Garment of Grace, Protection and Salvation
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Why wear the Brown Scapular?
The prayers in this booklet have been compiled and edited for private use.
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South Africa Needs Our Lady
Why wear the Brown Scapular?
Garment of Grace, Protection and Salvation
Time to Choose The scientific and technological advances of today, have achieved much. Unfortunately, such advances have not been tempered by a concomitant growth in spirituality and many in the Church, like the chosen people of old, have followed the ways of the world and delivered themselves over to the immoral and sinful fashions of the day. Sadly, mankind has foolishly claimed all the credit for these achievements without acknowledging Our Lord as the source of all true knowledge. Like Solomon, they have become fools chasing after idols which they have made to reflect the desires of their hearts. As St. Paul said would happen to the proud, God has truly delivered men over to their shameful passions. Aggravating this is the fact that many laws of the lands are corrupted, thus encouraging the corruption and degradation of the peoples, while those laws and customs which protected and promoted virtuous living are being suppressed. Indeed, in many places, as Our Lady foretold at Fatima, the good are being martyred, the world is being engulfed by disasters, wars, evils of every kind and the threat of more and worse to come. Without conversion, there is little hope of much else - because wars, as St. Augustine and many other saints have told us, are a punishment for sin, and we are only reaping what we have sown. God, in His mercy, however, has not left us orphans and many are the means and ways that He has granted us to persevere and grow in these decisive days when all —1—
men are deciding to be for or against Christ! First and foremost is the great Mother of God, Mary Most Holy! It is hard to be good and to persevere in this world, but together with the Rosary, she has given us a further incredible tool and spiritual “weapon” to assist us on the path and lead us to her son, Our Lord Jesus Christ: The Brown Scapular! In choosing to wear Mary's Scapular, you will attract her prayers, her motherly solicitude, and the graces necessary to fight the good fight and attain heaven! Let us mystically separate ourselves from Satan's world of sin, by committing ourselves to serving Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and let us show this inner commitment by praying her Rosary, and getting enrolled in her Brown Scapular. You will not be disappointed!
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History of Carmel ‘Carmel' means 'vineyard of the Lord,' and The Brown Scapular as we know it came to us from the fruitful hands of Our Lady of Mount Carmel through the Carmelite order. Therefore, to fully understand its spiritual significance for today we must look to the historical roots of the order, and its privileged relationship with the Mother of God. Faith is a gift from God, as is true wisdom and knowledge, and in committing serious sin we reject that gift. Having fallen from grace, there is no end to the depths of depravity and stupidity that man can reach.
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Solomon and Ahab Take King Solomon, whom God Himself said was the wisest man that ever lived. King Solomon grew proud and complacent in his exalted position, and, fell into sins of sensuality to such an extent that he kept 700 wives and 300 concubines. The wages of sin is death, and having killed the supernatural life in his soul, he came to deify the passions that he had allowed to control him. Solomon had temples built to the sensual pagan idols of his day, which included Moloch, a ‘god’ of fertility, which demanded the ritualistic murder of children as a sacrifice. Nations generally get the kind of leaders they deserve, and when a sizeable proportion of a people have lived at variance with the laws of God, they will produce of themselves leaders after their own kind. Such was the case with the Israelites. They produced a series of wicked kings, and one of the worst, King Ahab, who had married the infamous Jezebel, made worship of Baal the country's official religion. The great prophet Elijah complained to God "The children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant and thrown down thy altars, they have slain thy prophets with the sword.” Out of the whole of Israel, there remained only seven thousand men who would not bend the knee to Baal.
Elijah the Prophet
Elijah, or Elias, means 'my God is Yahweh' and as you will see, he certainly lived up to his name. —4—
There is an ancient tradition which says Elijah had a special understanding of God's covenant with man, that is, the divine maternity of the woman who would be born to crush the head of the serpent. He began to wear a mantle which, according to the tradition, symbolised his devotion to the mother of God. The mantle was a square sleeveless piece of striped cloth, which was sometimes worn over one shoulder, and sometimes over both. He ardently desired to see the day of that woman, to kneel before her, and to put himself at her service. Elijah is probably the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. He is one of only two men whom God has taken alive up to heaven, and some prophecies relate that he will return to earth with St. Enoch at the time of the Antichrist, and preach all over the earth for three and a half years. After this time, they will be killed by the Antichrist, and their bodies left in view for three days. They will then resurrect and ascend to heaven. Afterwards, the angels' trumpets will announce the end of the world, and Our Blessed Lord will return to earth for the final judgement.
