The Brown Scapular, by Benjamin Cabeen

Derived from the Latin word Scapulae, or “Shoulders”, a scapular is a Western Catholic garment suspended from the shoulders. There are two different types of scapulars. One is called the Monastic scapular, the other is called the Devotional scapular. The word scapular is a general term.

A Monastic scapular is a large piece of cloth that monks wear over their heads. Originally just the aprons that they wore, the scapulars are worn by many orders of monks. The Devotional scapular is made up of two small brown wool squares that are connected by thin straps and is worn with one square in the front and one square in the back.

In the year 1251, Our Lady appeared to Saint Simon Stock, a Carmelite, in Aylesford, England. Our Lady gave Saint Simon a brown wool scapular and said to him, “This shall be a privilege for you and all Carmelites, that anyone dying in this habit shall not suffer eternal fire.” After a while this promise by Our Lady extended this incredible privilege to all who are willing to wear the brown scapular of the Carmelites who perpetually wear it.

The devotion of the brown scapular is a silent way of venerating, confiding, and loving Mary, which is one of the greatest devotions. By wearing the scapular we tell her our confidence in her. Our Lady draws us to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To say a prayer with the scapular on our shoulders can be as perfect as any prayer could be. Saying a prayer when tempted or when needing a powerful intersession of Mary, we pray with the scapular, and she will help us. As Mary told Blessed Alan de la Roche, “If you had recommended yourself to me, you would not have run into such danger.”

To be able to receive the scapular promise, one must be in the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular. Basically a Catholic Priest must perform a simple ceremony. The ceremony can be said in Latin or English. The ceremony is performed in the following way:

Priest- Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy.

Respondent- And grant us Thy salvation.

P - Lord, hear my prayer.

R - And let my cry come unto thee.

P - The Lord be with you.

R - And with your Spirit.

P - Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, sanctify + by Thy power these scapulars, which for love of Thee and for love of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Thy servants will wear devoutly, so that through the intercession of the same Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and protected against the evil spirit, they persevere until death in Thy grace. Thou who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

The priest then sprinkles with holy water the scapulars and the people/person being enrolled. Then the priest says:

P - Receive this blessed scapular and beseech the Blessed Virgin that through Her merits, you may wear it without stain. May it defend you against all adversity and accompany you to eternal life. Amen.

P - I, by the power vested in me, admit you to participate in all the spiritual benefits obtained through the mercy of Jesus Christ by the Religious Order of Mount Carmel. In the name of the Father + and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. + Amen. May God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and earth, bless + you, He who has deigned to join you to the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel; we beseech Her to crush the head of the ancient serpent so that you may enter into possession of your eternal heritage through Christ our Lord.

R - Amen.

And finally the priest sprinkles them again with Holy Water.

Ecumenical Councils, by Emma Bidelspach

An Ecumenical Council is a meeting of bishops from all over the world. When an Ecumenical Council comes together, the bishops talk about doctrinal conflicts within the Catholic Church, outside it, or both. The bishops in the Ecumenical Council each represent a certain part of the world. The Ecumenical Council is important to the Catholic faith because they disprove heresies and declare the doctrines of the Church. Most of the time an Ecumenical Council meets in Rome but can meet in a different bishop’s homeland. A Council would often meet when vital teachings of the faith were in jeopardy. The Pope decides when, what the Ecumenical Council should meet about, and oversees the Ecumenical Council when it is in session. The Ecumenical Council solves problems and plans for the future of the Church.

The Cardinal Virtues, by Gabriel Ringwald

The four cardinal virtues are: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. The word cardinal comes from the Latin “cardo”, which means hinge. This gives meaning through the fact that all other virtues are based on these and hinge on them. Prudence is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure." (CCC 1806)

The cardinal virtue of prudence is key to use of other virtues due to the definition of prudence. “Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it…."(CCC 1806) Fr. Saunder says, “A prudent person looks at the concrete reality of the situation with a clear, honest objectivity; references and applies moral truths, makes a moral judgement; and then commands an action.”

Fr. Saunder goes on to say, “To prudently examine a situation and then to determine a course of action, one must keep in mind three aspects of prudence: memoria, docilitas, and solertia.” Memoria means learning from past experiences, docilitas means open-mindedness, and solertia means a person acts in a timely manner with reflection and consideration to react in a manner appropriate to the situation. Contrary vices to prudence include being impulsive, changing your resolutions too quickly, negligence, and losing sight of one’s supernatural destiny, namely eternal life.

Good News Team and Contributors

Editor in Chief: Thomas M. Cabeen

Co-President: Ryan Hanson

Webmaster: Benjamin Wells

Contributors: Avery Bidelspach, Emma Bidelspach, Evelyn Wagner, Benjamin Wells, Alex Hanson, Gabriel Ringwald, Ryan P. Hanson, Mary Catherine Vallejo

Poet: Benjamin Cabeen

Head of Distribution: Benjamin Cabeen

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