Our Lady's Rosary Makers

THE BROWN SCAPULAR

of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

"Whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire."

Mary's promise to Saint Simon Stock

July 16, 1251

"Wear it devoutly and perserveringly," she says to each soul, "it is my garment. To be clothed in it means you are continually thinking of me, and I in turn, am always thinking of you and helping you to secure eternal life."

THE SABBATINE PRIVILEGE (See bottom of page)

The blessed Virgin of Mt. Carmel promised those who wear the scapular devoutly and with the proper intentions would not suffer the fires of Hell; also, their stay in Purgatory will be shortened if they should pass from this world still owing some temporal debt of punishment. Tradition recounts when the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Simon Stock she said of those who wear the Brown Scapular, "I, the Mother of grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting."

Pope Benedict XV, so anxious and determined to make it very clear to all that the medal was positively never meant to replace the brown cloth Scapular (except in extreme cases) declared on July 8, 1916: "'In order that one may see that it is Our desire that the Brown Scapular be worn we concede to it a grace the Scapular Medal shall not enjoy.' And the pontiff proceeded to grant an indulgence* of 500 days for each time the cloth Scapular is kissed". On July 16th, the Scapular feast, while addressing the seminarians of Rome, Benedict XV said: "Let all of you have a common language and a common armor: the language, the sentences of the Gospel; the common armor, the Scapular of the Virgin of Carmel, which you all ought to wear and which enjoys the singular privilege of protection even after death."

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*INDULGENCE: The remission in whole or in part for the temporal punishment due to sins. (Remission of time spent in Purgatory.)

"One day, through the rosary and the scapular, she will save the world." St. Dominic

At Fatima, on October 13, 1917, Our Lady performed the great miracle of the sun.

While 70,000 people witnessed this miracle, the three children saw Our Lady with the Rosary;

Our Lord; St. Joseph with Child Jesus; Our Lady in blue; and finally,

Our Lady of Mount Carmel with the Brown Scapular.

The very fact that she was holding the brown scapular tells us that she wants us to take it and use it!

"The Rosary and the Scapular are inseparable!" Sister Lucia

SABBATINE PRIVILEGE HISTORY

The following excerpt is from the Original Catholic Encyclopedia article on the Sabbatine Privilege:

We reproduce here the whole passage dealing with the Sabbatine privilege, as it appears in the summary approved by the Congregation of Indulgences on July 4, 1908. It is noteworthy that the Bull of John XXII, which was still mentioned in the previous summary approved on December 1, 1866, is no longer referred to (cf. "Rescript. authent. S. C. Indulg.", Ratisbon, 1885, p. 475). Among the privileges, which are mentioned after the indulgences, the following occurs in the first place: "The privilege of Pope John XXII, commonly [vulgo] known as the Sabbatine, which was approved and confirmed by Clement VII ("Ex clementi", August 12, 1530), St. Pius V ("Superna dispositione", February 18, 1566), Gregory XIII ("Ut laudes", September 15, 1577), and others, and also by the Holy Roman General Inquisition under Paul V on January 20, 1613, in a Decree to the following effect:

" `It is permitted to the Carmelite Fathers to preach that the Christian people may piously believe in the help which the souls of brothers and members, who have departed this life in charity, have worn throughout life the scapular, have ever observed chastity, have recited the Little Hours [of the Blessed Virgin], or, if they cannot read, have observed the fast days of the Church, and have abstained from flesh meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays (except when Christmas falls on such days), may derive after death—especially on Saturdays, the day consecrated by the Church to the Blessed Virgin—through the unceasing intercession of Mary, her pious petitions, her merits, and her special protection.' "

With this explanation and interpretation, the Sabbatine privilege no longer presents any difficulties, and Benedict XIV adds his desire that the faithful should rely on it (Opera omnia, IX, Venice, 1767, pp. 197 sqq.). Even apart from the Bull and the tradition or legend concerning the apparition and promise of the Mother of God the interpretation of the Decree cannot be contested. The Sabbatine privilege thus consists essentially in the early liberation from purgatory through the special intercession and petition of Mary, which she graciously exercises in favor of her devoted servants preferentially—as we may assume—on the day consecrated to her, Saturday. Furthermore, the conditions for the gaining of the privilege are of such a kind as justify a special trust in the assistance of Mary. It is especially required of all who wish to share in the privilege that they faithfully preserve their chastity, and recite devoutly each day the Little Hours of the Blessed Virgin. However, all those who are bound to read their Breviary, fulfil the obligation of reciting the Little Hours by reading their Office. Persons who cannot read must (instead of reciting the Little Hours) observe all the fasts prescribed by the Church as they are kept in their home diocese or place of residence, and must in addition abstain from flesh meat on all Wednesdays and Saturdays of the year, except when Christmas falls on one of these days. The obligation to read the Little Hours and to abstain from flesh meat on Wednesday and Saturday may on important grounds be changed for other pious works: the faculty to sanction this change was granted to all confessors by Leo XIII in the Decree of the Congregation of Indulgences of 11 (14) June, 1901.

In order to obtain the Sabbatine Privilege the following three conditions must be fulfilled:

• WEAR THE BROWN SCAPULAR CONTINUOUSLY

• OBSERVE CHASTITY ACCORDING TO ONE'S STATE IN LIFE. (MARRIED/SINGLE)

• RECITE DAILY THE "LITTLE OFFICE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN."

OR, IF THEY CANNOT READ

A) TO OBSERVE THE FASTS OF THE CHURCH TOGETHER WITH ABSTAINING FROM FLESH MEAT ON BOTH WEDNESDAY'S AND SATURDAY'S.

OR,

B) WITH PERMISSION OF A PRIEST TO PRAY FIVE DECADES OF OUR LADY'S MOST HOLY ROSARY.

OR,

C) WITH THE PERMISSION OF A PRIEST TO SUBSTITUTE SOME OTHER GOOD WORK.

To read the entire article on the Sabbatine Privilege click here

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OUR LADY'S ROSARY MAKERS OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN