IN THESE times when the forces of Hell seem to have been unleashed to the hilt, I find it appropriate to write about the Brown Scapular which some wear...but wrongly.
The lure of the Brown Scapular is from the Blessed Mother's promise to its wearers: "Whoever dies invested with this Scapular shall be preserved from the eternal flames. It is a sign of salvation, a sure safeguard in danger, a pledge of peace and of my special protection until the end of the ages."
The Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship says the Brown Scapular is "an external sign of the filial relationship established between the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Mount Carmel, and the faithful who entrust themselves totally to her protection, who have recourse to her maternal intercession, who are mindful of the primacy of the spiritual life and the need for prayer."
For those not familiar with how it looks: the Brown Scapular (the green one is of another kind) is the one worn often by older ladies over their shoulders with brown woolen rectangular patches in front and in the back. Often, though not necessarily, one patch depicts the Blessed Mother with the Baby Jesus on her lap as she hands over a scapular to St. Simon Stock (in the 13th century), while the other depicts her promise to scapular devotees.
I have seen TV celebrity Boy Abunda faithfully wearing a convenient version of the Brown Scapular. The patches were made of brown plastic, both hanging in front beside each other from a cord around his neck. It was a wrong way to wear the scapular and, knowledgeable Carmelites (who used to have exclusive access to the Brown Scapular which was after all patterned after their brown attire), such version would not entitle one to the Blessed Mother's promise.
So let's be clear on the make of the scapular. The two patches must be of 100 percent brown wool and must be worn continually over the shoulder so that one part hangs over your chest and the other side hangs over the back. Both parts cannot be carried in the front or the back. It is allowed for convenience to sew the scapular to an undergarment to hold it in place or to keep it from rising about one's neck.
A chain instead of a cord may be used, as long as the two patches are of brown wool. However, these patches must be either rectangular or square. It cannot be oval, round, or polygonal.
Carmelites also tell us that the Brown Scapular may be worn over or under any part of the clothing.
But first, one must be Catholic and enrolled by any priest in the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular as prerequisite. I have heard that deacons can now do this, but I still have to do more research on this.
The priest, however, has to follow a certain formula in enrolling one to the confraternity. I am giving hereunder the formula.
Priest - Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy.
Respondent - And grant us Thy salvation.
P - Lord, hear my prayer.
R - And let my cry come unto Thee.
P - The Lord be with you.
R - And with your Spirit.
P - 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 livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
The priest sprinkles with holy water the scapular and the person(S) being enrolled. He then invests him or them, saying:
P - 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:
P - 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 Ghost. + 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 may enter into possession of your eternal heritage through Christ our Lord.
R - Amen.
The priest then sprinkles again with holy water the person(s) enrolled.
If one has a serious allergy to wool or has irritation of the skin, one can wear the wool scapular over one's clothing, encase the wool scapular in plastic, or wear the Scapular Medal with an image of the Sacred Heart on one side and an image of Our Lady on the other side. The latter, however, must be a last resort option.
Modern Popes, notably St. Pius X and subsequent Popes, declared that in necessary cases such as in foreign or tropical climate missions, the Scapular Medal may be worn instead of the wool Scapular.
But if the Scapular Medal is worn for insufficient reason, such as vanity or convenience, the wearer runs the risk of not receiving the benefit of the Scapular promise.
If the Brown Scapular is damaged, the enrolled faithful need not be re-invested. He only needs to get another one and put it on. The blessing and investiture is still valid for the new Scapular, since the blessing is predominately given to the person who is invested in the Scapular.
What are the indulgences granted to those who devoutly wear the Scapular?
A plenary indulgence on the day of receiving the Scapular, but only after going to Confession and receiving the Eucharist.
One also gets plenary indulgence at the moment of death, also after Confession and the Eucharist.
Reciting the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary devoutly entitles one to 100 days indulgence, and each time the Scapular is kissed, one gets 500 days indulgence.
Brown Scapular devotees are also entitled to the so-called Sabbatine Privilege.
It is the promise piously to be believed, that the Blessed Virgin Mary gave to Pope John XXII in a vision, that She will deliver faithful scapular devotees from Purgatory soon after their death, notably the first Saturday after death.
(Prophecies to continue in the next column.)