We must understand that medals, scapulars, holy water and any
other type of sacramentals are not amulets for our protection. They are
consecrated objects that indeed help when the wearer has faith and tries to live
a life of virtue.
The Green Scapular
Whenever
there is someone in the family or a friend who is far away from the faith and
you want to do something about it, our Blessed Mother gave us one
means of converting them when she appeared to Sister Justine Bisqueyburu
in 1840 carrying " the cloth of conversion---the Green Scapular".
She said, 'This holy badge of my Immaculate Heart is to be the
means of conversion of souls...' Over a six year period our Lady appeared many
times to Sister Justine and answered her many questions concerning the scapular
and its usage.
Our Lady said the Green Scapular needs no special blessing and it doesn't need enrollment as the brown scapular. It may be blessed by any priest. If the person that we want to benefit from this scapular doesn't agree to carry it, it may be placed somewhere in his room.
Everyday one should say the prayer, 'IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, PRAY FOR US NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH.' If the person for whom the scapular is intended will not say the prayer then the one who gives the scapular must say it in his or her place, everyday.
Or Lady said,"The greatest graces come from using the scapular but these graces come in direct proportion to the degree of confidence in me which the user has."
St. Bridget had that confidence in the Blessed Mother. Because of it Our Lady revealed to her, 'that there is no sinner in the world, however much he or she may be at enmity with God, who does not return to Him and recover His grace, if he or she has recourse to me and asks my assistance.
Our
Lady's heavenly garment
Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock
and promised, "WHOSOEVER DIES WEARING THIS SCAPULAR SHALL NOT SUFFER ETERNAL
FIRE. IT SHALL BE A SIGN OF PEACE AND A SAFEGUARD IN TIMES OF DANGER."
To wear the brown scapular is to trust in Our Lady who has great power of
intercession before her Son.
About the enrolment
Our Lady gave this promise of salvation to all those in the Family of Carmel.
One must be enrolled to obtain this promise.
A priest is the ordinary who enrols members into the Scapular Confraternity.
Endorsement by the Church
Pope Paul VI said in 1965: " ...Ever hold in great esteem the practices and
exercises of the devotion to the Most Blessed Virgin which have been recommended
for centuries by the magisterium of the Church. And among them we judge well to
recall especially the Marian rosary and the religious use of the Scapular of Mt.
Carmel."
Always pray that you remain steadfast in your love for Jesus. Remember, at the
crucifixion all the apostles, except John, abandoned Jesus...John remained at
the cross with Mary.
St. Alphonsus: "Just as men take pride in having others wear their livery, so
the Most Holy Mary is pleased when her servants wear her scapular as a mark that
they have dedicated themselves to her service and are members of the Family of
the Mother of God."
The Sabbatine privilege
The blessed Virgin of Mt.
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 temporal debt of punishment.
This promise 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."
The Blessed Virgin assigned certain conditions which must be fulfilled:
Wear the Brown
scapular continuously
Observe chastity
according to one's state in life. (married / single)
Recite daily the "Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary." This devotion may be substituted for any of the following:
To observe the fasts of the Church.
To recite five decades of the Holy Rosary
or with the permission of a priest to do a good work.
Note: There is no
substitute for the first two conditions: that is wearing the scapular and
observing chastity. Pope Benedict XV, the celebrated World War I Pontiff granted
500 days indulgence for devoutly kissing your scapular.
INDULGENCE: The remission in whole or in part for the temporal punishment due to
sins. (Remission of time spent in Purgatory.)
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