Sacramentals, idolatry, and superstition

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Protestants claim that holy water, scapulars, blessed medals, are all forms of idolatry and superstition. Where can I find examples of sacramentals in the Bible? I thought of one. In Ezekiel 45(?) and I think 47(?) it talks about the garments of the priests and the sacrificial foods potentially “transmitting holiness” to the people. The only problem is that it seems God does not want this holiness transmitted if you read the context. What is the difference between a sacramental and a lucky charm?

Thank you and God Bless
 
mikeledes said:
Protestants claim that holy water, scapulars, blessed medals, are all forms of idolatry and superstition. Where can I find examples of sacramentals in the Bible? I thought of one. In Ezekiel 45(?) and I think 47(?) it talks about the garments of the priests and the sacrificial foods potentially “transmitting holiness” to the people. The only problem is that it seems God does not want this holiness transmitted if you read the context. What is the difference between a sacramental and a lucky charm?

Thank you and God Bless
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One I came upon while reading the Bible a few weeks ago:
37 The LORD said to Moses, 38 "Speak to the people of Israel, and bid them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put upon the tassel of each corner a cord of blue; 39 and it shall be to you a tassel to look upon and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to go after wantonly. 40 So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. Numbers 15
The things like scapulars are kind of like the WWJD bracelets people wear, they arent magic, they are a reminder.
 
Sacramentals are not superstitions, holdovers from pre-Christian days, or Catholic substitutes for the longing of pagans to dance around trees and mutter spells. There is a part of us that longs for something tangible we can hold on to, something to look at, something to touch, something to sing, chant or recite, something that interacts with the senses. The sacraments, those sacred mixtures of matter and the Holy Spirit, fulfill that need. And so, in a lesser way, do sacramentals.

What is the difference between correct use of the sacramental and superstition? It has to do with an inner attitude, for superstition is second cousin to magic. The superstitious person says, “If I sprinkle holy water here, say these prayers and cross myself, I will make God or His saints do this for me.” But the person using a sacramental properly says. “I want to be closer to God—to be constantly and effectively reminded of the power of His love and glory, of His protection, forgiveness and mercy. So I will cross myself when I pass a church to remind myself of His passion. I will make a novena to ask God’s saints for their prayers. I will do these things, not because I am strong and have the power to make God and His saints do my will, but because I am weak, distractable and forgetful, and need to remind myself of True Reality.”

So Catholics hang crucifixes and holy images in their homes to remind them of God and His works. They cross themselves, bless themselves and their homes with holy water and oil. They pray the Angelus at noon in remembrance of the Incarnation. They kiss the Bible or holy object they have accidentally dropped.
 
Are there any Bible verses in which sacramentals transmit blessings and graces to the using them?

Thanks
 
Hi Mikeledes,

You still seem under the impression that sacramentals, of themselves, transmit grace or bring blessings. They do not. As explained above, they are helps to our piety. They help us think of God and his saints, they may help us avoid sin, they help us pray.

Verbum
 
mikeledes said:
Are there any Bible verses in which sacramentals transmit blessings and graces to the using them?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Moses was instructed by God to make a bronze serpent and mount it upon a pole. When the people looked on it, they were cured of snake bites. I am sorry that I can’t remember the verses, but I believe that it is in Numbers.

In 2Kings A corpse is healed when it comes in contact with Elisha’s bones. This is either in chapter 3:21 or chapter 13:21(can’t read my own handwriting)

I Acts 19:11-12 People lined up to have Peter’s shadow fall on them
and in Acts 5:15-16, People touch Paul with their handkerchief and use them to heal others.

I just wrote about sacramentals on my website, so there might be more verses there.

www.debsthoughts.com

Sacramentals do not transmit grace but they can inspire devotion that can open a person up to receiving grace.
 
Hi Mikeledes,
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You still seem under the impression that sacramentals, of themselves, transmit grace or bring blessings. They do not. As explained above, they are helps to our piety. They help us think of God and his saints, they may help us avoid sin, they help us pray.
Click to expand...
It’s my understanding that, depending on the dispostion of the user, sacramentals like holy water and Saint Benedict medals can be used to fight evil (evil spirits) and, through the prayers of the church, can bring blessings to the user. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
 
I forgot what verse it was, but didn’t the woman, stricken with an ailment, receive healing grace simply by touching Christ’s cloak? Doesn’t that count?
 
irishmac said:
I forgot what verse it was, but didn’t the woman, stricken with an ailment, receive healing grace simply by touching Christ’s cloak? Doesn’t that count?
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Yes, and Jesus used mud and spit to cure a blind man, also. I would think that was a sacramental.
 
mikeledes said:
It’s my understanding that, depending on the dispostion of the user, sacramentals like holy water and Saint Benedict medals can be used to fight evil (evil spirits) and, through the prayers of the church, can bring blessings to the user. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
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The key words being ‘depending on the disposition of the user’ and ‘through the prayers of the Church’.

The object itself is not the focus. The ‘disposition of the user’ and the ‘prayers of the Church’ are. Certainly we believe that the blessings and fighting of evil spirits could be done effectively without the use of objects. Just as Christ and the Apostles healed people without even touching them (eg the centurion’s servant who was cured from a distance).
 
mikeledes said:
It’s my understanding that, depending on the dispostion of the user, sacramentals like holy water and Saint Benedict medals can be used to fight evil (evil spirits) and, through the prayers of the church, can bring blessings to the user. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
Click to expand...
As others said though, not because the object itself has some kind of magic but because God chooses to heal people through those objects.

We can see in scripture that God chooses to heal us through people as well as through objects.

But just as one needs to remember that the apostles were able to miraculously heal people, the power to heal was from God. God healed them through the apostles, just as He chooses to heal through sacramentals.

God Bless,
Maria
 
Forgive my apparent forgiveness.😛

Is the use of sacramentals under contention for our Protestant brothers and sisters? If so, what is their reasoning for baptizing with water?
 
I just have to say my friend, your questions tell me you are in some serious trouble and being attacked by those who do not believe that Catholics are Christians.

I suggest for your immortal soul you stop speaking to them until you are firmly grounded in your Catholic Christian faith.

Catholics are Christians and the Catholic Church is the most biblical church around. Anyone who says they are not Christian or have unchristian practices have fallen for the biggest lie Satan has been able to pull off since the garden of Eden.

May God bless you and keep you safe.

Maria
 
deb1 said:
Moses was instructed by God to make a bronze serpent and mount it upon a pole. When the people looked on it, they were cured of snake bites. I am sorry that I can’t remember the verses, but I believe that it is in Numbers.

In 2Kings A corpse is healed when it comes in contact with Elisha’s bones. This is either in chapter 3:21 or chapter 13:21(can’t read my own handwriting)

I Acts 19:11-12 People lined up to have Peter’s shadow fall on them
and in Acts 5:15-16, People touch Paul with their handkerchief and use them to heal others.

I just wrote about sacramentals on my website, so there might be more verses there.

www.debsthoughts.com

Sacramentals do not transmit grace but they can inspire devotion that can open a person up to receiving grace.
Click to expand...
Right ON, that is way cool:11 And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. Acts19
I MUST remember this one, one more tool in my box! 👍
Now that I think of it St Luke who wrote Acts was a doctor, makes sense he mentioned such a thing!
 
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