Wednesday 16 May 2012

This could become a habit......



……I mean, of course, the scapular, those two squares of brown cloth adorned with an image of Our Lady appearing to St Simon Stock and the promise of Our Lady of Mount Carmel that: “…..anyone dying in this habit shall not suffer eternal fire.”            



Today is the feast of St Simon Stock who received the apparition of Our Lady at Aylesford in the year 1251 (although Catholic Online states that it was Cambridge).

Now, I must confess that I do not wear a scapular, it is one of those devotional acts that I have been meaning to do for years but never got round to.

Enough! I will avail myself of this great devotion and enrol toute suite, I have shilly shallied long for far too long.

 In fact, it could be a devotion that the Guild might consider adopting, after all, Blessed Titus was a Carmelite. Perhaps we could have an enrolment after the next Guild Mass; it does require the services of a priest, it is not a question of just buying a scapular and wearing it.

The website of The Brown Scapular tells us that it is a “living prayer”…..

“As Our Lord taught us to say the Our Father, Our Blessed Mother taught us the value of the scapular.
When we use it as a prayer, Our Lady draws us to the Sacred Heart of Her Divine Son.
It is good, therefore, to hold the scapular in the hand.
A prayer offered while holding the Scapular is as perfect as a prayer can be.
 It is especially in time of temptation that we need the powerful intercession of God’s Mother.

The evil spirit is utterly powerless when the wearer of a scapular faces temptation, calling upon the Holy Virgin in this silent devotion.

 “If you had recommended yourself to me, you would not have run into such danger,” was Our Lady’s gentle reproach to Blessed Alan de la Roche, one of her devoted servants”.

And, for any priest interested in investing his flock with the special graces of the Scapular, here is the service of enrolment:



Procedure for Blessing and Investiture
Latin

Priest - Ostende nobis Domine misericordiam tuam.
Respondent - Et salutare tuum da nobis.
P - Domine exaudi orationem meum.
R - Et clamor meus ad te veniat.
P - Dominus vobiscum.
R - Et cum spiritu tuo.
P - Oremus. Domine Jesu Christe, humani generis Salvator, hunc habitum, quem propter tuum tuaeque Genitricis Virginis Mariae de Monte Carmelo, Amorem servus tuus devote est delaturus, dextera tua sancti+fica, tu eadem Genitrice tua intercedente, ab hoste maligno defensus in tua gratia usque ad mortem perseveret: Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

THE PRIEST SPRINKLES WITH HOLY WATER THE SCAPULAR AND THE PERSON(S) BEING ENROLLED. HE THEN INVESTS HIM (THEM), SAYING:

P - Accipite hunc, habitum benedictum precantes sanctissima Virginem, ut ejus meritis illum perferatis sine macula, et vos ab omni adversitate defendat, atque advitam perducat aeternam. Amen.

AFTER INVESTITURE THE PRIEST CONTINUES WITH THE PRAYERS:

P - Ego, ex potestate mihi concessa, recipio vos ad participationem, omnium bonorum spiritualium, qua, cooperante misericordia Jesu Christi, a Religiosa de Monte Carmelo peraguntur. In Nomine Patris + et Filii + et Spiritus Sancti. + Amen.

Benedicat + vos Conditor caeli at terrae, Deus omnipotens, qui vos cooptare dignatus est in Confraternitatem Beatae Mariae Virginis de Monte Carmelo: quam exoramus, ut in hore obitus vestri conterat caput serpentis antiqui, atque palmam et coronam sempiternae hereditatis tandem consequamini. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
R - Amen.

THE PRIEST THEN SPRINKLES AGAIN WITH HOLY WATER THE PERSON(S) ENROLLED.

English

Priest - Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy.
Respondent - And grant us Thy salvation.
P - Lord, hear my prayer.
R - And let my cry come unto Thee.
P - The Lord be with you.
R - And with your Spirit.
P - Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, sanctify + by Thy power these scapulars, which for love of Thee and for love of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Thy servants will wear devoutly, so that through the intercession of the same Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and protected against the evil spirit, they persevere until death in Thy grace. Thou who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

THE PRIEST SPRINKLES WITH HOLY WATER THE SCAPULAR AND THE PERSON(S) BEING ENROLLED. HE THEN INVESTS HIM (THEM), SAYING:

P - Receive this blessed scapular and beseech the Blessed Virgin that through Her merits, you may wear it without stain. May it defend you against all adversity and accompany you to eternal life. Amen.

AFTER INVESTITURE THE PRIEST CONTINUES WITH THE PRAYERS:

P - I, by the power vested in me, admit you to participate in all the spiritual benefits obtained through the mercy of Jesus Christ by the Religious Order of Mount Carmel. In the name of the Father + and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. + Amen.

May God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and earth, bless + you, He who has deigned to join you to the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel; we beseech Her to crush the head of the ancient serpent so that you may enter into possession of your eternal heritage through Christ our Lord.
R - Amen.

THE PRIEST THEN SPRINKLES AGAIN WITH HOLY WATER THE PERSON(S) ENROLLED.

And here is a prayer for the feast of this great Carmelite saint:

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.

O, Mary, conceived without sin,
Pray for us who have recourse to Thee.

Mother and Ornament of Carmel,
pray for us.

Virgin, Flower of Carmel,
pray for us.

Patroness of all who wear the Scapular,
pray for us.

Hope of all who die wearing the Scapular,
pray for us.

St. Joseph, Friend of the Sacred Heart,
pray for us.

St. Joseph, Chaste Spouse of Mary,
pray for us.

St. Joseph, our Patron,
pray for us.

O, Sweet Heart of Mary,
be our Salvation.





Richard Collins - Linen on the Hedgerow

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