What Are the Sacramental Signs?
Some beliefs and practices within the Catholic Church cause fear in non-Catholics who do not understand the basis for these practices. One misbelief is that Catholics are "cannibals" for "eating the body and blood of Christ." Another misperception is that Catholics "worship idols" when they pray to the saints. In actuality, every sacrament, item and practice is strongly grounded in Catholic history and faith.
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Prayer
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In the Eucharist, the Body of Jesus is always with us. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the priest recalls the Lord's Last Supper, when he fed His disciples and was betrayed by Judas Iscariot.During his praying of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, he prays, "Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life." The priest gives a similar prayer for the wine, which becomes the Blood of Christ, through the process of transubstantiation. Catholic tradition asks that the Eucharist be reserved so sick Catholics can receive Holy Communion. From this tradition, tabernacles (resting places for the Holy Eucharist), sanctuary lamps and devotional prayer before the physical presence of the Eucharist have become a sacramental practice. During the Feast of Corpus Christi, the bishop or priest places a consecrated (blessed) host into a monstrance (a vessel reserved for the host), then raises the host and monstrance to bless Catholics.
Devotional Items
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Religious articles, such as the rosary, scapular (two small cloth squares with images of the saints joined by narrow tapes, worn around the neck under clothing) and religious images are important in the life of a Catholic. After a priest confers a blessing on these items, they become a part of the Church's public prayer, but they have their own identity separate from the public prayer, writes Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio, in the Crossroads Initiative website. Other sacramental items, such as holy water, candles and the Advent Calendar, help a devoted Catholic to remember his connection, not only to the Church, but to Jesus Christ as well. The Vatican notes, "even when a sacramental blessing does not consecrate a particular visible item for religious use, it still employs some visible sign such as outstretched hands, the sign of the cross, holy water, or incensation (taken from the Book of Blessings, 26).
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Penance and Devotion
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The period of Lent, stretching from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday, asks observant Catholics to reflect on their sins and resolve to become better people and Catholics. On Ash Wednesday, Catholic churches, parishes and dioceses worldwide, commemorate Jesus Christ's death to come. Churches celebrate with Ash Wednesday Masses and Word and Ash services. During the Mass and service, the priest, deacons and Eucharistic ministers distribute ashes, drawing the sign of the cross on each attendee's forehead. The ashes come from palms which have been burned before Ash Wednesday, writes the American Catholic website.
Catholics believe that statues and medals remind them of how God worked through the saints. Contrary to belief, Catholics do not "worship" the saints -- this would be idol worship, forbidden by the Ten Commandments. Instead, Catholics use these statues and medals as "intercessories," asking the saints they represent to intercede for them with God. (See Reference 1)
Respect for God
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Catholics make pilgrimages, usually to the Holy Land or to the Vatican, as a way of reconnecting with the origins of the Catholic Church. Pilgrimage participants take advantage of every opportunity to pray at sites important to them -- the Wailing Wall, along the Via Dolorosa and at other sites.
Every May, a statue of Mary, the Blessed Mother, is crowned after a month-long devotion to her. Traditionally, Catholic households set up Marian altars, or altars with her statue and vases of flowers so they could honor her with prayers and rosaries. Catholic school students process into the church, dressed in their best, carrying flowers and singing hymns devoted to Mary. One student, usually the most virtuous, was selected by the nuns to place a crown on Mary's head, according to the American Catholic website.
Sacramental Blessings
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Different blessings make it easy to see the connection between the sacraments and the sacramentals they are associated with, writes Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio, in the Crossroads Initiative website.
Sacramental blessings also give sanctification to every aspect of life -- work, school, sports events and homes. Dr. D'Ambrosio emphasizes that, in these blessings, God's Word is always to be given and proclaimed because these ceremonies depend on and strengthen Catholic faith.
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References
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