From the Pastor’s Corner: Rev. Justus Alaeto

Catechesis:

Why we bless Sacramentals and wear them?

First, those crosses/sacramentals, that we wear and carry about are also blessed. They were blessed by the priests (Deacons can also bless Sacramentals)., for the purpose of reminding them something spiritual around them. Just like in the book of Numbers 21: 8-9, God commanded Moses to make " a bronze Serpent" and hang it on a pole, so, that whoever beholds it would live. In order words, anyone who looks at it will be healed. God manifests His Power through these signs. The key point here is faith. Holiness is contagious. Keeping holy blessed objects around us is a reasonable way of attracting the presence of God and dispersing the unclean spirits from around us. These holy objects are like danger signs for the evil spirits who prowl around the world seeking souls to destroy. When you see the image of the Virgin Mary in my room, it tells you that I am Catholic or Orthodox. It does not mean that I am worshipping the image.  

Furthermore, Scripture indicates that the people who looked up at the bronze serpent were healed, and those that did not look up, died. So, those things remind us about spiritual things and keep us conscious of the presence of God in our lives. This does not mean that the bronze serpent was being worshipped as God. It was only a channel of hope. Hence, Catholics are not using these sacred objects as medicines or charms. They are signs and channels of hope for divine protection, having a crucifix or a rosary gives you confidence, reminding you that God is you. And if you decide not to use them, the Catholic Church will never question or condemn you for not wearing a crucifix or for not keeping a cross in your house. No one picks offense if you are not having them. Again, it is about faith.

 

In the bible also, we notice that when Peter and Paul were walking, people were looking for their images and touching their aprons and handkerchiefs and took that to the sick and they were all healed, according to the Scripture in Acts 19:12. Those things are effectively holy and holy things manifest holy effects. Holiness is contagious. Remember the woman who touched only the fringe of Jesus’s apparel? She was healed for the faith she had in only touching the fringe of the cloth (Lk 8:43-48). The healing did not come from the cloth, but from the Holiness of Christ, in which the woman trusted. The blessed crosses are things that possess a holy contagion, because of the power of the blessing, which God has given. That blessing is not just ordinary blessing that can be pronounced, but rather, something coming directly from the Apostles and handed over to the Catholic priesthood today. So, when it is blessed, it is sanctified, but it does not mean you worship them, the only person to be worshipped is God, but God has given us these things to help us, to receive His Blessings. Indeed, you can bless people, bless a house or a car, but that does not mean they will work miracles. The intention of the blessing and the faith of the believer are prerequisites. When we bow to the Cross for instance, we are giving homage to God in heaven whom these things represent. 

Regarding the Worship and Adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist: The way we use or bow to the crucifix and venerate other sacramentals, is totally different to the way we bow to the Holy Eucharist. In the Holy Eucharist, we the Catholic believe that Jesus is substantially Present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, and we have no apology for that. The Holy Eucharist was initiated by Jesus at the last supper, where Jesus used the power of His Word, to change ordinary bread and wine, into His very Body and Blood, and gave that to us as a gift, and as a command saying, “Do this in Memory of Me.” That has been the practice from the Apostles and was passed down to us. It was a command from Jesus, and we have no apology to that like I mentioned earlier. We do it just as Jesus told us. We cannot change what Jesus said.

The Holy Eucharist is the full Presence of Christ because Jesus Himself said, “This is my Body, this is my Blood,” and we take the words of Jesus as He stated it. Also, it is only a validly ordained Catholic priest that can consecrate the Holy Eucharist because we believe that the Holy Eucharist, is the Sacramental Presence of Christ. Any other person, outside an ordained Catholic priest that consecrates the Holy Eucharist is invalid, because we believe that it is the Sacramental Presence of Christ. So, it is by faith that we believe that, through the Sacramental action of the Holy sacrifice of the Mass, Christ is Present in the Holy Eucharist. We believe that Christ is sacrificed at the altar and the altar of the throne of God. The Holy Eucharist is the re-enactment of the Sacrifice on Calvary by a validly ordained priest. 

Finally, again, the worship of God first comes from the heart, and not by movement of the body. You can be laying down and still be worshipping God with your mind and heart. You may be sitting and be worshipping God at the same time. Your mind and your heart take you to God and that is why you bow. The Church is both visible and invisible. The visible reminds and connects us spiritually, to what is invisible!

God’s Blessings upon you!