The Scapular: A Powerful Weapon In Spiritual Warfare

The wearing of a scapular around one’s shoulders is becoming an increasingly common practice in committing oneself to constant devotion to the spiritual life. It is an item that one wears close to one’s heart in every moment of one’s life that will pay off big spiritual rewards.

There are two types of scapulars:

The first is the type worn by members of a monastic order. These scapulars are wide, covering the majority of a monk’s torso and legs. They were originally worn to protect a monk’s garments while they went about doing their daily work, such as gardening, but are now a normal part of the monastic garb.

The second and more common type of scapular is worn by everyday churchgoers. This scapular consists of two smallish squares of cloth joined by two long strands to be worn over one’s shoulders so that one square is in the front and the other on the back.

To understand why this simple clothing item is such a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare, we have to go back to its origin when Mary, Mother of God, herself introduced it into the world.

In 1251, St. Simon Stock was a Catholic priest of the Carmelite order in Aylesford, Kent, England. Tradition says that in this year, Mary, Mother of God, appeared to St. Simon and presented him with a brown scapular, saying “whoever dies clothed in this habit shall not suffer the fires of Hell.” July 16 is the feast day for Our Lady of Mount Carmel to honor the date on which Mary, Mother of God, appeared to St. Simon.

On the website Catholic Exchange, writer Phillip Campbell describes how the monk’s scapular given to St. Simon Stock evolved into the smaller version worn by everyday spiritual warriors. The article states that in the Middle Ages there were associations called Third Orders that consisted of lay people who were devoted to specific religious orders who wore the large scapulars. However, after the Middle Ages, lay people wanted to wear their scapulars in secular society and so shrunk them down to be worn underneath regular garments instead of over them like the large scapulars.

While the smaller brown scapular is associated with the Carmelite order, there are also different color and size variation scapulars. The Catholic Culture website details the origins of some of these: the red scapular of Christ’s Passion, the black scapular of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, the blue scapular of Immaculate Conception, the white scapular of the Holy Trinity, and the green scapular. The Mary Foundation at the CatholicCity website goes into deep detail of the larger purple Scapular of Benediction and Protection.

But what makes the scapular such an important item in the world of spiritual warfare? The Order of Carmelites in the North American Province of St. Elias writes:

Mary expressed her total openness to the will of God when she said, “Be it done to me according to your word.” The message of the Scapular is to always follow Christ in faith, hope and charity. Christ is the source of all truth and holiness, and the graces we receive through Mary’s intercession come from Him, to lead us to Him.

If you’ve been considering wearing a scapular to help enrich your daily spiritual life, now is the time to do so. Be sure to buy one from a trusted Catholic source, such as the EWTN Religious Catalogue or the Sisters of Carmel.