The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
The first two things I do every morning upon hearing the alarm clock is to offer my day to Jesus though Mary, by praying my morning offering, and to kiss my Scapular, which I have worn for decades. I then bless my forehead, eyes, ears, lips, and heart with it.
By faithfulness to these two simple but fervent gestures, I have a great start to a new day that through Mary’s most powerful intercession will be filled with many blessings—many trials and crosses also, but these too can be blessings from God.
What is the Scapular, and Why Wear It?
In the 13th century, Our Lady of Mount Carmel appeared to an English Carmelite, Saint Simon Stock, who was part of an order that at the time was in serious danger of extinction. Her appearance concluded with insisting that Simon and the other Carmelites wear the Brown Scapular, a long brown cloth laid over the shoulders of their brown habits. Father Simon humbly submitted to the requests of the Lady.
Not long after Simon began wearing the Scapular, and convinced his brother Carmelites to wear it as well, that things changed for the better. The Order that had been languishing to the point of disappearing was revived. Vocations came; there was a new vigor and zeal.
The Reason for Renewal
In a Catholic milieu where Mary is lacking, the environment becomes sterile, insipid, and lackluster. A garden becomes a desert; clouds become vaporized; life becomes sad and depressed. But when Mary is introduced to the scene, there is true renewal, revival, and resurrection. For that reason, when we pray that beautiful prayer at the end of the Holy Rosary, the Hail Holy Queen, we invoke Mary as “Our life, our sweetness and our hope.”
This being said, let us delve into this beautiful devotion to Mary, wearing proudly and confidently the Brown Scapular, the garment of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Ideas to Motivate Wearing the Scapular
1. Liturgical Celebration
Every year the Church honors Our Lady, under the title Our Lady of Mount Carmel, on July 16th. There are beautiful statues and paintings depicting Our Lady of Mount Carmel stretching out the brown Scapular to Saint Simon Stock, such as the one pictured above.
2. Blessing from Holy Mother Church
The Church has recommended and blessed the Scapular and its wearing for many centuries. Many miracles have been attributed to its faithful wearing. Those who are enrolled in the Brown Scapular Confraternity receive the merits and blessings of the Carmelite Order. This is a simple ceremony which can be performed by any priest who is familiar with the ritual. Indeed, what a beautiful Parochial practice it is to enroll First Communion children in the Confraternity of the Scapular!
3. Kissing the Scapular Reverently
The simple gesture of kissing the Scapular accrues with it a blessing from the Church that we call an indulgence. Yes, it’s true! Upon giving a reverential kiss to the Scapular, the Church grants a partial indulgence, which is remission of temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven but still in need of reparation. This can be applied to oneself or to the souls in Purgatory. Of course, the kiss is a universal symbol expressing our love for a person, so by kissing the Scapular, we are saying that we love Mary, our heavenly Mother.
4. Sign of Our Belonging
Soldiers have their uniforms that distinguish them as defenders of their country. Sailors have their specific identity in their uniforms. Professional baseball players have their own uniforms representing their team. Even business executives traditionally don a white shirt, tie, and suit jacket. With respect to belonging to Mary, it could not be more simple: wearing the Brown Scapular is an exterior sign indicating that we belong to Jesus through Mary.
5. Symbolism Behind Wearing the Scapular
First and foremost, by wearing the Scapular, we are saying that we truly desire to belong to Jesus and Mary. We no longer belong to ourselves—we are in much better hands! We are not spiritual orphans wandering in no man’s land. We have both destiny and purpose.
6. Heart of Mary
The Scapular is worn close to the heart. What more can we say except that we want our heart to beat in unison with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Even more, we want to remember these two secure places of refuge in our lives: the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
7. School of Mary
One of the titles Pope Saint John XXIII gave to the Church is that of Mater et Magistra, meaning Mother and Teacher. Often there is a symbolic parallel between the Church and Mary, capitalizing on their similar roles. As the Church is both Mother and Teacher, so also Mary is Mother and Teacher.
Father Robert Fox, an expert on Our Lady of Fatima, asserted that when Our Lady came from heaven to visit her children on earth, she came as Teacher—to teach us how to know and love God so as to arrive safely in heaven.
Mary as teacher always points us to Jesus, the greatest of all teachers. Her words at the Wedding in Cana were: “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn. 2:5)—a piece of spiritual advice that she continues to share with us.
8. Army of Mary
In Mexico, one of the many titles given to Mary is that she is the General of the Army. Our life on earth is a constant battle. Once confirmed, we become soldiers of Christ. Two of the weapons that we must wield in our battle against the flesh, the world, and the devil are the most Holy Rosary and the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The Rosary is our spiritual slingshot—parallel to David defeating Goliath with his slingshot. The Scapular is our shield.
In the words of Saint Paul, let us run the good race and fight the good fight and win the merited prize that awaits us in heaven (cf. 2 Tim 4:7-8). How? Using the weapon of the Rosary and the protective shield of the Scapular!
9. Our Shield and Defense
In the small booklet on the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Garment of Grace, the author explains succinctly the history of and catechesis on the Scapular. The essence of the pamphlet is the many miracles that have occurred by the faithful sons and daughters of Mary who have worn it! The Scapular is undoubtedly a powerful shield against the onslaught of the enemy.
10. Saint Alphonsus and the Scapular
It is recorded that St. Alphonsus, who wrote one of the greatest books on Our Lady, The Glories of Mary, was saved by Mary and the powerful shield of the Scapular. While at Mass, an enemy shot him in the chest—the bullet cut through his chasuble, then his alb, then his habit, and then his black shirt—but he did not die! Afterwards, it was found that the bullet aiming straight at his heart was embedded in his Brown Scapular. It never touched his body. This was the hand of Mary working through the Scapular to protect and defend her son from his mortal enemies.
How many enemies surround us—physical, spiritual, and moral—and how many times can Our Lady protect us? Limitless times!
11. Consecration to Mary
As a priest I have presided over many ceremonies of Consecration to Jesus through Mary, most often in the context of Holy Mass. Usually hundreds of people are present for this magnificent celebration. After all have prayed the consecration prayer, usually the one written by Saint Louis de Montfort in True Devotion to Mary, there are lines of people ready to receive their brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This Scapular is a constant reminder of the day of our Consecration and our obligation to live it out on a daily basis.
12. Never Alone
By confidently wearing the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we come to a keen awareness that we are never alone. In a world in which way too many people suffer from crushing loneliness, some to the point of not even wanting to live, the Scapular serves to bring to our minds that we are really never alone. Our Lady, Our Heavenly Mother is truly with us every step along the way to Heaven.
By wearing the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, may we renew our love for Mary as our Mother, our Teacher, Our Guide, Our Protector, Our powerful shield, and most assuredly Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope!
Tiepolo, G. B. (1745). Our Lady of Mount Carmel with St. Simon Stock, St.Teresa of Avila, St. Albert of Vercelli, the Prophet Elijah and the Souls in Purgatory [oil on canvas]. Retrieved from Brera Pinacoteca.
