Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of a Christian is emphasized by the Church throughout the year with various feast days. For example, on February 11th we celebrate Our Lady of Lourdes. On August 5th, we celebrate the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

We celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7th and the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin on the Saturday following the second Sunday after Pentecost just to name a few. This week, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel on July 16th.

The celebration of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel has a long and beautiful history. The feast was assigned to July 16th because on that date in 1251, according to Carmelite traditions, the scapular was given by the Blessed Virgin to St. Simon Stock. Our Lady handed St. Simon a brown woolen scapular and said, “This shall be a privilege for you and all Carmelites, that anyone dying in this habit shall not suffer eternal fire.” In time, the Church extended this magnificent privilege to all the laity who are willing to be invested in the Brown Scapular of the Carmelites and who perpetually wear it.

Our Blessed Mother taught us the value of the scapular. When we use it as a prayer, Our Lady draws us to the Sacred Heart of Her Divine Son. We all suffer temptation of various sorts, but we don’t always know what to do in those moments, especially when the temptations are very strong. Evil can be rendered powerless when the wearer of a scapular experiences temptation, calling upon the Holy Virgin in this silent devotion.

What is a scapular? Typically, the scapular is a piece of clothing worn over the head and shoulders hanging both front and back. In Latin, the shoulder blade is called scapula; thus, the name scapular is given to that external piece of clothing that traditionally monks have worn since the Middle Ages. At the beginning, it protected their regular monastic habits from the elements while they were working; later, they wore it at all times, as it became part of their habit. Religious orders like the Carmelites made the Brown Scapular a source of spiritual meaning. The Brown Scapular became an outward sign of the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Sister, Mother and Queen.

The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the scapular of the Carmelite family, is without a doubt the most famous devotional scapular of the Catholic Church. It is a sign approved by the Church and accepted by the Carmelite Order as an external sign of love for Mary, of the trust her children have in her, and of the commitment to live like her. The Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel has promised to save those who wear the scapular from the fires of hell; She will also shorten their stay in purgatory if they should pass from this world still owing some debt of punishment.

The promise of Our Lady is found in a Bull of Pope John XXII. The Blessed Virgin appeared to him and, speaking of those who wear the Brown Scapular, said, “I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in purgatory I shall free so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting.” To be eligible for the scapular promise, one must be enrolled in the Brown Scapular Confraternity. This is a simple ceremony which can be performed by any priest. The members of the Confraternity have the added benefit of sharing in all the spiritual benefits of the Carmelite Order. According to the Carmelite Fathers at the National Scapular Center, every priest now has the right to invest the faithful in the Brown Scapular.

The Blessed Virgin assigned certain conditions which must be fulfilled:

1. Wear the Brown Scapular continuously.
2. Observe chastity according to one’s state in life (married/single).
3. Recite daily the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin OR observe the fasts of the Church together with abstaining from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays OR with permission of a priest, say five decades of Our Lady’s Most Holy Rosary OR with permission of a priest, substitute some other good work.

Fr. Chris will be enrolling those who feel called into the Brown Scapular Confraternity on Thursday, July 16th right after the 8:30am Mass. If you feel called to enroll at this time, please meet in the front pews of the church right after Mass. The Legion of Mary Confraternity will be available to answer questions and provide the brown scapular if you don’t have your own.

God Bless.

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