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THE SACRAMENTALS

CHARLES J. HcHEILL

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THE CATHOLIC ACTION SERIES

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DISCUSSION-CLUB TEXTBOOKS





THE CATHOLIC ACTION SERIES

OF

DISCUSSION-CLUB TEXTBOOKS

THE SACRAMENTALS
A Study of the Origin, Nature, and Proper Use of

the Sacramentals of the Church

BY

CHARLES J. McNEILL, A.B., Jour. D.

Associate Editor, The Register

Denver, Colorado

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY

REV. LEON A. McNEILL, M.A.

DIOCESAN DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

WICHITA, KANSAS

PUBLISHED BY THE

CATHOLIC ACTION COMMITTEE

424 NORTH BROADWAY

WICHITA, KANSAS

1942



To

The Right Reverend Monsignor Matthew Smith

Editor in Chief of The Register

whose many years as a Catholic editor have proved

the value of modern journalistic techniques in

spreading the ancient truths of Christ and

whose labors have brought new glories

to Catholic journalism in America.

Nihil Obstat

RICHARD J. DEI

Censor Librorum

Imprimatur

^ AUG. J. SCHWERTNER

Bishop of Wichita

Wichita, June 29, 1938

COPYRIGHT, 1938, CATHOLIC ACTION COMMITTEE

COPYRIGHT, 1942, CATHOLIC ACTION COMMITTEE

FIRST EDITION, 1938

REVISED EDITION, 1942

Osadtiifierf



Introduction

A religious discussion club should be a genuine Catholic Action cell. The
members, by cooperative study and discussion, strive gradually to acquire that

mastery of the teachings of the Church which will enable them to present the

Christian message effectively to others. They combine study with prayer, that

the grace and love of God may develop in their souls. They discuss points of

religious doctrine and practice in relation to the circumstances of daily life and,

as the study progresses, they plan a program of specialized apostolic action directed

toward the restoration of all things in Christ— the goal of the lay apostolate.
Our Catholic people are more or less familiar with those “sacred objects and

actions” which the Church employs to obtain favors, especially those of a spiritual

nature, through her intercession. Very few of the faithful, however, know the

precise nature and proper use of the sacramentals, and few realize how “the saving

influence of the sacramentals is extended over the whole field of human life and

activity.” The object of this booklet on the sacramentals, therefore, is to render

helpful service to members of cooperative study groups, who not only wish to

fulfill their more essential religious obligations, but who also have a desire to

know their religion better, to deepen their inward conviction, and to bring the

“inner splendor of a right and unsullied conscience” into conformity with the

external observances of their daily lives.

The Sacramentals is one unit in a series of courses for religious discussion

clubs published by the Catholic Action Committee of the Diocese of Wichita. It

has been developed in strict adherence to suggestions for preparation of discussion-

club textbooks issued by the National Center of the Confraternity of Christian

Doctrine, Washington, D. C. The subject matter is divided into sixteen brief

lessons adapted to the knowledge and experience of the average lay group. The

text of each chapter is supplemented by suitable discussion aids and suggested

practices. This manual contains sufficient material for two semesters of eight

weeks each, and is, therefore, designed to serve during a complete discussion-club

season.

To His Excellency, the Most Reverend Christian H. Winkelmann, S.T.D.,

Bishop of Wichita, who has omitted no opportunity to encourage the development

of suitable materials for Confraternity groups; to the Most Rev. A. J. Muench, D.D.,

Bishop of Fargo, who suggested a treatment of the sacramentals for use of dis-

cussion clubs; to C. J. McNeill, author of The Sacramentals

,

to whom we are closely
united by fraternal bonds of blood and of faith; to Rt. Rev. Msgr. Matthew J.

Smith, editor in chief of The Register, Denver, Colorado, Rev. Gregory Smith,

national chairman of discussion clubs in the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Rev.

Clarence G. Issenmann, S.T.D., treasurer of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio,

Rev. Roger Schoenbechler, O.S.B., chaplain of the Newman Foundation, University
of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, Rev. Richard J. Dei, Censor Librorum, Wichita, and

Mrs. C. J. McNeill, wife of the author, for patient and helpful examination of copy;

to our esteemed coworker, Angela A. Clendenin, for assistance in editing the manu-

script for publication; and to a host of generous souls, clerical, religious, and lay,

who are active in the extensive program of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine

in the Diocese of Wichita, we express our heartfelt gratitude and deep appreciation.

May the Divine Spirit of Truth, whose Pentecostal Feast we celebrate today,
enlighten the minds, inflame the hearts, and strengthen the wills of all who make

use of this textbook.

(Rev.) Leon A. McNeill, M.A.

Diocesan Director of Education

Wichita, Kansas

Pentecost Sunday

May 24, 1942



CONTENTS

Introduction 3

The Religious Discussion Club 5

I. The Sacramentals in General 7

II. The Sign of the Cross ' . . 10

III. The Crucifix, Stations of the Cross, Veneration of the Cross . . 13

IV. The Rosary 16

V. Holy Water 19

VI. Palms, Ashes, Incense 22

VII. Blessed Candles 25

VIII. Agnus Deis, Medals, Scapulars, Blessed Cords 28

IX. The Church, Its Furnishings, Holy Oils 31

X. Liturgical Books 34

XI. Popular Devotions 37

XII. Sacred Images 40

XIII. Blessings of Persons 43

XIV. Sacramentals in Agriculture 46

XV. Sacramentals in Industry 49

XVI. Family Sacramentals 52

Index 55

Reference List Inside back cover



The Religious Discussion Club

A religious discussion club may be described as a small group of persons who
meet regularly to discuss the teachings and practices of the Church, in order “to

clarify and correlate religious information, to develop the ability to explain accu-

rately and convincingly the truths of our religion and above all to relate religious

truths to daily living.”i

ORGANIZATION

1. A discussion club will ordinarily consist of from six to twelve members.
If a greater number are interested, two or more groups may be formed.

2. Each discussion club should have a spiritual director, a leader, and a secre-

tary.

3. A suitable Christian name should be selected for the club.

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

1. The spiritual director encourages the members in their study, shows his

interest by attending meetings occasionally, and provides answers to questions

which may be referred to him by the club. He also directs the members in works

of Catholic Action which develop out of the discussion.

2. The leader directs the members in turn to read the text aloud, and guides

the discussion with the help of the aids given in the textbook. He limits the discus-
sion to topics included in the lesson, and, at the close of each session, may sum-
marize the points covered.

3. The secretary calls the roll, keeps brief minutes of each meeting, and records

and refers to the spiritual director questions which cannot be decided by the mem-

bers of the club.

MEETINGS

1. Individual members of the club are provided with textbooks and may be
encouraged to read in advance the lesson assigned for each meeting.

2. Eight weekly meetings during the fall term and again during the spring

term will be sufficient to cover the material of this textbook, which is divided into

sixteen brief chapters.

3. Meetings are held wherever it is convenient for the members to assemble.

They should continue not longer than an hour and a half.

4. Order of meeting: Prayer, roll call, secretary’s report, reading and discus-

sion of assigned text, assignment of lesson, announcement of time and place of

next meeting, adjournment with prayer.

5. Constant emphasis should be placed on the application of religious truths

to daily life, and members should be encouraged to adopt the religious practices

suggested at the end of each chapter.

6. At the close of the season, all discussion groups of a parish or of several

parishes may plan a joint meeting, at which pageants, plays, tableaux, illustrated
lectures, travel talks, or other suitable entertainment may be presented.

1. The Life of Christ, Syllabus II, Part I, p. VIII. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 1941.



6 THE SACRAMENTALS

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

1. Occasional lectures or informal talks on topics suggested in the text may

serve to stimulate interest, but they should not be promoted at the expense of the

regular club programs.

2. Books, magazine and newspaper articles, pictures and other illustrative

materials which pertain to the subject of discussion should be brought to the atten-

tion of the club. Pictures and clippings may be preserved in a club scrapbook.

3. The books, pamphlets, and magazines included in the reference list are

recommended to those who wish to make a more intensive study of the sacra-

mentals, or who may wish to do supplementary reading in the general field of the
liturgy.

ORDER OF MEETING

Prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Roll call.

Secretary's report.

Reading and discussion of assigned text.

Assignment of lesson for the following week.

Announcement of time and place of next meeting.

Adjournment with prayer.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful

and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.

R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray

O God, who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the

Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to

rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

(Indulgence of five years. Plenary indulgence, under the usual con-

ditions, if the prayer has been recited daily for a month.)



THE SACRAMENTALS IN GENERAL 7

I

The Sacramentals in General

By His death on the cross, Christ atoned for man’s sins and merited a super-

abundance of grace for all men in all times. Christ’s merits are dispensed by the

Church, which He founded to sanctify men. The principal means of grace are the

sacraments, outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace. Only the essential

elements of the sacraments were determined by Christ. As time went on, certain

rites and formulas were prescribed for their administration. These ceremonies came

to be known as sacramentals because of their connection with the sacraments.

Besides the ceremonies used in administering the sacraments, the Church has

always used other ceremonies and objects to increase the religious fervor of her

members and to convey grace to souls. These other objects and actions are called

sacramentals because of their resemblance to the sacraments.

“Sacramentals are sacred objects and actions which the Church, in a certain

imitation of the sacraments, employs for the purpose of obtaining especially spir-

itual favors through her intercession.”^ Thus 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 produce grace and to remit venial sin or

the temporal punishment due to sin.

By what agency are Christ’s merits dispensed to men? What are the principal

means of grace? What name is given to the ceremonies prescribed for the adminis-

tration of the sacraments? Why are other objects and actions called sacramentals?
What is a sacramental?

DIFFERENCE FROM SACRAMENTS. The sacramentals differ from the
sacraments in these ways : The sacraments were instituted by Christ Himself, the

sacramentals by Christ’s Church. The sacraments are forever limited to the seven

instituted by the Redeemer (Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance,

Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony). The sacramentals are subject

in number and kind only to the determination of the Church, acting through the

Holy See, which alone can constitute, interpret, and abolish or modify the sacra-

mentals.2 The sacraments produce grace directly in the soul if there is no obstacle

on the part of the recipient. The sacramentals do not produce grace infallibly, but,

by inciting pious dispositions, they prepare the soul to receive grace and thus

indirectly produce it. The prayers used in the sacramentals merely ask God to

grant certain graces or to produce certain effects. The formulas used in the sacra-

ments, except in Extreme Unction, positively declare that God is producing certain

effects in the soul. The effects of the sacramentals depend on the prayer of the

Church and the dispositions of the recipient. Finally, the sacraments give or

increase sanctifying grace
;
sacramentals give actual graces.

How do the sacramentals differ from the sacraments: In institution? In num-
ber? In effecting grace? In the prayers used? What kind of graces do the sacra-

mentals give?

KINDS OF SACRAMENTALS. The official law of the Church says that
sacramentals include: 1. Sacred objects. 2. Actions. Some fall under both classes;
for instance, the rosary and the Stations of the Cross. Sacramental objects include

all things which the Church has blessed or consecrated in a special way to the serv-
ice of God— the cross, the crucifix, holy water, palms, ashes, incense, candles,
medals, scapulars, sacred vestments and vessels, church bells, holy oils, and sacred

images. Sacramental actions include the prayers and ceremonies connected with

but not essential to Mass and the sacraments
;
other prayers, especially the Divine

1. Canon 1144.
2. Canon 1146.



8 THE SACRAMENTALS

1

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Office and common prayer in families; devotions such as litanies and novenas;

exorcisms, and blessings and consecrations of persons or things. Blessings of per-

sons include those for abbots and other religious, those for the sick, and those inti-

mately connected with Christian family life. Blessings of things include those of

religious objects like rosaries and sacred vessels, also those connected with agricul-

tural, industrial, and family life.

