Take this Scapular. Whosoever dies wearing it shall not suffer eternal fire. It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger and pledge of peace.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel’s words to St. Simon Stock

When Our Lady gave the scapular to St. Simon Stock on July 16th, 1251, she gave the world the sign of her unceasing assistance as our mother. On that day, she promised that those who clothe themselves with this symbol of her maternal care will not be lost in the fires of hell. All who wear the little habit of Carmel faithfully and devoutly belong to the Blessed Virgin and are wholly hers.

How do we wear the scapular worthily? We must always remember it is the sign of Mary’s maternal love for us, and in order for us to return her love, we must strive to become like her. We can accomplish this by cultivating our interior life, seeking God in all things, and focusing entirely on the divine.

Devotion to our Lady of Mount Carmel indicates a strong call to the interior life, which, in a very special way, is Mary’s life. The Blessed Virgin wants us to resemble her in heart and mind much more than in externals.

Fr. Gabriel of Mary Magdalene, Divine Intimacy

The sign of our devotion to the Blessed Mother is the scapular. Our love calls us to imitate her. We must resemble her in heart and mind, wearing Our Lady’s little habit faithfully and closely following her in the practice of the interior life. This is the internal proof of our devotion.

This scapular, Our Lady’s little habit, is the sign, the Blessed Mother’s pledge, of our eternal salvation. It becomes the external mark of our interior promise to belong wholly to Christ through Mary. Let us wear it worthily, never offending the one who gave us this great assurance of her motherly care.

I highly recommend listening to this sermon. The priest explains the importance of Our Lady’s habit much more eloquently than I ever could.

“The Brown Scapular – A Share In Our Lady’s Habit,” July 11, 2020.

Works Cited

Fr. Gabriel of Mary Magdalene. Divine Intimacy. 1964. Baronius Press, 2019.

“The Brown Scapular – A Share In Our Lady’s Habit,” Homily. Regina Prophetarum, www.reginaprophetarum.org, July 11, 2020. http://www.reginaprophetarum.org/audio/20200711-The-Brown-Scapular-a-Share-in-Our%20Lady’s-Habit.mp3