About Sacramentals (Blessed Items)
About Sacramentals (Blessed Items)
Find answers to some of your questions about sacramentals (blessed items) here.
Sacramentals: Questions & Answers
What are Sacramentals?
A blessing makes something a sacramental, and God will work through it. Blessed objects inspire devotion and can help us obtain spiritual or temporal favours. We treat sacramentals with reverence because they are for holy use.
Are Sacramentals Different from the Sacraments?
Sacramentals are not the same as the Sacraments. The Eucharist, for example, provides sanctifying grace. Blessed rosaries cannot do that. Yet, when we pray with one, it can help us obtain favours from God through the devotion it inspires.
Can We Buy or Sell Blessed Objects?
We cannot buy or sell blessings. Rosaries and other devotional items can be sold without a blessing and then blessed after the sale. Even if an object is presented as more valuable because it carries a blessing, it will still lose its blessing once it is sold.
We do not sell blessed items because there would be no point. Once sold, they would no longer have valid blessings. Our customers can ask a priest or bishop to bless them after their purchase.
What Can Be Done with a Broken Rosary?
You may wonder what to do with a broken (or worn out) rosary or other devotional item that is no longer useful for a sacred purpose.
- A repair might be possible. Once repaired, it will need a new blessing.
- You can also donate it. For example, the parts of a broken rosary can be for fixing other rosaries.
- Alternatively, you can burn it or disassemble and bury it. That way, it avoids desecration.
Are Blessed Rosaries Good Luck Charms?
Blessed objects are not good luck charms but symbols of devotion and prayer. The blessing comes from God, not the rosary beads themselves.
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CREDITS
The LOGO image of Our Lady of Grace is original artwork by Martin Lariviere in 2009. We have the artist’s permission (my son). It is our exclusive trademark logo image.
A beautifully photographed sky by Donald Tong inspired the website’s colour scheme. Cropped portions of it are the background for the footer Bible verse. He shared it as a free download on pexels.com.
Raphael painted The Sistine Madonna circa (1513-1514). We made circular cut-outs from the original image.
Credits for linked images are on their respective pages.
Our information is from general knowledge, experience, and shared internet resources. We’d like you to use it as a starting point for your research to verify facts and build a reference list.
IN REVIEW
Sacramentals are blessed objects that inspire devotion and help us obtain spiritual or temporal favors.
A Sacrament provides sanctifying grace. A sacramental (like a blessed rosary) cannot do that. Yet, when we pray with one, it can help us obtain favors from God through the devotion it inspires.
We cannot buy or sell blessings. Rosaries and other devotional items can be sold without a blessing and then blessed after the sale.
Yes.
They are not good luck charms but symbols of devotion and prayer. The blessing comes form God, not the rosary beads themselves.