SACRAMENTALS: SCAPULARS

Image of Mary with a brown scapular
and rosary appearing to St. Simon Stock.

A few weeks ago my husband began to tell me about scapulars. For some reason they were not covered in my RCIA class (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). He was raised Catholic, and left the church in his 20’s returning when I joined in 2010. Until he started discussing scapulars with me, and we investigated them further, I knew nothing about them.

Like so many Catholic acts of faith, many Protestants consider them a superstition. Scott Hahn addresses this much better than I can in his book, “Signs of Life.” As a former successful Presbyterian minister, now Catholic, he has this to say about things considered sacramental by the Catholic Church. “It is any object set apart and blessed by the Church to lead us to good thoughts and increase our devotion. A sacramental is like a sacrament in that it is a means of grace and an outward sign of an invisible mystery of faith. It is also unlike a sacrament in many ways. Sacraments were instituted by Christ, while sacramentals are established by the Church. Sacraments convey grace directly in our souls, while sacramentals do so indirectly, by leading us to devotion and providing us an occasion when we may respond to God’s grace.”

Sacramental scapulars originated with the Benedictines and were later adopted by other religious communities to be worn over their habits. They began as a chest-wide piece of cloth worn shoulder to shoulder, draping down the front and back of a person with an opening for the head. Thought to have first been intended as aprons when working, they are now accepted as a dedication to works. Some Catholic orders, such as the Trappists, still make the full scapular part of their habit.

There is more to scapular history than I’m going to include here. You can search it out if you wish. Eventually, lay persons adopted a smaller version of the scapular like the ones available to us today. They are two small pieces of cloth, often wool, joined by two strings that pass over the shoulders. A scapular is worn under the clothing as a mark of membership in a confraternity of others who accept certain rules and regulations for that group. There are 18 scapulars approved by the Catholic Church.

Since becoming Catholic I’ve found myself blessed with a special love for our Savior’s mother, given to us as our mother too. Perhaps it’s this joy that influenced my husband to suggest we join the confraternity of the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is also one of the most popular. According to tradition, Our Blessed Mother Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock in Cambridge, England on July 16, 1251. She told him, "Take, beloved son, this scapular of thy order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is the sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant."

A scapular is an ever-present reminder to keep our lives holy. My brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and my husband's, were invested by our priest with the following prayers.

Procedure for the Blessing and Investiture

Of the Scapular of

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

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 also with you.

Priest - Lord Jesus Christ, Savior 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 lives and reigns world without end.  Amen.

THE PRIEST SPRINKLES HOLY WATER AND INVESTS PERSON(S) WHILE 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.

AFTER THE INVESTITURE THE PRIEST CONTINUES WITH THE PRAYERS:

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.

My own Brown Scapular

The Catholic Church doesn’t teach that wearing a scapular is a sure ticket to Heaven. We must strive for a state of grace, implore our Lord's forgiveness and trust in the maternal aid of our Blessed Mother. These are all positive acts to be employed by anyone who wears a scapular in sincerity.

Here is a quote taken from fisheaters.com : “Some falsely believe that wearing the Brown Scapular offers some sort of guarantee of salvation because of the legendary words attributed to Our Lady. This is against Church teaching, is superstitious and a grave error. Sacramentals are not magical ways to manipulate God; they are Church-instituted rituals/objects that remind us of what we are supposed to be doing/thinking of, that depend on the faith, hope and love of the user, and which help prepare us to receive God's saving grace. One must do more than ‘wear the scapular’; one must wear it worthily.”

The Catholic Encyclopedia lists 18 small scapulars approved by the Church and distinguished by color, symbolism and devotion. They are:

1.  The White Scapular of the Most Blessed Trinity (1193)

2.  The White Scapular of Our Lady of Ransom (1218)

3.  The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1251)

4.  The Black Scapular of the Seven Dolours of Mary (1255)

5.  The Blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception

6.  The Red Scapular of the Most Precious Blood

7.  The Black Scapular of the Passion (1720)

8.  The Red Scapular of the Passion (1846)

9.  The Black Scapular of Help of the Sick (1860)

10. The White Scapular of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (1877)

11. The Blue and Black Scapular of St. Michael the Archangel (1880)

12. The Scapular of St. Benedict (1882)

13. The Scapular of the Holy Face (1885)

14. The White Scapular of Our Lady of Good Counsel (1893)

15. The White Scapular of St. Joseph (1898)

16. The White Scapular of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (1900)

17. The Scapular of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (1901)

18. The White Scapular of St. Dominic (1903)

Other Resources:

CatholicCulture.org

Free Brown Scapular
Fish Eaters

 

Peace & Blessings.