SACRAMENTALS AND THEIR ADEQUATE USES

It is important to talk about sacramentals in the Church to help us to curb certain abuses labelled on them. It is also good that I tell

you that a priest can bless every good material with good purpose including drugs, money, dogs, cars, houses etc. In blessing these things, the actual intention focuses on their purposeful use rather than sacramental use.

 "Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These 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." Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. In accordance with bishops' pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time. They always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism).

Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church's prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. "For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God."

The Sacramentals excite good thoughts by recalling to our minds some special reason for doing good and avoiding evil; especially by reminding us of some holy person, event or thing through which blessings have come to us. They increase devotion by fixing our minds on particular virtues and by helping us to understand and desire them.

Persons may sin in using Sacramentals by using them in a way or for a purpose prohibited by the Church; also by believing that the use of Sacramentals will save us in spite of our sinful lives. We must remember that Sacramentals can aid us only through the blessing the Church gives them and through the good dispositions they excite in us. They have, therefore, no power in themselves, and to put too much confidence in their use leads to superstition. 

The Church teaches that the Sacramentals initiate good understanding of our closeness to the divine Beings. They should not be seen as an idol. That's why the Church teaches her members what constitutes sacramentals since it is the property of the Church. 

The Church has certain specific things which she identifies as sacramentals Which include articles of prayer and worship. It is also an abuse to treat those things which are not sacramentals as Sacramentals. The good example is "a blessed salt and oil sold randomly." They can be blessed for the purpose of our health and not as sacramentals.

It is noted that certain sacramentals are blessed at certain liturgical times for instance palms are blessed on palm sunday, ashes are blessed on ash Wednesday, candles are blessed on the feast of presentation, oils are blessed at the chrism mass.

In conclusion, sacramentals effect some spiritual growth in us, when they are used in a proper manner.