about that scapular

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-13-2003
about that scapular
8
Sun, 04-02-2006 - 2:11pm

Hallo everybody
sorry for starting a new subject! but I read everything that was posted on it and I just wanted to make one posting on it.. but I don't know how to do it to all... sigh sigh. sorry, but am not as swift as most of you with pc stuff and my heart recently went off again and so am quickly confused.

I was raised Roman Catholic, in Indonesia by roman catholic missionaries and tehn later I went to dutch Roman catholic schools.

Having said this? I no longer practice that religion.. I have been too long out of it.. and even though I went and joined and even got 3 times re-baptized by various protestand religion, it still wasn't for me.

I never heard of a scapular, until I once went to visit the shrine of Saint John Newmann in Philadelphia. My poor Cdn. Hub had to drive me all the way there... am still a fan of some of the Roman Catholic saints. and use some of their medals, pictures, and relics on my shrine or if am in a panick or some such thing.

Anyway, When i first left the Nls? I discovered here in Canada? that the various different cultures? all have different roman catholic believes and customs.. MIne were always waaaayyyy off the deep end. Until a couple of years ago, I discovered by getting some Dutch roman catholic magazines, that they have always been considered the rebels in the RC church.. hihi, I did have a chuckle..

So... until my pilgrimage to St. John Newmann in Philadelphia? I had no idea about that Scapular thing.. I happen to ask one of the priests there and he was sooo shocked about my ignorance about it.

We got talking and as we went along he got even more upset with me, being of dutch background as HE apparently knew about us being sooo bad and rebellious against the pope.. huh... all that made me think about a lot of stuff that eventually put me off the church and had kept me out of it for a long time and in the first place and about other christian believes.. Ending up in my finding my own path.

I found that there were all sorts of practices? with other belief systems, which quite appealed to me and upon trying them out, they all worked famously for me.

But also? have to admit? that a religious medal? as in the roman catholic faith is not the same as an amulet or talisman.. mmmm, maybe a bit of a talisman, could be but not an amulet. As an amulet? means something else to me and should be of stone of wood, shouldn't it? at least that's what I understand under the wording: amulet..

I could see that the although it wasn't meant to be offending to use those words, that it also meant? that that person (sorry forgot who it was and NO offense meant!! please! please!)was ignorant of its significant to people who wear them.

Also? that priest in Philadelphia? made it clear that people don't always were that scapular and that it was up to the individual, but it had to be blessed and not all people who wear scapulars are in a particular organisation in the RC churches.

It didn't appeal to me, as it was also meant that you had to wear as he said it, a sort of rough shirt over it, over your skin as a sort of pennance.. and am the type that isn't any good at that sort of thing!

In any case? i wanted to thank you all, for educating me about this thing.. hihi, so just goes, not all roman catholics know everything either and even in that church? The customs and practices are different according to cultures.

mmm, I wondered about the folowing? I just read about a Roman Catholic writer (she has a very reputable name) who wanted to sell her house and she even knew about the custom of putting the statue of St. Joseph, the father of Jesus? burrying it upside down in the garden.. and she claims her house sold within days.... I wondered how many other Roman Catholics know about this? Cause? I had never heard of that!
greets and hugs from that old brush

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 04-02-2006 - 8:13pm
Statue upside down, this little Jewish girl knows that one, I did it. Did my house sell faster, NO, probably because the statue knew i was jewish!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hehe Thanks for all the typing. Love, leila
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-13-2003
Sun, 04-02-2006 - 11:19pm

Hi Leila?
but may I ask? where did you hear of that custom? Actually? hihi, am walking around with a big grin around our home.. as I thought? maybe? if I find myself a Holy Joseph statue? I could bury it in my garden. i don't have a home to sell, but maybe i could get a better one or a new one.. Especially when i have got my lottery ticket, where people can win, lovely designed and furnished, brand new homes.......

Am not going to chance me Quan Yin statues though. Am too attached to them,(I have three different kinds of them) nor my buddha statues,( I have 4 different kinds of them) am too attached to them as well... sigh sigh..

I don't see my typing as a lot, I type as my thoughts are running and I used to type much faster than I do these days. I used to type about 120 hits a min, without error. These days, I am not as good, only 80 hits a min. And with errors now too. and I type what is called: blindly.. without looking at the keyboard and with 10 fingers.

have a good week, Leila? godd bless,
that old brush

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 04-03-2006 - 12:35am

I've heard of the thing with the Joseph statue too... I think I read about it in the newspaper real estate section.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-22-2006
Mon, 04-03-2006 - 1:26am
Some people *want* to believe something so badly it doesn't occur to them that they might as well bury a picture of the devil in St. Joe's place. Cute, though, and no harm done. ;o)
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 04-03-2006 - 6:05am
I think a real estate lady told me. I went into a religious selling place, they knew just what I wanted. Love, L
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 04-03-2006 - 10:56am

There's much to be said for a positive attitude my friend.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-22-2006
Mon, 04-03-2006 - 3:19pm

Hmm, don't think attitude has much of anything to do with it.

Here's what I'm saying, put another way: Belief is *so* strong for some people, they want to believe in the power of the object so much, that it doesn't matter if it's a stone, or a cross in the pocket - a sainted statue, or devilish picture in the garden.

Of course burying a statue upside-down in the garden is not the reason for the sale of one's home. It's much more plausible that increased *thought* and *expectation* associated with burying the statue, or carrying the stone, or the cross, or whatever, may have something to do with creating some positive energy; OK, that I will buy. ;o)

xxoox
Susan

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Mon, 04-03-2006 - 6:14pm

It always amazes me that many Christian traditions are rooted in other religions.