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A sacramental is anything (material object, time, space, ritual) set apart
and blessed by the Church to "excite good thoughts and to increase devotion,
and through these movements of the heart to remit venial sin." (Baltimore
Catechism). It is a sacred sign, the use of which disposes us to receive
the grace of the Sacraments and which helps make various aspects of our lives
holy.
They are not talismans, magic rituals, or "good luck charms" which give us
power over God and His creation; their power derives from Grace of God, through
the Church's prayers and the piety they dispose one to. In other words, unlike
the seven Sacraments, which were instituted by Christ Himself and which operate
ex opere operato -- or by their very form, matter and ministerial
intent -- sacramentals, most of which were instituted by the authority of
the Church, operate ex opere operantis, that is, their effectiveness
relies on the devotion of the individual. However, as signs of the individual's
prayers and piety, and because of the power of God to sanctify material things,
and space, and time for our benefit, they are powerful and drive away Evil
Spirit when properly used.
Types of
Sacramentals
Liturgical year
Liturgical Hours
Sign of the Cross
Genuflection
Bowing the head
Bows
Prostrations
Folding hands
Blessing of people
Exorcism
Salt
Ashes
Oil
Water
Fire
Candles
Rosaries
Chotki
Scapulars
Mary Gardens
Blessed Medals
Agnus Dei
Crucifixes
Icons
Statues
Altars
Church buildings
Vestments
Religious habits
Liturgical vessels
Bells
Incense
Blessed palms
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The use of
sacramentals is one of the most obvious differences between us and Protestants.
While most types of Protestantism see a radical divide between body, on one
hand, and the soul on the other, Catholicism sees the human person as an
integrated unity of body and soul (a hierarchical unity with the soul of
prime importance). We know that:
-
what affects the
soul affects the body, and
-
what affects the
body affects the soul
We are not souls
trapped in totally vile flesh; we are enfleshed souls, i.e., our bodies
are part of who we are, which is why our sex ("gender," as they say)
matters as a fundamental aspect of our personhood and why ritual, chastity,
corporal works of mercy, etc., are so important. God did not create us with
flesh as some sort of cruel joke. And He does not expect us to behave and
think as Gnostics, treating the material as unimportant or believing it to
be inherently evil. He saw His creation and called it good -- but we are
born lacking grace because of the sin of Adam. We are to overcome that state
by co-operating with the saving grace of Jesus Christ, through faith, the
Sacraments, and charity. Sacramentals help us do this.
Think this is silly?
Our society mocks
Catholic ritual -- but understands the importance of ritual really well all
of a sudden when it comes to saluting the flag; having turkey on Thanksgiving
-- and expecting the President of the United States to issue a "pardon" to
one of these creatures each year; setting up a Christmas tree at the Nativity;
going to graduations, funerals and weddings; celebrating birthdays; marching
in parades; doing "the wave" at football games; joining a fraternity or sorority;
buying your girl some roses and chocolates for St. Valentine's Day; 21-gun
salutes , riderless horses, and fly-overs at the funerals of soldiers, cops,
and Presidents; loving the pomp and circumstance of the opening of the British
Parliament; hearing "Gentlemen, start your engines!" before the Indy 500;
gathering in Times Square to watch the ball fall on New Year's Eve, and then
eating a bowl of black-eyed peas the next day; checking for "monsters" under
your daughter's bed after reading her a goodnight story; having breakfast
with the newspaper after the morning shower, never before,
etc.
We understand the incredible power of the visual when it comes to TV, movies,
and magazines -- but not when it comes to signs of the True, Good, and Holy.
Why, it's common knowledge that a picture of a sexy 22-yr. old girl can make
most men weak in the knees (how much do supermodels make?) and inspire
him to commit acts of lust, but God forbid anyone should entertain the "quaint"
notion that a Crucifix could inspire a person to think of his redemption
and then on to acts of charity. Millions of dollars are spent for 30-second
ad spots during Super Bowl games, but we should mock the idea of encouraging
religious art, I guess.
Of course, it's just silly to think of a place being sacred -- unless it
comes to taking your wife on your anniversary to the place you first met;
finding out someone desecrated your mother's grave; visiting a site like
Ellis Island, Auschwitz, or your childhood home; feeling "raped" after a
burglar invades your house; or maybe showing some respect for the "sacred
spaces" of more "exotic" religions, like those of the Native Americans or
the Jews. The Black Hills? Sacred! The Wailing Wall and Holy of Holies? Sacred!
The sanctuary of a Catholic church? Don't be ridiculous; that's
superstition!
And, man, everyone knows that gestures don't mean a thing -- unless you're
a woman doing "the hair toss," a guy flashing gang signs, or you just got
shown the middle finger in traffic.
Are we schizophrenic or
what?
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