Ahab versus Elijah
God sent Elijah to tell King Ahab that no rain would fall over the land while the idolatrous worship to Baal continued. The drought continued for three years, and the land was so parched that there was no water left for —5—
the animals to drink. Such was the hardness of heart of Ahab, that when he met with Elijah in the third year, he immediately blamed Elijah for the troubles caused by the drought. Slavery to one's passions can so easily cause such perverted, irrational thinking. Elijah told the king to assemble the people of Israel and the 450 priests of Baal at the foot of Mount Carmel. When they had all gathered, he suggested to the people that they do the following test, to see who was truly God: Baal or Yahweh. The test was that the priests of Baal slaughter a bull, place it on some stones for an altar, and ask Baal to accept the offering by sending fire to consume it. He would do likewise, praying to the Lord God. The people agreed, and the bulls were made ready. The priests of Baal danced and 'prayed' all morning, to the taunting of Elijah, but by noon, no fire had come. Elijah then placed his bull on the stones, and drenched the bull and the stones with water. He called on the true God to accept the sacrifice, and immediately fire fell from heaven, consuming the bull and the stones on which it was placed. The people fell to their knees, crying out, “The Lord, He is God, the Lord, He is God.” Elijah then ordered the priests of Baal to be killed.
The Sign of the Virgin
Then he went up to his cave on Mount Carmel to pray for rain. Elijah knelt down with his face between his knees and prayed for rain. He said to his servant: "Go up, and look towards the sea." The servant climbed —6—
to the top of the mount to where he would see the Mediterranean Sea, which was about 8 kilometres away. His servant returned, and said, “There is nothing." Elijah told him to return seven times, and on the seventh, "a little cloud arose out of the sea, like a man's foot.” St. Elijah then sent a message to Ahab, telling him to go home quickly, lest his chariot wheels get caught due to the rain. Sure enough, dark clouds came quickly, and heavy rain soon drenched the parched earth. Elijah had foreseen in this cloud a sign of the coming of the Woman he longed to serve, and his spiritual sons
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continued to wait in prayer and penance, upon Mount Carmel for the next 800 years, until their hopes were realised. These spiritual sons, by hereditary succession, transmitted their spirit and strength to others, and thus began the religious family of the Carmelites. This is affirmed by tradition, liturgy, and papal bulls from Popes John XXII, Sixtus IV, Julius II, St. Pius V, Gregory XIII, Sixtus V and Clement VIII. According to the traditions of these spiritual sons, God revealed four secrets through the cloud to Elijah concerning the birth of Our Lady: The Immaculate Conception. This was because the Virgin would arise, as a cloud, out of the salty water of a guilty humanity, having the same nature of water, but not its bitterness. The voluntary Virginity of Mary, which was similar to that of Elijah, because the cloud arising in the shape "of a man's foot" meant that she would follow the path of Elijah, who climbed the Carmel through the elevation of voluntary virginity. The time of the Virgin's birth. As the servant had to go seven times to the top of the mount, this was seen to be a sign that the Virgin would come in the seventh age. The virginal Maternity, because in that cloud, God came down like a sweet rain, "without the noise of human collaboration," that is, without violating her purity. Elijah chose, by divine inspiration, Eliseus as his successor, by laying his mantle upon him. According to tradition, St. John the Baptist was also one of the "sons of the prophet." In fact, in the gospel of St. Luke, the —8—
angel Gabriel affirms that John will go before the Lord "in the spirit and power of Elijah."
The coming of The Messiah
The Incarnation took place close to the foot of Mount Carmel, in Nazareth, and Our Lady, with St. Joseph and the child Jesus, visited the contemplatives of Carmel after their two years’ exile in Egypt. The monks, according to tradition, expressed their unqualified belief in Jesus as the long awaited Messiah, and were among the first to be baptised by the Apostles after Pentecost. As a reward for their devotion to Mary, the sons of Elijah, who also became known as “The Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,” were the first to be entrusted with the guardianship of the Holy House of Nazareth, following Our Lady's Assumption into Heaven. The Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel continued to live their lives of holy contemplation peaceably on or near Mount Carmel for the next millennium, but by the 12th century, their very existence was being threatened by the increasing Muslim conquests and persecutions in the area.
