What do you do with broken scapulars? Since they're sacramentals, you can't throw them away. You're supposed to fix, burn, or bury them, but around here they usually they just get shoved to the back of a drawer (the drawer with tacky holy cards, broken rosaries, headless statues and rusted medals). "I'll whip out my sewing machine later and fix them."
But that requires a seam ripper, carefully lining up the cords and trying to get my sewing needle through two thick layers of fabric... not impossible but certainly not easy. Therefore, it usually places slightly higher than "dust behind the storage boxes in the garage" on my to-do list.
It never ceases to amaze me that I can burn through a scapular a month while my husband has had his forever. "How do you do it? What's your secret??"
"Oh, when they break, I just tie them back together."
*blink blink*
I married a genius.
This made me laugh out loud: "the drawer with tacky holy cards, broken rosaries, headless statues and rusted medals..." I have one of these too! ;)
ReplyDeleteThis makes me think that all parishes should have a ceremonial burn / burial service 1x a year to dispose of religious goods properly. (Heck, boy / girl scouts have flag collections followed by a formal ceremony to properly dispose of old flags in a respectable manner).
I've lamented the fact that living in a concrete jungle (city) means I can't exactly have a holy bonfire (other than at the Easter Vigil), nor are there ubiquitous places I can randomly bury stuff... but somehow we should find a way! If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears! ;)
I recently went through my "misc. religious drawer" and gathered all the broken rosaries, scapulars and extra holy cards and medals and mailed them to a couple who repairs them and sends them to the missions.
ReplyDeleteYou have one of those drawers, too? ;)
ReplyDelete