The Cukierski site and sacramentals for sale

[Anthony5000]

Well hello!

Before composing this question I did some searching on this topic and found a few related replies. But I wanted to get some further thoughts.

I pray the St. Jude novena quite frequently and I’ve found success; I try to assume novenas are no “guarantee” of anything other than an answer, and that answer might not be what I initially assume to be what’s best for me.

I’m in a may-soon-be-tight job situation, so I wanted to pray for help in finding a new job. I did the Google thing and found some novenas to our friend St. Joseph. Interestingly, I also found this curious thing called a “St. Cajetan Package” here:

cukierski.net/employment.shtml

A few people have responded to questions about some of the stuff offered by Cukierski, mainly that the sacramentals are mostly legit.

The “St. Cajetan Package” doesn’t guarantee success. The page says that “millions” have found work due to St. Cajetan’s intercession, and doesn’t seem to claim that this package would necessarily help you. Still, I found it a bit, well, weird.

Am I overreacting, or is it the equivalent of selling, say, a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus because it could helps one focus while praying, etc.

So…what say you about this and the other relics/sacramentals? Also, anyone know much about St. Cajetan and his assistance in this regard?

 

[Teakafrog]

1670 Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. “For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God.”

1677 Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life.

1671 Among sacramentals blessings (of persons, meals, objects, and places) come first. Every blessing praises God and prays for his gifts. In Christ, Christians are blessed by God the Father “with every spiritual blessing.” This is why the Church imparts blessings by invoking the name of Jesus, usually while making the holy sign of the cross of Christ.

1674 Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc.

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.”

This is directly out of the catechism. Sacramentals are approved by the Church to foster devotion and prayer. Anything that has been blessed by a priest, such as a rosary, or holy water, is a sacramental. You can purchase these items in an unblessed state, but you cannot sell a blessed item. The above mentioned apostolate sells the items, then takes them to their priest to bless, IF you want them to, before they are shipped. That is allowed. Also, prayers asking intercession of the saints are a major part of our Catholic faith. They are called on during the mass, so obviously the Church approves of anything that will facilitate the devotion of the laity to the Communion of Saints.

I know Wendy Cukierski, the homeschooling mom of 12 that runs the site. They are very devout and holy people, and are offering these items because they are so hard to find anymore. In many places, you can’t even get a priest to bless a rosary or something for you if you ask, so they also provide that service. They are in close contact with several priests who approve of their apostolate, and they do everything in their power to remain faithful to the magisterium and all Church laws. They don’t do this to make money–most months they run in the red because they give away so many free programs to support pro-life issues. They do it out of love for the Church, and to bring these sacramentals to as many people as possible to spread the Gospel. There is nothing unscrupulous at all in what they do. The Church is full of physical signs for our spiritual needs, from the waters of Baptism to the blessed ashes we will receive tomorrow on Ash Wednesday. Many people find these physical signs help them focus their prayer and give them spiritual comfort, so this apostolate provides them.

 

[Anthony5000]

Thanks for the explanation! I once got a junk-mail offering some kind of weird Mary cloth, but there were obvious red flags about it.

 

[thistle]

Canon Law:

**Can. 1190 §1 It is absolutely wrong to sell sacred relics. **

Some people claim this only applies to first and second class relics and not to third class ones. However, Canon Law does not make this distinction.

 

[Teakafrog]

Canon Law:

**Can. 1190 §1 It is absolutely wrong to sell sacred relics. **

Some people claim this only applies to first and second class relics and not to third class ones. However, Canon Law does not make this distinction.

A third class relic is any object that has been touched to either a first or second class relic. It is not, in an of itself, a relic, it has only been touched to a relic. No first or second class relics are to be sold, true.

 

[CukierskiFamily]

TeakAFrog is correct in her explanation.

Re: St. Cajetan Package.
cukierski.net/employment.shtml

It was recently recommended by the Bishop of Green Bay!
He included it in his “Spiritual Resources” for those who are unemployed.
This Resource Package went out to the entire diocese (in April if I recall correctly).
We were thrilled to be able to have a hand in helping folks during these
hard economic times.

We also like to let folks know that our family apostolate offers Free Masses
for the Unemployed (and underemployed as well). You can add your name
over at our website: cukierski.net/unemployedmasses.shtml