Beyond the Middle East
The Community sought the advice of St. Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and he helped them by formally consolidating their austere customs, thus making the first rule of the order. He —9—
St Albert
suggested, for their own safety and the survival of the order, that it would be prudent to send some of the brothers abroad, in search of safer pastures. The Community agreed, and made plans to travel to Europe. Before leaving for Europe with St. Louis XI, King of France, they intoned the Salve Regina. Our Lady appeared to them, and promised to be their Star of the Sea. Almost as soon as they arrived in Europe, enemies arose from within the Church, and petitioned the pope to suppress and disband the order. Pope Honorius II was wondering what to do, when the Blessed Virgin appeared to him, and expressly told him to receive the order of Eastern monks most warm-heartedly. The pope therefore confirmed and approved the order by means of his bull of 31 January 1226. However, the order was still Pope Honorius II oppressed by many powerful enemies, and it seemed that a man with the spirit of St. Elias and that of St. John the Baptist would be needed to carry the order through these times of trials. Our Lady evidently thought so, and had been preparing such a man in England.
St. Simon Stock
The first part of the life of St. Simon Stock can be compared, in many ways, to that of St. John the Baptist. St. John, the son of virtuous parents, was sanctified — 10 —
before birth, after hearing the voice of Our Lady, who brought Our Lord to him and him to Our Lord. St. John then lived a holy childhood before departing for the desert, where his life of penance and solitude prepared him for his mission, that of preparing the way for the Lord. St. Simon was born of virtuous parents in England in 1164. His mother consecrated him to the Blessed Mother before he was born. Before breastfeeding him, in gratitude for her happy delivery and asking special protection for her son, the young mother would offer him to the Virgin Mary and say three Hail Marys on her knees. What a beautiful attitude by such a noble lady! He was heard saying the Angelic Salutation (Hail Mary) while still in the cradle. His early life, like that of St. John, was dedicated to Jesus through Mary. The boy learned to read at a very tender age. Like his parents, he began to pray the Little Office of Our Lady, and soon also the Psalter. At the age of seven, the young genius started to study Fine Arts at Oxford College and was so successful that his professors were surprised. At that time, he also received his First Communion and consecrated his virginity to the Blessed Mother. Persecuted by his envious older brother, and heeding an interior voice that gave Saint Simon a desire to leave the world, he left home at the age of twelve and found refuge in a forest where he lived entirely alone for twenty years in prayer and penance. During this time, he drank only water, and ate only herbs, roots and wild apples. He slept in the hollow trunk, or stock, of an old oak tree, and from this came his second name, Stock. There he triumphed over the — 11 —
demon's temptations, he would later tell his religious, only by the assistance of the Blessed Virgin. After a divine revelation, he left his retreat, studied theology, and was ordained a priest. He then returned to the forest, where he continued his life of prayer and penance. In the year 1212, when he was 48 years old, Our Lady told him to leave his retreat and join the Carmelite Fathers of Palestine, two of whom had recently arrived in England.
Mount Carmel on Mediterranean coast of Israel
He joined the order in 1213, and in 1215, as the fame of Saint Simon’s virtues reached the ears of Saint Brocardo, Latin General of the Carmelite Order, he wished to make Simon Lieutenant General of the Order. In 1226, Saint Brocardo appointed Saint Simon vicar-general of all Carmelite provinces in Europe. Persecution of the brothers continued from within the Church, and even from some unruly elements within the order itself. Even the very mantle of the order was under attack.
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The Scapular The Scapular, from the Latin scapula, meaning shoulder, when placed over the shoulders of the western monks, symbolised the acceptance of the yoke of Christ. It also, in those days of chivalry and heraldry, symbolised the relationship of a vassal to His Lord. In secular society, a vassal was presented with a scapular with his Lord's colours displayed on it, which symbolised his homage to his Lord, and his Lord's duty to protect him. This duty was known as the "privilegium." In the religious life, the monk accepted his scapular from his superior, who represented Our Lord, whom he was now committing himself to serve. St. Simon, reared in a land of chivalry, had accepted his scapular in the spirit of the society he lived in, considering himself as the vassal of Our Lord and Our Lady, and they as his protectors. In 1237, Saint Simon participated in the General Chapter of the Order in the Holy Land. In 1245, in a new chapter, he was elected the sixth Prior-General of the Carmelites.
