Proper Use, Care and Disposal of Sacramental Objects

Many Catholics own devotional items, such as rosaries and scapulars. Learn how to use, care for and dispose of them with reverence.

Sacramentals are types of devotions specific to the Catholic Church. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sacramentals are "sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances in life."

The are five kinds of sacramentals:

1. blessings;

2. exorcisms;

3. rubrics;

4. prayers; and

5. blessed objects of devotion.

With respect to sacramental objects, many Catholics own several religious articles in the course of their lifetime.

What Makes an Item a Sacramental Object?

A religious object only becomes a sacramental once consecrated by a priest. A priest prays over the devotional item. In Catholic Q & A, by Father John Dietzen, a blessed object of devotion is described as "a material item over which the church has prayed a blessing, asking God to accept the prayers of the church for those who reverently use it." Whereas a sacrament, such as baptism and communion, produces sanctifying grace, sacramentals are channels of grace.

Some priests say that some religious objects become sacramentals once they have been prayed upon. One example of this would be a Rosary.

Consecrated objects are outward symbols of a Catholic's faith and devotion. Examples of sacramentals include: crucifixes, rosaries, scapulars, religious pictures, Holy Medals, Holy Water, liturgical candles, statues and palm leaves.

Use and Care of Blessed Objects of Devotion

A sacramental is a channel through which God can work. In "The Sacramentals" from the Baltimore Catechism, it states that "sacramentals obtain favors from God through the prayers of the Church offered for those who make use of them, and through the devotion they inspire. "

The faithful experience several benefits when using sacramentals: blessings of good health (physical and material), forgiveness of venial sins, graces, protection from evil spirits and remission of temporal punishment.

Sacramental objects help strengthen a Catholic's faith in God in a variety of ways. Holy water reminds Catholics of their baptismal promises and their commitment to Jesus, while using the rosary helps focus their prayers.

There is no magical power in sacramental objects. These religious articles are not to be used as good luck charms or objects of superstition.

These articles of faith should always be treated with reverence and devotion. For instance, many Catholics will kiss a sacramental object if dropped accidentally on the ground.

Proper Disposal of Sacramental Objects

An article of faith shouldn't be thrown in the trash when it is broken, worn out or no longer of use; it's believed that doing so would desecrate the sacramental. It must first be broken down in such as way that it loses its identity as a devotional item.

The Sisters of Carmel advise Catholics that a "sacramental should be returned to the earthly elements". Books, pictures of Jesus and Mary and scapulars should be burned and then buried. Rosary beads should be pulled apart from each other and statues should be broken into small pieces and buried. Metal objects should be melted and reused. An object that once was a devotional item should be buried in a place that won't be tread upon.

Consecrated religious articles lose their blessing once they lose their identity as a sacramental. They also lose their blessing if they are sold for profit. However, if a person gives a consecrated article to someone as a gift or sells it at cost, the original blessing upon it remains.

Sacramental objects, such as rosaries and scapulars, are used by Catholics around the world. These religious articles obtain favors from God for the faithful who use them and help strengthen their faith in God. Sacramentals are consecrated materials and should be used with, cared for and disposed of with respect.

Sources:

Catechism of the Catholic Church, NY: Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. 1995.

Dietzen, Fr. John J. Catholic Q & A: Answers to the Most Common Questions About Catholicism, . NY: Crossroad Publishing Company, 2002.

Sisters of Carmel (accessed June 12, 2010).

CatholiCity: The Sacramentals (accessed June 12, 2010).

Originally published on Suite101.com on June 12, 2010. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.

What's in a Pope's Name?

Several of my students have come in this week, all abuzz about His Holiness, Pope Francis I. Most of them attend separate school, so they have been following the Conclave in religion class. They've been fixated on everything from how he had part of his lung removed as a teenager to how he prefers to take public transit and from how he preferred to live in a simple apartment to how quickly he was chosen to be pope.

Two students stumped me when they asked, "Why would a Pope resign? Aren't you supposed to be a pope until you die?" The two sisters followed this up by, "Can a pope get kicked out?" Oh dear, it would have been nice to have one of our priests here to field those questions. I quickly told them that these are questions to ask a priest and tried to steer the conversation back towards music.

I told some of them how St. Francis would have freaked out over the massive basilica built in his name in Assisi. As beautiful as it is, and as beautiful as it was for me to attend Mass there, I think St. Francis would have wanted the money used to build the basilica to help the poor.

They, and I are very happy about the Pope's papal name: Francis. St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals and children, so he's pretty popular in my studio.

We talked about what the Pope might be trying to convey with his choice of name. It came down to what St. Francis is known for: simplicity, humility and service to the poor. That resonates strongly with them - and with me as well.

He's got a tough job ahead of him. We can hope and pray that he'll have the help he needs to rebuild and reorganize the Church. However, with just his choice of name and his demeanor, he has instilled hope - and excitement - in my students and I. He seems like one of us - an ordinary person trying to get by in the world by the grace of God. Someone who wants to help us and work with us. Someone we'd like to invite over for tea and cookies.

I leave you with a song that I sung at many a school Mass when I lived down east. It's a favourite with my students as well and since the news broke out, this song has been playing in my head all day:

Seraphic Singles Book Review

Dorothy Cummings delivers humorous insights and tips to Catholic singles as they navigate the Catholic dating scene and search for happiness.

