Man lives in a material universe and he has a spiritual nature.  These facts stir man to seek spiritual comfort from things.  This is not bad as long as these things are suitable and properly used to assist man toward God.

Today we will discuss sacramentals and speak on three in particular, namely, the Brown Scapular, the Miraculous Medal, and the Medal of St. Benedict.

Fr. John Hardon writes, “Sacramentals are objects or actions that the Church uses after the manner of sacraments, in order to achieve through the merits of the faithful certain effects, mainly of a spiritual nature.” (Modern Catholic Dictionary)

We know of many sacramentals already.  Holy water, blessed candles, the sign of the cross, invoking the sacred name of our Savior are a few of many actions, objects, and words which, when used with faith and piety, advance us towards heaven.

Keep in mind, however, sacramentals are not sacraments.  Sacraments alone come from Christ; the Church institutes sacramentals.  Moreover, whereas sacraments produce their effect in virtue of the ritual performed, i.e. infant baptism, sacramentals produce their effects in proportion to the faith and piety of the person who uses them and through the approval of the Church.

The Brown Scapular-
A scapular is an early type of clothing composed of two wide strips of cloth joined over the shoulders or scapulae which service to cover the front and back of a person.  Monks used this garment especially while working. 

Pious tradition records the first sacramental Scapular as coming from Our Lady.  On Sunday, July 16, 1251, she appeared to St. Simon Stock, a Carmelite religious of England, and gave him a brown woollen scapular saying, “Take, beloved son, this scapular of thy order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and for all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment will not suffer everlasting fire.  It is a sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant.”

In time, the Church approved and extended the privilege of wearing the Brown Scapular to all who wear it devoutly.  To this end, the Brown Scapular is now smaller so as to be easily worn under clothes.

To encourage its use, Pope Benedict XV granted a partial indulgence for kissing the scapular; and at the Scapular Anniversary celebration in Rome in 1951, Pope Pius XII told the crowds to wear the Brown Scapular as a sign of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Indeed, in her last apparition at Fatima, Our Lady appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel holding the Brown Scapular out to the whole world to manifest her desire that we wear it.

Scapular wearers intend to obtain from God through the BVM all manner of protection as notable in the ceremony of investing.  After the scapular is blessed, the priest lays the scapular across the shoulder of the person, saying, “Receive this blessed Scapular and ask the most holy Virgin that, by her merits, it may be worn with no stain of sin and may protect you from all harm and bring you into everlasting life.”
 Associated with the wearing of the Brown Scapular is the Sabbatine Privilege which consists, through the special intervention of Our Lady, of the early release from Purgatory. The original conditions for gaining this privilege were: to wear the scapular; to observe chastity according to your state in life; and to recite every day the Little Office of Our Blessed Lady.  In 1901, Pope Leo XIII allowed Office of Our Lady be substituted by saying a third of the Rosary or a pious work.

(A priest in Rome died while bathing due to faulty ventilation ~ but he was wearing his scapular.)

Anyone, may wear the Brown Scapular.  After one has been invested, no future scapulars need be blessed as the blessing transfers to the new scapular.  Finally, since 1910, it is permitted to wear, instead of the small cloth scapulars, a single medal of metal but it must bear an image of the Sacred Heart on one side and that of Our Lady on the other.  

The Miraculous Medal -
In 1830, Our Lady appeared three times to a nun of the Daughters of Charity named Catherine Laboure.  The first apparition, Our Lady informed Catherine of the mission she had for her.

Months later, in the second apparition, Our Lady appeared atop a globe with wonderful rays of light coming from jewels on her fingers.  She told Catherine, “This globe represents the whole world.”  Looking to the rays, Catherine was told, “Behold the symbol of the graces I shed upon those who ask me for them.”  Above the image was an oval shape inscription with the prayer, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.”

While gazing upon the sight, Catherine heard, “Have a medal struck upon this model.  All those who wear it, when it is blessed, will receive great graces especially if they wear it around the neck.  Those who repeat this prayer with devotion will be in a special manner under the protection of the Mother of God.  Graces will be abundantly bestowed upon those who have confidence.”