The Brown Scapular
Problems for the order increased, and St. Simon worked and prayed for a solution. Finally, on 16 July 1251 seeing that the order was in danger of being dissolved, he held up his scapular, and invoking the privilegium called on Our Lady for protection. Suddenly, as he related to his secretary and confessor, Father Peter Swayngton, the Virgin appeared to — 13 —
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him with a great retinue, and, having the habit of the Order in her hand, told him, “Receive, my beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire . . . It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace. Whoever dies clothed in this Scapular will not suffer eternal fire.” That most special grace was immediately distributed in places where the Carmelites were established and confirmed by many miracles to such an extent that the enemies of the Brothers of the Most Holy Virgin of Mount Carmel were silenced. What a promise! God has extended His mercy to us by giving us, through Our Lady of Mount Carmel and her Sabbatine privilege, a great incentive to amend our lives, plus the chance to considerably lessen our purgatory. Firstly, by wearing her Scapular, she will recognise us as her spiritual sons and daughters, her devotees, as those consecrated to her in a special way, and her generosity to those who give themselves to her is tremendous. As St. Louis de Montfort said ”Our Lady will never be outdone in generosity. If you give her an egg, she will give you an ox.” Secondly, by practicing chastity according to your state in life, you will be strengthened in your resolve to overcome your disordered passions, thereby countering to a degree the pride and sensuality you inherited from original sin, and have augmented by actual sin. Thirdly, by praying daily to Our Lady, you acknowledge her as the mediatrix of all graces, and she — 15 —
will assist you in your struggles, and at the allimportant hour of your death. The love of Our Blessed Mother for those who wear her Scapular was affirmed in a tremendous way less than 60 years after the death of St. Pope John XXII Simon. In 1321, as Pope John XXII stated in the papal bull "Sacratissimo uti Culmine." Our Lady asked him, as the Vicar of Christ on earth, to ratify indulgences for the Scapular.
The Sabbatine Privilege
Our Lady said that for those Scapular wearers who observe chastity according to their state in life and say daily the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin: “As a tender mother, I will descend into Purgatory on the Saturday after their death and will deliver them and bring them to the holy mountain, into the happy sojourn of life everlasting.” This became known as the Sabbatine (which means Saturday) Privilege. The signs given by God through Mary of His approval of the Brown Scapular devotion are so copious as to fill over 300 volumes in the Vatican Library, and are partly the reason for the extraordinary growth of this devotion. — 16 —
Authenticity of Brown Scapular The first sign of the authenticity of St. Simon's vision occured on the very day he received it! St. Simon was called upon by Lord Peter of Linton, who begged St. Simon to come to the house of his brother, who was evidently possessed by the devil. The man had led a scandalous life, and had remained obstinate in his sins, and he now lay dying in despair. A witness, Fr. Peter Swanington relates, "We entered the house where the man foamed with rage, ground his teeth and rolled his eyes like a furious animal. St. Simon, seeing that he was about to expire, and that he had already lost the use of his senses, made the sign of the cross and laid upon him the holy Scapular of Carmel, then, lifting his eyes to heaven, he prayed to God to give him time for repentance, that a soul bought by Jesus Christ might not become prey to the demon. All at once the sick man regained his strength and recovered the use of his senses. He cried against the demon, saying with tears, 'Alas, wretch that I am, how terrible is the fear of my damnation! My sins are more numerous than the stars in the sky! O my God, Thy Mercy is above thy justice, have pity on me, and you, my Father, help me.’” “Having renounced his detestable past, he made his confession, and received the last sacraments. He died peacefully a few hours later, having thus — 17 —
been brought to God by Mary and her Brown Scapular.” That night, the dead man appeared to his brother and said, "I have been saved through the most powerful Queen and the habit of that man as a shield." News of the miracle spread quickly, and with it the story of St. Simon's vision.
