What Are Sacramentals?

Understanding the teaching on

items that help lead us to the sacraments.
Eddie O'Neill
The Catholic Answer

While they are similar in name, sacraments and sacramentals have a unique and
distinct role in the life of the Catholic Church. Sacraments are outward signs that
give grace to those who receive them in a worthy manner.

Sacramentals, on the other hand, “are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to
the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are
obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them, men are disposed to
receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are
rendered holy” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1667).

Blessings Come First

Sacramentals are often a stumbling block for non-Catholics who don’t understand
their need or person. 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, the internationally recognized Catholic author and speaker couldn’t be

more of a supporter of the Blessed Virgin Mary and promoter of the Rosary.

When it comes to prioritizing sacramentals, the Church emphasizes the

importance of blessings.

“Among sacramentals blessings (of persons, meals, objects, and places) come
first. Every blessing praises God and prays for his gifts. In Christ, Christians are
blessed by God the Father ‘with every spiritual blessing’” (Catechism, No. 1671).

Blessings of priests and bishops have the power, so to speak, to turn objects such
as a new rosary or statue into a sacramental. While the laity can bless, their
blessings are more of a prayer or a plea to God.
For example, the blessing at meals is a chance 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. In a similar manner, a parent’s blessing of their
children serves as a petition to God to keep their kids safe from all evil.

Interestingly, exorcism is a sacramental. It takes place when the Church asks

publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be
protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion.

Exorcisms may either be minor, also called simple exorcisms, or major, called
solemn exorcisms. Minor exorcisms occur in the Rite of Baptism and during the
RCIA process, where candidates are asked to rebuke Satan and all his evil ways.
Thus if you have been baptized you have been part of an exorcism. A major
exorcism, which attracts much attention and curiosity, is directed at the expulsion
of demons or freedom from demonic possession through the spiritual authority
which Jesus entrusted to his Church (see Catechism, No. 1673). Often used in a
major exorcism are the sacramentals of holy water, blessed salt and a crucifix.

Is the use of sacramentals a form of superstition?

To a non-Catholic, the practice of sprinkling holy water on an object, taking up a

novena for a set number of days or saying a specified prayer for a particular cause
could certainly appear to be a form of “magical thinking.” It could even be viewed
as a form of thinking that focuses on an outcome: “If I do this for God, He will do
this for me.”

On the contrary, the proper use of sacramentals implies a desire to be closer to

God, to be reminded of His love, mercy and protection. Thus to pray with a
blessed rosary or cross oneself with holy water is to put on “the armor of faith.”

Sacramentals serve as an aid to the faithful. As the Catechism of the Catholic

Church explains, the Church can call upon the faithful at different times and
places to take up devotions or practices for a particular need (see No. 1668). An
example would be the bishops calling dioceses across the nation to pray a Rosary
for religious freedom, or asking the faithful to pray a novena or participate in a
procession to end abortion.
Whether it is the sprinkling of holy water, making the Sign of the Cross or wearing
a scapular or blessed medal, sacramentals often provide a tangible, richer
experience of the Faith. They are meant to draw the faithful to the Church’s
liturgy and sacraments, yet realizing that the liturgy is far greater than any of
them.

Are Sacramentals Found in the Bible?

While you will not find people in the Bible fingering rosary beads, wearing
scapulars or donning Miraculous Medals, there are a number of passages of
Scripture that support the use of sacramentals:

* In the Old Testament, Naaman went to Elisha for a cure for his leprosy. Elisha
told him, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and
you will be clean” (2 Kgs 5:10).

* When the man came in contact with the bones of Elisha, he came back to life
and rose to his feet (see 2 Kgs 13:20-21).

* Jesus healed the blind man using mud (see Jn 9:6-12).

* The woman with hemorrhages was healed by touching Jesus’ garment (see Lk
8:44).

* In Acts 19:11-12, it is recounted that when face cloths or aprons that had
touched the skin of Paul and were applied to the sick, diseases were healed and
evil spirits released.

There are a number of sacramentals that are directly referenced in the Bible:

Holy Water — Numbers 5:17 states, “In an earthen vessel [the priest] shall take
holy water, as well as some dust from the floor of the tabernacle and put it in the
water.” Water was also used for ceremonial cleansing (see Ps 16:4).
Sign of the Cross — St. Paul states emphatically, “May I never boast except in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified for me,
and I to the world” (Gal 6:14).

In the Old Testament: “The Lord said to him, ‘Pass through the city, through the
midst of Jerusalem, and mark an X on the foreheads of those who grieve and
lament over all the abominations practiced within it. Old and young, male and
female, women and children — wipe them out! But do not touch anyone marked
with the X” (Ez 9:4,6).

Blessed Salt — Jesus referred to this sacramental in the Gospel of Mark:

“Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with
what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace
with one another” (9:49-50).

In the Old Testament: “When you have completed the purification, you must
bring an unblemished young bull and an unblemished ram from the flock and
present them before the Lord. The priests shall throw salt on them and sacrifice
them as burnt offerings to the Lord” (Ez 43:23-24).

Finally, although the Rosary was not yet created during the time of the Bible,
repetitive prayer is mentioned. Yes, the Rosary is often criticized due to its
repetitious nature, which is forbidden in Matthew 6:7: “In praying, do not babble
like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.”
However, that is the only verse in Scripture that condemns such practice. There
are several biblical passages that state otherwise on this issue.

In the Agony of the Garden, Jesus prays three times that the cup would pass from
Him (see Mt 26:39-44). Similarly, in Psalm 136, God is praised numerous times,
and in Revelations 4:8, the four living creatures cry out day and night, “Holy, holy,
holy is the Lord God almighty.”