Devotion to the Madonna del Carmine: the great graces of Mary
The Queen of Heaven, appearing all radiant with light, on 16 July 1251, to the old general of the Carmelite Order, San Simone Stock (who had asked her to give a privilege to the Carmelites), offering him a scapular commonly called "little dress". thus he spoke to him: «Take the most beloved son, take this scapular of your Order, the distinctive sign of my Brotherhood, privilege to you and to all the Carmelites. WHO DIES COVERED WITH THIS SUIT WILL NOT SUFFER II. ETERNAL FIRE; this is a sign of health, of salvation in danger, of a covenant of peace and an everlasting pact ».
Having said this, the Virgin disappeared in a perfume of Heaven, leaving the pledge of her First "Great Promise" in the hands of Simon.
Our Lady, therefore, with her revelation, wanted to say that whoever wears and wears the Habino forever, will not only be saved eternally, but will also be defended in life from dangers.
We must not believe in the least, however, that the Madonna, with her Great Promise, wants to generate in man the intention of securing Heaven, continuing more quietly to sin, or perhaps the hope of being saved even without merit, but rather than by virtue of Her Promise, She works effectively for the conversion of the sinner, who brings the Habitant to the point of death with faith and devotion.
CONDITIONS FOR OBTAINING THE FRUIT OF THE MADONNA'S GREAT PROMISE
1) Receive the Abitino around the neck from the hands of a priest, who, imposing it, recites a sacred formula of consecration to the Madonna (RAPE OF IMPOSITION OF THE SCAPULAR). This is only necessary the first time you wear the Abbitino. Afterwards, when you wear a new "dress", you put it around your neck with your own hands.
2) The Abbitino, must be kept, day and night, wearing and precisely around the neck, so that one part falls on the chest and the other on the shoulders. Whoever carries it in his pocket, purse or pinned on his chest does not participate in the Great Promise.
3) it is necessary to die clothed in the sacred dress. Those who have worn it for life and on the point of dying take it off do not participate in the Great Promise of Our Lady.
SOME CLARIFICATIONS
The Habitat (which is nothing but a reduced form of the dress of Carmelite religious), must necessarily be made of woolen cloth and not of another cloth, square or rectangular in shape, brown or black. The image on it of the Blessed Virgin is not necessary but is of pure devotion. Discoloring the image or detaching the Abitino is the same.
The consumed Habit is conserved, or destroyed by burning it, and the new does not need a blessing.
Who, for some reason, cannot wear the woolen Abbit, can replace it (after wearing it of wool, following the imposition made by the priest) with a medal that has on one side the effigy of Jesus and His Sacred Heart and on the other that of the Blessed Virgin of Carmel.
The Abino can be washed, but before removing it from the neck it is good to replace it with another or with a medal, so that you never remain without it.
It is not necessary for the Abbitino to touch the body directly, but he can wear it on his clothes, as long as it is placed around his neck.
Whoever carries the Abbitino, even if he is not obliged, it is good that he often recite the sentence: "O Most Holy Mary of Carmel pray for us".
Partial indulgence is gained by kissing the Scapular or one's own medal or that of another person.
THE SABATINO PRIVILEGE
The Sabatino Privilege is a second Promise (concerning the scapular of Carmine) that Our Lady made in her appearance, at the beginning of the 1300s, to Pope John XXII, to whom, the Virgin commanded to confirm on earth, the Privilege obtained by her in Heaven, by His beloved Son.
This great Privilege offers the possibility of entering Heaven on the first Saturday after death. This means that those who obtain this privilege will stay in Purgatory for a maximum of one week, and if they are lucky enough to die on a Saturday, Our Lady will immediately take them to Heaven.
The Great Promise of Our Lady must not be confused with the Sabatino Privilege. In the Great Promise made to St. Simon Stock, no prayers or abstinence are required, but it is enough to wear with faith and devotion day and night I wear, up to the point of death, the Carmelite uniform, which is the Habitat, to be helped and guided in life by Our Lady and to make a good death, or rather not to suffer the fire of Hell.
As for the Sabatino Privilege, which reduces the stay in Purgatory to a maximum week, the Madonna asks that in addition to carrying the Abitino, prayers and some sacrifices are also made in her honor.
CONDITIONS DESIRED BY THE MADONNA TO OBTAIN THE SABATINO PRIVILEGE
1) Wear the "little dress" day and night, as for the First Great Promise.
2) To be registered in the registers of a Carmelite Brotherhood and therefore to be Carmelite confreres.
3) Observe chastity according to one's state.
4) Recite the canonical hours every day (ie the Divine Office or the Little Office of Our Lady). Who does not know how to say these prayers, must observe the fasts of the Holy Church (except if it is not dispensed for legitimate cause) and abstain from meat, on Wednesday and Saturday for the Madonna and on Friday for Jesus, except on the day of the S. Christmas.
The Holy Church, to meet the faithful, gives the Priest, who imposes the Abitino, the faculty to switch the recitation of the canonical hours and the abstinence of Wednesday and Saturday into some easy prayers and a little penance , at will of the priest himself. All these practices are generally switched to the daily recitation of the Holy Rosary or 7 Pater, 7 Ave, 7 Gloria and abstinence from meat on Wednesdays, in honor of the Madonna del Carmine.