Growth of Carmelite Order
Saint Simon attained old age and a great holiness, working many miracles, and also receiving the gift of tongues. He surrendered his soul to God on May 16, 1265, just 14 years after his famous apparition, by which time his once struggling order had grown prodigiously. It was recorded a few years after his death as having several thousand monasteries, peopled by 125,000 religious. Lay people naturally wanted to benefit from the astounding promise that Our Lady had given, and Confraternities attached to the Carmelites flourished, encouraged by the pope of the day, Urban IV. This gave rise to the short Scapular, which has the same privileges as the large Scapular worn by the religious. God continued to bless the use of the Scapular through Mary at all levels. By 1276, just 11 years after the death of St. Simon, Pope Blessed Gregory X died wearing the Scapular. When his body was exhumed over 500 years later in 1830, there, over his sacred remains, lay his small Brown Scapular, incorrupt. Two great founders of Religious orders who had a special devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Alphonsus — 18 —
of the Redemptorists, and St. John Bosco of the Salesians, were buried with their Scapulars. Many years later, their graves were opened, and their bodies and vestments were reduced to dust, but their Brown Scapulars were intact! God continued to bless Mary's Scapular down through the centuries, and His approval of the Scapular for our times is attested by some amazing miracles performed in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Save us from the Fires of Hell In May of 1957, a Carmelite priest in Germany published the unusual story of how the Scapular saved a home from fire. An entire row of homes had caught fire in Westboden, Germany. The pious inhabitant, seeing the fire, immediately fastened a Scapular to the main door of the house. Sparks flew over it and around it, but the house remained unharmed. Within five hours, 22 homes had been reduced to ashes. — 19 —
The one structure which stood undamaged amidst the destruction was that which had the Scapular attached to its door. The hundreds of people who came to see the place Our Lady had saved are eye-witnesses to the power of the Scapular and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Turn to Mary. Let her save you from the fires of hell!
Sin of Presumption
The Scapular is not an item of idolatry, like a good luck charm. It is an outward sign of our inner consecration to Our Lady, and our desire to submit to the new Adam; Jesus Christ, through her, the new Eve. Both Sacraments and Sacramentals, have conditional promises attached to them. For example, while Jesus said, in John 6:54, "He that eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood hath everlasting life," St. Paul warns that "Whoever eats the bread or drinks of the cup unworthily eats and drinks to his own condemnation."
Unworthy wearing of Scapular
The following examples of those unworthily wearing the Scapular should be carefully noted. St. Claude de la Colombiere declares that such people who persist in their sins will die in their sins, but not in their Scapular. He relates the story of a man who tried to drown himself three times, and each time he was saved against his will. He then realised that he was wearing a brown scapular. He tore it from his neck, leapt into the water, and drowned. — 20 —
St. Alphonsus de Liguori tells of a woman who was well known as a prostitute, who wore the scapular, but continued her life of sin. As she lay dying, witnesses related that she screamed “Take off this scapular for surely the torments of hell could not be worse than the pain it is causing me.”
During the Spanish civil war in the 1930's, seven Communists were sentenced to death because of their crimes. A Carmelite priest tried to prepare the men for death; they refused. As a last resort, he brought the men cigarettes, food and wine, assuring them that he would not talk religion. In a short while, they were all friendly, so he asked them for one small favour: "Will you permit me to place a Scapular on each of you?" Six agreed; one refused. Soon all Scapular wearers went to confession. The seventh, only to please them, put on a Scapular, but obstinately refused to do anything more. Morning came, and as the moment of execution drew near, the seventh man made it clear that he was not going to ask for the priest. Although wearing the Scapular, he was determined to go to his death an enemy of God. Finally, the command was given, the firing squad did its deadly work, and seven lifeless bodies lay sprawled in the dust. Mysteriously, a Scapular was found approximately 50 paces from the bodies. Six men died WITH Mary's Scapular; the seventh died WITHOUT the Scapular. — 21 —
Star of the Sea In late summer of 1845, an English ship, "King of the Ocean" found itself in the middle of a wild hurricane. All feared for their lives, and a Protestant minister, a Mr. Fisher, together with his wife and children and other passengers, struggled to the deck to pray for mercy and forgiveness, as the end seemed at hand. Among the crew was a young Irishman, John McAuliffe. On seeing the urgency of the situation, the youth opened his shirt, took off his Scapular, and making the Sign of the Cross with it over the raging waves, tossed it into the ocean. At that very moment, the wind calmed. Only one more wave washed the deck, bringing with it the Scapular which came to rest at the boy's feet. All the while Mr. Fisher had been carefully observing McAuliffe's actions and the miraculous effect of those actions. Upon questioning the young man, they were told about the Holy Virgin and Her Scapular. Mr. Fisher and his family were so impressed that they decided to enter the Catholic Church as soon as possible, and thereby enjoy the same protection of Our Lady's Scapular. No secular 'King of the Ocean' can protect one like our heavenly 'Star of the Sea.' — 22 —
Conversions Many conversions have taken place through the Brown Scapular. One such conversion took place in the St. Simon Stock hospital in New York. An old man was rushed in, unconscious and dying. The nurse, seeing he wore a Brown Scapular, called a priest. As the priest performed the Last Rites, the old man gained consciousness, and said, "Father, I am not a Catholic." "Then why are you wearing the brown Scapular?" asked the priest. "I promised my friends to wear it, and say one Hail Mary a day," he explained. "You are dying," the priest told him, "Do you want to become a Catholic?" Giving his assent, the old man was baptised, received the Last Rites, and died in peace. Another soul was saved, thanks to Mary and her Scapular.
