On Our Lady's Scapular Promise

[LittleWaySoul]

I wear a scapular, but I don't quite understand the Scapular Promise: "Whosoever dies wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire."

 

Essentially, I don't know how to justify such a belief rationally/theologically. I'm afraid of non-Catholic friends asking about my scapular if they see it because I don't know how to explain it. I feel like I shouldn't be wearing one if I don't understand it, so I was hoping someone here could.

 

The whole thing just seems kinda fishy/weird to me, and I know that sounds hypocritical from someone who wears a scapular, but I'm mostly trusting in Church authority on its effectiveness. That's good, but for someone like me, that's not good enough. I'd really appreciate a good explanation of how the scapular promise works without it making the scapular sort of like a good luck charm or superstition.

 

Thanks!

[phatcatholic]

The scapular is not a magical talisman or a "Get Into Heaven Free Card." Whoever dies wearing the scapular shall not suffer hell fire b/c it is assumed that the person who wears the scapular does so out of great devotion to Mary and has, consequently, desired to live as Mary lived. The promise also rests upon the powerful intercession of Mary who, as our Spiritual Mother, strongly desires to interceed for us at the moment when we need her the most. And thus, wearing the scapular is all about fidelity: the fidelity of the wearer to a Marian way of living, and the fidelity of Mary to her spiritual motherhood.