What Are Sacramentals?

This is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines sacramentals:

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

Contrast that with the Catechism's definition of the sacraments:

The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.

Whereas the sacraments (Baptism, Confession, the Eucharist, etc.) are given to us directly by Christ to transmit his divine life to us, sacramentals are given to us by the Church (by Christ's authority) to help make the grace of the sacraments more fruitful in our lives. We can't triumph in spiritual warfare without God's constant aid, and sacramentals, received with faith, help us accept that divine assistance.

As you might expect, sacramentals are a big part of Catholic life. The faithful naturally want to use every tool at their disposal to sanctify their lives. Here are a few prominent examples:

• Holy water reminds us of our baptism, through which Jesus freed us from sin and made us a child of God. Catholics bless themselves with holy water by dipping their fingers in it and making the Sign of the Cross.
• Blessings are prayers that praise God and set aside a person, place, or thing for a holy purpose. They are often (but not always) conferred by a priest and can involve holy water and the Sign of the Cross.
• Holy images like medals, icons, and statues turn our minds toward Christ and the saints. This helps us to imitate their holiness.
• And of course, receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday reminds us to repent of our sins. It also calls to mind our mortality, which should spur us on to holy living.

So this week, receive your ashes and pray about what other sacramentals you could use to help prepare yourself for the spiritual warfare of Lent.