Question about healing cloth, holy tears, offering up masses?

[adventdoula]

A friend of ours who is Catholic, has a newborn baby who is in the hospital and had to undergo surgery. Prayers would be wonderful, but thats not the entire point of this post! On her facebook page, I keep seeing things such as this example below…

“Please try and go to that Mass and offer it for baby. and if you can, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation also. We all need to be in the state of sanctifying grace to be most effective when we pray over the sick. When we are free of sins, we are most effective when we lay hands on the sick. Also, whenever you see baby, place the healing cloth of Charlene on top of his lungs and put some holy tears on him. I am going to celebrate Holy Mass at 9 AM and will offer the Mass for ya’ll. We’ll see what God’s plans are for me today…an angel might bring me there again…just keep saying thank you Jesus 1000 times a day. God bless. Let Mama Mary take over. We love you.”

What is all of this about the healing cloth and holy tears, offering up mass, etc.? I had read a lot of intellectual things about the faith, but this is something completely different than anything intellectual. Can someone help me understand? As a Christian in RCIA converting to the faith, is there anything I can do in regards to prayer or offering things up? We obviously haven’t discussed any of this in RCIA, we just barely got to Jesus being human and divine!

Thanks for your help.

 

[Veronica97]

Well, I do know that we can offer our communion for a personal intention or for someone else. I’m not sure about the whole Mass. I’m afraid I don’t know about the healing cloth or holy tears. She’s not talking about Holy Water is she? And laying on of hands…I don’t believe a lay person is supposed to be doing that. I would ask a priest to do that. I’m looking forward to hearing replies from others.

 

[MtnDwellar]

The Mass is a sacrifice in which we all participate. It is the holy and perfect sacrifice that Christ commanded us to offer. We can each offer this sacrifice for our personal intentions.

I don’t think holy tears and the cloth of Charlene, as referred to, are Catholic concepts.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

When we attend Mass and receive communion, we receive certain graces which we can offer for someone else. Basically we are giving the other person the benefits we might receive from the Mass (we ourselves have to be properly disposed to receive any graces). Same with sacramental confession.

I am not familiar with the cloth of Charlene, except that it might be a relic or pseudo-relic. There is a young girl who died of leukemia that some people are hoping becomes a Saint. I don’t know anything more about it.

Holy tears could be holy water, or real tears shed by the visitors. This posting is very emotional (understandably) so hard to tell.

 

[Trishie]

Some people are naturally highly emotional and have an emotional piety.
You won’t find anything about the cloth ) mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The actual translation of her mention of’ holy tears is mostly likely, 'emotional tears".
She is upset about her child.
Pray as you wish about the baby. You don’t need to follow her instructions of how to pray. God hears the intentions of your prayer however simply and directly you pray…

You will learn about the Sacraments and the truths that the Catholic Church teaches.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Eucharist (Mass):
vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a3.htm

Catechism of the Catholic Church, prayer
vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s1c3a1.htm

 

[MtnDwellar]

When we attend Mass and receive communion, we receive certain graces which we can offer for someone else. Basically we are giving the other person the benefits we might receive from the Mass (we ourselves have to be properly disposed to receive any graces). Same with sacramental confession.

Since God’s grace is infinite, we don’t have to give up anything for ourselves.