The Brown Scapular Morning Offering

The Brown Scapular, also known as the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, is a Catholic sacramental consisting of two small pieces of brown cloth connected by strings. The wearer drapes it over their shoulders so one piece rests on the chest and the other on the back. Originally, a scapular was a large apron-like garment worn by monks for work, and over time it became a symbolic part of their habit. The Brown Scapular is a smaller version of this, and it is a popular devotion for lay Catholics.

It symbolizes a person's consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary and a commitment to imitate her virtues, such as humility and devotion to God. The tradition of the Brown Scapular dates back to a 13th-century apparition where the Blessed Virgin Mary gave it to Saint Simon Stock, a Carmelite, promising her special protection to those who wear it faithfully. The Church emphasizes that the scapular is not a good luck charm or a magical guarantee of salvation. Instead, it is an external sign of an inward spiritual commitment to a life of prayer and Christian virtue, with the help and intercession of Mary.