St. Mary’s RCIA

Sacramentals

What is the difference between a Sacrament and a Sacramental?

A sacrament is a sign that we can see instituted by Christ to give us God’s grace.

The sacramentals were instituted by the Church and obtain graces for us by helping us practice acts of virtue.

Sacramentals don’t give sanctifying grace but do prepare us to receive whatever grace God wishes to give us.

Grace Perfects Nature

Through Baptism Man and Woman’s Nature is partially Healed by Sanctifying Grace, which Removes Sin and makes one a child of God.

However, the Restoring of Divine Life to the Soul is not enough. The Soul must be 'Moved' in order to Perform Supernatural Acts. That is, Sanctifying or Habitual Grace must Express itself in Action; and for this, Man and Woman need additional Helps called Actual Graces.

So Man and Woman depend-on God for his Supernatural Life through SANCTIFYING GRACE, and depends-on Him for his Supernatural Acts through ACTUAL GRACE.

The word “Sacramental” means “something like a Sacrament.”

There are three kinds of Sacramentals:

1. In the Church blessings given by priests, bishops, and deacons.

2. Prayers against evil spirits called exorcisms3. Blessed objects of devotion.

Note: There are over 200 blessings listed in the Book of Blessings and when performed by a priest, bishop, or deacon, they become ritual ceremonies.

Blessings given by priests, bishops, and deacons.

• Special blessings for fields, gardens, cattle, schools, cars, houses, wine, water, etc.

• The people and objects blesses seek God’s protection from themselves and are also reminded that they should be set apart for the Glory of God.

• On Feb. 3 the Church celebrates the feast of St. Blasé by “Blessing of Throats” of parishioners with candles. . • In the “Blessing of the Home” the priest sprinkles holy wanter and incenses them while reciting special prayers.

Priests also perform exorcisms which commands the devil to leave a possessed person or forbids him from harming someone.

We also have sacramental actions such as sacred actions, words and objects. Sacred actions would be things like kneeling, making the sign of the cross and bowing.

We usually begin and end prayer with the sign of the cross.

When we say, “In the name (singular),” we mean that there is only one God. When we say, “of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” we express the truth that there are three persons in the one God.

Some might not understand or disagree with the 3 in 1 God.

An egg has a yoke, white, and a shell, but all three make up one egg.

Water is another example….

Another sacramental prayer would be “The Way of the Cross” or “Stations of the Cross,”

which recall Christ’s suffering, death, and burial.

Blessed objects are other sacramentals because the Church has performed a special blessing on them.

Do you know there is an important difference between a cross and a crucifix?

A cross is a symbol of Christianity but there are over 35,000 Christian denominations.

Protestants do not have the Body of Chirst on the cross. They typically say , “We serve the Risen Lord.

A crucifix is a Catholic symbol which reminds us of the suffering of Christ and his willingness to give up His life for us out of love.

Incense is an aromatic gum and when blessed and used by a priest, bishop, or deacon, it is an symbol of faithful enthusiasm, virtue, and our prayers rising up to God in heaven.

Palms are blessed on “Palm or Passion Sunday” and those remaining are burned and used as ashes to be placed on the foreheads of believers on the first day of lent, Ash Wednesday.

Ashes are a symbol of dying to sin and selfish pride.

The Rosary