www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Internet Carmelite Community

I AM SORRY, BUT I MUST REPEAT ONE MORE TIME: IT IS INCORRECT TO STATE THAT EACH AND EVERY SCAPULAR MEDAL DOES NOT NEED TO BE BLESSED. I HAVE IT ON UNEQUIVOCAL AUTHORITY FROM THE PROVINCIAL THAT EACH NEW SCAPULAR MEDAL A SOUL WEARS MUST BE BLESSED.
THIS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT. I DO NOT WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SOUL BEING MISLEAD ON THIS SITE.

I can not speak for the Byzantine Forum but as long as my diminishing abilities permit, I will be zealous for the Lord God of Hosts and will permit no false information pertaining to my Carmelite Order or our sacramentals.
Pray without ceasing....Michael ICCBF

This is my last word on the subject. I hope. :rolleyes: Play particular attention to the bold line at the end.

Brown Scapular Devotion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the most popular devotion involving wearing of a scapular in the Catholic Church today. In the Middle Ages, a scapular was a full-length garment (apron)worn over other clothing by monks and nuns, the color signifying the particular religious order. The brown scapular was revealed to St. Simon Stock, the Prior General of the Carmelite order in 1247. The Virgin Mary appeared to him and gave him the scapular and associated promises as a result of his pledge of complete loyalty to her (known as a privilegium). The smaller version of the scapular is worn by lay associates.

Saints and popes throughout the ages have worn and encouraged wearing of the brown scapular, and many miraculous events have attested to the value of the sacramental (the scapular worn by Blessed Pope Gregory X, who died in 1276, was found intact in 1830).

Practices
1. Wear the Brown Scapular (or scapular medal) after enrollment*
2. Observe chastity according to your state in life
3. Recite the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary or five decades of the Rosary daily (usual requirements)

Promises/Benefits
1. "...whosoever dies wearing this (the brown scapular) shall not suffer eternal fire" (Virgin Mary's promise to St. Simon)

2. Partial indulgence granted by Pope Benedict XV to those who devoutly kiss the scapular
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Sabbatine Priviledge: release from purgatory on the first Saturday after death (revelation by the Virgin to Pope John XXII in 1322). Please note that much controversy has surrounded this 'promise' since it promotion by some early Carmelites. The modern Order does not recognize this as legitimate. It is mentioned here for informational purposes.


To obtain a free blessed scapular, press this link.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Enrollment involves a priest blessing the first brown scapular with this prayer:
Receive this blessed habit; praying the most holy Virgin, than by Her merits thou may wear it without stain; and that She may guard thee from all evil and bring thee to life everlasting. R. Amen. By the power granted me, I admit thee to the participation of all the spiritual good works, which through the gracious help of Jesus Christ are performed by the religious of Mount Carmel. In the name of the Father, and the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. R. Amen.

May the Creator of Heaven and earth, Almighty God, bless + thee; Who has deigned to unite thee to the confraternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. We beseech Her, in the hour of thy death, to crush the head of the old serpent; so that thou may in the end win the everlasting palm and crown of the heavenly inheritance. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

After enrollment in the Confraternity of the Scapular, the scapular may be replaced by a Carmelite scapular medal worn around the neck. The enrollment is for a lifetime and need not be repeated, and new scapulars do not need to be blessed again but scapular medals do.

Pray without ceasing....Michael ICCBF

With the inspiration of a Carmelite Carmelite web site:

In her concentration on prayer, a soul must exercise and discipline herself on the most private level. It reaches and touches her in the innersanctum of her privacy, sealed off from the observation of others, where she stands alone before the Holy, Mighty, Imortal God and gazes into His face. Here she finds herself experiencing that "existential dread" that Thomas Merton described so eloquently in his small work, Contemplative Prayer. He says that persons who pray let themselves "be brought naked and defenseless into the center of that dread where we stand alone before God in our nothingness, without theories, completely dependent upon his providential care, in dire need of the gift of his grace, his mercy and the light of faith" [Op. cit.: Herder & Herder / 1969 / p.85]

For those souls not familiar with Saint Silouan the Patron Saint of our friend monksilouan, I suggest a "google or ask jeeves" for " silouan the monk". He was a very great Saint.

The Prayer of Quiet...no words...no liturgy...being...with Him.

Pray without ceasing....Michael ICCBF

Michael,
Not that you need me to back you up on this ,
when I was given permission to wear the Medal in place of the clothe Scapular, I was told that if I ever had to replace the Medal for any reason, the new Medal would have to be Blessed. I was told that only the clothe Scapular could be replaced without first having it Blessed.

Whoops, editing to say that this was told to me as my first Medal, the one I wear now, was being Blessed...

