What is a Sacramental?
Pastor’s Column
24th Sunday Ordinary Time
September 13, 2009
What is the difference between a sacrament and a sacramental? If done properly, a sacrament has power in and of itself to make present what the ritual signifies. For example, when someone is baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and water is used, that person is baptized. A sacramental, on the other hand, while it has no power in and of itself, can be an aid to our prayer, our devotion, and our relationship with the Lord. The faith of the user can be focused and intensified by the use of sacramentals. They are a great gift of the church!
For example, when the water to be used at baptism is blessed, it becomes holy water. Holy water by itself has no power apart from the faith of the user. However, when used in prayer, it can be a powerful aid to our devotion. When we make the sign of the cross and dip our hand into the holy water font when coming in and out of church, we are actually praying that our baptism will be renewed in us! Many people also take holy water home as a prayer against the power of evil in our lives; this also derives from the rite of baptism when we renounce Satan and take on Christ.
Medals are another type of sacramental. Many people wear a “Miraculous Medal,” or a Medal of St Benedict, among many others. The actual metal image and chain do not have any power, nor are they miraculous or insurance policies in and of themselves. They symbolize and are a focus for our faith. Wearing a Miraculous Medal is a way of saying that the person has entrusted their heart to the Virgin mary so that she will pray for them; similarly, a medal of Saint Benedict recalls the great power that this saint had over the evil one. These are all opportunities for grace.
It is always a good idea to have sacred images in the home, as they are reminders of our faith and that we are in fact consecrated to Christ. Many of us have an image of the Sacred Heart or the Immaculate Heart of Mary or a crucifix, for example. The bible itself is a sacramental: its power is unlocked only when it is read and applied to our lives (it’s not effective sitting on the coffee table unread)!
There are many other kinds of sacramentals that can dispose us to receive grace, such as a rosary, which is a means of prayer, or a scapular. A scapular consists of two pieces of cloth word over the chest and back. They resemble and signify the religious scapulars worn by monks and nuns. Someone wearing a scapular wishes to share in the spiritual benefits of those who are consecrated to Christ through a particular order, such as the Carmelites. Sacramentals are great aids to the faith. How many do you have in your home?
Father Gary