Spectacular Scapular

Several years ago my mother gave me a brown scapular with a brief explanation about it's significance, and a hint that I would be needing it. (She was Catholic, I am not. But that's another story.) She died shortly after under quite bizarre circumstances. The scapular sort of appeared at her funeral in a manner that nearly caused one of her Catholic friends to faint.

One of many questions I would like to ask you is do you find it odd that someone would "give" their scapular to another?

I don't find it the least bit odd. This sentence is why: "She was Catholic, I am not. But that's another story."

Not really. That's pretty much the whole story.

She wants you to join her in heaven and since you are not Catholic she was worried that you will be...left behind the door.

The one that's on fire.

I wrote all about why wearing the scapular can help you get to heaven. Go ahead and have a read. I'll wait.


So, you see, it's not rocket science why your mother would want to at least get that scapular around your neck. The rest is up to you, including joining the Confraternity of the Scapular. I'm surprised she didn't also thrust a green scapular at you. She probably had one under her pillow with your name on it.

Dear Sister,
When you respond to Miss Sandy's question, could you also answer whether the brown scapular needs to be given ceremonially at Church in order to be worn. I was told that it did, and since I am too old go getting special ceremonies to receive something most children get at their First Communion, I do not wear one. I would like to though, since I want all the help getting into heaven I can get!

Nothing so fancy. You seem to be picturing some sort of scapular parade and maybe a Maypole. You just have to take your scapular to the priest to be blessed. There is a special prayer he has to say when he does this. This enrolls you in the Confraternity of the Scapular.

Voila!

I would think that if you need all the help you can get to get into heaven, you'd jump at the chance to dance around the Maypole in a flowered headdress if that's what it took. Lucky for you, you don't even have to take it to the priest yourself. You can have some youngster run it over to the rectory for you.

I think you want all the easy breezy lemony squeezy help you can get getting into heaven. The Church keeps doing whatever She can to make it ever more convenient for you.

For example, in order to get the full benefit of the Stations of the Cross it used to be necessary to actually go to the Holy Land and walk in the footsteps of Christ. This was no easy feat. You couldn't book a quick trip on Southwest, hop off and grab some falafel and get your indulgence. It would have taken you months to get there. You would have had to have some serious dough or be willing to starve and freeze and boil the whole way there and back. You may well have died before you got there or before you got home.

People complained. Only rich, healthy people could get the indulgence. Our good friend St. Francis of Assisi came up the Stations of the Cross as you know them today, so you don't have to drag yourself over to the Holy Land. You can just walk around in your own church.

At least they kept the rule that you actually have to walk around and not just sit in your pew and nod in the direction of "Jesus Falls the Third Time". You don't have to starve and boil and freeze.

And you don't have to dance around a Maypole.

I would be all for instating a Maypole dance or parade, were it up to me. Followed by cake in the school basement.