The Promises Made by
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Regarding the Brown Scapular
Every
single person who has ever written or called this Center for information
regarding the Garabandal Apparitions has found included in our mailing,
the Brown Scapular of "Our Lady of Mount Carmel." These scapulars
are also given freely at all of my Slide-Lectures. It is estimated that
well over one million have been distributed throughout the world since 1964.
All of our scapulars are hand-made by our volunteer sewers, blessed by a
priest and then touched one-by-one to a rosary or picture or book actually
"kissed" by Our Blessed Mother during Her more than 2000 appearances
at Garabandal to four 11 and 12 year old girls from 1961-1965. Although
The Virgin Mary's coming to Garabandal was announced ahead of time by Michael
The Archangel as "Our Lady of Carmel"...and She did appear with
the brown scapular many times...the Carmelite Brown Scapular is not a new
sacramental or devotion in the Church.
The Carmelite Order, was known in its early days as:
"Brothers of The Order of The Most Blessed Mother of God and Ever Virgin
Mary of Mount Carmel." They claimed an organic descent from hermits living
on that mountain in Palestine, under the direction of the Prophets Elias and
Eliseus (873-854 B.C.). For practical purposes their history may be taken
to begin in 1155, when a hermitage of western men was founded there by St.
Berthold.
In the year 1238, mounting difficulties were threatening
to overwhelm Our Lady's Order and during the war of the Crusaders, lariauc
Saracens had driven the Community out of their ancient and honored home. The
helpless priests and brothers wandered through Europe, unknown and unwanted.
In new and hostile surroundings, they struggled vainly to survive. It almost
seemed as though Our Lady's Order might perish forever.
During this dark period of crisis, St. Simon Stock,
Superior General of the Order desperately implored Our Blessed Mother for
some special sign of love; some act of heavenly intercession, which would
bring support to Her Order to strengthen its rapidly weakening ranks. Over
and over again he prayed:
"O
beautiful flower of Carmel, most fruitful vine, splendour of Heaven, holy
and singular, who brought forth the Son of God, still ever remaining a
pure Virgin, assist me in this necessity. O Star of the Sea, help and
protect me. Show me that thou art my Mother!"
On
July 16, 1251, The Holy Mother of God gave an unprecedented answer to St.
Simon Stock's petitions. Radiantly surrounded by a multitude of angels, Our
Lady of Mount Carmel appeared to the aged monk as he knelt in prayer at Aylesford,
England. Presenting to him the Carmelite Brown Scapular, She made a promise
of unparalleled generosity ... a promise of salvation:
"Receive, my dear son, the Scapular which I present to you
and to your whole Order; it is by this that I wish you to be recognized
in the future as my kindred, my brothers; it is a sign of predestination,
a token of peace and of AN ETERNAL CONVENANT. Whosoever has the good fortune
to die with this mark of my love shall not suffer eternal fire."
(See Conditions.)
Like
wildfire, Our Blessed Mother's Promise spread throughout Europe. Everywhere,
people of all walks of life popes and bishops, kings and lay people, heralded
Our Lady's generosity and appealed to be invested with the Carmelite Brown
Scapular with numerous miracles and prodigies being attributed to it. Her
Order enjoyed a new rebirth.
According
to Blessed Claude De La Colombiere, S.J.: "This first fervor was much
increased by the elevation of John XXII to the Papacy. For The Blessed Virgin
in a previous vision had promised that he would be Pope on condition that
he would authorize the devotion of Her Habit, which had, until then, rested
upon faith in a particular revelation. He did in fact so authorize it by a
Bull in which he inserted the story of this apparition."
The
second scapular
promise, known as "The Sabbatine Privilege" (meaning Saturday) was
made by Our Lady directly to Pope John XXII. She promised, referring to those
who died wearing the brown scapular:
"As
a tender Mother, I will descend into purgatory on the Saturday after their
death, and will deliver them into the heavenly mansions of life everlasting."
(See Conditions.)
The
Papal Bull "Sacratissimo Uti Culmine" was said to have been issued
on March 3rd, 1322. With the original document now lost, it certainly does
not take away the fact that many Popes since then have fully approved and
supported this virtuous tradition and belief, so much so, that all children
throughout the entire Catholic world were automatically enrolled in the "Confraternity
of The Brown Scapular" and invested with it at the time when they received
their First Holy Communion.
To
quote Blessed Claude once again, he said:
"For more than four hundred years this devotion has existed in the
Catholic Church, despite the persecution of proud and wanton spirits,
raised up from time to time by hell, which has left nothing undone in
efforts to damage it; but this devotion has spread; it has flourished;
it has constantly grown. What, then, is left to render Mary's promise
more solemn, except the ratification, so to speak, of God Himself; and
I would now have you heed the voice of the Supreme Truth speaking in favor
of the Scapular through miracles."
"The Scapular devotion is a secure way to
assure oneself of the protection of The Blessed Virgin; She has strictly
obliged Herself to safeguard those who wear this holy habit; we still
more strongly oblige Her to do so from the moment that we adopt this devotion."
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CONDITIONS
TO
OBTAIN THE BROWN
SCAPULAR
PROMISES OF OUR
LADY OF
MT. CARMEL
1) To
be enrolled in the Scapular Confraternity once,and to wear the scapular
at all times.
2) To be pure, observing the 6th and 9th Commandments.
3) To perform some practice in honor of Mary which an authorized
priest will assign you.
Indulgence:
500 days each time the
Scapular is kissed.
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If
you would like to make
Brown Secuplars
I will send you the materials
required, please write:
Maria
C. Saraco
889
Palo Verde Ave
Pasadena,
CA 91104
saraco@garabandal.org
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