Meaning of sacraments, sacramentals for Catholics

Article 127 - Catechism of the Catholic Church Series
Paragraphs 1667-1676

For most Catholic families, the grueling task of cleaning out the family home following the death of one’s parents or grandparents includes years of accumulated paperwork, some collectables, bric-a-brac and, of course, sacrament certificates, medals, rosary beads, crucifixes, statues of countless saints (including every possible variation of Mary), relics, water from Lourdes, Fatima, etc., and blessed oil in honor of St. Anne, St. Joseph, St. Jude, and St. Peregrine.
Circumstances such as these are occasions to reflect on the meaning of the sacraments and sacramentals within the larger Catholic faith that we all profess.
When we hear the word “sacrament,” we generally assume it refers to one of the seven sacraments instituted by Christ for His Church (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Matrimony, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick). However, a sacramental is something quite different even though it bears “a resemblance to the sacraments” (ccc 1667). A sacramental often includes a symbolic component, but “always includes 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” (ccc 1668). Thus, the items in a Catholic home that become “many” over the years are secondary to the blessing or prayer that accompanies them. Such items also point to special devotions and often to the popular piety of a country or region in which a person lives.
Unlike the seven sacraments, “sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do” (ccc 1670). Rather, they dispose or prepare us “to receive grace and... to cooperate with it” (ccc 1670). Among the various sacramentals are “blessings of persons, meals, objects, and places [which] come first” (ccc 1671).
Examples of sacramentals directed toward persons include “the blessing of the abbot or abbess of a monastery, the consecration of virgins and widows, the rite of religious profession and the blessing of certain ministries of the Church (readers, acolytes, catechists, etc.)“ (ccc 1671). Among those sacramentals that are intended for objects are included “the dedication or blessing of a church or an altar, the blessing of holy oils, vessels, and vestments, bells, etc.” (ccc 1671). Medals, such as those depicting the image of Jesus, Mary or the saints also fall into this category.
The Catechism tells us that “every blessing praises God and prays for his gifts” (ccc 1671). As such, we are as St. Paul puts it, blessed by God the Father “with every spiritual blessing” (Eph 1:3) when we use sacramentals or participate in an event that is a sacramental. No wonder we bless ourselves by making “the holy sign of the cross of Christ” (ccc 1671). In fact, we do not really bless ourselves but rather we are blessed by God and his Church when we make the sign of the cross.
All blessings are meant to keep us in God’s care and protect us from the power of the Evil one. We all know from the Gospels that Jesus performed exorcisms. Thus, following his example, the Church received this special “power and office of exorcizing” (ccc 1673).
—    In the simplest form, exorcisms are performed at the celebration of every Baptism.
—    More significantly, “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” (ccc 1673).
— A solemn exorcism or major exorcism “can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop” (ccc 1673). The Catechism explains that when dealing with those who seek formal exorcisms, “the priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church” (ccc 1673). The Church’s Code of Canon Law explains that “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” (canon 1172).
Matters of popular piety and devotion are also treated in this section of the Catechism including “the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals,” etc. (ccc 1674). Such devotion may be more or less prominent depending on the culture and people in various places. Therefore, the Catechism tells us, “pastoral discernment is needed to sustain and support popular piety and, if necessary, to purify and correct the religious sense which underlies these devotions” in order to help the faithful “advance in knowledge of the mystery of Christ” (ccc 1676).
Using the example of the “veneration of relics and images used for veneration,” the Second Vatican Council’s 1963 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy tells us that “the Saints have been traditionally honored in the Church, and their authentic relics and images held in veneration” (paragraph 111). The term “relics of the Saints” principally signifies the bodies — or notable parts of the bodies — of the Saints who, as distinguished members of Christ’s Mystical Body and Temples of the Holy Spirit, once lived on earth, but by virtue of their heroic sanctity, now dwell in Heaven. Items that belonged to the saints, such as personal objects or clothes are also considered relics, as are objects which have touched their bodies or tombs, such as oils, cloths, and sacred images.
Seeking to summarize the underlying meaning of piety and devotion, then-Pope, now St. John Paul II — in his1979 Apostolic Exhortation “Catechesis In Our Time” — states, “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” (paragraph 54).
Father Hillier serves as Director of the Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies, Censor Librorum and oversees the Office for Persons with Disabilities