What are the two principal classes of sacramentals? Give some examples of

each kind of sacramentals.

BLESSINGS, CONSECRATIONS, AND EXORCISMS. Blessings are prayers
drawing down God’s favor on a person or thing. Any priest can perform the com-

mon blessings not specifically reserved to the Pope, the bishops, or members of cer-

tain religious communities. There are two kinds of blessings: constitutive and

invocative. A constitutive blessing renders an object, such as a rosary, or a person,
such as an abbot, permanently sacred and devoted in a special way to God’s serv-

ice. Constitutive blessings are called consecrations if holy chrism is used in impart-

ing them. Only a bishop can consecrate objects unless the power to consecrate is

specifically given to a cleric of lower rank. Invocative blessings merely ask God’s

favor on a person or object, such as an infant or an article of food. Blessings are

real if given to things, personal if given to human beings.

An exorcism is a command given in the name of God, ordering the devil to
depart from a person, place, or thing. Scripture proves that God sometimes per-

mits demons to exercise influence over men and things. The influence may include
inhabitation of a body by a devil. This is called diabolical possession. The purpose

of exorcisms is to compel devils to cease their evil interference in human affairs.

In using exorcisms, the Church follows Christ’s own example and fulfills His com-

mission to expel devils in His name.^ Exorcisms are included in some ordinary

functions, such as in blessing holy water or sick persons. Others are used to drive

the devil out of things or persons subjected to real diabolical possession. The minor

order of exorcist confers on the cleric the power to exorcise, but no clergyman is

allowed to use the solemn ceremony without special permission of the bishop.

What are blessings? Who is the ordinary minister of common blessings?
What are the two general classes of blessings? How do they differ? What are
consecrations? Who is the ordinary minister of consecrations? What are real
blessings? What are personal blessings? What is an exorcism? On whose author-

ity do priests conduct exorcisms?

EFFICACY OF SACRAMENTALS. Sacramentals are not to be used with
any superstitious reliance on their efficacy. Blessed objects have no power in them-

selves. Their whole value lies in their designation by the Church for sacred pur-

poses, in the efficacy of the Church’s prayer, and in the merits won by Christ and

translated to us through the Church. In using any sacramental, the individual

unites himself with the whole Church and acts as a living member of the Mystical

Body, of which Christ is the head and all the faithful are members. Thus the sacra-

mentals have an efficacy beyond that of mere private devotions, for they partake

of the Church’s activity as a living organism that carries on the very life and work

of Christ Himself. As such they are invaluable aids to salvation.

Since the sacramentals possess no power in themselves, whence do they derive

their value? Why does their efficacy surpass that of mere private devotions?

BENEFITS ATTACHED. Not only does the Church set aside or bless objects
for sacred usage; she also attaches determined benefits to certain of these objects

and to specified good works. In blessing some sacramentals, she asks God to grant

specific favors and to protect the faithful from specific dangers or evils. The favors

attached to many sacramentals are expressed in terms of indulgences. An indul-

3. Mark XVI, 17.



THE SACRAMENTALS IN GENERAL 9

gence is the remission, outside confession, in whole or in part of the temporal

punishment due to sin that is already forgiven. As the administrator of God’s

grace, the Church has the power to remit the penalty attached to offenses against

the law of God. An indulgence is not a license to sin nor a forgiveness of sin. An

indulgence can be gained only by those who have already obtained forgiveness of

the sins whose temporal punishment is to be remitted. The recipient must be in

the state of grace and must perform the works prescribed by the Church.

In blessing certain sacramentals, what does the Church ask of God? In what

terms are the favors attached to many sacramentals expressed? What is an indul-

gence? What is necessary for a person to gain an indulgence?

USE AND BEAUTY. The sacramentals are to be used with the reverence
due to the things of God, with a disposition to accept and use well the graces God

may grant as a result of the good works. Objects rendered sacred by the Church’s

prayer must never be used for profane purposes nor for ends other than those

intended by the Church.

Since God is supreme goodness and beauty, it is fitting that the things used

in His service should have in themselves goodness and beauty. Sacramental prayers

and ceremonies are beautiful in both form and language. Sacramental objects

should likewise be things of beauty. In choosing sacred objects, the man who truly

loves God, the source of all beauty, should be satisfied only with those things which

are really artistic and which best illustrate the aims of the Church in blessing

articles for God’s service.

Why should the sacramentals be treated with reverence? What disposition
should we have in using the sacramentals? Why should sacramental objects be
things of beauty?

AIDS TO SALVATION. The sacraments are necessary for salvation. Sacra-
mentals are not necessary for salvation and their use is not commanded. They are,

however, very useful in gaining salvation, and their use has always been recom-

mended by the Church. They can never supplant the sacraments or the central act

of worship, the Mass. While being kept in their subordinate place as means of

grace, the sacramentals should be employed constantly for the graces which follow

from their use. Nothing that will further the salvation of the soul can safely be

neglected, and the saving influence of the sacramentals is extended over the whole

field of human life and activity.

In his encyclical on Atheistic Communism, Pope Pius XI wrote: “There are

too many who fulfill more or less faithfully the more essential obligations of the
religion they boast of professing, but have no desire of knowing it better, of deepen-

ing their inward conviction, and still less of bringing into conformity with the

external gloss the inner splendor of a right and unsullied conscience, that recog-

nizes and performs all its duties under the eye of God.” Use of the sacramentals

promotes both that better knowledge and that deeper inward conviction of the

religion which we profess.

Why should we make use of the sacramentals although they are not necessary
for salvation? Discuss Pope Pius XI’s remarks on those who do no more than ful-

fill the more essential obligations of religion. How does this statement apply to
the use of the sacramentals?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES
1. Develop a right attitude toward the sacramentals by knowing more about

them, and rely on their efficacy, not because of any power they may possess
of themselves, but because of the prayer of the Church and the merits of

Christ.

2. Use the sacramentals to increase your knowledge and love of God and to

aid in your eternal salvation.



10 THE SACRAMENTALS

II

The Sign of the Cross

‘Tn the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”

These words and the action that goes with them form the most common sacra-

mental — the sign of the cross. By it, we profess our Christianity and signify the
chief mysteries of our faith. The sign of the cross brings to mind the unity and

Trinity of God, the Incarnation and death of our Lord. It is an act of faith, hope,

and love. It obtains grace for its user, repels evil spirits, and wards off spiritual

and temporal dangers. It is much used in the liturgy, and indulgences are attached

to it.

What is the Church’s most common sacramental? What does it signify? What

ends does it serve?

FORMS OF THE SIGN OF THE CROSS. The earliest form was made with
the thumb by tracing a small cross on the forehead, on other parts of the body, or

on objects. This type is still used in the Mass, in which the priest traces a cross

on the book of the Gospels or on the Missal, then makes it on his forehead, lips,

and breast. This triple cross is found also in some other rites, and should be used

by the faithful at the beginning of the Gospel at Mass.

In another form, the priest or bishop traces the sign in the air. This cross

recurs often in the liturgy and in blessings.

The principal type is the large form made in this manner: Placing the left

hand on the breast, we raise the right hand to the forehead, saying, “In the name

of the Father”; then move the hand down to the breast, saying, “and of the Son”;

then from the left shoulder to the right, saying, “and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”

The process is not jerky nor divided into such sharp divisions as must be made in

explaining it. This large form developed gradually from the smaller. It signifies

the dedication of one’s entire being to God. An old custom of Spain and some other
nations, that of kissing the thumb after completing the sign, may still be seen
among persons of Spanish descent in this country.

Discuss the earliest form of the sign of the cross. How is this form used
today? What other form is often used by priests and bishops? How do we make
the common sign of the cross? What does this large form signify? What pious

old custom is preserved by Spanish-Americans in this country?

GREAT MYSTERIES SIGNIFIED. By the words “In the name,” we call to
mind the unity 'of God. “Of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”

express the mystery of the Trinity. The very form of the action symbolizes our

Redemption by Christ on the cross. We touch the forehead first and name God the
Father, then name the Son, to show that Christ proceeds from the Father. We
touch the breast and then the shoulders to show that the Holy Ghost proceeds from

both the Father and the Son. St. Ambrose says we touch our foreheads also to

profess belief in God, our hearts to show love for Him, our shoulders to prove that

we will work for Him.

What great mysteries are signified by the sign of the cross? Why do we
touch first the forehead, then the breast, and finally the shoulders? What does

St. Ambrose say about this order of making the sign of the cross?

USE OF THE SIGN. When Christ redeemed fallen man by His death, the
ancient symbol of the cross was sanctified. That it should be used from the begin-

ning as a mark of His followers was only natural. By it, the first Christians made



THE SIGN OF THE CROSS 11

themselves known to one another. Today it remains the sign of the follower of

Christ, for outside the true Church it has been discarded.

We should use the sign of the cross constantly in our daily lives. Tertullian
(160-230) wrote: “In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going

out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in

lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupieth us, we mark our fore-

heads with the sign of the cross.”i So should the sign be used by Christians today.

The Church’s regard for this sacramental is proved by its use in the Mass, in

the sacraments, in all public and private ceremonies and prayers. For example, at

Mass it is used about fifty times; in the administration of Baptism, it is made four-

teen times; in Extreme Unction, seventeen times; in the blessing of holy water,

twelve times.

How was the symbol of the cross sanctified? What use did the early Christians
make of the sign of the cross? How often should we make the sign of the cross?
What did Tertullian say about its use? How is the sign of the cross used in the
liturgy?

ASKS EVERY BLESSING. The sign of the cross shows bur desire to win
every blessing merited by Christ. By it, we dedicate ourselves to Christ, place our-

selves under His protection, and ask to partake in all His graces.

In time of temptation, the sign of the cross is man’s best weapon against

Satan. St. John Chrysostom (347-407) says: “If you thus engrave it on your fore-

head, no impure spirit will dare to stand before you. He sees the blade with which

he has been wounded, the sword with which he has received his death blow.” The

very sign of Christ’s death repels evil spirits and is a protection against both

spiritual and temporal evils.

An indulgence of 100 days is attached to making the sign of the cross. If the
sign is made with holy water, the indulgence is 300 days.2

What blessings are sought by those who devoutly use the sign of the cross?

Discuss the sign of the cross as a weapon against evil. What indulgences are

attached to its use?

CROSS AMONG THE ANCIENTS. Ancient peoples almost universally
regarded the cross as a mystic or religious symbol. In Egypt and Assyria, it typi-

fied creative power. In India, Mexico, and Peru, it had the same meaning. Many
nations, however, used it for the execution of criminals. The Romans, to whom the
Jews were subject at the time of Christ, used the cross only in executing the lowest

criminals— insubordinate slaves, common brigands, and the like. The Romans had
no regard for the cross as a mystic symbol. For them it was merely an instrument

of torture.

Hence Christ’s death on the cross was an ignominious one, the death of the

lowest malefactor. Yet His dying sanctified this shameful tree and gave to His

followers a common sign of their faith and their Master. The early Christians, to
protect themselves from the savage treatment of the Roman emperors, did not use
the cross openly, but disguised it under various forms— the Greek letter X, the
trident, the anchor, and several monograms.

