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St. Simon Stock, whose feast was celebrated this past Thursday, is credited with the reception of the brown scapular, which is worn by members of the Carmelite Order and a smaller version is worn by many laypeople. The investiture with the scapular must be done by a priest and it must be worn by the individual at all times. It is a sign of consecration and special devotion to Our Lady which must be accompanied by sincere events to live a life of faithful devotion, committing oneself to regular prayer, frequent reception of Holy Communion, and daily recitation of devotional prayers such as the rosary. St. Simon was granted a special vision of Our Lady in which She gave him the brown scapular for the Order and instructed him to make it known throughout the world.
St. Simon was born in 1165 in the United Kingdom and is believed to have founded many Carmelite communities in England, France, and Italy and was instrumental in changing the Carmelites from a hermit Order to one of mendicant friars. He was elected Superior General of the Order in London in 1254. On July 16, 1251, the Virgin Mary appeared to him holding the brown scapular in one hand. She said to him: “Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of thy Order; it is the special sign of my favor, which I have obtained for thee and for thy children of Mount Carmel. He who dies clothed in this habit shall be preserved from eternal fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger, and a pledge of special peace and protection.” Of course, heaven is not guaranteed just because one wears the scapular; as mentioned earlier, it must be accompanied by a life of true faith and devotion. However, when this is done, the brown scapular is a source of great graces to those who wear it.
St. Simon Stock died on May 16, 1265, in Bordeaux, France. If you have been invested in the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, you can thank St. Simon for heeding the instructions of Our Lady and for introducing the scapular to the world and opening up its graces to everyone. If you’re not invested, pray about it and maybe you’ll find that God is calling you to this special sign of devotion to His Mother. St. Simon Stock, pray for us!
Emily Berns has been a Catholic writer and blogger for the past few years. She has a B.A. in Communications from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Her blog, Lumen Fidei Ministries, can be found at http://www.lumenfideiministries.com.
