St. Mary Parish, Manchester at 210 West Main Street, Manchester, MI 48158 US - The Brown Scapular
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The Brown Scapular
The Scapular is a sign of Mary |
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| Our Lady of Mt. Carmel |
One of the signs in the tradition of the Church from many centuries ago is the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
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 commitment to live like her. The word “scapular” indicates a form of clothing which monks wore when they were working. With the passage of time, people began to give symbolic meaning to it: the cross to be borne every day as disciples and followers of Christ. In some religious Orders, such as the Carmelites, the Scapular turned into a sign of their way of life. The Scapular came to symbolize the special dedication of Carmelites to Mary, the Mother of God, and to express trust in her motherly protection as well as the desire to be like her in her commitment to Christ and to others. Thus it became a sign of Mary.
The Carmelite Scapular is not:
an excuse for not living up to the demands of the Christian life
a magical charm to protect you
an automatic guarantee of salvation
It is a sign which stands for the decision to:
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follow Jesus like Mary
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be open to God and to His Will
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be guided by faith, hope and love
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to pray at all times
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to discover God’s presence in all that happens around us
“Whosoever dies wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.”
—words of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Simon Stock—