Being single is tough. However, for traditional Catholic singles, there are additional challenges. “For sincerely Catholic women as for women of most faiths,” writes author Dorothy Cummings, “the state of “single blessedness” is something a lot more serious, a lot more real, than the sugary fantasies of Sex and the City.”

Since 2006, Dorothy Cummings has shared her adventures, challenges and insights on the dating scene as a single, Catholic woman on her blog, Seraphic Singles. She has attracted readers from around the world. Her insights are compiled in her book, Seraphic Singles: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Single Life.

What is a Seraphic Single?

According to Cummings, being a “seraphic single” relates to loving the single life. After reading St. Paul's writings on the single life, she concluded that “if one were called by God to remain single, whether temporarily or permanently, then one should be as cheerfully accepting of God's will as possible.”

Cummings shares her discoveries and revelations about “single blessedness” throughout the book. She reminds readers that there is no better time in history and no better place than the western world to be a single woman. Cummings shares her Top Ten Great Things About Being Single, from not being nagged as much as married folk, to being able to make life changing decisions without having to ask someone for permission. The prevailing theme is that it is OK to be single.

A Catholic's Rules for Dating

While navigating the dating scene, Cummings developed “A Catholic's Rules for Dating”. These are:

• Know yourself.

• Be consistent.

• Be just.

• Be careful.

• Be chaste.

• Keep your spiritual director or confessor in the loop.

• Be loyal.

• Listen to your friends.

• Be brave.

• Pray that God's loving will be done.

Cummings reminds readers that God wants us – single, married or otherwise committed – to be happy. “Don't date someone because you should; date him because you want to.”

Journeys in Dating and Courtship

According to Cummings, there is a clear distinction between dating and courtship.“ Dating is what people do because they are lonely,” she wrote. “Courtship is what people do because one or both are falling in love.”

Cummings touches upon important lessons and advice regarding online dating, local dating and courtship. She covers topics such as:

• No Sex in the City

• Who Pays on a Date?

• Maybe I'm Too Smart

• Kind you are attracted to vs. the kind you get a crush on

• Loneliness Happens

Cummings knows just what we single folk are going through – because she's been there. Her description of the loneliness singles feel resonates strongly with readers. “The loneliness of Friday night when you are all dressed up and have nowhere to go...The loneliness of listening to a humming fridge in the dark...”

Seraphic Singles offers insights into being single and being a traditional single Catholic. It provides lessons and dating advice for all types of “Searching Singles”, delivered with Cummings' charm, wit and upbeat writing style. The book is a delightful read (and re-read).

“My advice to Searching Singles everywhere is to give up the search,” she wrote. “Don't sit around missing out because you are single. There are people to meet and things to see.” Enjoy the life you have now.

About Author Dorothy Cummings

Dorothy Cummings McLean is a Canadian writer who earned her Masters in English Literature from the University of Toronto and a Masters in Divinity from Regis College. Cummings also spent two years at Boston College working on her doctoral studies in theology.

Cummings writes for the Catholic Register and Novalis Publications. Seraphic Singles is published in the US as The Closet's All Mine: From a Seraphic Single. Since publishing Seraphic Singles, Cummings has married. She now lives and works in Scotland. Her blog Seraphic Singles continues to attract new readers. She has also started a new blog detailing her adventures in Scotland, called, Seraphic Goes to Scotland.

My Seraphic Singles Review Acknowledged by The Author

I've been giggly for the past hour. I checked my Suite101 writer stats to see how my latest article is doing. It's a review of Dorothy Cummings McLean's delightful book called Seraphic Singles: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Single Life

She's witty, she's funny and boy, she gets what it's like to be a single Catholic, navigating through the dating scene in search for happiness and love.

Anyhow, I was surprised to see that Dorothy Cummings blogged about my review today. That soon progressed to feeling delighted, giggly and giddy.

[February 26, 2013 update: My review will be posted on my blog here!]

(c) 2011 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Eastertide Music

Easter is my favourite time of year. The church music is especially wonderful. Our church choir did a splendid job at the Good Friday Mass. Two songs brought tears to my eyes (and I’m sure that I wasn’t the only one tearing up). I can’t remember much of the details (composer and title) but I remember the lyrics were about the sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross. I’ll find out the info and post it at a later date. The soloists captured the intense emotions so effectively – their timbre reached deep into my soul and pulled. Hard. The harmonies were highly chromatic, which leads to the emotional angst. One song was sung by an alto. Her performance was especially moving. [04/26/06 note: Songs title are "The Seven Last Words from the Cross" and "The Pieta"."]

 Easter Vigil presents a different tone. When the lights are turned on and the candles blown out, the choir broke into a jubilant Gloria, while some of the children rang bells.

Easter Sunday. The joyous tone carried through. The choir at the church I attended last Sunday sang a capella. It made me realize how much I rely on the piano or guitar for my chords. I know that I should be able to hear where the chord progressions are going with four-part harmony, but alas, I haven’t mastered that yet.

Easter Break has been creatively productive and relaxing on all other fronts. I finally managed to arrange Above All for piano duet in a form that I am happy with. How apropos as it also has to deal with Easter. Now all I have to do is transcribe my scribbles into fancy looking sheet music, using Finale Notepad. But first, I need to do an arrangement of A Whole New World for another student. I’m simplifying it a bit, so that hasn’t been too hard.

Now if only I could solve my site feed issue (see the link on the right), I’d be laughing. It just stopped working one day and my research and Blogger support have come up with zilch. But that’s a challenge for another day.

© 2006, Musespeak™, Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.