The Mantle or Scapular of Elias There is an indisputable link between the prophet Elias and the religious order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; as well as a symbolic link between the mantle or scapular of Elias and the mantle or scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Elias used to inhabit the area on and around Mount Carmel itself—which was just 9 miles from where Our Lady would later live in Nazareth. From her home in Nazareth, every day Our Lady could see Mount Carmel nine miles distant to the west. She would, no doubt, visited Mount Carmel during her life. It was on Mount Carmel that Elias defeated the idolatrous prophets of Baal and killed them, thus saving Israel from ruin; and it is Our Lady of Mount Carmel who, through her Scapular, will one day save the world from the devil, sin and heresy. The many miracles that have been wrought through the Brown Scapular are merely foretastes of the great triumph that is one day to come through the triumph of Our Lady, who will use, to a large extent, the Rosary and the Scapular to bring it about. Let us then have a look at some of these miracles, so that our confidence can be raised and maintained in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. To begin with, let us go back to the time of the prophet Elias, whose mantle or scapular was a foretaste or prefiguration of many Scapular miracles that would come after 1251. “And Elias said to Eliseus: ‘Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as the Jordan!’ And Eliseus said: ‘As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee!’ and they two went on together. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets followed them, and stood in sight at a distance: but they two [Elias and Eliseus] stood by the Jordan. And Elias took his mantle and folded it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, and they both passed over on dry ground. And when they were gone over, Elias said to Eliseus: ‘Ask what thou wilt have me to do for thee, before I be taken away from thee!’ And Eliseus said: ‘I beseech thee that in me may be thy double spirit!’ And he answered: ‘Thou hast asked a hard thing! Nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have what thou hast asked: but if thou see me not, thou shalt not have it!’ And as they went on, walking and talking together, behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into Heaven. And Eliseus saw him, and cried: ‘My father, my father! The chariot of Israel, and the driver thereof!’ And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own garments, and rent them in two pieces. And he took up the mantle of Elias, that fell from him: and going back, he stood upon the bank of the Jordan, and he struck the waters with the mantle of Elias, that had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said: ‘Where is now the God of Elias?’ And he struck the waters, and they were divided, hither and thither, and Eliseus passed over” (4 Kings 2:6-14). Our Lady Appears To St. Simon Stock In the year 1241, the Baron de Grey of England was returning from the Crusades in Palestine: he brought back with him a group of religious from the holy mountain of Carmel. Upon arrival, the baron generously presented the monks with a manor house in the town of Aylesford. Ten years later, in the very place, there occurred, the now famous apparition of Our Lady to St. Simon Stock, on July 16th, in 1251. The full promise of Our Lady of Mount was: “Accept this Scapular. It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger and a pledge of peace. Whosoever dies clothed in this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.” In 1858, In the same month and on the same date, July 16th, on the 18th and last apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes, she appeared to Bernadette, dressed as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. St. Bernadette testifies that this was the most beautiful of the apparitions. Sister Lucia of Fatima made a similar comment, when, at her 6th and last apparition at Fatima, Our Lady showed herself in three different forms of clothing—the third and last was that of Our Lady of Carmel, wearing the religious habit of the Carmelites. This, said Lucia, was the most beautiful sight of all—and Lucia later attested that the Scapular that was being held out towards her and the world, signified that Our Lady wanted everyone in the world to wear the Brown Scapular and profit from it. Miracles of the Brown Scapular The devotion to the Brown Scapular was brought about and strengthened by miracles. God uses miracles as a witness to the truth of His promises and those of His Mother. Miracles are used by God to confirm the solid foundation of the devotions that the Church proposes to the faithful. The greater the number of miracles obtained by a particular devotion, the more it draws our attention to this devotion and authenticates the truth that the practice is pleasing to God. Of all the devotions adopted by the Church, none has been confirmed by more authenticated miracles than that of the Brown Scapular.
On the very day that Our Lady gave the Scapular to Saint Simon Stock, he was hurriedly called by Lord Peter of Linton: “Come quickly, Father, my brother is dying in despair!” Saint Simon Stock left at once for the bedside of the dying man. Upon arrival, he placed his large Scapular over the man, asking Our Blessed Mother to keep her promise. Immediately the man repented, and died in the grace of God. That night the dead man appeared to his brother and said, “I have been saved through the most powerful Queen and the habit of that man as a shield.”
The Brown Scapular | St. Alphonsus Liguori St. Alphonsus had a very special devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and while alive wore his brown scapular faithfully. Many years after his death his grave was opened; the body and priestly vestments in which he was buried had turned to dust! But his scapular was found PERFECTLY INTACT! St. Alphonsus Liguori's Brown Scapular is still miraculously intact and on exhibit in his Monastery in Rome
A reminder The forum is under constant attack at the moment and may fold. It will be reset up again. Here is my email address to find it again for contact. To know where to go: padraigcaughey@hotmail.com
Padraig. Thank you! I will write your email down. Our Lady of the Brown scapular, and Saint Joseph Terror of demons, please keep this forum safe!
