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January 5, 2023
Why the Brown Scapular is so powerfulThe Brown Scapular is one of the most powerful and important Marian devotions in the Church’s Tradition. It’s such a powerful devotion that many saints have even called it “Mary’s Sacrament.”But what does that mean?What is a sacrament?The sacraments are visible signs of an invisible reality - God’s grace alive in our soul. When Christ instituted the Church he gave us 7 sacraments as a means of giving us the grace that was won during His Passion.The salvific effects of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection are communicated to us even today through Baptism, Eucharist, Confession, and all of the other sacraments of the Church.Word made Flesh
The sacraments are a means of salvation that fit our nature. We are creatures made of body and soul, and everything that we know and experience of the world happens through our bodily nature. So God in his wisdom and kindness created a means of salvation that suits us.
Christ took on our physical nature in the Incarnation, which we celebrate during the Christmas season. And he left us the sacraments as a means of saving us that was fitting.
Just as our bodies our nourished through physical means, The sacraments are a tangible means of nourishing our soul in a way that makes sense to us and that we can grasp.
Mary’s Sacrament
Our Lady has acted in a similar fashion. Just as the sacraments are a visible sign of God’s grace, the Brown Scapular is a visible sign of Our Lady’s mediation.Our Lady intercedes for us and is the mediatrix of all graces. Because of our limited nature she gives us the scapular as a sure and persistent sign that she protects us and intercedes for those devoted to her.Wait…there’s more
But there’s an even greater meaning to the idea of a sacrament.
In ancient Rome, the sacramentum was a legal oath or pledge that pertained to the military in particular. The sacramentum was an oath that bound you in service to another.
This is another aspect of the 7 sacraments as vehicles of God’s grace.
God himself is not bound by the sacraments (obviously) because God is omnipotent, but he has promised his grace through the sacraments so that we can be completely assured that God gives us his grace through the faithful reception of the sacraments.
Therefore we can say that God has bound his grace to us through his sacraments.
Mary is faithful
In a similar manner, when we practice True Devotion to Mary through the Brown Scapular, Our Lady promises and binds her intercession to us.In the words of Fr. John Mathias Haffert:“Thus the Scapular is not only an assurance of Salvation after death; it is even now a powerful means of Grace. In instituting such a simple but complete devotion, Mary continually binds Herself, as it were, to interceded for us. Truly, then, is the Scapular Her Sacrament: it is a visible pledge of Her intercession, the very channel of Grace.”Blessed Claude de la Colombiere says that the Brown Scapular is more than just a sign - it’s an alliance that Mary promises to us in order to assure us of salvation.The Scapular Promise
The sacraments instituted by Christ are the only sacraments in the proper sense - these are the actual means of our salvation that communicate grace to us today.
But the Brown Scapular can also be seen as a type of sacrament as well - Mary’s Sacrament.
This is because it is a visible sign that daily reminds us of her constant protection and intercession. And through our devotion to the Brown Scapular, Our Lady binds herself to us and guarantees to secure us the grace necessary for our salvation.
In other words, the Brown Scapular is too important a devotion to ignore.
Let’s Spread the Word
If you’re not wearing a Brown Scapular, consider wearing one this year.If you already wear the Brown Scapular, re-dedicate yourself to Mary through this powerful devotion.And if you want to help brings souls to Christ and work for the salvation of souls, tell others about the Brown Scapular. Start with those you love, because everyone deserves to know about this powerful devotion.And if you can, help us spread the word about the Brown Scapular - click here to find out how you can help today!