So universal was the use of the cross as a Christian symbol that the pagans
called followers of Christ “worshippers of the cross.” They added that the Chris-

tians “deserve that which they worship.” The proud Romans considered the Chris-
tians worthy of the same shameful death their Master had died.

How did many ancient peoples regard the cross? Tell how the Romans differed
from others in their attitude toward the cross. What did the use of the cross in
Christ’s execution mean? After the cross was sanctified by Christ’s death, why

1. De Corona Militis, iii.
2. Preces et Pia Opera. Page 506.



12 THE SACRAMENTALS

did not the early Christians use it openly as a sign of their faith? How did they
disguise it? What did the Romans call the Christians?

DEVOTION TO THE CROSS. The Emperor Constantine, who found victory
in the sign of the cross, abolished the cross as an instrument of capital punishment

and promoted its use as an object of veneration.

After St. Helena’s discovery of the true cross at Jerusalem in the fourth cen-

tury, devotion to the cross increased rapidly and its use became more open. Par-

ticles of the true cross were distributed over Christendom, and today these par-

ticles, many in churches of our own country, are still venerated. A particle of the
true cross is placed in all pectoral crosses worn by bishops and abbots. A relic of
the true cross is also necessary to give the blessing of St. Maurice over the sick, as

described in the Roman Ritual.

More widespread now is devotion to the crucifix, but the plain cross is still used

as a symbol of our faith. Throughout the centuries it has been employed in Chris-

tian art. It is a frequent ornament on churches and other institutions, on vestments

and sacred vessels. It is worn by many devout persons.

Why did Constantine promote devotion to the cross? What effect did St.
Helena’s discovery of the true cross have on devotion to the cross? What has been

done with the true cross? How is the cross used in Christian art?

USE IN LITURGY. The simple cross or the crucifix may be blessed and used
as a powerful sacramental. For instance, the indulgences granted for making the

Stations of the Cross are actually attached to the wooden crosses that must sur-

mount the images or pictures representing the scenes of the passion. The apostolic

indulgences, those conferred by the blessing of the Pope himself, can be attached

to a cross. The power to confer these indulgences is now held by many priests. The

benefits can be conferred by the priest’s mere act of making the sign of the cross

over the object.

Several days are dedicated to the cross in the Church’s liturgy. The Feast of

the Invention (Finding) of the True Coss is celebrated on May 3 in the Western
Church; the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, on September 14. The Eastern

rites have various other festivals. The veneration of the cross is an important part

of the Good Friday ritual. Crosses are carried at the head of liturgical processions

and are worn by bishops and by members of many religious orders.

What indulgences may be attached to a cross? What are the apostolic indul-

gences? How can they be conferred? When does the Western Church keep
feasts of the cross? How does the cross figure in liturgical functions?

FORMS OF THE CROSS. Various forms of the cross have always been used.
The one most common today is the Latin cross, the kind on which Christ died. In

it the upright beam extends above the crossbar. Others are the Greek cross, having

four limbs of equal length; St. Andrew’s cross, formed like the letter X; the Mal-

tese cross, having four equal triangular limbs; the Celtic cross, whose arms are

connected by a circle; the Tau cross, resembling the Hebrew or Greek letter T; the

Egyptian ansated cross, with a circular handle at its top. One with two crossbars

is sometimes called an archiepiscopal or patriarchal cross. It is used in the heraldic

arms of archbishops and patriarchs.

Name some of the various forms of the cross. What is the Latin cross? Greek
cross? St. Andrew’s cross? Maltese cross? Celtic cross? Tau cross? Ansated

cross? What is an archiepiscopal or patriarchal cross?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES
1. When making the sign of the cross, recall the mysteries of faith which this

sacramental signifies.

2. Keep a blessed cross in your home, and take part in services honoring the

true cross.



THE CRUCIFIX, THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS 13

III

The Crucifixt Stations of the Cross

Veneration of the Cross

The painter, C. Bosseron Chambers, stepped into New York’s Church of the
Holy Innocents one evening. Huddled before a great crucifix was a man marked by

a dissolute life but marked too by an overpowering contrition. The penitent that

evening was converted from his life of sin, and the artist conceived his great pic-

ture “The Return.” That crucifix is known as the famous “Return Crucifix.”

Before it many sinners have found salvation. There America’s soldier poet, Joyce

Kilmer, found his way to Christ— through the crucifix.
If the cross, the symbol of Redemption, has been a source of strength to

Christians, the crucifix, the actual representation of the act of Redemption, has

been a source of even greater strength. A crucifix is a cross to which is attached
an image of our Lord’s body.

Tell the story of the “Return Crucifix.” How does the crucifix differ from the
cross ?

DEVELOPMENT OF CRUCIFIX. As the early Christians were afraid to
use the cross publicly, they were also afraid to use the crucifix openly. They, there-

fore, employed symbols of the crucifixion— the lamb reclining beside an anchor,
the dolphin twined about the trident.

After the sixth century, the image of Christ on the cross was used openly. The

crucifix was at first an idealized representation of Christ’s death. The Savior was

shown robed in a tunic and ruling from the cross as Master of the universe, as

Christ the King. This type was generally used until about the thirteenth century,

when it was replaced by the more realistic type with which we are now familiar.

But in our time, with the liturgical revival, has come a return to the ancient sym-

bolic crucifix, showing a radiant and glorious Christ reigning from the cross. The

great Benedictine liturgical center, Maria Laach Abbey in Germany, is the source

of many beautiful modem crucifixes of this style.

The common crucifix portrays the tom body of Christ, wearing a loincloth,
nailed to the cross. The word crucifix is from the Latin “cruci fixus’’ (fixed to a

cross). Above Christ’s head is a tablet inscribed I.N.R.I., the first letters of the

words Pilate had written for the cross: “/esus Nazarenus, Rex ludaeorum”—“Jesus
of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” (The Latin I and J are the same.) At the foot

of the cross are often a skull and crossbones to typify Calvary, or Golgotha, which

means skull.

What symbols of the crucifix were used in the first ages of Christianity? Dis-
cuss the development of the crucifix toward its most common form today. How
was Christ represented on the idealized crucifixes of the Middle Ages? What move-
ment has revived the idealized crucifix in our time? Describe the more common
form of the crucifix. What is the meaning of I.N.R.I.?

USE AND INDULGENCES. The Church requires a crucifix on every altar at
which Mass is offered. The crucifix is also used as a processional cross in solemn

ceremonies. The faithful are urged to display the crucifix in their homes, espe-

cially in their bedrooms. It is generally attached to the rosary.

To all who recite before a crucifix the prayer “Look down upon me, good and
gentle Jesus,” an indulgence of ten years is granted. A plenary indulgence may
be gained by one reciting this prayer after receiving Holy Communion and praying
for the intentions of the Holy Father.^ To a crucifix may also be attached the apos-
tolic indulgences and the Bona Mors (Happy Death) plenary indulgence given in

1. Preces et Pia Opera. Page 110.



14 THE SACRAMENTALS

the hour of death; and with a crucifix blessed for the purpose a priest can confer

the blessing “In Articulo Mortis” (In the Moment of Death), which also carries a

plenary indulgence for the dying.

How does the Church use the crucifix in its ceremonies? Where should the

faithful display the crucifix? Discuss the indulgences that may be attached to a

crucifix.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS. Devotion to the passion of Christ reaches its
height in the Stations or Way of the Cross. This devotion grew out of the practice
of the faithful to follow Christ’s path to death when they visited Jerusalem as

pilgrims. When the holy places fell to the Moslems, it was no longer safe to make

the Way of the Cross there, and representations of the incidents of the passion
were set up in churches of Europe. It is said that the first to encourage this prac-

tice was Blessed Alvarez, a Dominican of Cordova, Spain. About 1350 the devotion

was adopted by the Franciscan Minorites. It was soon approved and indulgenced

by the Holy See, and so popular did it become that one man, St. Leonard of Port

Maurice, erected 572 sets of Stations himself, one in the Colosseum in Rome and

the others in various parts of Italy.

The number of Stations varied at first, but Pope Clement XII in 1731 fixed the

number at fourteen. They are: 1. Jesus is condemned to death. 2. Jesus takes up

His cross. 3. Jesus falls the first time. 4. Jesus meets His Mother. 5. Simon of

Cyi’ene helps Jesus carry the cross. 6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. 7. Jesus

falls the second time. 8. Jesus speaks to the weeping women of Jerusalem. 9. Jesus

falls the third time. 10. Jesus is stripped of His garments. 11. Jesus is nailed to

the cross. 12. Jesus dies on the cross. 13. Jesus is taken dowm from the cross. 14.

Jesus is laid in the sepulcher.

Tell about the origin of the Stations of the Cross. WTien was the number of

Stations settled? Name the Stations.

CROSSES ARE ESSENTIAL. In most places where the Stations are erected
they are paintings or images illustrating these fourteen scenes. These are not,

however, actually the Stations, which are the crosses (not crucifixes) that surmount

the representations. To these crosses the indulgences are attached. The crosses

must be wooden and must be erected by the bishop or by a priest who has been

given this privilege. This power was formerly reserved to the Franciscans. The

Stations may begin at either the Gospel or the Epistle side of the church. They
may also be erected out-of-doors. When so erected, they should begin or end in
some holy place, such as a church or chapel. The magnificent outdoor Way of the
Cross on the Carmelite monastery grounds at Holy Hill, Wisconsin, is a popular

place of devotion.

WTiat is the essential part of the Stations to which the indulgences are

attached? Who can erect Stations? In what direction should the Stations proceed?

INDULGENCES. Pope Pius XI in 1931 and 1932 abrogated all previous indul-
gences attached to the Stations and declared new ones as follows: A plenary indul-
gence as often as the Stations are made. A plenary indulgence for those who make
the Stations on the day they receive Communion or for those who make them ten

times within a month and receive Communion. For those who begin the Stations

without completing them, an indulgence of ten years for each Station made.2

To gain the indulgences one need not recite any vocal prayers, even for the

Pope’s intention. It is necessary to meditate on the passion of Christ and to move

from Station to Station, or, when making the Way of the Cross in a crowded
church, to turn toward the Stations or make some movement to symbolize the

going about.

The sick and those who cannot go to a place where the Stations are erected

may use a special crucifix in making the Stations. Those who do this are required

to say the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be to the Father twenty times, once

2. Preces et Pia Opera. Page 103.



VENERATION OF THE CROSS 15

for each Station, five times in honor of the five wounds of the crucified Savior, and

once for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It is customary, but not necessary,

for those who make the devotion in the regular way to say these prayers. Those

who are so gravely ill or disabled that they cannot even recite the twenty Our

Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glorias may gain the indulgences attached to the Sta-

tions by kissing or looking devoutly upon the specially blessed crucifix and, if pos-

sible, reciting some short prayer or ejaculation in memory of Christ’s passion and

death.

What indulgences did Pope Pius XI attach to the Stations of the Cross? What

is necessary to gain the indulgences? How may the sick or those who cannot go to

church make the Stations? What provision is made for those who are so gravely

ill that they cannot recite the twenty Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glorias?

VENERATION OF THE CROSS. After St. Helena’s discovery of the true
cross, it was exposed for public veneration, and thousands journeyed to Jerusalem

to honor Christ by honoring the instrument of His death. When particles of the

cross were distributed to churches in other parts of the world, these too were

venerated, and where there was no relic of the true cross a simple blessed crucifix

was used in the devotion.

