Is it wrong or sinful to wearing crucifixes or religious medals under your shirt? I’ve started wearing a crucifix and two medals to help me in my struggle with impurity. I wear it under my shirt partially because I’m a little embarrassed
and partially because I want to feel the cross as a reminder of my faith throughout the day. So is it wrong that I wear them under my shirt?
You feel a bit like you are hiding them, and that’s what worries you.
But you are not hiding them because you are ashamed - as you may think. You hide them because you want to protect them, to shield them from the views of those who don’t understand them. You are trying to shield the Lord in a tabernacle. It’s very kind, actually.
Remember that it is God we love, and sacramentals lead us closer to God. Use them however you feel more comfortable. If you wear a sacramental and you feel uncomfortable or more detached from God, then stop wearing it. If you wear one outside and you feel humble and more charitable, then wear it outside. If you feel proud or any other way that is not oriented towards God or the good of souls, then wear it inside.
Remember that sacramentals will not solve the issue of impurity. When you fall, do not be upset in that sense - like I and many have. I have followed your same path and benefited from doing so. They certainly help you, though, in keeping yourself always at the presence of God.
I love the Scapular of Carmel, because it carries with itself Carmelite spirituality, which is very contemplative. Every night you pray that the Blessed Virgin take you under Her protection, and if you learn more about Carmelite spirituality it will help you because when you wear it you are, in fact, a member of the Carmelite family.
A saint - don’t recall which, or maybe it’s more than one - recommended to kiss often the Crucifix so that the Beloved may forget the kiss of the traitor.
St. Ignatius of Loyola recommended to use a small sign (I do a small sign of the cross on my heart with my thumb) that others won’t notice, when you have, for instance, a sinful thought or temptation. Say you see someone and a lustful thought comes to mind: make it a habit to immediately trace that sign. I also often repeat, as I do so, the psalm: “to the pure, everything is pure; to the impure, nothing is pure.”
You may benefit in developing self-mastery from the readings of the Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II - Christopher West also made nice video presentations.
