A Sign of
Christian Faith and Commitment
Signs
in Ordinary Human Life
The world in which we live is full of material things which have symbolic
meaning: light, fire, water.....
There are also, in every day life, experiences of relationships between
human beings, express and symbolize deeper meanings such as sharing
a meal (as a sign of friendship), taking part in a protest march (as
a sign of solidarity), joining together in a national celebration (as
a sign of our identity).
We need signs and symbols to help us understand what is happening at
present, or what happened before, and to give us an awareness of who
we are, as individuals and as groups.
Signs
in Christian Life
Jesus is the great sign and gift of the Father's love. He founded the
Church as a sign and instrument of His love. Christian life also has
its signs. Jesus used bread, wine and water to help us understand higher
things which we can neither see nor touch.
In the celebration of the Eucharist and the other sacraments (baptism,
confirmation, reconciliation, matrimony, orders, the sacrament of the
sick) the symbols (water, oil, the laying on of hands, the rings), all
have their own meaning and bring us into communication with God, present
in each of them.
As well as liturgical signs, the Church has others related to some event,
to some tradition, or some person. One of these is The Brown Scapular
of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The
Scapular is a Sign of Mary
 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.
From
Religious Orders to the People of God
In the middle ages many Christians wanted to be associated with the
Orders founded at that time: Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians and
Carmelites. Groups of lay people began to emerge in associations, such
as confraternities and sodalities.
All the religious Orders wanted to give these lay people a sign of affiliation
and of participation in their spirit and apostolate. The sign was often
a part of their habit: a cloak, a cord, a scapular.
Among the Carmelites, the stage came when a smaller version of the Scapular
was accepted as the sign of belonging to the Order and an expression
of its spirituality.
The
Spiritual Meaning of the Scapular
The Scapular finds its roots in the tradition of the Order, which has
seen in it a sign of Mary's motherly protection. It has, therefore,
a centuries' old spiritual meaning approved by the Catholic Church:
- It
stands for a commitment to follow Jesus, like Mary, the perfect
model of all the disciples of Christ. This commitment finds its
origin in baptism by which we become children of God. The Blessed
Virgin teaches us:
- to
be open to God, and to His will, shown to us in the events of
our lives;
- to
listen to the Word of God in the Bible and in life, to believe
in it and to put into practice its demands;
- to
pray at all times, as a way of discovering the presence of God
in all that is happening around us;
- to
be involved with people, being attentive to their needs.
- It
leads us into the community of Carmel, a community of religious
men and women, which has existed in the Church for over eight centuries.
It calls on us to live out the ideal of this religious family: intimate
friendship with God in prayer.
- It
reminds us of the example of the saints of Carmel, with whom we
establish a close bond as brothers and sisters to one another.
- It
is an expression of our belief that we will meet God in eternal
life, aided by the intercession and prayer of Mary.
Some
practical rules
-
People
are enroled in the Brown Scapular only once, by a priest or authorized
person.
-
The
Scapular can be replaced afterwards by a medal which has on one
side the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and on the other, the
image of Mary.
-
The
Scapular holds us to live as authentic Christians in line with the
teaching of the Gospel, to receive the sacraments, to profess our
special devotion to the Blessed Virgin, which should be expressed
each day, at least, by saying the Hail Mary three times.
Short
Form for Giving the Scapular
Receive this Scapular, a sign of your special relationship with Mary,
the Mother of Jesus, whom you pledge to imitate. May it be a reminder
to you of your dignity as a Christian, in serving others and imitating
Mary.
Wear it as a sign of her protection and of belonging to the Family of
Carmel, voluntary doing the will of God and devoting yourself to building
a world true to his plan of community, justice and peace.
The
Brown Scapular is not:
- a magical
charm to protect you
- an automatic
guarantee of salvation
- an excuse
for not living up to the demands of the Christian life
The Brown Scapular is a sign
which:
- has
been approved by the Church for over seven centuries
- stands
for the decision to follow Jesus like Mary:
- open
to God and to His will
- guided
by faith, hope and love
- close
to the needs of people
- praying
at all times
- discovering
God present in all that happens around us
- introduces
people into the Family of Carmel
- points
to a renewed hope of encountering God in eternal life with the help
of Mary's protection and intercession.
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