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I’ll let the Magisterium speak for herself first; she’s more eloquent than I…
Catechism of the Catholic Church (Vatican.va link)
Part Two - The Celebration of the Christian Mystery
Section Two - The Seven Sac
Chapter Four - Other Liturgical Celebrations
Article 1 - Sacramentals
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."173
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**IN BRIEF **
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.
1678 Among the sacramentals blessings occupy an important place. They include both praise of God for his works and gifts, and the Church’s intercession for men that they may be able to use God’s gifts according to the spirit of the Gospel.
1679 In addition to the liturgy, Christian life is nourished by various forms of popular piety, rooted in the different cultures. While carefully clarifying them in the light of faith, the Church fosters the forms of popular piety that express an evangelical instinct and a human wisdom and that enrich Christian life.
and Mr. Akin has a nice explanation (I’ve only pasted a subset, I suggest clicking thru to the actual article
):Lesson 27: ON THE SACRAMENTALS (link to Mr. Akin’s site
292. Q. What is a sacramental?
A. A sacramental is anything set apart or blessed by the Church to excite good thoughts and to increase devotion, and through these movements of the heart to remit venial sin.
It is not the sacramental itself that gives grace, but the devotion, the love of God, or sorrow for sin that it inspires. For example, a person comes into the church and goes around the Stations of the Cross. The stations are a sacramental. In looking at one station he sees Our Lord on trial before Pilate; in another he sees Him crowned with thorns; in another, scourged; in another, carrying His Cross; in another, crucified; in another, dead and laid in the tomb. Before all these pictures he reflects on the sufferings of Our Saviour, and begins to hate sin, that caused them. Then he thinks, of his own sins, and begins to be sorry for them. This sorrow, caused by going around the stations, brings him grace that remits venial sins. When we receive the Sacraments we always get the grace of the Sacraments when we are rightly disposed; but in using the sacramentals, the more devotion we have the more grace we receive.
“Increase devotion.” If we knelt down before a plain white wall we could not pray with the devotion we would have kneeling before a crucifix. We see the representation of the nails in the hands and feet, the blood on the side, the thorns on the head; and all these must make us think of Our Lord’s terrible sufferings. The picture of a friend hanging before us will often make us think of him when we would otherwise forget him. So also will the pictures of Our Lord and of the saints keep them often in our minds.
My poor analogy, consider a poor little smoldering splinter, now, expose the splinter to pure oxygen and you get a flame capable of starting a bonfire. Sure, you could use that little smoldering ember to start a bonfire; however, that flame is much easier!
Rosary… smoldering ember… blessing… pure oxygen… flame of the Holy Spirit… Bonfire of God’s Grace within you and others!
As I said, poor analogy… but I hope illuminating
