Jun 20 Fri
Why do we make the sign of the cross or use holy water?
These are sacramentals, often a stumbling block for non-Catholics who don’t understand their need or purpose. For instance, before his conversion to Catholicism, Dr. Scott Hahn was a staunch anti-Catholic Presbyterian minister. In his talks, Hahn often tells the story of how he discovered his grandmother’s rosary. His grandmother had just died, and Hahn relates that he ripped the rosary beads to pieces, pleading to God to set her free from the chains of Catholicism that had kept her bound.
Today, this internationally recognized Catholic author and speaker couldn’t be more of a supporter of the Blessed Virgin Mary and promoter of the Rosary.
Also, we usually bless the meals to offer God a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. It makes holy the mere need for nutrition and is a reminder of the most blessed meal, the Eucharist.
Sacramentals are sacred signs that, in a sense, imitate the sacraments. They signify certain effects, especially spiritual ones, and they achieve these effects through the intercession of the Church.
This “imitation of the sacraments” implies both similarity and dissimilarity to them. Thus:
• Both use sensible signs composed of matter and form;
• It can be said that the sacramentals were instituted by Christ, since Christ gave the Church the power to institute them. In some cases, as in exorcisms, He even demonstrated how to do them.
• The sacramentals confer actual graces and assistance. Thus, they indirectly help one merit an increase of sanctifying grace;
How do sacramentals differ from sacraments?
Sacraments are outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ. The Sacramentals are instituted by the Church.
The effects of sacramentals can be divided into four groups:
- Actual graces
- Forgiveness of venial sins
- Protection against the attacks of the devil
- Temporal benefits (like the blessing of the fields)
Sacraments are necessary for salvation; God appointed them as the means to confer certain graces on people.
On the other hand, while sacramentals are important for the spiritual life, they are not necessary in the same way that sacraments are.
In summary, sacraments are instituted by Christ and directly confer grace, while sacramentals are instituted by the Church and prepare individuals to receive grace and sanctify different aspects of life through the Church's intercession.
Sacraments are considered necessary for salvation, whereas sacramentals are not, but they enrich the spiritual lives of the faithful.
There are several kinds of sacramentals. Some are blessed or consecrated objects through which the faithful receive spiritual benefits. Examples of this type are holy water, the scapular, blessed candles or palms, and, generally speaking, all blessed objects used exclusively for the worship of God.
Sacramentals may also be actions that the Church enriches with special graces. For example, the recitation of an act of contrition, the imposition of ash, exorcisms, processions, pilgrimages, and the funeral rites.
Most of the sacramentals consist of blessings, like those of churches, objects devoted to divine worship, rosaries, scapulars, houses, the anniversary nuptial blessing, and the blessing of water.