This devotion has become an important part of the Good Friday liturgy. The

devotions on this day consist of: (1) an instruction and prayer service which pre-

serves the ancient form of the Mass of the Catechumens; (2) the Collects or

prayers for the needs of the Church and of mankind; (3) the uncovering and

veneration of the cross; (4) the Mass of the Presanctified.

In the third ceremony, the crucifix, which has been veiled since Passion Sun-

day, is taken from the center of the altar by one of the ministers and given to the

celebrant, who gradually unveils it, three times intoning: “Behold the wood of the

cross on which hung the Savior of the world.” All except the celebrant kneel at

each intonation, and the choir responds: “Come, let us adore.” When the cross is
completely uncovered, it is placed on a cushion at the foot of the altar.

After removing their shoes, the celebrant and the other clergy kneel and kiss

the cross. The faithful then make their veneration. This ceremony is often called

the “adoration” of the cross. This name is justified by long usage, but all under-

stand, that no real adoration is paid to the crucifix but only to Christ. While the

veneration is taking place, the “Improperia” (Reproaches) are chanted by the

choir. These are the complaints addressed to the Jews by Jesus, Who chides them
for their ingratitude. And to all who have ever sinned, the Reproaches may be
applied. Hence, all the faithful, for all are sinners, should show their contrition

and their love and their gratitude to Christ by venerating the crucifix and treasur-

ing it in their homes.

How did the practice of the veneration of the cross originate? What place
does this devotion have in the liturgy of Good Friday? Describe the uncovering

and the veneration of the cross on this day. What can be said of the term “adora-
tion” of the cross? How should we regard the “Reproaches” that are chanted
while the cross is being venerated?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. Hang a blessed crucifix in a prominent place in your home, and thus iden-
tify yourself as a member of the true Church.

2. Develop the habit of making the Way of the Cross frequently.



16 THE SACRAMENTALS

IV

The Rosary

Members of the Mystical Body have always honored Christ by venerating His

Mother. No devotion to Mary is more popular or more powerful than the rosary.

The word “rosary’' comes from the Latin “rosarium,’’ which means a garden or a

wreath of roses. In the Middle Ages noble persons were accustomed to wear crowns

of flowers called chaplets. The rosary is a triple chaplet, a crown of roses, offered

to Mary, noblest of our race. The devotion is called the Psaltery of Mary because

its 150 Hail Marys correspond to the Bible’s 150 Psalms.

Centuries ago the faithful used to repeat prayers, especially 150 Ave Marias,

counted on pebbles, beads, or embossed belts. From this custom developed the

rosary, a form of which was popularized by St. Dominic, who used it successfully

in flghting the Albigensian heresy, which threatened the life of both Church and

State in the twelfth century. This devotion was recommended to him by Mary

herself.

Why have members of the Church always honored Mary? How does the
rosary rank among devotions to Our Lady? Why is the rosary called Mary’s
“Crown of Roses”? What other name is used for it? Why? How did the custom
of using pebbles or beads as aids to devotion begin? Who popularized a form of
the rosary in the fight against the Albigensian heresy?

WHAT THE ROSARY IS. The entire rosary includes 150 Hail Marys in fifteen
sets (decades) of ten each. The fifteen decades form three groups (chaplets) of

five decades each. A chaplet is familiarly called the rosary. Each decade is prefaced
by an Our Father and is usually followed by a Glory Be to the Father. Each

chaplet is devoted to one of three groups of mysteries: joyful, sorrowful, or glorious.

The chaplet usually contains fifty-nine beads— six large for the Our Fathers,
fifty-three small for the Hail Marys. There are five decades consisting of an Our

Father and ten Hail Marys each, with another Our Father and three Hail Marys

appended. There are no beads for the Glory Be to the Fathers. On the chain is a

crucifix or a medal stamped with a cross for the Apostles’ Creed. Only the fifty

Hail Marys and five Our Fathers are essential. The complete chain of fifteen

decades is rarely used except by religious. The beads must be of a substance not

easily broken.

Of what does the rosary consist? How are the fifteen decades grouped? What
is a chaplet? Describe it. Which prayers are essential to the rosary? What others

are usually recited? What kind of substance must be used for making the beads?

FIFTEEN MYSTERIES. The mysteries cover the principal events in the
lives of Jesus and Mary. In them we honor Mary— joyful with Christ in His
birth and in His life at Nazareth, sorrowful with Him in His passion and death,
glorious with Him after His Resurrection.

The joyful mysteries are the Annunciation, Visitation of Mary to her Cousin

Elizabeth, Nativity of Christ, Presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple, and

Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. These are recited on all Mondays and

Thursdays, and on Sundays from the beginning of Advent until Lent, when the

liturgy commemorates these events.

The sorrowful mysteries are Christ’s Agony in the Garden, Scourging, Crown-

ing with Thoms, Carrying of the Cross, and Crucifixion. These are said every

Tuesday and Friday, and on Sundays in Lent, when the liturgy recalls the sorrows

and death of our Lord.



rHE ROSARY 17

The glorious mysteries are Christ's Resurrection, His Ascension, the Descent

of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, the Assumption of Mary, and her Corona-

tion as Queen of Heaven. These are recited on all Wednesdays and Saturdays, and

on Sundays from Easter to Advent, when the liturgy celebrates these mysteries.

Whom do we honor in recalling the fifteen mysteries of the rosary? Name
the joyful mysteries. When are they recited? Name the sorrowful mysteries.

When are they recited? Name the glorious mysteries. When are they recited?

ROSARY IN THE LITURGY. When the Turks were pounding at Christen-
dom’s Eastern frontiers in 1571, Pope Pius V ordered that rosary devotions be held
to ask heaven for a Christian victory. On October 7, Don John of Austria, Chris-

tian commander, defeated the Turks at Lepanto. To commemorate that day, Pius V
instituted the Feast of Our Lady of Victory. This became the Feast of the Most

Holy Rosary under Pope Gregory XIII in 1573. The feast was extended to the

Universal Church by Clement XI in 1716, and was made a double of the second

class, with a new Mass and Office, by Leo XIII in 1888.

The Feast of the Most Holy Rosary “is a summary of the liturgical year, as

we meditate on the mysteries, and also of the breviary, as we recite one hundred

fifty Ave Marias corresponding to one hundred fifty psalms. As a private devo-

tion, the rosary consists of prayers from the liturgy. The Feast of the Most Holy

Rosary is part of the liturgical cycle.

Because of the date of the feast, October is the Month of the Rosary. Pope

Pius XI, in his encyclical letter on the holy rosary, wrote: “. . . the holy rosary

should be recited in a special manner in the month of October and with increased

devotion both in the churches and in homes.” Many families say the rosary in
common daily in October, when the devotion carries special indulgences.

Tell the story of the origin of the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary. How is the
feast a summary of the entire liturgical year and of the breviary? How should
the month of October be observed?

MENTAL AND VOCAL PRAYER. The Collect in the Mass for October 7
shows that the rosary is mental prayer. It begs God to grant “that, meditating on

these mysteries in the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both
imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise.” Meditation is essential

for all who are able to meditate. By considering the joys, sorrows, and triumphs of

Jesus and Mary, we share their experiences and make progress in the life of virtue.

The Gospel of the Mass contains part of the Hail Mary and shows that the

rosary is also vocal prayer. Christ Himself composed the Our Father for His

disciples. It glorifies God and asks for all needs of body and soul. The Hail Mary

begins with the angel’s salutation to Mary and ends by begging her help “now and

at the hour of our death.” No more excellent vocal prayers could be desired.

Why do we meditate on the mysteries of the rosary? Is this meditation neces-
sary? Discuss the vocal prayers of the rosary.

FORMULA OF BLESSING. The formula used in the blessing of a rosary
asks God to “bless and sanctify these beads . . . that whosoever shall carry them

and shall reverently keep them in his house, and shall devoutly pray, dwelling on

the divine mysteries . . . may abound in true and lasting piety ... be kept safe
from every foe, visible and invisible, and in the hour of death, abounding in good

works, be found worthy to be presented unto Thee by the same most Blessed

Virgin Mary.”

What does the blessing of the rosary ask of God?

1. Saint Andrew Daily Missal. Page 1689.



18 THE SACRAMENTALS

INDULGENCES. The following indulgences may be gained by devout recita-

tion of the rosary: an indulgence of five years for saying five decades; a plenary

indulgence for saying five decades in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament; ten

years once a day for five decades said with others; a plenary indulgence on the last

Sunday of every month for saying five decades with others three times during any

one of the preceding weeks; in October an indulgence of seven years once a day for

saying five decades, a plenary indulgence for saying five decades on the Feast of

the Most Holy Rosary and on every day throughout the octave of the feast; and a

plenary indulgence for saying five decades every day for ten days after the octave.

If in the recitation of the rosary the faithful use beads which have been

blessed by a member of the Dominican Order or by another priest having the fac-

ulty to impart the blessing, they may obtain other indulgences besides those men-

tioned above.2

Enumerate some of the indulgences which may be gained by devout recitation

of the rosary. What special indulgences may be gained during the month of Octo-

ber? Is there any advantage in having a rosary blessed by a Dominican priest?

USE IN THE HOME. Pope Pius XI called the recitation of the rosary in the
home “a beautiful and salutary custom.” He wrote: “When very frequently We
receive newly-married couples in audience and address paternal words to them.

We give them rosaries. We recommend these to them earnestly, and We exhort
them, citing Our own example, not to let even one day pass without saying the

rosary, no matter how burdened they may be with many cares and labors.”

“The holy rosary, besides,” said Pius XI, “not only serves admirably to over-

come the enemies of God and religion, but is also a stimulus and spur to the prac-

tice of evangelic virtues which it injects and cultivates in our souls. Above all, it

nourishes the Catholic faith, which fiourishes again precisely in opportune medita-

tion of the sacred mysteries, and raises minds to the truth revealed to us by God.”

How did Pope Pius XI recommend and further the custom of reciting the
rosary in the home? According to him, what high purposes does it serve?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. Endeavor to recite the rosary every day, especially during the month of

October.

2. Develop the habit of meditating on the mysteries of the rosary.

2. Preces et Pia Opera. Pages 252-4.



HOLY WATER 19

V

Holy Water

Water, the natural and universal cleansing agent, has been used from very

ancient times to signify the purification of the soul just as it actually cleanses the

body. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used water in purification cere-

monies. The Law of Moses in the Old Testament called for the use of water in

liturgical sprinkling of the people, the sacrifices, the sacred vessels, etc. Likewise in

Christian times, water has been used for sacred purposes, as in Baptism from the

very time of Christ, and as a powerful sacramental from early in the Christian era.

As water cleanses the body, so holy water, through the blessing of the Church

and the good dispositions of those who use it, purifies the soul. And as the drinking

of water is necessary for the health of the body, so holy water promotes the health

of the soul.

Why has water always been used as a symbol of interior purification? How
was it used in the Old Testament? How was it used by the early Christians?
Compare the action of water on the body and that of holy water on the soul.

USE OF HOLY WATER. The use of water as a sacramental, apart from the
administration of Baptism, dates, at least in the East, from the second century.

In the West the blessing of water can be traced to the period from the sixth to the

eighth century. For the use of the faithful in blessing themselves, fountains and

basins containing the sacred water were placed, first on the outside walls of

churches, then inside the doors, that all might bless themselves as they entered

the house of God. Catholics still dip their fingers in holy water and make the sign

of the cross as they enter a church so that they may come into God’s presence with
pure souls.

