What is the Brown Scapular?
The scapular in its original form has been a part of religious garb for hundreds of years as early as the 6th century. It was, and still is, worn by Benedictines, Cistercians, Carmelites, Carthusians, Dominincans, etc... The word scapular comes from the Latin
word " scapulae" which means " shoulders". The original scapular was a long, narrow piece of cloth with a hole in the middle for the head, worn over the shoulders so that half of the scapular hung in the front and the other half hung down in the back. Some orders sewed hoods onto the back of the scapular. The purpose of the scapular, like an apron, was to protect the cassock or habit from dirt and wear and tear. When Our Lady chose to bestow her special protection upon those who wore the scapular, she did not invent a new part of the religious habit, but rather utilized a piece already in use. When the promise made to Saint Simon Stock became widely known, and devotees to the scapular grew in number, the smaller version of the
brown scapular, which most of us are familiar with today, was approved by the Vatican so that it may be worn under the clothes with more convenience
Enrollment
The promises of salvation and deliverance from Purgatory apply to those who die wearing either the large Scapular of the Carmelite habit, the small Scapular, or the Scapular Medal. Anyone wishing to join the Confraternity must be properly enrolled by a priest who has the faculties to do so. Most priests receive this power with the general faculties they acquire from their diocese. Those who are enrolled remain Confraternity members for life and if anyone should fail to wear the Scapular, even for an extended period, there is no need for a re-enrollment in the Confraternity. Also, new Scapulars need not be blessed if the wearer has already been enrolled. In cases of emergency, during war for instance, soldiers and sailors are officially received into the Confraternity by simply wearing the Scapular and reciting some prayers to Our Lady, such as three Hail
Marys.
Guidelines for the scapular which should be observed in addition to the enrollment requirements.
-
The Scapular must be made of woven wool.
-
Its color may be any shade between brown and black, but preferably brown.
-
It must be two rectangular shaped pieces of the cloth connected by cord, string, or chain.
-
It must be worn over the shoulder to rest on the front and back of the body.
-
It may be decorated with pictures or designs but this is not necessary.
The Scapular Medal approved by Pope Saint Pius X
Early this century missionaries petitioned Rome to allow a Medal to be used instead of the cloth Scapular. Those who made this request were stationed in tropical regions and had considerable trouble preserving their Scapulars from decaying in the excessive humidity. After careful consideration, Pope Saint Pius X, in 1910, granted permission for the use of a Scapular Medal. It was to have an image of the Sacred Heart on one side and an image of Our Lady on the other and would possess the same promises and indulgences as the Brown Scapular. The Medal’s usage, however, was to be restricted. Saint Pius added explicitly to his consent that for ordinary circumstances,
"I desire most vehemently that the cloth Scapulars be worn as
heretofore."
HISTORY: the Blessed Virgin Mary made this promise to a humble Carmelite Monk, Saint Simon Stock, in England over
700 years ago. Most Catholics have learned the story of Saint Simon and the scapular, and were probably enrolled in the Confraternity of the Scapular of Carmel, at the time of their first Holy Communion. But all too soon after those joyful days of youthful innocence, the blessed scapular of Carmel is one day taken off, then lost, and so never worn again by the vast majority of the faithful. What a sad commentary. The
"Immaculate Heart of Mary" has delivered to the Church a precious gift from Heaven, a gift of infinite value because the faithful who accept it will most assuredly be saved. Yet so few will lift a finger to receive what is offered.
Undoubtedly, Satan is pleased with the tremendous lack of gratitude shown toward the Scapular. The Prince of Darkness despises devotion to Mary, for he knows that in the end the humble Virgin shall crush his head. He is especially humiliated by those who practice this simple wordless Marian devotion, for all who piously wear the Scapular join themselves to Mary in a mystical union. Scapular wearers show that they wish to be perpetually united to Our Lady even though they may not be always conscious of, or adverting to their union. The Blessed Mother in turn, is continually protecting, and assisting her special children who are clothed in the scapular of Carmel, that they might pass through the temptations and trials of this life to the never ending happiness of Heaven. This is the essence of Mary’s promise. To those who piously wear the Scapular she will grant either final perseverance in the state of grace or the grace of final contrition. It must be added that she will not grant the gift of final repentance to obstinate sinners who sacrilegiously use the scapular as an excuse for sin. Such unfortunate souls invariably, at one point, rid themselves of the holy garment and die without the consolation of its promise.
