my acquaintance. 😉 )

tee
 
As a Lay Carmelite and the Formation Director of my community I can tell you authoritatively that you don’t need to wear your scapular while swimming, bathing, or showering. The scapular itself is only a sign of your commitment to live out your baptismal vows according to Carmelite spirituality, and of your devotion for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The blessing is on the wearer not the sacramental itself, which is why you don’t have to have new scapulars blessed. So, don’t be scrupulous about not wearing them in the water. But, if you want to have a visible sign while swimming, bathing or showering wear the Scapular Medal which can be worn with the cloth Scapular or by itself. Either one is valid and proper to wear.
 
Just a side note, there is a great book out right now called “Swimming with Scapulars”. It has nothing to do with actually swimming but rather a young Catholics struggle to live the faith in todays society…I have not personally read it but have seen some good reviews and it was mentioned in one of the last Nation Catholic Register…Since you are in the “Book Club” I thought I would mention it.
 
Hi people,

I’m a protestant about to make the switch. Can someone here explain to me what a scapular is? I’ve read a little, but I’m confused.
 
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Della:
As a Lay Carmelite and the Formation Director of my community I can tell you authoritatively that you don’t need to wear your scapular while swimming, bathing, or showering. The scapular itself is only a sign of your commitment to live out your baptismal vows according to Carmelite spirituality, and of your devotion for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The blessing is on the wearer not the sacramental itself, which is why you don’t have to have new scapulars blessed. So, don’t be scrupulous about not wearing them in the water. But, if you want to have a visible sign while swimming, bathing or showering wear the Scapular Medal which can be worn with the cloth Scapular or by itself. Either one is valid and proper to wear.
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Thanks Della. I believe what is often said about the continual wearing of scapulars is to wear it “habitually”. Meaning, as part of a habit. For instance, when I get dressed I put my wallet in the left front pocket and the keys in the right. If I forget one or the other I feel something is out of place. That is how a scapular is worn, and just as you would not expect a monk to jump in the shower with his robe on, so also there is no need to wear a scapular in showers, swimming pools, etc.

Scitt
 
Scott Waddell:
Thanks Della. I believe what is often said about the continual wearing of scapulars is to wear it “habitually”. Meaning, as part of a habit. For instance, when I get dressed I put my wallet in the left front pocket and the keys in the right. If I forget one or the other I feel something is out of place. That is how a scapular is worn, and just as you would not expect a monk to jump in the shower with his robe on, so also there is no need to wear a scapular in showers, swimming pools, etc.

Scitt
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Exactly.
 
The way I figure it is, Mary, whom we remember in wearing the scapular, is not a legalist and wouldn’t ignore us in our distress merely because we have taken off the scapular for a specific occation such as showering or swimming. She loves us always and if we’re wearing the scapular on our hearts always and our bodies nearly always, that counts.

CARose
 
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Della:
As a Lay Carmelite and the Formation Director of my community I can tell you authoritatively that you don’t need to wear your scapular while swimming, bathing, or showering. The scapular itself is only a sign of your commitment to live out your baptismal vows according to Carmelite spirituality, and of your devotion for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The blessing is on the wearer not the sacramental itself, which is why you don’t have to have new scapulars blessed. So, don’t be scrupulous about not wearing them in the water. But, if you want to have a visible sign while swimming, bathing or showering wear the Scapular Medal which can be worn with the cloth Scapular or by itself. Either one is valid and proper to wear.
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Thank you so much!!!:tiphat:
 
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Della:
As a Lay Carmelite and the Formation Director of my community I can tell you authoritatively that you don’t need to wear your scapular while swimming, bathing, or showering. The scapular itself is only a sign of your commitment to live out your baptismal vows according to Carmelite spirituality, and of your devotion for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The blessing is on the wearer not the sacramental itself, which is why you don’t have to have new scapulars blessed. So, don’t be scrupulous about not wearing them in the water. But, if you want to have a visible sign while swimming, bathing or showering wear the Scapular Medal which can be worn with the cloth Scapular or by itself. Either one is valid and proper to wear.
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Della,

My heart lept a bit when i read this. I have a question about scapulars that i think you may be able to answer. My son was an avit wearer of the Brown scapular. He wore his always, tied to his neck line of his muscle undershirt. You were not supposed to see anything under the White Catholic Uniform…but he also wore a vest and felt it hidden well enough to not get written up for a uniform breech. He carried everything like this close to heart, but the night we left for the hospital with him having chest pains, breathing problems ansd very low oxygen levels…we traveled two hours to the Toronto Hospital on Ontario, Canada. He always remembered the following:Scapular, phone book, paper to journal with, cd’s, earphones/cd player and lot’s of clean clothes (boxers and undershirts, as he changed a lot)

Getting into bed, 9 attempts at an IV, and finally alone he asked me for his scapular. I told him that we forgot everything in the fear of the emergency. He said with a tired smirk, “then i hope i don’t die…You have to wear it in order for the blessings to be passed onto you.” The 12 hours prior to his death, he once again mentioned how he wished he had not forgotten it at home. He said, “Here i am, an avid believer of the scapular, and i am without mine at such a time…go figure that one out Ma!”