Formerly the water was used only on entering the church to denote that puri-

fication was necessary before but not after Mass. Today we use it both on enter-

ing and on leaving to gain the indulgence attached to making the sign of the cross

with holy water. Catholics also keep holy water in their homes to use with rever-

ence upon rising in the morning, going to bed at night, leaving or entering the

house, or going from one room to another, etc.

There are four kinds of holy water: 1. Ordinary holy water. 2. Easter water.

3. Baptismal water. 4. Gregorian water.

How old in the Church is the custom of blessing water as a sacramental? Why
is holy water placed at the entrance to churches? Why do we now bless ourselves
with the water when leaving church? How many kinds of holy water are there?
Name them.

ORDINARY HOLY WATER. The ordinary kind is usually blessed just before
the principal parish Mass on Sunday, but may be blessed at any other time. Salt is
mixed with the water, and both are given a double blessing, one an exorcism to free

them from all power of the Evil One and the other a positive blessing to sanctify

them for the good of souls. Salt, symbol of wisdom and of preservation from cor-

ruption, is fittingly mingled with water, the purifier.

Ordinary holy water is used in the “Asperges” or sprinkling of the faithful

before the main parish Mass, usually a high Mass, on Sunday; is kept in churches

and homes for the use of the faithful, and is employed in most blessings, in the

ceremonies of Matrimony and Extreme Unction, in taking Holy Communion to the

homes of the sick, and in the services for the dead.

To the use of this ordinary holy water, there is attached an indulgence of 300

days when one makes with it the sign of the cross.i

1. Preces et Pia Opera. Page 506.



20 THE SACRAMENTALS

What mineral is mixed with the water that is blessed for ordinary use of the

faithful? What is the symbolism of salt? How is ordinary holy water used? What

indulgence is attached to making the sign of the cross with holy water?

BLESSING OF HOLY WATER. The blessing of the salt begins with a
solemn exorcism: “I exorcize thee, created substance of salt, by the living God . . .

that thou mayest be for the healing of soul and body to all those receiving thee,

and that there may be banished from the place in which thou hast been sprinkled

every delusion and wickedness of the devil, and every unclean spirit . . The sec-

ond prayer asks God to bless the salt that “it may be, unto all who take it, for

health of mind and body; and that whatsoever is touched or sprinkled with it may

be freed from all uncleanness . . .”2 If the salt has been blessed previously, this

part of the ceremony is omitted.

The water is exorcized “for the banishment of every power of the enemy.” The

second prayer over the water is a beautiful exposition of the purposes for which

the water is blessed. The prayer asks God that the water “may be endowed with

divine grace to drive away devils and to cast out diseases; that whatever in the

houses or possessions of the faithful may be sprinkled by this water may be freed

from everything unclean and delivered from whatsoever is hurtful. Let no spirit

of pestilence or baleful breath abide therein; let all the snares of the enemy who

lieth in wait be driven forth that everything threatening the safety or peace of the

dwellers therein may be banished by the sprinkling of this water; so that the health

which they seek by calling upon Thy holy Name may be guarded from all assault.”

After this prayer, the priest puts the salt into the water three times in the

form of a cross. He prays again that God will bless the mixture for the purposes

mentioned in the prayers already recited.

Discuss the two prayers used in blessing the salt. When are these prayers

omitted from the blessing? According to the prayers used in the blessing, what

purposes is holy water meant to serve?

OTHER KINDS OF HOLY WATER. Of the three other kinds of holy water,
that which is blessed for use in the Easter season is much like the ordinary holy

water. This is blessed with a diiferent formula, but its value and use are much

the same. When the Easter water has been blessed on Holy Saturday morning,
part of it is placed in the baptismal font. Of the rest, some is used for sprinkling

the people immediately after the blessing. Later the water is distributed to the

faithful for use in their homes until Pentecost.

After the blessing of the faithful with the new Easter water on Holy Satur-

day, some of this water is poured into the baptismal font and the priest mixes oil

of catechumens and holy chrism with it to form baptismal water. After this. Bap-

tism is conferred on any who are present to receive the sacrament. The water is

then kept in the font for use in future Baptisms. This same kind of water is blessed

on the eve of Pentecost, because Holy Saturday and the eve of Pentecost were the

traditional days for Baptisms in the early Church.

Gregorian water is blessed for use in the consecration of churches. After being

mixed with wine, ashes, and salt and receiving its blessing, this water is sprinkled

on the walls of the church by the celebrant, usually the bishop. This water is so

named because its use was ordered by Pope Gregory IX. It is also called water of

consecration.

While all these forms of blessed water are used for sacred purposes by the

Church, only ordinary holy water and Easter water directly concern the faithful

and are provided for their use. Many Catholics who take home containers of Easter
water on Holy Saturday preserve this water for use throughout the year. Easter

water, however, is blessed for use only in the Easter season, that is, until the Feast

2. Translations of the Latin prayers given in this chapter are taken from Saint Andrew Daily Missal.
The E. M. Lohmann Co., St. Paul, Minn.



HOLY WATER 21

of Pentecost. Ordinary holy water should be used in homes at all other times of

the year.

When is Easter water blessed? How is it used? Tell about the blessing of

baptismal water on Holy Saturday and on the eve of Pentecost. Why is it blessed
on these two days? What is Gregorian water? Why is it so named? By what other
name is it known? Which of the kinds of holy water are for the use of the faith-

ful? Through what period is Easter water to be used?

“ASPERGES” AND “VIDI AQUAM.” Since the eighth century it has been
the custom for the celebrant to sprinkle the faithful with holy water before the

principal Mass each Sunday. After he has blessed the water in the sacristy or at

the Epistle side of the altar, he puts on a cope, goes to the foot of the altar, and

intones the antiphon “Asperges Me.” The “Asperges” says: “Thou shalt sprinkle

me with hyssop, O Lord, and I shall be cleansed; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall

be whiter than snow.” He sprinkles the altar, then passes through the church

sprinkling the faithful, who genuflect and bless themselves as the water falls on

them or as the priest passes. It is not necessary that the water touch every person.

As the priest sprinkles the people, he recites in a low voice the first verse of Psalm

50, the “Miserere,” of which the “Asperges” is a part. The Psalm .begins: “Have

mercy on me, 0 God.”

In the Easter time, the “Asperges” antiphon and the “Miserere” are replaced

by the “Vidi Aquam”
—

“I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple,

alleluia; and all to whom that water came were saved.”

The “Asperges” or the “Vidi Aquam” is intended to renew in the faithful each

Sunday the memory of their Baptism and to purify them of all distractions during

the Mass that is to follow.

In former times, the “Asperges” procession moved outside the church, and the

celebrant blessed not only the people but the cemetery, the graves, the monastery

or other ecclesiastical buildings in the neighborhood, and the houses of the faithful.

This custom is recalled in the prayer the priest recites at the conclusion of the

sprinkling ceremony: “Hear us, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God: and
vouchsafe to send Thy holy angel from heaven to guard, cherish, protect, visit, and

defend all that dwell in this house.”

Describe the “Asperges” ceremony. When is the “Vidi Aquam” used in place
of the “Asperges”? What is the purpose of the “Asperges” or the “Vidi Aquam”?

How is the former custom of holding a procession outside the church recalled in
the present ceremony of the “Asperges”?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. Always make the sign of the cross with the holy water provided at the

entrance to church.

2. Keep holy water in your home. Use it with reverence in making the sign

of the cross upon rising in the morning, going to bed at night, leaving or

entering the house, or in going from one room to another, and sprinkle it

about in times of storms or other dangers.



22 THE SACRAMENTALS

VI

Palms, Ashes, Incense

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the

Lord!” This was the cry of the multitudes who strewed palms before Christ as He

entered Jerusalem in triumph a few days before His death. The palm branch has

been a sign of high joy and of great victory from time immemorial. As the Jews

paid tribute to Jesus on the first Palm Sunday, so the Church renews the triumphal

procession “to give public homage to the Savior, the ‘King of glory,’ before turn-

ing our attention to a remembrance of His Passion.

In the fourth century at Jerusalem a joyous procession was held in the very

place where the events of the first Palm Sunday occurred. A bishop accompanied
by people carrying palms and singing hymns rode on an ass to the Church of the

Resurrection on Mount Olivet. The procession followed the reading of the Gospel

that tells of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.2 After many years in which it was not

performed, the procession was revived in the Holy Year of 1933, nineteenth cen-

tenary of Christ’s death.

What does the palm branch signify? What great event in the life of our Lord

does the Church commemorate on Palm Sunday? Describe the fourth-century Palm

Sunday procession in Jerusalem. Tell about its revival in very modern times.

BLESSING OF PALMS. The blessing of the palms grew out of this proces-
sion, which became a great social event in all Christian lands of Europe. The

blessing was introduced at Rome about the eleventh century. In the Middle Ages,
the clergy and people joined in the triumphal parade from the principal church

to another, usually outside the city’s walls. Sometimes the Blessed Sacrament was

carried. In Catholic England the Eucharist was enshrined in a beautiful tent in

the churchyard before the procession.
•

The blessing of palms is a long and solemn rite. In form it resembles the Mass

itself, having an Introit, Collect, Epistle, Tract, Gospel, Preface, and Sanctus. It

is sometimes called a “dry Mass.” Centuries ago at Rome the blessing took place at

a special Mass in the Church of St. Mary Major. It is part of this Mass that is

preserved in the present ceremony.

The Church asks God to “let Thy manifold mercy descend upon us, and let

these branches of palm trees or olive trees be blessed . . . that into whatever place

they may be brought, those who dwell in the place may obtain Thy blessing, and
all adversities being removed. Thy right hand may protect those who have been
redeemed . . . grant that what Thy people this day bodily perform for Thy honor,

they may perfect spiritually with greatest devotion by gaining a victory over the
enemy . .

.”

How did the blessing of palms originate? Describe the procession in the
Middle Ages. Why is the blessing ceremony called a “dry Mass”? What benefits
are asked for those who dwell where blessed palms are kept?

DISTRIBUTION OF THE PALMS. After the blessing the branches are dis-
tributed to clergy and laity. During the distribution the choir chants the “Pueri

Hebraeorum” antiphons: “The Hebrew children, bearing branches of olive, went

forth to meet the Lord, crying out, and saying: Hosanna in the highest.” The

people are to hold the palms while the Passion is read in the Mass that follows,

and also in the procession, if the laity take part in this rite.

Usually today, only the celebrant and other ministers join in the procession

after the palms are given out. They proceed out of the church and the door is

1. Stapper-Baier, Catholic Liturgies. Page 108.
2. Matthew XXI, 1-9.



PALMS, ASHES. INCENSE 23

closed. On coming back, the subdeacon knocks at the door with the staff on the

crucifix. The door is reopened and the procession enters the church to signify that

Christ’s death reopened the gates of heaven, which had been closed by sin. The

hymn “Gloria, Laus” (“Glory and Praise to Thee”) and the antiphons sung during

the procession recall Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.

The faithful should preserve the palms in their homes that they may receive

the blessings asked by the Church. Palms are sometimes put in the hands of the

dying or the dead to show the Christian’s victory over sin. Where palms are not

available, as in many parts of the United States, branches of other trees, usually

evergreens, are blessed.