But now, more than ever before, those who truly wish to please God should heed to His Mother’s heavenly counsel and wear the holy habit of Carmel. In doing so they will not be disappointed, for as Our Lady reminds us,
"He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded..." (Ecclesiasticus 24: 30, Mass of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16).
The Church sanctions the practice of a number of Scapular devotions besides that of Carmel. The White Scapular of the Trinitarians, for example, and the Black Scapular of the Servite Order, the Blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception, the Red Scapular of the Passion of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, as well as the Green Scapular, all have venerable traditions and are capable of obtaining for the faithful great graces. But none has been so singularly embellished with promises and favors as the Scapular of Mount Carmel. The history of this devotion and of the order that spreads it, is its greatest testimony.
The Carmelite Order is the only one in the Church that can trace its origin back to the Old Testament. Elias who lived some 800 years before the birth of Our Lord, was fittingly chosen by God to be its founder. He was the fiery prophet who never died but was carried away from the earth in a blazing chariot, a symbol of the burning zeal and love of God which would prevail among the Carmelites. He was the glowing figure who, together with Moses, appeared with Our Divine Lord at the Transfiguration, a symbol of the eternal glory which will be awarded to those who die clothed in the habit of Carmel.
The name of the Order is derived from the Mount of Carmel in Palestine where dwelt the disciples of the prophet Elias and after him, Eliseus. These pious souls were really the first in history to devote their lives solely to prayer and contemplation. Their knowledge of the scriptures and particularly of the prophets inspired in them a tremendous longing for the fulfillment of those prophecies concerning the birth of the Messias.
At the base of this holy mountain; in the little village of Nazareth, the Incarnation was accomplished. The Blessed Virgin Mary, there in the shadow of Mount Carmel, uttered her sublime "fiat" thus enabling the second Person of the Blessed Trinity to become Man for our salvation. To the wondrous delight of the hermits, Our Lady with Saint Joseph and the Child Jesus visited Mount Carmel upon returning from their two years of exile in Egypt. As a result of this visit the contemplatives of Carmel professed their unqualified belief in Jesus as the long awaited Messias, the Saviour of the World. Tradition assures us that, because of their childlike faith, the Carmelites were among the first to be baptized by the Apostles after Pentecost. Likewise, their great love for the Mother of God induced them to erect on Mount Carmel the first Church honoring Our Lady. Moreover, as a reward for their devotion to Mary, the Carmelites were the first to be entrusted with the guardianship of the Holy House of Nazareth, following Our Lady’s death and Assumption into Heaven.
Succeeding generations supplied devotees of Blessed Mother Mary who sought to preserve the mystical life of the early monks of Carmel. Yet the Carmelites did not become a religious order in the formal sense until the 13th Century when they petitioned the saintly Patriarch of Jerusalem, Albert, to formulate for them a rule about the year 1207. This accomplished, the Order was ready to spread its spirituality from the confines of the East to the rest of the world. The persecutions raised by the Saracens during the Crusades occasioned the initial Carmelite migration westward, as many of the Palestinian Monks accompanied the Crusaders returning to Europe. The first of Elias’ disciples to reach England arrived in the year 1212. They were joined by an extremely holy Englishman named Simon one year later, in 1213.
Saints devoted to the Scapular:
St. Alphonsus Liguori
St. Peter Claver
St. Robert Bellarmine, SJ
St. Claude de la Colombiere, SJ
St. Vincent Pallotti
St. John Vianney, Cure of Ars
St. Bernadette Soubirous, visionary of Lourdes
St. John Bosco
St. Maximilian Kolbe
St. Francis Xavier Cabrini
Pope St. Pius X
St. Conrad
|