Now, and at the Hour of our Death
The hour of our death is truly the most crucial hour of our lives, in which our judgement is at hand and our eternal destiny is about to be decided. For another scapular wearer in America, in the town of Ashtabula, Ohio in the 1950's, Our Lady's promise of protection was shown in a miraculous way. The man was cut in two by a train, which should have been instantaneous death, but he remained alive and conscious for a full 45 minutes, until a priest came to administer the last sacraments to him. — 23 —
Saved in Sight of Mount Carmel One day in 1944, a Carmelite missionary in the Holy Land was called to an internment camp to give the Last Rites. The Arab bus driver made the priest get off the bus four miles from the camp because the road was dangerously muddy. The conditions worsened, and after trekking two miles, the missionary slipped into a mud pool. Sinking to a certain death, he kissed his great Scapular - he was wearing the full habit - looked towards the holy mountain of Carmel, and cried out "Holy Mother of Carmel, save me." A moment later, he found himself on solid ground. Later he said, "I know I was saved by the Blessed Virgin through her Brown Scapular. My shoes were lost in the mud, and I was covered in it, but I walked the remaining two miles praising Mary.”
The Brown Scapular and Our Lady of Fatima
After the last appearance of Our Lady at Cova da Iria, Fatima, on 13 October 1917, the seers saw three different scenes. In the first, the Mother of God appeared as Our Lady of the Rosary, standing by Saint Joseph and holding the Child Jesus on her lap. Then, she appeared as Our Lady of Sorrows, by the — 24 —
painful Christ on His way to Calvary. And finally, she appeared in glory, crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth, as Our Lady of Carmel, with the Scapular in her hand. During this time no words were spoken. Lucia, later said: "Our Lady never looked so beautiful as when She appeared in Her Carmelite Habit." At Fatima, Our Lady had confirmed St. Dominic’s Prophecy as recorded by Fr. Marianus Ventimiglia. Holding the Rosary and the Scapular, She had come to say: "ONLY THE BLESSED VIRGIN CAN SAVE YOU." And She promised the conversion of Russia and world peace if Her requests would be heard. Our Lady appealed to all men to consecrate themselves to Her Immaculate Heart. In this request She has asked us to pray the Rosary, do Penance and wear her Brown Scapular. The very fact that She was holding the Brown Scapular tells us that She wants us to take it and use it! Lucia again said about the Brown Scapular and the Immaculate Heart of Mary: "OUR LADY WANTS EVERYONE TO WEAR THE BROWN SCAPULAR; IT IS THE SIGN OF CONSECRATION TO HER IMMACULATE HEART.” On 15 August 1950, Father Howard Rafferty spoke with Sister Lucy regarding the Fatima message and its — 25 —
connection with the Brown Scapular: Sister Lucy: "Everyone seems to think that there are only four conditions of the Fatima Message (Amendment of life, daily Rosary, offer prayers and sacrifices, which incorporates the First Five Saturdays and Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary), there is one more condition - the wearing of the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel." Father Rafferty: "Do you mean to say that the wearing of the Brown Scapular is not just something Our Lady would like us to do, but that it is essential to the Message?" Sister Lucy: "Exactly! One could not follow the Message of Fatima unless he/she fulfilled the five conditions, one of which is the wearing of the Brown Scapular all the time - day and night." This is really not that difficult at all and simply becomes part and parcel of our daily apparel!