Discuss the distribution of the blessed palms to the people. Describe the

present-day procession. What are the faithful to do with the palms? What kind

of branches may be used where palms are not available?

BLESSED ASHES. The palms of joy and victory on Palm Sunday are burned

to provide the ashes of penance given to the faithful on the following Ash Wednes-

day, first day of Lent. This “reminds us that we cannot bear the palm of victory

over Satan, sin, and death unless by the practice of humility and mortification dur-

ing life, and by paying the debt of sin in giving our bodies to the dust at the close

of our earthly existence.”^

Ashes, universal symbol of the perishability of earthly things, have always

been signs of penance. The repentant David cried out: “For I did eat ashes like

bread, and mingled my drink with weeping.”^ The Ninivites, touched by Jonas’
preaching, did penance in sackcloth and in ashes. Recalling these ancient penitents,

the Church puts ashes on the heads of her children to remind them that they must

give themselves to penance and fasting.

What is symbolized by the burning of palms to obtain the ashes used on Ash

Wednesday? Give instances showing the use of ashes as a sign of penance in the

Old Testament.

ASH WEDNESDAY. In early Christian times, only those who had com-
mitted grave sins and were obliged to do public penance received the ashes. On

Ash Wednesday, the bishop blessed hairshirts for the penitents and sprinkled them

with ashes. Then, as the seven penitential psalms were chanted, the penitents were

turned out of the church, not to return until Holy Thursday. In the meantime they

gave themselves to acts of mortification to win forgiveness of their sins. On Holy

Thursday they went to confession and received absolution.

In the eleventh century, “the Council of Beneventum ordained that all the

faithful without distinction should be urged to receive the ashes on Ash Wednes-

day.”5 By receiving the ashes, the faithful signify their sorrow for sin and prepare
themselves for Lenten penances.

In blessing the ashes before Mass on Ash Wednesday the priest prays: “O

almighty and eternal God . . . sanctify these ashes, that they may be a wholesome
remedy to all who humbly implore Thy holy name, and accuse themselves . . .
deploring their crimes before Thy divine clemency, or humbly and earnestly

beseeching Thy sovereign mercy; and grant . . . that all who may be sprinkled
with them may receive health of body and safety of soul.” The ashes are incensed
and sprinkled with holy water.

Then the ashes are placed on the heads of the people. To each, the priest says

:

“Remember, man, that thou art dust, and into dust thou shalt return.” This advice

from the Book of Genesis reminds the recipient that he will receive no benefits

3. Lambing, The Sacramentals of the Holy Catholic Church. Page 242. 4. Psalm Cl, 10.
5. McNeill-Clendenin, The Liturgical Year. Page 34.



24 THE SACRAMENTALS

from wearing the badges of penance unless he have real contrition and humility.

The ashes are outward signs of inward sorrow.

Describe the Ash Wednesday ceremony in the early Church.^ What was the

ruling of the Council of Beneventum regarding the distribution of the ashes? What

dispositions do the faithful show by receiving the ashes? How do the prayers used
in the blessing show the purpose for which the ashes are blessed? What does the

priest say as he places the ashes on the heads of the people? What does this

signify?

INCENSE — SYMBOL OF PRAYER: As the palms and ashes have their
meaning in the liturgy, so incense is a sacred symbol. The “burning incense send-

ing forth its sweet odors heavenward is a natural symbol of prayer ascending to

God.”® In the 140th Psalm, the sacred writer begs God: “Let my prayer be directed
as incense in Thy sight.” St. John in his vision of heaven saw an angel “having a

golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he might offer it with

the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne.”^

As God commanded Moses to place incense “before the tabernacle of the testi-

mony,”® so the Church prescribes its use in her ceremonies.

Incense is made of aromatic resin from trees of Arabia and India. Spices are

mixed with the resin to make it more fragrant and to produce more smoke. These

sweet resins and spices are signs of respect. As the Magi gave the Infant Jesus

frankincense to show their adoration, so we use it to show our respect for God and

His martyrs.

What is the symbolism of incense? Tell of scriptural references to incense.

Of what is incense made?

USE OF INCENSE. “Because of its close relationship to pagan worship,
incense was not used liturgically by the Church in the early centuries.”® Later

incense was used to honor the martyrs. As martyrs’ bodies were carried in proces-

sion to be buried beneath the altars, small vessels of incense burned in niches along

the way. Later the gums and spices were burned in containers hanging from chains.

From these developed the modern swinging censers. Even today, when relics of

martyrs are entombed in altars and altar stones, incense grains are placed with

them.

Incense is burned at Benediction, Exposition, and during processions of the

Blessed Sacrament. At solemn Masses, the crucifix, altar, and bread and wine are

incensed, as are the priest, ministers, and people. While he incenses the bread and

wine at the Offertory, the priest says: “May this incense which Thou hast blessed,

0 Lord, ascend to Thee, and may Thy mercy descend upon us.” Blessed grains of
incense are placed in the paschal candle on Holy Saturday, and incense is burned

at the consecration of churches and altars, and in certain other blessings. At

funerals, the body of the deceased is incensed to honor it as a temple of the Holy

Ghost destined to live forever in glory with God.

Why was incense not used by the Church in very early Christian times? Tell
of its later use to honor the martyrs. How is this custom continued today? How
is incense used by the Church in her liturgy? Why is it burned at funerals?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. Display the blessed palms in your home in some appropriate manner,

remembering the words of the blessing: “. . . that into whatever place they

may be brought, those who dwell in the place may obtain Thy blessing . . .”

2. When you see incense being burned in church and smell its sweet odors, ask
God to accept your prayers as He receives the rising incense.

6. Stapper-Baier, Catholic Liturgies. Page 42.
7. Apocalypse VIII, 3. 8. Exodus XXX, 36. 9. Butler-Clendenin, Praying the Mass. Page 18.



BLESSED CANDLES 25

VII

Blessed Candles

The New Jerusalem “has no need of the sun or the moon to shine upon it. For

the glory of God lights it up, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof,” says St. John in

describing heaven. ^ The Church uses light to symbolize the Lord, the lamp of

heaven and light of the world. Moses was commanded to burn a lamp “in the taber-

nacle of the testimony.”^ The Church always burns a lamp in the sanctuary to

show that Christ is there. She employs candles to symbolize the body, soul, and

divinity of Christ; His love and supreme sacrifice for men; the love of men for

God, and their need to consume themselves as candles in His service. Candles

may also be used as powerful sacramentals in the homes of the faithful.

The ancient Jews and pagans used lights in their ritual, and the early Chris-

tians followed their custom. There is little evidence that in earliest Christian

times lights had any special liturgical significance. The holding of services in the

dark corridors of the catacombs made lights necessary. Nevertheless, many terra-

cotta lamps found in the catacombs bear religious symbols, and some have symbolic

shapes, like that of the fish, emblematic of Christ.

How can we be sure that the use of candles in the liturgy is pleasing to God?
Discuss the use of candles in pre-Christian and early Christian times. What basis

is there for a belief that religious symbolism was associated with lights used in the

liturgy in the first Christian centuries?

SYMBOLISM OF CANDLES. By the time of St. Jerome (d. 420) lights were
certainly used for purely liturgical purposes. St. Jerome wrote that candles were

burned “not indeed to dispel darkness, but to exhibit a token of joy.” Candles were

burned at Mass, at Baptisms on Holy Saturday and the eve of Pentecost, and at

funerals. As the liturgy developed, candlesticks were placed on the altar instead

of on the floor, as had been the earlier custom.

The candle is one of the richest religious symbols. The wax, produced by virgin

worker bees, is a beautiful symbol of the body of Christ, born of a virgin. The wick

is an emblem of His soul
;
the flame, a sign of His divinity. The lighted candle sym-

bolizes Christ’s Gospel, which dispels the darkness of sin and ignorance, and “the

Church of the living God, the pillar and mainstay of the truth.”^ For the individual

Christian, the candle’s flame signifies the faith that makes us “children of the

light,” its warmth, the Pentecostal fire “which does not consume but enlightens.”'*

Candles given to the Church signify Christian self-sacrifice. As the burning candle

consumes itself, so the Christian should consume himself in serving God. Thus the

candle especially symbolizes the priesthood.

How early were candles used with a purely liturgical significance and not just
to provide light? According to St. Jerome, why were the candles used? Discuss

the rich symbolism of the candle as applied to Christ; to the faithful themselves;

to the priest particularly.

MASS OF THE CANDLES. On February 2, the Church commemorates the
purification of Mary and the presentation of the Infant Jesus in the temple. She
also blesses candles in a ceremony that gives the feast the name Candlemas (Mass

of the Candles). In a solemn procession, the clergy and the faithful (if they take

part) carry lighted candles “to signify that they intend to bear within themselves

the Christ-life throughout the journey of their earthly existence. ’’^ The procession

recalls the holy family’s journey to the temple and signifies Christ’s coming as “a

light of revelation to the Gentiles. ’’^

1. Apocalypse XXI, 23. 2. Exodus XXVII, 20-21. 3. I Timothy III, 15. 4. Studeny, “Symbolism of
the Candle.” Ave Maria, Aug. 14, 1937. 5. Diekmann, “Light and Life.” Orate Fratres, Jan. 25,
1936. 6. Luke II, 32.



26 THE SACRAMENTALS

Five beautiful prayers are used in blessing the candles. God is asked to ‘‘sanc-

tify these candles for the use of men, and the health of bodies and souls,” that “be-

ing worthily inflamed with the holy fire of Thy most sweet charity, we may deserve
to be presented in the holy temple of Thy glory . . . O Lord Jesus Christ, the true
light, who enlightenest every man coming into this world, pour forth Thy blessing”
that “our hearts, illuminated by invisible fire . . . may be free from the blindness
of every vice.” The priest sprinkles the candles with holy water and incenses them

three times. The choir sings Simeon’s beautiful canticle, “Dismiss Thy servant, O
Lord.” There is also a simple blessing for candles at other times of the year.

What feasts are observed on February 2? What does the procession on this

day recall? How many prayers are used in blessing the candles? What does the
Church ask in these prayers? How does the blessing of candles at other times differ
from the blessing on Candlemas Day?

OFFERINGS OF THE FAITHFUL. After the blessing on February 2, the
candles are distributed and the procession follows. Later the faithful give blessed

candles to the Church to recall the gift of turtle doves to the temple by Mary and

Joseph. At the Vatican representatives of most religious houses offer candles to the

Pope in a magnificent ceremony in one of the throne rooms.

Pious persons and associations in the Middle Ages endowed lights to burn

before shrines or altars. In England and France it was customary to offer a num-

ber of candles or one large candle equaling the donor’s height or weight. This cus-

tom, called “measuring up” to a saint, has grown into the modern practice of burn-

ing vigil lights or votive candles. Since these are not blessed, they are not sacra-

mentals, but they do symbolize the prayers of those who provide them. The faithful

are constantly warned not to use these offerings superstitiously and not to allow

them to detract attention from the Mass and other devotions.

Catholics keep candles in their homes to gain the blessings asked by the

Church. Candles are often burned to ward off danger from storms. The Czechs

call these “thunder candles” and, while they burn, pray for divine protection against

the elements. Candles are lighted when the Eucharist is brought to the sick, are

placed in the hands of the dying, and are burned around the biers of the dead.

What event in the life of the holy family does the faithful’s offering of candles

to the Church recall? What event takes place at the Vatican on February 2? What

was meant by the expression “measuring up” to a saint ? What may be said of the

use of vigil lights? How are candles used in the homes of the faithful?

