The Religious Habit Of The Tertiary
     Is The Scapular Of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel.

It should be a constant reminder that we belong to her at all times and in all places, and that she has a right to all our service.

In a book entitled, "The Scapular of Carmel", by Most Rev. E.K. Lynch, O.Carm, we read:

"The Scapular should be a constant reminder of the obligations we have taken upon ourselves. Its wearer is doubly clothed; for at Baptism he is clothed with the white robe of baptismal innocence   which he is commanded to carry unspotted to the white Throne of God, and at the time of his investiture in the Scapular, he receives the brown robe of Mary which reminds him of his obligation to clothe himself with the virtues of the Blessed Mother. "If Christ is our garment", says St. Bernard, "He should be visible in our person". And if Mary is our garment,  She  too should  be visible in our person, and we should reveal her virtues in our conduct. No one  should ever see  the Scapular without  seeing  something of Our Lady  in its wearer. The  consecrated   life should always bear the  good  fruit  of  love,   charity,  kindness,  meekness, gentleness and prayerfulness; it should be the  bearer of Christ to others".

In his Letter for the Seventh Centenary of the Brown Scapular, Pope Pius X11 wrote: "May it be to them (all Carmelites) a sign of their Consecration to the Most Sacred Heart of the Immaculate Virgin".

He consecrated the entire world to her Immaculate Heart and, by word and example, he has encouraged this form of devotion to Her.

This form of Marian devotion is not new. Devotion, in the old and true sense of the term, always meant Consecration, that is, complete surrender of oneself. When the Holy Father asked all who wear the Scapular to see in it a sign of their Consecration to Mary, he simply focused attention upon the old and historical significance of the Carmelite Habit or Scapular. From the early days of Carmel, its Habit has been a medium of Consecration to the Mother of God. Its oldest formula of profession was to God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel. The hermits on the Mount of Carmel engaged in contemplation to honor Her, and the avowed purpose of their life was to imitate Her".

In her last apparition at Fatima, Our Lady appeared as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Sister Lucia of the Immaculate Heart of Mary stated that Our Lady meant for us to be clothed in her Brown Scapular.

Wearing the Scapular is one of the conditions of the Fatima message. If we are not wearing the Scapular, we are not fulfilling Our Lady's requests at Fatima.

"Take this Scapular". Our Lady said to St. Simon Stock. "Whosoever dies wearing it, shall not suffer eternal Fire".

Dorothy De Piante TOC

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