In the third apparition, Our Lady let Catherine know that she would see her no more but would only hear her voice in prayer.

After these apparitions, Catherine’s director informed the local bishop who decreed that the Medal was in complete agreement with Church doctrine of the role of Our Lady and ordered it to be struck.  Miracles multiplied so quickly that by time of Catherine’s death, in 1876, over a billion medals were distributed throughout the world, thus the name, “The Miraculous Medal.”

(Fr. Hardon told of a boy dying after a sledding accident ~ who miraculously recovered after receiving a M.M.)

Like the scapular, the medal is blessed then the person invested.  The vesting prayer reads, “Receive this holy medal, faithfully wear and worthily venerate it so that the most loving and Immaculate Queen of heaven may protect and defend you; renewing the miracles of her goodness, may she mercifully obtain for you that which from God humbly you ask, so that living and dying you may happily rest in her maternal embrace.”

Medal of St. Benedict -
 The origin of this sacramental is obscure.  Dom Prosper Gueranger, O.S.B. (The Medal or Cross of St. Benedict) believes it traceable to Ss. Placid and Maurus, first founders of the Bendictine order, who credited their own miracles to the holy Cross and Father Benedict.  An 11th century biographer records that when Pope Leo IX was a boy he was cured of a demonic affliction after St. Benedict appeared and touched him with a cross fixed atop a staff.   In 1415, a manuscript by Rabanus Maurus entitled “On the Cross” was discovered in which numerous crosses were drawn.  One represented St. Benedict in a monk’s cowl, holding in his right hand a staff, at the end of which was formed into a cross and on which was written, “Crux Sacra sit M. Lux ;  N. Draco sit michi Dux” (May the Holy Cross be to me a light; may the dragon be not my guide); as well as “Vade retro Sathana nuq. Suade M. vana / Sunt mala que libas ipse venena bibas” (Begone Satan! do not suggest to me vain things / the cup your offer is evil, you yourself drink the poison).  These same prayers are found on medals of today.

Sometime after this discovery the first medal was struck in Germany and soon all Catholic Europe desired this means of protection against demons.  Dom Gueranger says St. Vincent de Paul, who died in 1660, must have been aware of this medal for his sisters of Charity have always worn it with their habit. 

In 1742, Pope Benedict XIV authorized the form of blessing for the medal and granted many indulgences to those who devoutly carried on it their person; a final form dates from 1844. 

In 1877, Bl. Pope Pius IX, wishing to commemorate the 1400 anniversary of the birth of St. Benedict, decreed the striking of the centenary or jubilee medal at Monte Cassino.  To this medal he attached more indulgences especially to those who devoutly bear this medal to a church or oratory and pray for the conversion of sinners or to occupations which allow works of mercy.

Indeed, the Medal of St. Benedict is the most indulgenced sacramental of the Church especially regarding power over evil: storms, pestilence, devils.  Numerous partial and plenary indulgences are obtainable on feast days of Our Lord, Our Lady, and of many saints days.

Lord of the Rings was a big hit with many people including many Catholics.  At another place I served, three girls so loved that movie they saw it 17 times and, of course, bought the rings and wore them around their necks continuously.  One day I asked about their scapulars.  Two of them said, “O, we wear them sometimes.”  O, what a shame!  How gladly we run to engage ourselves in a latest fad, wear a ring with strange writing which, for all we know, could be praising Satan and yet, while in doing this, completely forget about what will really strengthen us against evil, namely, the sacramentals of the Church.

Devoutly worn and venerated, the Brown Scapular, Miraculous Medal, and the Medal of St. Benedict will strengthen us against weaknesses of the flesh, against temptations of the devils, against the allurements of the world.  To profit from these sacramentals: wear the Brown Scapular all the time, observe chastity according to your state in life, and pray the 5 decades of Rosary every day; attach the Miraculous Medal to the scapular and pray three times every day, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”; attach the Medal of St. Benedict to the scapular and invoke St. Benedict against evils, visible and invisible..

In sum, man is meant to use the things of this world to assist his salvation.  This is precisely the task of sacramentals.  Well used they will advance us towards a heavenly  kingdom which is more than any trinket of the world, even a ring from the Lord of the Rings, can do.