NUMBER TO BE USED. The number of candles prescribed for liturgical
functions depends on the solemnity of the service. At a priest’s low Mass, two are

lighted; four at a bishop’s Mass. At a sung Mass, there are six, though four suffice

for a Requiem. A solemn Mass requires six; a pontifical high Mass seven, unless
the Mass is a Requiem or the bishop is outside his own diocese, when six suffice.

From the Sanctus until after the priest’s Communion, an additional candle may be

burned. At private Benediction (when the tabernacle is opened but the Host not

taken out), at least six are needed. Twelve are required for solemn Exposition or

Benediction. Six bum at Vespers on solemn feasts; four suffice on ordinary days.

Blessed candles must be made, at least in greater part, of beeswax. There are

white or bleached candles, made of refined wax, and yellow or unbleached ones.

The reddish-yellow unbleached candles are burned at funerals and Holy Week serv-

ices, though the bleached are permissible. Electric lights are never to be substi-

tuted for candles and are not to be burned on the altar. In cases of extreme neces-

sity the bishop may allow the use of an electric light as a sanctuary lamp.

Tell the number of candles to be used at different liturgical ceremonies. What

substance is used in making blessed candles? When are unbleached candles used?

What about the use of electric lights as substitutes for candles? When is the use

of an electric sanctuary lamp allowed?



BLESSED CANDLES 27

SPECIAL USE IN THE LITURGY. Candles play a particularly significant
part in the liturgy at certain times. On the Feast of St. Blase, February 3, a special

blessing is given the crossed candles used in blessing throats. In Holy Week, the

candle’s symbolism is especially dramatic. At Tenebrae (“darkness”) services on

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the fifteen tapers on the triangular candlestick

and the six on the altar are extinguished one by one to suggest Christ’s abandon-

ment by apostles and people. The last candle is not extinguished but only hidden

behind the altar for a short time to signify that the light of Christ was temporarily

hidden from the world between His death and His resurrection.

On Holy Saturday no lights burn as the ceremonies begin. Outside the church

the priest kindles the “new fire.” At one time a fire was made at the church door

every day, then only on Saturday, finally on Holy Saturday alone. From the new

fire, the deacon lights a taper. Entering the church, he lights the triple candle,

symbolizing the Trinity. As each branch is lighted, he chants, “Lumen Christi”

(“The Light of Christ”)

.

Name some of the times when candles are used with special significance in the
liturgy. How are candles used on the Feast of St. Blase? What is the symbolism
of the Tenebrae service? Tell of the first services on Holy Saturday.

THE PASCHAL CANDLE. The large and ornate paschal candle is blessed
by the deacon during the chanting of the “Exultet”

—
“Let now the angelic hosts of

heaven rejoice”—on Holy Saturday. Five incense grains are sealed into the candle
in the form of a cross, to recall Christ’s five wounds. The candle is dipped into the

Easter water at the water’s blessing. From it the other tapers and lamps are

kindled. Before being lighted, the candle symbolizes the dead and buried Christ.

When burning, it signifies the gloriously risen Savior. For forty days it remains
to commemorate Christ’s forty days on earth after His resurrection. The paschal

candle also symbolizes the pillar of fire that guided the Israelites on their journey

out of Egypt. It is burned at the Gospel side of the altar at Mass until Ascension

Thursday.

When is the paschal candle blessed? What are some of the ceremonies used
in its blessing? What is the paschal candle’s symbolism? When is it burned?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. On the Feast of the Purification, February 2, procure blessed candles for use
in the home, also for lighting during storms. Make a practice of giving two

or more candles to the Church to be burned during divine services, keeping

in mind the gift of the holy family to the temple.

2. Have your throat blessed on the Feast of St. Blase.



28 THE SACRAMENTALS

VIII

Agnus Deis, Medals, Scapulars, Blessed Cords

In the Middle Ages the faithful used fragments of the paschal candle as sacra-

mentals. It is thought that Agnus Deis, small pieces of wax impressed with the
figure of the Lamb and blessed by the Pope, originated from this practice. About
the ninth century, the Popes began to bless and send Agnus Deis to prominent

persons.

Today Agnus Deis are blessed on the Wednesday of Holy Week in the first
year of a Pope’s reign and every seventh year thereafter. On Holy Saturday they

are distributed by cardinals and others. The Agnus Dei may be round, oval, or
oblong and may vary in size. The reverse side may bear the name and coat-of-arms
of the Pope or some other suitable emblem. The Agnus Dei is usually carried in a

small case. The wax symbolizes Christ’s body, and the banner of the Lamb signifies
His victory over sin and death. The blessing of the Agnus Dei asks God’s protec-

tion against evil spirits, storms, pestilence, fire, flood, and difficulties of childbirth.

What is an Agnus Dei? Tell of the origin of this sacramental. When are
Agnus Deis blessed? By whom? For what purpose?

HISTORY OF MEDALS. Of the sacramentals worn by the faithful, none are
more numerous than medals, which are pieces of metal resembling coins and

marked with religious figures. Amulets worn by the early Christians and found in

the catacombs often bear the chrisma, a Greek monogram of Christ’s name, or fig-

ures of saints. Evidently, common coins were sometimes used as medals since

many coins of the later Roman empire bore religious markings. Medals were less

frequent in the early Middle Ages, but by the twelfth century leaden tokens were

used as souvenirs of shrines and places of pilgrimage. These “pilgrim’s signs,”

worn on the hat or on the breast, showed that the pilgrim had reached his destina-

tion. Other forms of medals were counting discs, many of which bore pious inscrip-

tions. About 1475 medals were cast to commemorate the papal jubilee years. It was

only in the sixteenth century that indulgences were first attached to medals.

What are medals? Tell of their use in early Christian times. Discuss the

development of medals in the Middle Ages— “pilgrim’s signs,” counting discs.
When did papal jubilee medals originate? When were indulgences first attached
to medals?

PURPOSES AND KINDS OF MEDALS. Medals today are almost innumer-
able, but in general they serve to increase devotion, commemorate religious events

or places, protect the wearer, or identify members of pious societies. Medals are

not charms; in themselves they have no power. Only through the Church’s prayer

do they gain any efficacy. A general formula is used in blessing all except the
Miraculous medal and the medal of St. Benedict, for which special blessings are

provided in the Roman Ritual.

Among the many medals are: (1) those honoring Christ, such as Savior of the
World and Holy Childhood medals; (2) those honoring Mary, such as Mother of

Sorrows, Mount Carmel, Perpetual Help, Lourdes, Our Lady of the Highway, and

Miraculous medals; (3) those honoring saints, such as Saints Joseph, Dominic,

Francis, Agnes, Anne, Benedict, and Christopher (St. Christopher medals and

medals of Our Lady of the Highway are placed in automobiles to implore the aid

of the Christ-bearer, patron of travelers)
; (4) those commemorating such events

as papal jubilees, miracles, church consecrations. First Communions, canonizations,

anniversaries, etc.

What purposes do medals serve? Since medals have no power in themselves,

whence do they derive their value? Name some kinds of medals. Why is the St.
Christopher medal or the medal of Our Lady of the Highway placed in automobiles?



AGNUS DEIS. MEDALS, SCAPULARS, BLESSED CORDS 29

THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL. The Miraculous or Immaculate Conception
medal owes its origin to a Sister of Charity, Blessed Catherine Laboure, who had

visions of Mary in Paris in 1830. Mary appeared standing on one globe, with an-

other in her hand. Rays of light shone from her hands. Surrounding the vision was

an oval frame which bore the words: “0 Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us

who have recourse to thee.” Sister Catherine was ordered to have medals modeled

after the vision. On the reverse was to be the letter M, surmounted by a cross,

with a crossbar and the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary below.

After the first medals were made in 1832, the Miraculous medal devotion grew

rapidly. In 1894, Pope Leo XIII instituted the Feast of the Miraculous Medal,

November 27, with special Office and Mass. In many places perpetual novenas

honor Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. There is an indulgence of 300 days for

saying the brief prayer inscribed on this medal.

i

How did the Miraculous medal originate? What other name is given to it?
Describe the Miraculous medal. Tell of the growth of devotion to Our Lady of the

Miraculous Medal. What prayer must be said to gain the indulgence attached to

the use of this sacramental?

MEDAL OF ST. BENEDICT. The medal of St. Benedict was indulgenced in
1741 by Pope Benedict XIV. In 1877, Pius IX confirmed these indulgences and

granted others for the jubilee medal cast by the Archabbot of Monte Casino in

Italy to mark the fourteenth centenary of St. Benedict’s birth. This medal shows

the saint holding a cross and the book of his monastic rule; the other side bears a

cross and letters standing for the words of an exorcism over Satan.

“The efficacy of the Medal of St. Benedict can be seen from the words of the

blessing pronounced over it. God is implored to preserve those who wear it from

all the snares and temptations of the devil; to protect them from lightnings and

tempests, from pestilences, sicknesses, and poisons; and to bestow upon them His

blessings, both temporal and spiritual.”2

Those who wear the medal of St. Benedict may gain plenary indulgences on
fourteen days each year, by performing certain good works, and in the hour of

death. They may also win many partial indulgences and those granted by the
Pope’s blessing on Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday. Special favors are attached

to the jubilee medal.

Name the kinds of St. Benedict medals. For what purpose is the medal of St.
Benedict blessed? Tell some of the indulgences granted for wearing or carrying

this medal.

SCAPULARS. The name scapular comes from the Latin word for shoulder.
A scapular consists of two pieces of cloth connected by cords, to be worn over the
shoulders. Members of some religious orders, like the Benedictines, wear scapulars

hanging from the shoulders almost to the ground. In the Middle Ages lay persons

were permitted to wear scapulars as associates of religious orders. These lay

members participated in the order’s devotions and shared in its spiritual benefits.

Later smaller scapulars were made for the laity to wear under the clothing.

Today lay associates of the religious communities wear scapulars about

five by two and a half inches in size. These are called “large” scapulars. Others

use “small” scapulars, about two by two and a quarter inches. Scapulars must be

made of woolen cloth. They may be decorated with pictures or religious emblems.

All Catholics, even infants, may be invested in the scapular. It must be worn
so that one part hangs on the breast, the other on the back, with a cord over each

shoulder. Only one investiture is necessary for each scapular. Worn-out scapulars

are simply replaced by new ones. They should be worn constantly.

1. Preces et Pia Opera. Pai?e 228.
2. Deutsch, Manual for Oblates of St. Benedict. Page 270.



30 THE SACRAMENTALS

How did scapulars originate? What are “large” scapulars? What are “small”
scapulars? Of what material must scapulars be made? Who may be invested in
the scapular? How are scapulars to be worn?

NUMBER AND KINDS. The Church approves eighteen scapulars. Five are
often worn together on one set of cords. These are the brown Scapular of Our Lady

of Mount Carmel, red Scapular of the Passion, black Scapular of the Seven Dolors,

blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception, and white Scapular of the Most

Blessed Trinity bearing a red and blue cross. Other scapulars are those of Our

Lady of Ransom, the Most Precious Blood, the Passion (black), Mary Help of the

Sick, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Benedict, Our

Lady of Good Counsel, St. Joseph, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Sacred Hearts

of Jesus and Mary, St. Boniface, and the Holy Face.^

Name the five scapulars often worn together. Which are the others approved
by the Church?