Saint Claude de la Colombiere, the renowned Jesuit and spiritual director of St. Margaret Mary, gives a point that is enlightening. He said, “Because all the forms of our love for the Blessed Virgin and all its various modes of expression cannot be equally pleasing to Her, and therefore do not assist us in the same degree to reach Heaven, I say, without a moment’s hesitation, that the BROWN SCAPULAR IS THE MOST FAVORED OF ALL!” He also adds, “No devotion has been confirmed by more numerous authentic miracles than the Brown Scapular.”
Our Lady Protects a Missionary One day in 1944, a Carmelite missionary in the Holy Land was called to an internment camp in order to give the Last Rites. The Arab driver made the priest get off the bus four miles from the camp because the road was dangerously muddy. After two miles, the missionary found his feet sinking deeper and deeper into the mire. Trying to get solid footing he slipped into a muddy pool. Sinking to his death in this desolate place, he thought of Our Lady and Her Scapular. He kissed his great Scapular -- for he was wearing the full habit -- and looked toward the holy mountain of Carmel, the birthplace of devotion to God’s Mother. He cried out, “Holy Mother of Carmel! Help me! Save me!” A moment later, he found himself on solid ground. Later he said, “I know I was saved by the Blessed Virgin through Her Brown Scapular. My shoes were lost in the mud, and I was covered with it, but I walked the remaining two miles praising Mary.” We should KISS Our Scapular Devoutly when rising in the morning. For this gesture of reverence, we received an indulgence of 500 days!!!Pope Benedict XV, the celebrated World War I Pontiff, granted 500 days indulgence for devoutly kissing your scapular. I am not sure if this is everytime. But I trust it is, and kiss mine many times a day! The Morning Offering O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary (here kiss the scapular as a sign of your consecration), I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with It the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day. O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can, and I offer them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate, that she may best apply them to the interests of Thy most Sacred Heart. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Saint Joseph TERROR of demons, protect us!
Saved from the Sea Another Scapular story that bears repeating took place in 1845. In the late summer of that year, the English ship, “king of the Ocean” found itself in the middle of a wild hurricane. As wind and sea mercilessly lashed the ship, a Protestant minister, together with his wife and children and other passengers, struggled to the deck to pray for forgiveness and mercy, as the end seemed at hand. Among the crew was a young Irishman, John McAuliffe. On seeing the urgency of the situation, the youth opened his shirt took off his Scapular, and, making the sign of the Cross with it over the raging waves tossed it into the ocean. At that very moment, the wind calmed. Only one more wave washed the deck, bringing with it the Scapular, which came to rest at the boy’s feet. All the while the minister, a Mr. Fisher, had been carefully observing McAuliffe’s actions and the miraculous effect of those actions. Upon questioning the young man, they were told about the Holy Virgin and Her Scapular. Mr. Fisher and his family were so impressed that they were determined to enter the Catholic Church as soon as possible, and thereby enjoy the same protection of Our Lady’s Scapular.
During the Spanish civil war in the 1930‟s, seven Communists were sentenced to death because of their crimes. A Carmelite priest tried to prepare the men for death; they refused. As a last resort, he brought the men cigarettes, food and wine, assuring them that he would not talk religion. In a short while, they were all friendly, so he asked them for one small favor: “Will you permit me to place a Scapular on each of you?” Six agreed; one refused. Soon all Scapular wearers went to confession. The seventh continued to refuse. Only to please them, he put on a Scapular, he would do nothing more. Morning came, and as the moment of execution drew near, the seventh man made it clear that he was not going to ask for the priest. Although wearing the Scapular, he was determined to go to his death an enemy of God. Finally, the command was given, the firing squad did its deadly work, and seven lifeless bodies lay sprawled in the dust. Mysteriously, a Scapular was found approximately 50 paces from the bodies. Six men died WITH Mary‟s Scapular; the seventh died WITHOUT the Scapular. Blessed Claude gives us the solution to the mystery of the missing Scapular: “You ask, ‘What if I desire to die in my sins?’ I answer, ‘Then you will die in your sins, BUT YOU WILL NOT DIE IN YOUR SCAPULAR.'” Blessed Claude tells the story of a man who tried to drown himself three times. He was rescued against his will. At last he realized that he was wearing his Scapular. Determined to take his life, he tore the Scapular from his neck and leaped into the water. Without Mary‟s protective garment he accomplished his wish, and died in his sins. (Garment of Grace, emphasis added) So yes, the Brown Scapular is a powerful weapon against Satan and can help us along the road to holiness, but it is not “magic” and if we refuse to lead a life divorced from sin, the Scapular will not be found on us when we die. We must devoutly wear it, and choose to serve God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Brown Scapular can amplify our spiritual life and help us in our time of greatest need!
