We recently had a popular Catholic speaker at our parish and one of his zingers was a direct hit on ladies like me...you know, the ones who wear all those medals...zing! Sometimes it takes a zinger to make us stop and reflect on what we are doing and why we are doing it. That's just what I did. I started questioning who I was as a Catholic. Was I being too pious? Am I a bad Catholic? Should I be embarrassed...I sure wasn't feeling good. I reached down and wanted to tuck those medals away.
Today at mass it hit me. I walked into our church, dipping my fingers into water to remember my Baptimal promise, I lit a candle and offered up prayers, I was surrounded with beautiful stained glass, statues, paintings, stations of the cross, and the alter, the priest had on his purple vestments, the prayers the choir, standing, kneeling, sitting, bells at the consecration, and finally tasting Our Lord in the bread and wine. God gave us the 5 senses as humans and the Catholic faith through the sacraments and the fullness of the Litergy allow us to know and grow closer to God. As a Catholic I am surrounded with objects that permeate my senses.
Those medals are sacramentals and are effective by virtue of the Church's intercession. They are consecrated objects that help me try to live a virtuous life. My crucifix, Miraculous Medal, and various Saint medals are that outward sign of my faith and devotion. It's part of me. I have added and deleted to the collection over the years as the spirit moves me. So, I confess, I am and will continue to be that lady with all those medals. My scapular is usually tucked under my clothes. On those occasions when it pops out, more often than not it gives and opportunity to evangelize by explaining what a scapular is and why I wear it. These are all signs of my faith and help me to reflect on God's love for me and to give Him honor daily.
If you are not familiar with the tradition of wearing the brown scapular, it is a gift from Mary given to St. Simon Stock in the early 13th century to be worn as a devotion to The Sacred Hears of Jesus and Mary. "Our Lady of Mt. Carmel" is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmalite Order and the Scapular is the habit of the order. The scapular is a garment worn by religious over the shoulders (scapula), and hanging down in front and back. It consists of 2 pieces of brown cloth as a sign of devotion that carries the promises of protection to those who wear it devoutly. Wearing it helps us grow in holiness and prepares us to receive grace. It is associated with many miracles and conversions. A good explanation of the brown scapular can be found here http://Lifeteen.com/why-do-Catholics-wear-scapulars/ or here lfreebrownscapular.com.
We'll see ya on the road!
