What Do You Wear Around Your Neck?

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I have a simple gold cross I’ve had since I was a very young girl. I also have a pewter celtic cross. I switch between the two depending on what else I’m wearing.

I’m thinking about getting a Crucifix, but I’ve always recieved jewelry as a gift, I feel strange buying it for myself. :o
 
I alternately wear a Jerusalem Cross which symbolizes that Christ is carrying my cross as well as his own. And a hologram medal of the Blessed Mother, my patron saint
 
I wear a brown scapular on my shoulders (I guess that’s around my neck) and I carry my rosary in a plastic box in my pants pocket. The rosary rattles as I walk about at work and a muslim co-worker (who knows it’s my rosary making the noise) told me that she is always reminded of the presence of God when she hears me walk by. I was blown away when she told me this.
 
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SHEMP:
Lately however I have been thinking about getting a scapula.
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Hi, Shemp! A scapular medal, which you are thinking about, is actually used in place of the cloth scapulars that a person is invested in as an oblate of a holy order in a service of blessing. The most common one is the brown scapular of the Carmelites–that’s the one I was vested in at my first Holy Communion.

Here’s some information from Catholic Encyclopedia but you can follow this link to the rest of the article(newadvent.org/cathen/13508b.htm):
Only at the original reception of any scapular is either the blessing or the investment with such by an authorized priest necessary. When a person needs a new scapular, he can put on an unblessed one. If the investment with a scapular be inseparably connected with reception into a confraternity, the reception and enrollment must take place on the same occasion as the blessing and investment. To share in the indulgences and privileges of a scapular, one must wear it constantly; it may be worn over or under one’s clothing and may be laid aside for a short time, if necessary. Should one have ceased wearing the scapular for a long period (even through indifference), one gains none of the indulgences during this time, but, by simply resuming the scapular, one again participates in the indulgences, privileges, etc. Every scapular, which is not merely an object of private devotion (for there are also such) but is also provided with an indulgence, must be approved by the ecclesiastical authorities, and the formula of blessing must be sanctioned by the Congregation of Rites. In this article we speak only of scapulars approved by the Church.
 
I wear an ID badge/bus pass from my job.

I need to find a nice cross I think.
 
Mary3 wrote; A friend once told me that she does not wear any jewelry symbols of her Christianity, because she wants people to recognize her as a Christian by the witness of her behavior. That’s my goal, too, and I wish I did a better job!Scapulars, blessed medals, cruxifixes,ect. are holy things of which the church makes use to obtain for US from God spiritual and temporal favors. While your friend was right, I think wearing a sacramental with the right intention would help her in living a christian life.

Super Mom
 
Super Mom,

This is new to me; how does one obtain spiritual favors by wearing sacramental medals?

God bless,

Chris
 
I wear a brown scapular and a little silver crucifix, and often in addition I wear medals of St. Catherine and St. Thomas More. So I have the same issues with tangles and jingling that other people have mentioned. The only problem is that I have to get properly invested with my scapular. :hmmm:
 
Hi Thepeug:

To answer your question. We obtain these graces by wearing the Sacramental with devotion and praying the prayer that goes with it or simply praying to the saint that the medal was made for.

Here’s something that many don’t know about Sacramentals. There are 3 kinds!!! First, the blessings given by priests, bishops. (A blessing is a ritual ceremony by which a priest makes persons or things holy for divine service or calls down the favor of God on what he blesses.) The Church’s ritual has over 200 such blessings!! Fields, gardens, cattle, schools, cars, houses, wine, water, fire and vegetables are among the few.
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 Second, prayers against evil spirits,called exorcisms.  Third, blessed objects of devotion as in holy water, blessed candles, ashes, palms, crucifixes, medals, rosaries, scapulars, and images of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, and the saints.

 Isn't it amazing ,the mercy of God who makes all these sacramentals available to us.

God bless you
Super Mom
 
Super Mom:
Hi Thepeug:

To answer your question. We obtain these graces by wearing the Sacramental with devotion and praying the prayer that goes with it or simply praying to the saint that the medal was made for.

Here’s something that many don’t know about Sacramentals. There are 3 kinds!!! First, the blessings given by priests, bishops. (A blessing is a ritual ceremony by which a priest makes persons or things holy for divine service or calls down the favor of God on what he blesses.) The Church’s ritual has over 200 such blessings!! Fields, gardens, cattle, schools, cars, houses, wine, water, fire and vegetables are among the few.
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 Second, prayers against evil spirits,called exorcisms.  Third, blessed objects of devotion as in holy water, blessed candles, ashes, palms, crucifixes, medals, rosaries, scapulars, and images of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, and the saints.

 Isn't it amazing ,the mercy of God who makes all these sacramentals available to us.

God bless you
Super Mom
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That makes sense. One more question: you mention that everyday objects like cars and vegetables can be blessed. Can anyone go get such objects blessed by a priest? Is there a special occasion during which the priest performs blessings? In my family, we say a prayer before each meal asking God to bless the food that He has given us. Is this the same thing as asking a priest to bless the meal?

In Christ,

Chris
 
I used to where a crucifix and a Tau cross (sign of my religious order), but having things around my neck causing my breathing to suffer, so I have had to stop where anything round my neck.
 
Hi Thepeug;
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I think that the blessing prayer we pray before meals would be different  from the ritual blessing a priest would pray say over the Easter food you bring to the church for him to bless. (This is a custom in some parishes to do this on Holy Sat.) If he were sharing a meal at your home and said the same blessing prayer you would say then it would be the same as when you say it. 
You can't obtain the blessed food or vegtables from the priest but must have him come to your house or you bring him the food.  There doesn't have to be a special occasion for the blessing.  Some people have their car or bus blessed by a priest before going on a trip.  Or some have their priest bless their new house they just bought. Unfortunately a priest who is "unfaithful to their calling" (to put it charitable) will think this blessing thing is absurd.  Yet there are many rituals the Church has for blessing many things.

God bless you.
Super Mom
 
I wear a Miraculous medal my mother gave to me, a small silver crucifix, and St. Teresa of Avila medal. Depending on the situation, I sometimes tuck them under my clothing… but I suppose that’s probably a bit cowardly of me!
 
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Nadia:
I wear a Miraculous medal my mother gave to me, a small silver crucifix, and St. Teresa of Avila medal. Depending on the situation, I sometimes tuck them under my clothing… but I suppose that’s probably a bit cowardly of me!
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Hmmm… Mom taught us kids to always wear our medals tucked under our clothing because otherwise it looks like we’re showing off our Faith, which is not something that the Lord wants us to do.

We show our Faith by how we act… not by what we wear.
 
Lately however I have been thinking about getting a scapula.
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Your doctor’s office should have one. 😉

As for a scapular, that’s what I wear. I have one that includes the St. Benedict medal, and I also have a devotion to St. Odilia and wear her medal.

I’d like to wear a nice necklace with a medal or cross, but I am allergic to metal, and break out in a rash. I can’t even wear a watch. In fact, even the small medals on the scapular I need to switch from front to back so they are not touching my skin for too long in the same spot.
 
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