Wearing Brown Scapular

[croix_de_fer]

Hello… I had my Brown Scapular imposed/enrolled by a priest last year. I know I’m supposed to always wear it and the only time I take it off is when I shower. However, I’ve been wondering lately if I should wear it while I shower too. Is it required to be worn while showering too? Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but it is something that has truly concerned me lately. Thanks.

 

[Scoobyshme]

Hello… I had my Brown Scapular imposed/enrolled by a priest last year. I know I’m supposed to always wear it and the only time I take it off is when I shower. However, I’ve been wondering lately if I should wear it while I shower too. Is it required to be worn while showering too? Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but it is something that has truly concerned me lately. Thanks.

I take mine off when I shower, too. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. If it’s God’s will that you don’t get the blessings, etc., from it and die while you shower, then it’s His will. He knows our ultimate destination after death already. He sees it right now as we see the present.

 

[phoenixrrt62]

I take mine off when I shower, too. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. If it’s God’s will that you don’t get the blessings, etc., from it and die while you shower, then it’s His will. He knows our ultimate destination after death already. He sees it right now as we see the present.

Imposed meaning you have to wear it? Why? (if it’s personal, ignore that…)
I ask because I work in a hospital and on occasion I see patients with these scapular (s). They are the little cloth squares with felt backing and a saint on it, right?
Now, sometimes they are pinned to the patient’s pillow…so I’m guessing it’s ok if they do not actually have it on their person?

I just don’t want to disrespect someone’s beliefs. I am lucky in that sometimes I can ask a family member what to do (I was lucky enough to ask about a Jewish prayer shaw a patient had on a bed…b/c I didn’t know what it was!) but I work nights…well, at the moment I am not working at all;0P…but generally I work nights, and I don’t see families.

 

[Scoobyshme]

Imposed meaning you have to wear it? Why? (if it’s personal, ignore that…)
I ask because I work in a hospital and on occasion I see patients with these scapular (s). They are the little cloth squares with felt backing and a saint on it, right?
Now, sometimes they are pinned to the patient’s pillow…so I’m guessing it’s ok if they do not actually have it on their person?

I just don’t want to disrespect someone’s beliefs. I am lucky in that sometimes I can ask a family member what to do (I was lucky enough to ask about a Jewish prayer shaw a patient had on a bed…b/c I didn’t know what it was!) but I work nights…well, at the moment I am not working at all;0P…but generally I work nights, and I don’t see families.

The brown scapular is always voluntary. However, unless you wear it, you don’t get the benefits.

I always wondered about hospitals, now that you bring it up. Is it not allowed for patients to wear scapulars, medals, etc., while in the hospital? I hope it is allowed. I’m getting older and will probably end up there sooner than later for some illness or such. Thanks.

 

[Januar]

Hmm, I don’t know, I think that if God sees that a person was wearing it always and that the person takes his faith seriously, then I think God considers that person as though he is wearing the scapular eventhough he is not, because he is not allowed to or something like that. Maybe my thinking is wrong, but I am pretty sure that God is not a robot, who would have only 1 and 0. He knows what is in each of us. He knows everything about us, but I’m pretty sure that He constantly tries to find good things we do, or anything, just to forgive us and cover our sins. He is like a good math teacher, who is asking questions at an exam, but unlike most of teachers, He is doing His best to find enough knowladge in us to pass us and if we don’t get it right at the first time, he gives us a hint or two. He is not there just waiting to punish us.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

The brown scapular is always voluntary. However, unless you wear it, you don’t get the benefits.

I always wondered about hospitals, now that you bring it up. Is it not allowed for patients to wear scapulars, medals, etc., while in the hospital? I hope it is allowed. I’m getting older and will probably end up there sooner than later for some illness or such. Thanks.

I believe they are allowed in hospitals but they will not be allowed within a sterile field, so no taking them with you when you have surgery.

 

[phoenixrrt62]

The brown scapular is always voluntary. However, unless you wear it, you don’t get the benefits.

I always wondered about hospitals, now that you bring it up. Is it not allowed for patients to wear scapulars, medals, etc., while in the hospital? I hope it is allowed. I’m getting older and will probably end up there sooner than later for some illness or such. Thanks.

Generally, sure you’d be able to wear it, In some cases, all involved with sterility, you’d probably have to remove it, i.e. surgery. Usually if I see a patient with one, they are wearing it, but I’ve seen them (oh, and medals, too) pinned to a patient’s pillow…usually in the ICU.
Believe you me, hospital staff will make EVERY effort to respect religious beliefs. They understand*** all too well ***how important that is to a person’s mindset;0D

So, it pretty much would be really important that the person actually wear it. Ok, Gotcha.
Hey, thanks!

 

[jmcrae]

Imposed meaning you have to wear it? Why? (if it’s personal, ignore that…)

No, no, “imposed” is just a technical term describing what the priest did when he enrolled her in the Scapular Promises. Ideally, you keep the Scapular on as much as possible, and when it wears out you can replace it without needing to have the new one blessed again.

I

ask because I work in a hospital and on occasion I see patients with these scapular (s). They are the little cloth squares with felt backing and a saint on it, right?
Now, sometimes they are pinned to the patient’s pillow…so I’m guessing it’s ok if they do not actually have it on their person?

If it’s a Brown Scapular, they would probably want to have it somewhere that it touches their skin most of the time. There are also some Scapulars (like the Green Scapular, which is probably the one you would see in hospitals most of the time) that are actually meant to be attached to the bed, so attaching it to the pillow would be fine.