The Popes and the Brown Scapular
In wearing the Scapular at all times we make silent petition for the Blessed Mother’s continual assistance. Over the centuries, the Scapular has been enriched with many indulgences and privileges by numerous popes, including Sixtus IV, Gregory X, Clement VII, Clement X, Leo XI, Leo XIII, St. Pius X, Benedict XV, who for example granted 500 days indulgence for devoutly kissing one’s scapular, Pius XI, and Pius XII. Pope Leo XIII: “The Carmelite Scapular’s nobility — 26 —
of origin, its extraordinary spread among Christian peoples for many centuries, the spiritualizing effects produced by it and the outstanding miracles worked in virtue of it render the Scapular of Carmel commendable to a wondrous degree.” Pope Pius XI: “In consideration of the munificent goodness of the heavenly Mother towards her children, it surely ought to be sufficient merely to exhort those who belong to the Scapular Confraternity to persevere in the holy exercises which have been prescribed for the gaining of the indulgences to which they are entitled.” Pope Pius XII: “All Carmelites, whether they live in the cloisters of the First or Second Orders or are members of the Third Order or of the Confraternities, belong to the same family of our Most Blessed Mother and are attached to it by a special bond of love. May they all see in this keepsake of the Virgin herself a mirror of humility and purity; may they read in the very simplicity of the Garment a concise lesson in modesty and simplicity; above all, may they behold in this same Garment, which they wear day and night, the eloquent expressive symbol of their prayers for divine assistance.” Pope John XXIII: He spoke “of the Mother of God who is honoured in this Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Devotion to her becomes a necessity; towards Our Lady of Mount Carmel we are drawn with a most tender, yet irresistible, attraction.” Pope Paul VI, speaking of Marian devotions, especially of the Scapular, says “Let the faithful hold in high esteem the practices and devotions to the Blessed — 27 —
Virgin approved by the teaching authority of the Church. It is Our conviction that the Rosary of Mary and the Scapular of Carmel are among these recommended practices. The Scapular is a practice of piety, which by its very simplicity is suited to everyone.” Pope John Paul II: "Two truths are evoked by the sign of the Scapular: on the one hand, the constant protection of the Blessed Virgin, not only on life's journey, but also at the moment of passing into the fullness of eternal glory; on the other, the awareness that devotion to her cannot be limited to prayers and tributes in her honour on certain occasions, but must become a "habit", that is, a permanent orientation of one's own Christian conduct, woven of prayer and interior life, through frequent reception of the sacraments and the concrete practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. In this way the Scapular becomes a sign of the "covenant" and reciprocal communion between Mary and the faithful: indeed, it concretely translates the gift of his Mother, which Jesus gave on the Cross to John and, through him, to all of us, and the entrustment of the beloved Apostle and of us to her, who became our spiritual Mother." Pope Benedict XVI referred to wearing the scapular as a "particular sign of union with Jesus and Mary." "For those who wear it, it is a sign of filial abandonment to the protection of the Immaculate Virgin," he said. "In our battle against evil, may Mary our Mother wrap us in her mantle." — 28 —
Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Say this prayer for 3 consecutive days: O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succour me in this necessity; (mention your request here) there are none that can withstand your power. O, show me herein you are my Mother, O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. (3 times) Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands. (3 times) (This prayer is never known to fail and is said for three consecutive days.) — 29 —
The Morning Offering O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, (here kiss the scapular as a sign of your consecration)
I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with It the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day. O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can, and I offer them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate, that she may best apply them to the interests of Thy Most Sacred Heart. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Amen.
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Usually said from 8 to 16 July, ending on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or at any other time. First Day O Beautiful Flower of Carmel, most fruitful vine, splendour of heaven, holy and singular, who brought forth the Son of God, still ever remaining a pure virgin, assist us in our necessity! O Star of the Sea, help and protect us! Show us that you are our Mother! (Mention your request here) Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be… Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. Second Day Most Holy Mary, Our Mother, in your great love for us you gave us the Holy Scapular of Mount Carmel, having heard the prayers of your chosen son Saint Simon Stock. Help us now to wear it faithfully and with devotion. May it be a sign to us of our desire to grow in holiness. (Mention your request here) Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be… Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. Third Day O Queen of Heaven, you gave us the Scapular as an outward sign by which we might be known as your faithful children. May we always wear it with honour by avoiding sin and imitating your virtues. Help us to be faithful to this desire of ours. — 31 —
(Mention your request here) Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be… Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. Fourth Day When you gave us, Gracious Lady, the Scapular as our Habit, you called us to be not only servants, but also your own children. We ask you to gain for us from your Son the grace to live as your children in joy, peace and love. (Mention your request here) Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be… Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. Fifth Day O Mother of Fair Love, through your goodness, as your children, we are called to live in the spirit of Carmel. Help us to live in charity with one another, prayerful as Elijah of old, and mindful of our call to minister to God’s people. (Mention your request here) Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be… Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. Sixth Day With loving provident care, O Mother Most Amiable, you covered us with your Scapular as a shield of defence against the Evil One. Through your assistance, may we bravely struggle against the powers of evil, always open to your Son Jesus Christ. (Mention your request here) Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be… Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. Seventh Day O Mary, Help of Christians, you assured us that wearing your Scapular worthily would keep us safe from harm. Protect us in both body and soul with — 32 —