He died 3 days latter in the hospital without his scapular…that one tares me apart to remember the well hidden (but not from me) fear of something going wrong and wanting to be brought to heaven by the beautiful Mother Mary…she brought him to meet the lord once before at age 4, and was sent on home, as he had “so much more to do, and you have to go, but we will see each other a lot…don’t worry my child!”

He never ever wondered if God were real, he taught the simple truth to anyone who would listen.

Was he without the protection of the scapular because he was not wearing it at the time of his death?

Allana, mother to Will…
 
Allana,

You can rest assured that Mary knew at the moment of Will’s death that he was wearing the scapular on his heart as always and that she carried him home to her son.

CARose
 
I disagree with you about the wearing of the scapular while swimming, bathing, etc. I know some Discalced Carmelite monks in Wyoming who celebrate the Carmelite mass of 1938, and they also are very observant of the all the Carmelite constitutions and rules. Each monk wears his scapular continuously, in the shower, bathing, always, just like Our Lady said. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel said we should wear it continuously, not when you take a shower you can take it off.

The famous Trappist Thomas Merton died in the bathroom of his hotel in an eastern country, I think Thailand, while he was removing his scapular. As soon as he began to take it off he slipped grabbed the lamp and fell on the floor and was electracuted to death in the water on the bathroom floor, with his scapular laying next to him.

Our Lady said to wear the scapular CONTINUOUSLY, you could call me scrupulous, but that is what Our Lady said to do, and that is what Discalced Carmelite monks do. I would not like to be Thomas Merton laying on the floor in the bathroom dead because Our Lady finally found a chance for me to take my scapular off.

God bless
 
ok, your argument is strong…A+

your delivery…
unescesarily strong…

point taken, tactical manovers…F+

I hope you are not a teacher, as compassion flew out the window here. I am not afraid of the truth, but the thought of life with that level of compassion is sad and scarry…slow down man, if you want to be heard!

Oh, it was upon the bathroom floor that my son passed away at 5 am at the hospital reaching desperately for me. He was 5 weeks shy of his 19th birthday and in his last semester before graduating from high school. Later wanting to be a teacher of Drama and Religion. He was afraid i would find him passed away one day and be all alone, or his siblings of 5 and 6 at the time might find him. He was not afraid of dieing, but afraid of going before we could handle it, as he would go where god wanted him to go before anything else.

insert prayer here for the peace and compassion to touch this persons life, as this is a delicate topic and needs truth, not scare tactics.

Love Allana, Amber, Shawntal and Big Brother…Willydog! (and dad too, but he could care less, so we don’t mention him much)
 
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CARose:
Allana,

You can rest assured that Mary knew at the moment of Will’s death that he was wearing the scapular on his heart as always and that she carried him home to her son.

CARose
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I’d love to know this as the truth, and thank you for the heartfelt delivery needed in such scary times in a mothers heart. As i said before, i refused meds because i wanted the truth…even in grief. I still want the truth, but what ever it is, i will adjust to it, as it is Gods plan…and that is my path…to learn what or why something is placed in my path.

thanks …Allana
 
I went swimming yesterday, I work with lots of kids and had to take them swimming. Over the course of the afternoon lots of the kids made repeated efforts to try to drown me and my scapula just couldn’t take it. By the end of the session it had broken off about 5 times till it was nothing but lots pieces of brown string floating about in a swimming pool, and since I didn’t have my glasses I couldn’t find it. 😦 So here I am scapulas. Though I think I still retain its benefits.
 
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Della:
But, if you want to have a visible sign while swimming, bathing or showering wear the Scapular Medal which can be worn with the cloth Scapular or by itself. Either one is valid and proper to wear.
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I would be careful about wearing the Scapular Medal while swimming, unless it was in a swimming pool. Swimming in a lake or the sea, a shiny medal could attract fish (not necessarily sharks!) that might want ti nibble it. This could be quite frightening. I usually wear the Scapular Medal (a gold one) during the day and the cloth Scapular at night. I remove them, though for showering and swimming - I believe that the cloth one would not stay on, unless I tied it to some part of my swimsuit, and have experienced small fishes nibbling on jewellery!
 
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mgarstin:
I disagree with you about the wearing of the scapular while swimming, bathing, etc. I know some Discalced Carmelite monks in Wyoming who celebrate the Carmelite mass of 1938, and they also are very observant of the all the Carmelite constitutions and rules. Each monk wears his scapular continuously, in the shower, bathing, always, just like Our Lady said. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel said we should wear it continuously, not when you take a shower you can take it off.

The famous Trappist Thomas Merton died in the bathroom of his hotel in an eastern country, I think Thailand, while he was removing his scapular. As soon as he began to take it off he slipped grabbed the lamp and fell on the floor and was electracuted to death in the water on the bathroom floor, with his scapular laying next to him.

Our Lady said to wear the scapular CONTINUOUSLY, you could call me scrupulous, but that is what Our Lady said to do, and that is what Discalced Carmelite monks do. I would not like to be Thomas Merton laying on the floor in the bathroom dead because Our Lady finally found a chance for me to take my scapular off.

God bless
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WOW…
Have you ever heard that if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all? You may be right, but if you wanted to make a point of it , open a new thread. Don’t beat down a mom who lost her child who was struggling with this very issue. Talk about kicking someone when they are down. You may need to attend a sensitivity seminar.
 
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