ST. John Paul II

 The devotion of St. John Paul II  to the Brown Scapular and Our Lady of Mount Carmel are well documented. Having been enrolled as a child, the pontiff constantly wore the scapular, following the assassination attempt in 1981, Pope John Paul instructed the surgeon not to remove the scapular during the surgery. 

He recalled in an intimate way the special help and protection he himself received from the Blessed Mother through his devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in an audience with the youth in a parish in Rome dedicated to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, saying:

 I should tell you that in my youth, when I was about your age, she helped me a great deal. I cannot say to what degree exactly, but I believe it was to a very great extent. She helped me to gain the grace proper to my age in life, the grace to understand my vocation…
I owe a great deal in my early youth to my devotion to the Carmelite scapular. A mother’s constant diligence and concern for the clothes of her children is beautiful to see. she always wants them well-dressed. When her children’s garments are torn the mother makes an effort to repair them. The Blessed Mother of Mount Carmel and of the holy scapular speaks to us of her maternal care, her concern to clothe us spiritually with the grace of God and to help us always keep our garments white.

St. John Paul II describes Our Lady, through her scapular, helping him to gain grace necessary to his state in life. The scapular is a sacramental of the Catholic Church, it prepares us to recieve and cooperate with God's grace in our life. What a wonderful gift!

Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Pray for us!
St. John Paul II - Pray for us!