Blessed Items

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mVitus said:
And what does blessing a sacramental do exactly?
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Catechism:

1667 “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.”

More scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c4a1.htm
 
mVitus said:
Gonna ask for some quick clarification on the superstition question since it confuses me a little too. Would I be correct to say it’s the difference between “This item will give me grace.” and “This item is a symbol of God who gives me grace.”? And what does blessing a sacramental do exactly? (I’ll admit what got wanting to have it blessed was more the original one having been blessed than knowing about blessings.)
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They do not, in themselves give grace; that’s what the Sacraments do. Sacramentals are of ecclesiastical origin. They rather dispose their users to receive grace and serve as a form of continual intercession, a “prayer” so to speak, or a sign of one’s partaking of the intercession of the Church. Hence, when one wears a Brown Scapular, one is signifying is intention to benefit from the intercessory ministry and spiritual goods of the Carmelite family. One who uses a St. Benedict Medal is calling upon the powers of the Church’s prayer against the forces of evil. An exorcism is the calling upon the authority of Christ and the Church to expel an evil spirit.

One who wears a brown scapular, for example thinking that wearing one will ensure heaven despite intending to persist in a sinful life would be guilty of the sin of superstition.
 
Bookcat said:
Catechism:

1667 “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.”

More scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c4a1.htm
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So Porthos, would this be correct then.
Superstition: Wearing this sacramental makes me a good person.
Not superstition: Wearing this sacramental helps me be disposed to grace with helps me be a good person.
 
WilliamE said:
Sorry if this sounds like a “snarky” question. I really don’t mean it that way. That said…

Where does one draw the line between “superstition” and “not superstition” where religious practices are concerned? Unless someone happens to be a practitioner of a particular religion, many of it’s practices and beliefs are going to seem like superstitions to non-believers.
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Does that matter?
 
This has not happened for a long time…A lady at my stall at the craft fair picked up a pretty bracelet that had strayed into the rosary box and asked me if if was blessed… Of course I said no, that it was not allowed to sell blessed items.Such a sly look came of her face as she was trying to catch me out and admitted it.
 
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