The
characteristics of sacramentals
1668
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).
1669
Sacramentals derive from the baptismal priesthood: every baptized person is
called to be a "blessing," and to bless.172 ( Cf. ⇒ Gen 12:2; ⇒ Lk 6:28; ⇒ Rom 12:14; ⇒ 1 Pet 3:9.) Hence lay people may
preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and
sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained ministry
(bishops, priests, or deacons).173
1670
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."174
Various
forms of sacramentals
1671
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."175 ( Eph 1:3.) This is why the Church imparts blessings by invoking the
name of Jesus, usually while making the holy sign of the cross of Christ.
1672
Certain blessings have lasting importance because they consecrate persons to
God, or reserve objects and places for liturgical use. Among those blessings
which are intended for persons - not to be confused with sacramental ordination
- are the blessing of the abbot or abbess of a monastery, the consecration of
virgins, the rite of religious profession and the blessing of certain
ministries of the Church (readers, acolytes, catechists, etc.). the dedication
or blessing of a church or an altar, the blessing of holy oils, vessels, and
vestments, bells, etc., can be mentioned as examples of blessings that concern
objects.
1673
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, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms
and from him, the Church has received the power and office of exorcizing.176 ( Cf. ⇒ Mk 1:25-26; ⇒ 3:15; ⇒ 6:7, ⇒ 13; ⇒ 16:17.) In
a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism. the solemn
exorcism, called "a major exorcism," can be performed only by a
priest and with the permission of the bishop. the priest must proceed with
prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is
directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic
possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church.
Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating
this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is
performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence
of the Evil One, and not an illness.177
Popular
piety
1674
Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account
the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. the religious
sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of
piety surrounding the Church's sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics,
visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross,
religious dances, the rosary, medals,178 ( Cf. Council of Nicaea II: DS 601; 603; Council of Trent: DS 1822.), etc.
1675
These expressions of piety extend the liturgical life of the Church but do not
replace it. They "should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the
liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some way derived
from it and lead the people to it since in fact, the liturgy by its very nature
is far superior to any of them."179
1676
Pastoral discernment is needed to sustain and support popular piety and, if
necessary, to purify and correct the religious sense which underlies these
devotions so that the faithful may advance in knowledge of the mystery of
Christ.180 ( Cf. John Paul II, CT 54.) Their exercise is subject to the care and judgment of the bishops
and to the general norms of the Church.
At
its core the piety of the people is a storehouse of values that offers answers
of Christian wisdom to the great questions of life. the Catholic wisdom of the
people is capable of fashioning a vital synthesis.... It creatively combines
the divine and the human, Christ and Mary, spirit and body, communion and
institution, person and community, faith and homeland, intelligence and
emotion. This wisdom is a Christian humanism that radically affirms the dignity
of every person as a child of God, establishes a basic fraternity, teaches
people to encounter nature and understand work, provides reasons for joy and
humor even in the midst of a very hard life. For the people this wisdom is also
a principle of discernment and an evangelical instinct through which they
spontaneously sense when the Gospel is served in the Church and when it is
emptied of its content and stifled by other interests.181
IN
BRIEF
1677
Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men to
receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of
life.
1678
Among the sacramentals, blessings occupy an important place. They include both
praise of God for his works and gifts, and the Church's intercession for men
that they may be able to use God's gifts according to the spirit of the Gospel.
1679
In addition to the liturgy, Christian life is nourished by various forms of
popular piety, rooted in the different cultures. While carefully clarifying
them in the light of faith, the Church fosters the forms of popular piety that
express an evangelical instinct and human wisdom and that enrich Christian
life.
GO TO:
CHAPTER FOUR OTHER LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
Copyright © 2020 by Ekklesia Katholes (Acts 9:31)
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher.
No comments:
Post a Comment