M
Micky2014
Guest
Hello all, thank you for reading!
I have some confusion about the different approaches to blessing that seem to exist in the contemporary Church.
First of all, it has to be stated of course that the Sacraments instituted by the Church stand above all else and the act of blessing, in common context, being a sacramental.
My understanding is one could classify the blessing of an object destined for pious use as ‘constitutive’, that is imbuing it with a sacred character, permanent, from the authority of the Church. This seemed to be the traditional approach to sacramentals such as rosaries; an ‘indulgenced’ blessing, imparting the object certain graces through the treasury of the Church, that are not superstitious, but licit.
I have been lucky enough to have articles blessed very formally and beautifully in such a manner.
What I seem to find recently is a move to more use of ‘invocative blessings’ over what would be considered a sacramental object. I find it hard to tell if the object is constitutively blessed in that way - has become indulgenced (and yes I know indulgences may seem old fashioned to some).
The modern blessing seems to circumvent (may not be the appropriate word), blessing the object directly, but focuses on an invocative blessing directed more toward the user of the object, rather than the old constitutive blessing that set it apart for pious use.
As an example, I had a small crucifix blessed recently, and it was extremely hard to tell if it was blessed or I was, or both… I believe the Book of Blessings, De Benedictionibus; has caused a bit of controversy and confusion in this regard.
To me, my understanding; a house or a lay person would, in general, receive an invocative blessing to God’s grace (non sanctifying grace). An object destined for pious use, to excite and predispose us to receive sanctifying grace through the Sacraments, such as certain chaplets, etc., that traditionally needed a constitutive blessing for certain indulgences (if you look in the Raccolta) - would receive a constitutive blessing that set it apart permanently for this use, hence the need to dispose of blessed objects respectfully and to treat them respectfully.
As it stands now, to use my former example, I’m not sure if my crucifix is blessed or I was.
Any thoughts on this ambiguity or blessings in general? (Respectfully please.)
I have some confusion about the different approaches to blessing that seem to exist in the contemporary Church.
First of all, it has to be stated of course that the Sacraments instituted by the Church stand above all else and the act of blessing, in common context, being a sacramental.
My understanding is one could classify the blessing of an object destined for pious use as ‘constitutive’, that is imbuing it with a sacred character, permanent, from the authority of the Church. This seemed to be the traditional approach to sacramentals such as rosaries; an ‘indulgenced’ blessing, imparting the object certain graces through the treasury of the Church, that are not superstitious, but licit.
I have been lucky enough to have articles blessed very formally and beautifully in such a manner.
What I seem to find recently is a move to more use of ‘invocative blessings’ over what would be considered a sacramental object. I find it hard to tell if the object is constitutively blessed in that way - has become indulgenced (and yes I know indulgences may seem old fashioned to some).
The modern blessing seems to circumvent (may not be the appropriate word), blessing the object directly, but focuses on an invocative blessing directed more toward the user of the object, rather than the old constitutive blessing that set it apart for pious use.
As an example, I had a small crucifix blessed recently, and it was extremely hard to tell if it was blessed or I was, or both… I believe the Book of Blessings, De Benedictionibus; has caused a bit of controversy and confusion in this regard.
To me, my understanding; a house or a lay person would, in general, receive an invocative blessing to God’s grace (non sanctifying grace). An object destined for pious use, to excite and predispose us to receive sanctifying grace through the Sacraments, such as certain chaplets, etc., that traditionally needed a constitutive blessing for certain indulgences (if you look in the Raccolta) - would receive a constitutive blessing that set it apart permanently for this use, hence the need to dispose of blessed objects respectfully and to treat them respectfully.
As it stands now, to use my former example, I’m not sure if my crucifix is blessed or I was.
Any thoughts on this ambiguity or blessings in general? (Respectfully please.)