Greetings in Christ!
This weekend, we received a challenging Gospel reading where the Lord Jesus reminds us that their will come a time when, “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
I can’t speak for you, but I most certainly at times do evil and on more than one occasion have caused someone else to sin. With that in mind, I have sought out various devotions which help keep us from being numbered among those who will be, “thrown into the fiery furnace.” One of the Church’s most treasured devotions among these is the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The brief history behind the scapular is traced to the 13th century when the Carmelite Order faced severe persecution and struggled to survive. In response to the prayers of the Carmelite Superior General, St. Simon Stock, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared. She presented him with the brown woolen scapular, saying, "Receive, my beloved son, this habit of your order: this shall be to you and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whoever dies in this shall be preserved from eternal fire." The Scapular signifies our entrustment to Mary and our desire to imitate her virtues. While it is not a magical charm, it is a powerful channel of grace, associated with three main promises:
1. Protection in danger 2. Peace in life and at the hour of death 3. The promise of eternal salvation (the "Sabbatine Privilege") for those who die wearing it
To receive the spiritual benefits and promises of the Brown Scapular, a Catholic must be formally enrolled by a priest or deacon. You cannot simply buy a scapular and put it on; the Church requires a one-time enrollment ceremony. Here are the simple steps to undertake to enroll: 1. Obtain a Scapular (the brown 100% wool ones are recommended) 2. Contact the Parish Office: Schedule a brief time to meet with me to perform the enrollment. 3. The Rite of Investiture: I will bless the scapular, we will say the prayer of enrollment and I will inform you of your duties in order to obtain the privileges associated with the scapular.
Once you are enrolled, you wear the scapular continuously. If your scapular wears out or breaks, you can replace it with a new one (or a scapular medal) without needing to be enrolled again. I encourage you to embrace this beautiful devotion as a daily reminder of Mary's unfailing love and protection.
A big thanks on behalf of all of St. Dorothys for all of the volunteers who made Catholic Kids Camp possible!
In Christ,
Fr. Michael Carlson
