St. Alphonsus Liguori: The Glories of Mary

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VARIOUS PRACTICES OF DEVOTION TO THE DIVINE MOTHER



DEVOTION VI. OF THE SCAPULAR

As men take pride in having others wear their livery, so the most holy Mary is pleased when her servants wear her scapular, as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to her service, and are of the number of the family of the mother of God. Modern heretics, of course, ridicule this devotion, but the holy Church has approved it by many bulls arid indulgences. And Father Crasset relates, and also Father Lezzana, when speaking of the scapular of Mt. Carmel, that about the year 1251, the holy Virgin appeared to the blessed Simon Stock, an Englishman, and giving him her scapular, said to him that those who wore it should be saved from eternal damnation, in these words: "Receive, oh my very beloved son, this scapular of thy order, the badge of my confraternity, a privilege granted to thee and to all other carmelites; and any one who wears this at death shall be delivered from eternal flames. And Father Crasset still further relates, that Mary appeared at another time to Pope John XXII., and directed him to declare to those who wore the above-mentioned scapular, that they should be released from purgatory on the Saturday after their death; this the same pontiff announced in his bull, which was afterwards confirmed by Alexander V., Clement VII., and others, as the above-named Father Crasset relates in the passage above cited. And as we have remarked in the first part, Paul V. mentions the same, and appears to explain the bulls of the preceding pontiffs, prescribing in his bull the conditions to be observed in order to gain the indulgences annexed, namely, the observance of chastity according to the state of life, the recitation of the little office of the Virgin, and for him who can not recite that, the observance, at least, of the feasts of the Church and abstinence from meat on Wednesday. Thus the indulgences that are attached to this scapular of our Lady of Mt. Carmel, as well as to the others of the dolors of Mary, of Mary of Mercy, and particularly to that of the Conception, are innumerable, daily, and plenary, in life and at the article of death. For myself, I have taken all the above-mentioned scapulars. And let it be particularly made known that, besides many particular indulgences, there are annexed to the scapular of the Immaculate Conception, which is blessed by the Theatine Fathers, all the indulgences which are granted to any religious order, pious place, or person. And particularly by reciting "Our Father," "Hail Mary," and "Glory be to the Father," six times, in honor of the most holy Trinity, and of the immaculate Mary, are gained each time all the indulgences Rome, Portiuncula, Jerusalem, Galicia, which reach the number of four hundred and thirty-three plenary indulgences, besides the temporal, which are innumerable. All this is transcribed from a sheet printed by the same Theatine Fathers.