Scapular

[dairygirl4u2c]

proponents of the scapular say it will save your soul if you wear it. people often say though that it will not save you from mortal sin. if the scapular doesn't save you from mortal sin, what exactly does it save you from? if you had the other sins, but they weren't mortal, wouldn't you have been saved anyway?

[Mr.Cat]

The Brown Scapular our Blessed Mother gave the promise that, “whosoever dies wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.” One must although submit themselves to the obligations of the Brown Scapular that are chiefly that one wear it as often as possible (if not perpetually), that one attempt to lead a pious/holy life, that one remain chaste according to their state in life, and that one honestly seeks salvation. [u][b]The promise of “salvation” is inferred from what our Blessed Mother told us but to iterate it is not a “free pass” into Heaven; it will not it save us from un-confessed mortal sins; it does not supplement the Sacraments or the Church; and it most of all does not bypass our Blessed Lord being the true author of salvation or the true call to holiness[/b][/u].

As Catholics we know the requirements to attain salvation can be hard for us whom struggle with sin and while we work fervently we still struggle. The Brown Scapular is a passive act of our will that we desire salvation and we are asking for salvation through the Blessed Mother likewise she is interceding that we obtain salvation, this our Blessed Mother is acting like a (sub)mediator of salvation. So what this means is that she will obtain those graces for us and help prepare us for those graces that we may sanctify ourselves and persevere in salvation. So if one is truly being faithful to the cause of the Brown Scapular it is unlikely that one would be dammed for one would be doing the best they could to live a holy life and they would have the constant intercession of the glorious Mother of God. So because of this we say that the promise is salvation.

Likewise we could speculate that by wearing the Brown Scapular expressing an outward love of God and our Blessed Mother our Judge at the end of life/time will see that even in our sins by wearing this cloth of His Mother we sought salvation in her intention. We know that God wishes (even though not required to) salvation to every soul, the Blessed Mother or this devotional does not supplement this. Rather it acts on our part for our desire to attain salvation and our intention to be saved is sometimes not the best. So by wearing the Brown Scapular our Blessed Lord will be reminded of His Mother and we will be held in her mantel of protection as much as possible.

Someone who was to wear the Brown Scapular and go and live a life of sin would most likely take the scapular off sooner or later. I give this example, if I told you to put on a big shirt that had a beautiful image of the passion on the front and on the back it had another beautiful image of the resurrection, would you really find yourself out doing wrong? Of course not if they were going to go out and sin they would remove the shirt because it would be a “constant reminder” of their wrong, they would be embarrassed in front of others, and it would repel those people committing sin with them because it would give a strong reminder of holiness to them.

But then people say what if they still do wear it such as, “[i]What happens if I wear the brown scapular then I go out and commit hundreds of mortal sins and die, what happens?[/i]” One’s intention if this was true was not to “wear” the brown scapular to “death.” For if we were truly to wear it we would try to live holy lives and not to commit sin. For we must remind ourselves one unforgiven mortal sin demerits eternal damnation.

So the answer is that by wearing it we are aided in the way of salvation and if we truly and devotedly wear it to death it is almost impossible for us to be dammed for one would be living good and holy lives. But the Brown Scapular is not “magical” or “superstitious.”

[b][u]I hope that helps[/u][/b].

[littleflower+JMJ]

Beautiful answer Mr. Cat! I've worn the scapular since I was very little, its very important to me, and I've always understood it as you explained it. And in fact, it always gave me more responsibility to do good and leave holy lives in everything, not less. Its our reminder and a great sacramental. It's also something I've always strongly encouraged to others.

[SJRod55]

Excellent explanation. Alas mine was lost somewhere between Taiwan and Addis Ababa, I have not been able to find one in Albania to date but keep trying

[dairygirl4u2c]

good response. if the scapular doesn't actually guarantee eternal life, it seems kinda hokey to say what you did. you say graces are bestowed to sustain you into eternal life. but you guys say yourself it pushes you to be good. if that's the case, it seems more like a phycological thing than anything else.
i could probably say that about a lot of the sacraments and sacramentals of the CC but.

[Mr.Cat]

God is willing to give us every grace necessary for salvation and sanctification but we must seek it and do something to attain it, such as prayer. The Scapular if we break it down into basic components is basically passive prayer and being blessed by our Blessed Mother and Holy Mother Church we know that by wearing it we will attain actual graces to help preserve us. Simply put they are graces that otherwise we would not obtain.

The [u]Sacraments of the Dead[/u] ([b]Baptism[/b] and [b]Penance[/b]) actually give us Signifying Grace or like [b]Penance[/b] can increase Signifying Grace in us. The [u]Sacraments of the Living[/u] ([b]Communion[/b], [b]Confirmation[/b], [b]Matrimony[/b], [b]Holy Orders[/b], [b]Extreme Unction[/b]) increase Signifying Grace in the soul thus normally those in mortal sin do not receive theses Sacraments. But [b]Extreme Unction[/b] ([i]Anointing of the Sick[/i]) is taught to forgive mortal sins if the person is truly sorry for their sins but is unable to make a good confession before death, for example they are unconscious but otherwise the Church teaches that one is supposed to go through the [i]Last Rites [/i] of [b]Penance[/b] ([b]Confession[/b]), [b]Holy Communion[/b], and [b]Extreme Unction [/b]([i]Anointing of the Sick[/i]).

The Sacraments serve a “vital” and “necessary” role in Christian life; Namely [b]Baptism[/b], [b]Penance[/b], and [b]Holy Communion[/b]. For we require [b]Baptism[/b] (in one of its forms according to our state in life) for salvation; we need to be in a state of grace for salvation which after [b]Baptism[/b] the [b]Sacrament Penance[/b] ([i]Confession[/i]) is the usual means to be restored to it; and [b]Holy Communion[/b] for our Blessed Lord said Himself if we do not eat His Body and drink His Blood we shall have no life within us.

Opposed to Protestant teaching the Sacraments are not “symbols” or “occasions” of grace but actual “initiators” of grace themselves. But we should be reminded that no one is promised, unless through supernatural revelation, that one is promised salvation. All of us are called to “hope for salvation in Christ” as the scriptures command of us. But we know of certain signs that can suggest that one is predestine to Heaven namely being devotion to the Blessed Virgin, we know of this from the Rosary and the Brown Scapular which she said once she would save the world through theses two devotions.

To clarify, predestination is taught by the Catholic Church but predestination(ism) is condemed by the Catholic Church. Predestination(ism) is the teaching that some souls are destine to go to Heaven or Hell regardless of what they do in life and normally that there is nothing that can be done to change this. We see this heretical doctrine mostly in “once saved always saved” theology which is related to this heresy but it has a few more doctrinal twists. Predestination is the belief, taught by the Church, that God desires every soul to be saved thus He in His Divine Plan makes salvation accessible to every soul and is willing to give those graces of salvation to any soul whom “honestly” seeks them. Therefore if one is not saved it is not by Divine Will that one goes to Hell but rather personal choice to refuse the Divine Plan and those graces that He would willingly give.