A couple of weeks ago ago, my Brown Scapular broke. A few days later, we stopped at the local Catholic shop and while there I bought a new one. It's slightly larger than the one I'd had before, and shorter, so it rides higher under my shirt.
My wife had it blessed last week, and I put it on.
It itches. A lot.
At first, I considered not wearing it. I kept it on, though.
Then yesterday we were in the gift shop at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, N.Y. - a shrine dedicated to the North American Martyrs, and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.
They had a nice selection of scapulars. I thought about buying one.
But then I thought about some of the disciplines engaged in by holy people of the past - including St. Francis and Blessed Kateri. Among those practices was the wearing of hair shirts.
It occurred to me that in a way, this itchy scapular is like a mini hair shirt!
I've decided to keep wearing it and to offer up the minor irritation.
It's the least I can do considering the suffering Jesus went through for me.
Pax et bonum
1 comment:
Good man! After a while, though, you won't even know it's there.
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