your continual aid. May all that we do be pleasing to your Son and to you. (Mention your request here) Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be… Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. Eighth Day You give us hope, O Mother of Mercy, that through your Scapular promise we might quickly pass through the fires of purgatory to the Kingdom of your Son. Be our comfort and our hope. Grant that our hope may not be in vain but that, ever faithful to your Son and to you, we may speedily enjoy after death the blessed company of Jesus and the saints. (Mention your request here) Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be… Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. Ninth Day O Most Holy Mother of Mount Carmel, when asked by a saint to grant privileges to the family of Carmel, you gave assurance of your Motherly love and help to those faithful to you and to your Son. Behold us, your children. We glory in wearing your holy habit, which makes us members of your family of Carmel, through which we shall have your powerful protection in life, at death and even after death. Look down with love, O Gate of Heaven, on all those now in their last agony! Look down graciously, O Virgin, Flower of Carmel, on all those in need of help! Look down mercifully, O Mother of our Saviour, on all those who do not know that they are numbered among your children. Look down tenderly, O Queen of All Saints, on the poor souls! (Mention your request here) Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be… Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us. — 33 —
Enrolment Procedure and Prayers for Brown Scapular To be eligible for THE SCAPULAR PROMISE, one must be enroled in the Family of Carmel. This is a simple ceremony, which takes only a moment and can be done by any Carmelite or duly authorized priest. The words used by the priest when enrolling a person in the Confraternity of the Scapular are as follows: Priest - Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy. Respondent - And grant us Thy salvation. Priest - Lord, hear my prayer. Respondent - And let my cry come unto Thee. Priest - The Lord be with you. Respondent - And with your spirit. Priest - Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, sanctify by Thy power these scapulars, which for love of Thee and for love of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Thy servants will wear devoutly, so that through the intercession of the same Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and protected against the evil spirit, they persevere until death in Thy grace. Thou who livest and reignest world without end. Amen. Priest: (Sprinkles Holy Water and invests the person/s) saying: Receive this blessed Scapular and beseech the Blessed Virgin that through Her merits, you may wear it without stain. May it defend you against all adversity and accompany you to eternal life. Amen. — 34 —
Priest: (after the investiture continues): I, by the power vested in me, admit you to participate in all the spiritual benefits obtained through the mercy of Jesus Christ by the Religious Order of Mount Carmel. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. May God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and earth, bless you, He who has deigned to join you to the confraternity of the Blessed Virgin Of Mount Carmel; we beseech Her to crush the head of the ancient serpent so that you my enter into possession of your eternal heritage, through Christ our Lord. Respondent - Amen. The first Scapular must be blessed and imposed by a Priest using the (above) formula contained in the Roman ritual for reception into the Confraternity of the Scapular.
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Indulgences granted to those who devoutly wear the Scapular 1
2
3 4
A plenary indulgence on the day of receiving the Scapular. Conditions: Confession and Communion. Plenary indulgence at the moment of death. Conditions: Confession, Communion, and devout invocation with the lips, or at least with the heart, of the Holy Name of Jesus. Reciting the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary devoutly – 100 days indulgence. Each time the Scapular is kissed – 500 days indulgence.
Requirements for obtaining the Sabbatine Privilege 1 2 3
To wear the Brown Scapular continuously. To observe chastity according to one’s state in life. The daily recitation of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary OR to abstain from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays OR with the permission of a priest say 5 decades of the Holy Rosary. — 36 —
Brown Scapular Promises What are the specific promises of Our Lady? 1. Whoever dies clothed with the Scapular, will not suffer the fires of Hell. What did Our Lady mean with these words? On making this promise, Mary does not mean that a person who dies in mortal sin will be saved. Death in mortal sin and condemnation are the same thing. Mary’s promise undoubtedly translates into these words, “Whoever dies clothed in this Scapular, will not die in mortal sin.” To make that clear, the Church often adds the word “piously” to the pledge, “He who dies piously will not suffer the fire of Hell.”
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2.The person wearing the Brown Scapular will be freed by Our Lady from Purgatory on the first Saturday after his or her death. Although this privilege is often interpreted literally, that is, the person will be freed from Purgatory on the first Saturday after his or her death, “everything that the Church has officially stated on several occasions to explain these words, is that those who fulfil the conditions of the Sabbatine Privilege, through the intercession 36 —from Purgatory shortly of Our Lady, will be—freed after death, and especially on Saturday.”
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