The Brown Scapular

"Whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire"

The Mother of God made this astounding promise to a humble Carmelite Monk, Saint Simon Stock, in England more than 700 years ago

Saint Simon Stock (1165-1265)

Saint Simon Stock was born of a distinguished family in the County of Kent. He exhibited unusual piety from his earliest years. At the age of 12 he retired to the solitude of a forest where, for over twenty years, his abode was the hollow of an oak tree in which he could scarcely stand erect. The saint survived on herbs, roots, and wild apples and drank only water. While thus mortifying his flesh he remained in a continual state of prayer and was frequently visited by Our Lord and Our Lady with whom he conversed as one would with his most intimate friends. During one of these heavenly meetings the Blessed Virgin Mary revealed to Saint Simon that he was to seek the company of those hermits known as the Carmelites who had recently arrived in England. And so, abandoning his secluded forest retreat, Simon Stock found the Carmelites, whose austerity of life and ardent devotion to Our Lady impressed him greatly, and whose ranks he soon joined at Aylesford near Rochester in Kent

Simon could do little to hide his extraordinary holiness and within just two years of his entering the order he was appointed Vicar General of all the Western Carmelite Provinces

The continued attacks of the Mohammedans hastened the Carmelites in Palestine to send the majority of their friars to Europe in 1244. The following year Saint Simon Stock was chosen to be the 6th general of the Order and the government of the Carmelites was transferred to England. The holy man of Kent was eighty years old by this time, alert, but noticeably weakened by his life-long penances

In 1251, burdened with the weight of his many troubles, Saint Simon repaired to the Monastery in Cambridge. He prayed fervently in the privacy of his cell asking Heaven again to bestow its graces upon the Carmelites. Just as Elias had obtained through this prayer the end of three years’ drought in Israel, so too did Saint Simon, in a most singular manner receive an answer to his entreaty. Whilst in ecstasy he beheld the Mother of God surrounded by a multitude of angels. Our Lady held in her hands the full scapular of the Carmelite habit and looking upon Saint Simon with utmost compassion she said

"Receive, my beloved son, this habit of thy Order. This shall be to thee and to all

Carmelites a privilege that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire" 

Our Lady concluded by assuring him that his present difficulties would

shortly be overcome, and having said this, she vanished from his sight 

Father Peter Swanington, the saint’s confessor, writes of his having accompanied Simon Stock on the very day of the blessing to the house of a man possessed by the devil. Satan’s poor victim had led a scandalous life and had remained obstinate in his sins. He was on the verge of dying in despair, refusing the Sacraments and blaspheming God. Father Swanington relates

"We entered the house and he foamed with rage, ground his teeth and rolled his

eyes like a furious animal. Saint Simon seeing that he was about to expire and had

already lost the use of his senses, made the sign of the cross and laid upon him the

holy Scapular of Carmel, then lifting his eyes to Heaven he prayed to God to give

time for repentance, that a soul bought with the price of the blood of Jesus Christ

might not become the prey of the demon. All at once the sick man regained his

strength, recovered the use of his senses, and making the sign of the cross, cried

against the demon, saying with tears, ‘Alas, wretch that I am, how terrible is the

fear of my damnation! My sins are more numerous than the sand of the sea! O my

God, Thy Mercy is above Thy justice, have pity on me, and you, my Father, help me "

Having renounced his detestable past he made his confession, and received the last sacraments. In a few hours he died peacefully in the friendship of God. News of the miracle spread quickly and with it the story of Saint Simon’s vision

There soon came about a complete transformation within the Carmelite Order. Dissensions disappeared, its official Ecclesiastical sanction was reaffirmed by Pope Innocent IV, and even Royal protection was granted to it by King Henry III. Saint Simon beheld aspirants from far and wide seeking admittance to the privileged Order which soon began to prosper gloriously in England and throughout the rest of Europe. Fourteen years after the famous apparition, England’s Elias died at the advanced age of 100 years, on May 16, 1265, at the Monastery of Bordeaux

Enrollment

The promises of salvation and deliverance from Purgatory apply to those who die wearing either the large Scapular of the Carmelite habit, the small Scapular, or the Scapular Medal. Anyone wishing to join the Confraternity must be properly enrolled by a priest who has the faculties to do so. Most priests receive this power with the general faculties they acquire from their diocese. Those who are enrolled remain Confraternity members for life and if anyone should fail to wear the Scapular, even for an extended period, there is no need for a re-enrollment in the Confraternity. Also, new Scapulars need not be blessed if the wearer has already been enrolled. In cases of emergency, during war for instance, soldiers and sailors are officially received into the Confraternity by simply wearing the Scapular and reciting some prayers to Our Lady, such as three Hail Mary's

There are a few guidelines pertaining to the small scapular itself which should be observed in addition to the enrollment requirements

The Scapular must be made of woven wool

Its color may be any shade between brown and black, but preferably brown

It must be two rectangular shaped pieces of the cloth connected by cord, string, or chain

It must be worn over the shoulder to rest on the front and back of the body

It may be decorated with pictures or designs but this is not necessary

The Sabbatine Privilege

Our Lady of Mount 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

RECITE DAILY THE "LITTLE OFFICE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN"

OR, TO OBSERVE THE FASTS OF THE CHURCH TOGETHER WITH ABSTAINING FROM MEAT ON WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY

OR, WITH PERMISSION OF A PRIEST TO SAY FIVE DECADES OF OUR LADY'S MOST HOLY ROSARY

OR, WITH THE PERMISSION OF A PRIEST TO SUBSTITUTE SOME OTHER GOOD WORK.

Pope Benedict XV, the celebrated World War I Pontiff granted 500 days indulgence for devoutly kissing your scapular

The Scapular Medal 

Early in this century missionaries petitioned Rome to allow a Medal to be used instead of the cloth Scapular. Those who made this request were stationed in tropical regions and had considerable trouble preserving their Scapulars from decaying in the excessive humidity. After careful consideration, Pope Saint Pius X, in 1910, granted permission for the use of a Scapular Medal. It was to have an image of the Sacred Heart on one side and an image of Our Lady on the other and would possess the same promises and indulgences as the Brown Scapular. The Medal’s usage, however, was to be restricted. Saint Pius added explicitly to his consent that for ordinary circumstances, "I desire most vehemently that the cloth Scapulars be worn as heretofore"

Let us pray

Father, you called St. Simon Stock to serve you in the brotherhood of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Through his prayers help us like him to live in your presence and to work for the salvation of the human family

We ask this through Christ our Lord

Amen