 Signs in ordinary human
life
The world
in which we live is full of material things which have symbolic
meaning: light, fire, water...
There are
also, in everyday life, experiences of relationships between
human beings, which express and symbolise deeper realities such
as sharing a meal (as a sign of friendship), taking part in a
protest march (as a sign of solidarity), joining together in
a national celebration (as a sign of identity).
We need signs
and symbols to help us understand what is happening at present,
or what happened before, and to give us an awareness of who we
are, as individuals and as groups.
Signs in Christian
life
Jesus is the
great sign and gift of the Father’s love. He founded the
Church as a sign and instrument of his love. Christian life also
has its signs. Jesus used bread, wine, and water, to help us
understand higher things, which we can neither see nor touch.
In the celebration
of the Eucharist and the other sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation,
Reconciliation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, the Sacrament of the
Sick) the symbols, (water, oil, the laying on of hands, the rings),
all have their own meaning and bring us into communication with
God, present in each of them.
As well as
liturgical signs, the Church has others related to some event,
to some tradition, or some person. One of these is the Brown
Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The Scapular
is a sign of Mary
One of the
signs in the tradition of the Church from many centuries ago
is the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is a sign
approved by the Church and accepted by the Carmelite Order as
an external sign of love for Mary, of the trust her children
have in her, and of commitment to live like her.
The word scapular
indicates a form of clothing which monks wore when they were
working.
With the passage
of time, people began to give symbolic meaning to it: the cross
to be borne every day as disciples and followers of Christ. In
some religious orders, such as the Carmelites, the Scapular turned
into a sign of their way of life. The Scapular came to symbolise
the special dedication of Carmelites to Mary, the Mother of God,
and to express trust in her motherly protection as well as desire
to be like her in her commitment to Christ and to others. Thus
it became a sign of Mary.
From Religous
Orders to the People of God
In the middle
ages many Christians wanted to be associated with the Orders
founded at that time: Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians and
Carmelites. Groups of lay people began to emerge in associations
such as confraternities and sodalities.
All the religious
Orders wanted to give these lay people a sign of affiliation
and of participation in their spirit and apostolate. That sign
was often a part of their habit: a cloak, a cord, a scapular.
Among the
Carmelites, the stage came when a smaller version of the Scapular
was accepted as the sign of belonging to the Order and an expression
of its spirituality.
The value and
meaning of the Scapular
The Scapular
finds its roots in the tradition of the Order, which has seen
in it a sign of Mary’s motherly protection. It has, therefore,
a centuries old spiritual meaning approved by the Church:
 It stands for a commitment to follow Jesus, as
did Mary, the perfect model of all the disciples of Christ. This
commitment finds its origin in baptism by which we become children
of God.
The Blessed
Virgin teaches us,
- to be open
to God, and to his will shown to us in the people, circumstances
and events of our lives;
- to listen
to the Word of God in the bible and in life, to believe in it
and to put into practice its demands;
- to pray always,as
a way of discovering the presence of God in all that is happening
around us;
- to be involved
with people, being attentive to their needs.
It leads us into the community of Carmel, a community
of religious and lay men and women, which has existed in the
Church for eight centuries. It calls on us to live out the ideal
of the Carmelite family: intimate friendship with God in prayer.
It reminds us of the example of the saints of
Carmel, with whom we establish a close bond as brothers and sisters
to one another.
It is an expression of our belief that we will
meet God in eternal life, aided by the intercession and prayer
of Mary.
Some practical
rules
People are enrolled in the Scapular only once,
by a priest or authorised person.
The Scapular can be replaced afterwards by a
medal which has on one side the image of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus and on the other the image of Mary.
The Scapular holds us to live as authentic Christians
in line with the teaching of the Gospel, to receive the sacraments,
to profess our special friendship for Mary, which should be expressed
each day – for example, by praying the Hail Mary, prayerful
reading of the Scriptures, service to someone in need.
The Carmelite Scapular
is not:
- a magical
charm to protect you
- an automatic
guarantee of salvation
- an excuse
for not living up to the demands of Christian life;
it is:
A
Sign which
stands for the decision to follow Jesus as Mary
did:
- open to God
and to God's will,
- guided by
faith, hope and love,
- close to
the needs of people,
- praying always,
- discovering
God present in our life;
brings people into the family of Carmel;
with Mary's help, strengthens our desire to be
with God forever.
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