Vie

Dear Vie,
Greetings in Carmel and thank you. I may have gone overboard a tad but I feel these sorts of things must be cleared up immediately.
Pray without ceasing....Michael ICCBF

Dear Dolly,

I didn't literally mean that I would leave . . .

For one thing, Abbot Michael here has put me under command not to . . .

I meant in the sense that I would stop posting the scriptural quotes like that, so erratically . . .

But when one is moved to post so much . . . there is always the Administrator to intervene with his sound advice!

Are you joining our ICCBF by the way?

Alex

Dear Abbot Michael,

Is there a specifically Carmelite Office of the Virgin Mary?

Also, is St Elisha honoured on the same day as St Elias is in the new Roman calendar?

Alex

My Brother Alex,
The Feast Day for St. Elisha is June 14. That is an easy one for me to remember because it's my wedding anniversary; 47 years this year.

There have been several printings of the "Little Office of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel", the last by Whitefriars Press in England. They discontinued them several years ago. I have tried to find copies for some souls here to no avail. They are out of print and I have not been able to find even used copies.

I suppose LO of OL MT. C has fallen by the way side in favor of the Liturgy of the Hours, readings of which comprise the total LO of OL Mt. C. More of the insistance that everyone "be on the same page" and hang personal piety.

Any Little Office of Our Lady can be said with the appropriate substitution of "Our Lady of Mt. Carmel" instead of "Our Lady or Mary or Blessed Virgin Mary." Of course the Proper of Carmelite Saints will be missing. The Order has been promising a new Proper which can be used with the LOH but it about two years behind schedule.

Pray without ceasing....Michael ICCBF

Dear Abbot Michael,

I used to fret when I didn't complete the entire Byzantine Hours . . . a feat in itself . . .

Now I'm happy to participate in some of the prayers at the respective Hours throughout the day.

I count it a blessing to have prayed even a small part of the Byzantine Office but at seven times.

But the daily Rosary is something that is ALWAYS there!

Alex

I will not address this subject again as it is of such minor importance as to be unworthy of so much time. I could and should be spending this time in prayer. However, the site that you mention (thebrownscapular.com/english/secondary/medal.html) is taken from "Holy Office, Rome, December 16, 1910". The new Scapular Ritual and Doctrinal Statement is from the "Rite of Blessing of and Enrollment in the Scapular of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel" as issued and confirmed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and for the Discipline of the Sacraments, November 29, 1996, Prot. 2243/96/L.
I quote section #5: "After the reception of the scapular, the faithful may substitute it with a medal showing on one side the Sacred Heart of Jesus and on the other Our Lady. Both scapular and medal may be replaced without having to be blessed again."
This official statement from the Congregation for Divine Worship and for the Discipline of the Sacraments, November 29, 1996 supercedes the discipline of Saint Pius X in 1910. The statement from the Congregation for Divine Worship is definitive regardless of the statements from any O.Carm or OCD Provincial or even the Father General of either Order.
This Statement was promulgated by the authority of the Holy Father John Paul II, all to the contrary not withstanding.
I think it is just fine to have a new scapular medal blessed before wearing it. However, the Holy See has decided that this is NOT NECESSARY.
Whatever may be written here to the contrary is not the official statement from the Holy See but the opinion of uninformed though, I am sure, well intentioned folks, however learned they may be: even a Provincial. All you need to do is call Father Sam Anthony Morello, OCD who worked with the Sacred Congregation on this Doctrinal Statement. His telephone # is (214) 331-6224 - 337-2668. If you purchase a Scapular Medal and wish to have it blessed, please do. That's great! I have chosen to accept the decision of the Holy See in this matter. I will not write anymore on this topic.
PS Yes, Saint Silouan of the Holy Mountain is a wonderful Saint. May I learn from his holy example to be silent and prayerful always.
Unworthy Silouan, monk

Bless, Father Silouan!

It is always a blessing to see you here!

Will you be joining the ICCBF?

Alex
ICCBF

Anything that prevents a soul from full participation in the blessings and indulgences of the Scapular Promise is NOT a small or umimportant matter. Also, I am bound by vows of obedience to what you call "some Pronvincial".
The Scapular is Carmelite, not withstanding anything else, new medals must be blessed to replace the Brown Scapular.
Pray without ceasing...Micheal ICCBF

Then don't be afraid to contact Father Sam Anthony Morello

Hate to tell you this, but Monksilouan is right. That statement from the Congregation for Divine Worship is binding upon your provincial. He will be in disobedience if he doesn't accept it - and so will you. You are outranked on this one. The whole area of regulations on sacramentals has changed in recent years. Today, laity can confer most sacramentals and they even do the St. Blase throat blessings. Now I won't get into the argument as to whether or not they should do these blessings. I have my own opinions on that, but I don't get to make the rules.