The Sacramental You've Never Heard Of

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by Tim Drake

Thursday, March 11, 2010 5:21 PM

If you’re Catholic, you’re familiar with sacramentals such as holy water, holy cards, blessed oils, and medals. However, up until a couple of years ago, I had never before heard of Blessed Salt.
After moving to our farmhouse in the country, one of our children was repeatedly having nightmares. When I mentioned this to a friend who had a priest visiting from another state, he offered to bring the priest over to bless the house.

The priest came equipped not only with holy water, but also blessed salt, which he used liberally, moving from room to room, praying and giving the house a holy “renovation.”
Suffice it to say that the nightmares ended.

According to Wikipedia, blessed salt was used in the Sacrament of Baptism, and is found in the 1962 Roman Ritual in the rites of baptism, the reconsecration of an altar, and the blessing of holy water.
As with any sacramental, blessed salt is an instrument of grace and its power comes from Christ. St. Augustine called such sacramentals “visible forms of invisible grace.”
After going on retreat one year, all of the retreatants were presented with a gallon of holy water and a full salt container filled with blessed salt to take home. Not only can the blessed salt be used inside or outside the home to protect against evil, but it can also be used in cooking. Ever since our introduction to this sacramental, we always try to have some on hand.
T

o learn more about the history of blessed salt, read Father John Hampsch’s article.
Here’s the official prayer from the Roman Ritual that a priest can use to bless salt:

“Almighty God, we ask you to bless this salt, as once you blessed the salt scattered over the water by the prophet Elisha. Wherever this salt (and water) is sprinkled, drive away the power of evil, and protect us always by the presence of your Holy Spirit. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”