The Brown Scapular represents the habit (clothing) of the Carmelites, so it’s fine to take it off when you shower, since I am reasonably convinced that the Carmelites take off their habits to shower.

 

[Pregustator]

It isn’t required of any Catholic to wear the habit of the Carmelite order, unless he or she is a Carmelite. The scapular is just a heavily-minimized version of the habit of the Carmelite order that some faithful enroll in and like to wear as a private devotion.

Now, you don’t really suppose, do you, that the Carmelites leave their habits on when taking a shower or bathing, do you? Or even when sleeping, for that matter.

Scapulars and the like are not magic charms that loose their magic when you take them off, nor do they become charged with mysterious energy when you put them on.

A religious habit is just clothing, and by it’s peculiar design a symbol of affiliation. It’s a mistake to attach more meaning to such things than they actually have.

Hmm, I don’t know, I think that if God sees that a person was wearing it always and that the person takes his faith seriously, then I think God considers that person as though he is wearing the scapular eventhough he is not, because he is not allowed to or something like that.

I really don’t think God cares if any person ever wore it for so much as a moment, especially those persons who weren’t Carmelites. Couture really doesn’t seem to be the Almighty’s principal concern. If an individual is in the state of grace at the moment of death, he will be welcomed into everlasting beatitude, regardless of anything he may or may not be wearing. And if that same individual, wearing the scapular or even the full Carmelite habit, is an unrepentant Satanist, he’s probably taking the down elevator, despite what he’s wearing.

 

[drforjc]

Scapulars and the like are not magic charms that loose their magic when you take them off, nor do they become charged with mysterious energy when you put them on.

Yes, true, it is not a magic charm, as the new Carmelite Catechesis on the Brown Scapular indicates, but the Brown Scapular is a sacramental. Sacramentals, as the Church teaches, dispose us to receive grace, though they do not convey grace by the very action as the 7 sacraments do.

 

[Thyme]

Catholics who are dying receive Annointing of the Sick.

 

[croix_de_fer]

Now, you don’t really suppose, do you, that the Carmelites leave their habits on when taking a shower or bathing, do you? Or even when sleeping, for that matter.

Scapulars and the like are not magic charms that loose their magic when you take them off, nor do they become charged with mysterious energy when you put them on.

A religious habit is just clothing, and by it’s peculiar design a symbol of affiliation. It’s a mistake to attach more meaning to such things than they actually have.

I really don’t think God cares if any person ever wore it for so much as a moment, especially those persons who weren’t Carmelites. Couture really doesn’t seem to be the Almighty’s principal concern. If an individual is in the state of grace at the moment of death, he will be welcomed into everlasting beatitude, regardless of anything he may or may not be wearing. And if that same individual, wearing the scapular or even the full Carmelite habit, is an unrepentant Satanist, he’s probably taking the down elevator, despite what he’s wearing.

//“Now, you don’t really suppose, do you, that the Carmelites leave their habits on when taking a shower or bathing, do you? Or even when sleeping, for that matter.”//*
*
No but the habit and Scapular is only the same in terms of what they represent spiritually, however they are physically much different in size. Wearing the habit while showering would be impractical and counter-efficient to getting clean. Wearing a Scapular would not be impractical nor counter-efficient to getting clean due to its much smaller size, although it could be considered a form of penance to always try to wear the Scapular even while showering. Perhaps this penance is expected of people whose Scapulars are enrolled? That is why I ask the question. It does not require a lot of critical thinking. As far as sleeping goes, what is the impracticality of sleeping with a Scapular? There is none, therefore people should be encouraged to sleep while wearing their Scapulars.

//“Scapulars and the like are not magic charms that loose their magic when you take them off, nor do they become charged with mysterious energy when you put them on.”//

Total strawman argument. Who said it was a “magical charm” or mechanical device for some sort of “mysterious energy”? Quit making assumptions about a person’s belief, approach and attitude towards spirituality.

*//“A religious habit is just clothing, and by it’s peculiar design a symbol of affiliation. It’s a mistake to attach more meaning to such things than they actually have.”// *

And it’s a mistake to assume other people “attach more meaning to such things than they actually have” like you just did here. Quit making assumptions and misrepresentations about people; and there is no etiquette in talking down to people.

 

[jmcrae]

No but the habit and Scapular is only the same in terms of what they represent spiritually, however they are physically much different in size. Wearing the habit while showering would be impractical and counter-efficient to getting clean. Wearing a Scapular would not be impractical nor counter-efficient to getting clean due to its much smaller size, although it could be considered a form of penance to always try to wear the Scapular even while showering. Perhaps this penance is expected of people whose Scapulars are enrolled? That is why I ask the question. It does not require a lot of critical thinking. As far as sleeping goes, what is the impracticality of sleeping with a Scapular? There is none, therefore people should be encouraged to sleep while wearing their Scapulars.

When I received my enrollment, we were told that it is best to take it off while showering or swimming, but as an option (especially when swimming) you can wear the scapular medal, instead, until you get out of the water, and then you can put the cloth one back on again.

My enrollment was done by Father Joseph Iannuzzi, and I trust him to know what he is talking about with these things, because he has worked as an Exorcist in Rome. He would never lead anyone to do anything that would be spiritually harmful.

 

[croix_de_fer]

When I received my enrollment, we were told that it is best to take it off while showering or swimming, but as an option (especially when swimming) you can wear the scapular medal, instead, until you get out of the water, and then you can put the cloth one back on again.

My enrollment was done by Father Joseph Iannuzzi, and I trust him to know what he is talking about with these things, because he has worked as an Exorcist in Rome. He would never lead anyone to do anything that would be spiritually harmful.

Thank you, jmcrae!