SCAPULAR OF MOUNT CARMEL. The widely used Mount Carmel Scapular
originated with St. Simon Stock, a thirteenth-century English Carmelite. Formerly

only Carmelites could invest in this scapular; now priests having ordinary faculties

may give it. The priest says: “Receive this blessed habit, beseeching the Most Holy
Virgin that by her merits you may wear it without stain; may she keep you from
all evil and lead you to eternal life.”

It is piously believed that the Blessed Virgin promised two privileges to

wearers of this scapular: 1. Those who die wearing it will gain salvation. 2. Those

who practice certain good works will be released from purgatory on the first Satur-

day after death. There is much doubt particularly about the second (Sabbatine)

privilege, supposed to have been revealed to Pope John XXII. The important thing

is that the Church has approved the scapular and granted favors to its wearers, as

follows: They share in good works of the Carmelites and of all Catholics. After

death they share in prayers and weekly Masses offered by Carmelite priests. A
plenary indulgence is granted on the day of investiture and at the hour of death.

Discuss the Scapular of Mount Carmel. What does the priest say as he invests

a person in this scapular? What favors are granted to those who wear it?

SCAPULAR MEDAL— BLESSED CORDS. Pope Pius X in 1910 permitted
substitution of a medal for one or more of the “small” scapulars. The scapular

medal shows on one side Christ and His Sacred Heart; on the other, Mary. One

medal may replace any or all “small” scapulars in which a person has been invested,

but it must be specially blessed for each. When a medal is replaced, the new one
must be blessed. It may be worn or carried in any manner.

Blessed cords, like scapulars, are worn by members of pious associations.

These four are approved and indulgenced by the Church: 1. The belt of Sts. Monica,

Augustine, and Nicholas of Tolentino. 2. The cord of St. Francis. 3. The cord of

St. Joseph. 4. The cord of St. Thomas Aquinas.

When and by whom was the substitution of a medal for one or more of the

“small” scapulars allowed? Describe the scapular medal. What four blessed cords

are approved by the Church?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. If you have an Agnus Dei, wear it or carry it with you in order that you

may obtain the benefits asked in its blessing.

2. Be enrolled in the scapulars, at least in the five that are often worn together.

3. Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. XIII. Pages 510 ff.



THE CHURCH, ITS FURNISHINGS, HOLY OILS 31

IX

The Church, Its Furnishings, Holy Oils

The Catholic church building is “the house of God and the gate of heaven.” As

the eucharistic Christ’s home and the place of divine Sacrifice, it holds a unique

position in Christian life. In it the faithful “surround the table of sacrifice, they

participate in the sacrifice by the performance of various duties, they receive the

sacraments, pray in common and listen attentively to lessons and sermons. The

church must have the dignity and beauty of a “house of God” and must also be

physically adapted to accommodating crowds of worshippers.

When a church is being built, the bishop or a delegated priest blesses its

cornerstone, which represents Christ. St. Paul says Christ is “the chief corner-

stone. In Him the whole structure is closely fitted together and grows into a

temple holy in the Lord.”2 God is asked to bless the church and purify it from all

defilement; to give health and salvation to all who contribute toward it. The proper

place for the cornerstone is inside the church, in the wall at the Gospel side of the

sanctuary, the most hallowed part of the building.

What purposes is the church building intended to serve? What does the

cornerstone of the church represent? Where should it be placed in the church?

“SOCIAL” SACRAMENTALS. If the Church provides sacramentals for the
use of individuals, how much more fittingly does she bless “social” sacramentals,

the things used by all the faithful. Thus the cornerstone, the church itself, the

altar, sacred vessels, vestments, linens, bell, organ, and some other furnishings are

given special blessings. The things used in the liturgy are important sacramentals

for they serve in the Church’s official life as the Mystical Body of Christ and are

closely associated with the Mass and the sacraments. These things not only serve

a practical purpose in the liturgy; they are visible signs of invisible graces, and

they increase the devotion and religious fervor of the faithful.

The things dedicated to God should be of the highest artistic quality and should

conform with the careful requirements of the Church. Thus, the building should

focus attention on the altar, the center of the divine Sacrifice; should combine

dignity and beauty, and should symbolize the spiritual purposes it serves. Thus,

the sacred vessels should be first of all fitting receptacles for Christ’s body rather

than intricately decorated works of profane art. Thus, the linens and vestments

should be made of real linen or good silk and should be decorated in a dignified

manner symbolic of the ends they serve.

What are “social” sacramentals? Name some of them. What purposes besides
purely practical ones do the church and its furnishings serve? Why is it fitting
that the physical equipment used in the liturgy should have special dignity and

beauty?

CONSECRATION OF CHURCHES. The completed building is blessed or,
if it fulfills certain requirements, consecrated. Consecration must be performed by

a bishop, but the simple blessing or dedication may be done by a priest delegated
by the bishop. A church may be consecrated only when it is a permanent house of
worship. Buildings temporary in construction or designed to serve religious ends

for a time only may not be consecrated. The building should be free from debt,
so that no human power may exercise any claim that might turn it to non-religious
uses. Rarely is a consecrated church sold, though the building may be razed.

Holy water is blessed, and the outer walls are sprinkled with it. At the church

door, the bishop knocks with his crozier, saying: “Lift up your heads, ye portals;

and be lifted up, ye ancient gates, that the King of glory may enter in.” This is

1. Stapper-Baier, Catholic Liturgies. Page 59. 2. Ephesians II, 20-21.



32 THE SACRAMENTALS

repeated three times. Between knockings, bishop and people proceed around the

church. After the third knocking they are admitted by the deacon. A cross is
traced on the threshold, prayers are recited, and several symbolic rites are per-

formed. Then Gregorian water is blessed, and peace and virtue are asked for all

who visit the church. The interior walls and floor are blessed, and the walls are

anointed with chrism at twelve places where crosses have been painted or carved

to show that this is a consecrated church.

Beginning the consecration of the altar, the bishop says: ‘T will go in unto the

altar of God: Unto God, Who giveth joy to my youth.” Going to the altar, he makes
flve crosses on its top, sprinkles it with Gregorian water, and seals sacred relics

within it. The altar is anointed with oil of catechumens and chrism. This ceremony

may be held separately from the consecration of a church, for altars are sometimes
consecrated in churches that are merely blessed, and altar stones are consecrated

for use in tables that are not fixed and hence cannot be consecrated as a whole.

A fixed altar is a slab of natural stone, permanently attached to its base. Altar
linens and other furnishings are blessed when the church is consecrated.

What conditions must be fulfilled for the consecration of a church? Tell some-

thing about the ceremony. Describe the consecration of an altar. Must this cere-

mony be performed only at the consecration of a church?

SACRED VESSELS AND LINENS. The principal sacred vessels are conse-
crated or blessed. The chalice and paten, which hold the body and blood of Christ

at Mass, are consecrated by a bishop, who anoints them with chrism and prays over

them. The chalice represents the tomb in which Christ’s body was placed; the

paten, the stone that closed the tomb. These vessels must be made of gold or at

least of silver, gold-plated on the surfaces that come into contact with the sacred

Species. The ciborium and the pyx, in which the Eucharist is reserved, and the

luna, in which It is held when displayed in the monstrance at Benediction or Exposi-

tion, are blessed.

The most important linens used at Mass are sacramentals. The corporal, on

which the Host rests, and the pall, which covers the chalice, are considered as one

and are blessed in a single ceremony. A number of unblessed linens are also used.

Which are the most important sacred vessels? Which are consecrated? Which

blessed? Name the two most important sacred linens. How are they blessed?

SACRED VESTMENTS. The vestments of the priest and other ministers
serve not only as distinctive garments but also as incentives to devotion and

reminders of Christ’s passion and death. The important ones are blessed. The

vestments used by the priest at Mass are the amice, alb, cincture, stole, maniple,

and chasuble, all of which are blessed. These and the other vestments have devel-

oped from what were once ordinary garments. Each has its special symbolism.

The five principal colors used in the vestments have a rich symbolism. The

color worn at Mass is determined by the season of the liturgical year or by the

feast being celebrated. The principal colors are: white, for purity or innocence;

red, for fire and blood; violet, for penance; black, for mourning; green, for hope.

Gold cloth may be substituted for white, red, or green. Rose may be worn on the
third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete) and the fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare).

What are the distinctive vestments worn by the priest at Mass? What pur-

poses besides the purely practical are they intended to serve? How is the color to
be worn at Mass determined? Name the liturgical colors and tell the symbolism
of each.

CHURCH BELLS. The bells which “serve to call the faithful to divine serv-
ice, to admonish them to participate in certain prayers (the Divine Office, prayer

for the deceased, the Angelas, during storms, etc.), to add to the solemnity of

festivals,”^ receive a special blessing. As sacramentals they are intended to avert

3. Stapper-Baier, Catholic Liturgies. Page 85,



THE CHURCH, ITS FURNISHINGS, HOLY OILS 33

evil and to call down God’s blessing; on the people. The blessing? is performed by

a bishop or an authorized priest. Many psalms and prayers are recited; the bell

is washed with holy water and anointed with oil of the sick and chrism. The cere-

mony is often called a “baptism” because the bells are washed with water and given

the name of a patron saint. “Baptism of bells” is a quaint and interesting, but

not strictly accurate, term, for there can be no question of conferring a sacrament

upon a mere thing. The patron’s name is not mentioned when the bell is washed

with water, but when it is anointed with oil.

Who may bless a, church bell? Discuss the ceremony. Why is it sometimes
called a “baptism”? Why is this designation not accurate?

HOLY OILS. In this chapter and in those preceding it, the use of oil in the
liturgy has often been mentioned. Holy oils are used in administering certain

sacraments and in various blessings and consecrations. The three kinds, blessed

by the bishop every Holy Thursday and distributed to all churches, are oil of cate-

chumens, holy chrism, and oil of the sick. They are mostly olive oil, a natural

source of strength, food, and light. The Church’s oils symbolize spiritual strength-

ening, nourishment, and enlightenment. They are preserved in the ambry, a locked

box on the sanctuary wall. Oil of catechumens and holy chrism are also kept at the

baptismal font. For use on sick calls, every priest has a metal oilstock, containing

a compartment for each oil.

Sometimes called simply “holy oil,” the oil of catechumens is used in Baptism,

in blessing baptismal fonts, consecrating churches and altars, ordaining priests,

and crowning kings or queens.

Holy chrism is the essential substance in Confirmation. In it balsam is mixed

with the oil. Chrism is used not only in Confirmation, but also in Baptism, in con-

secrating bishops, churches, chalices, and patens, and in blessing baptismal water

and bells.

Oil of the sick is the matter of the sacrament of Extreme Unction and is used

in blessing bells. In the Latin rite it is pure oil; in certain Eastern rites it contains

a little wine or ashes.

Name the holy oils. When are they blessed? What is their symbolism? Where
are they kept? When is the oil of catechumens used? Holy chrism? Oil of the sick?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. Visit your parish church and observe how it fills the requirements of “the

house of God and the gate of heaven.” Look for the corner stone, and, if

the church is consecrated, for the twelve crosses.

2. If you have a chance to attend the dedication or the consecration of a

church, do so and pay close attention to the ceremonies.



34 THE SACRAMENTALS

X

Liturgical Books

“The liturgy, taken in the fullness of its organic complexity, forms a vast

sacramental,” says Dom M. Festugiere.i We may include, therefore, under sacra-
mentals everything found in the official liturgical books of the Church but not

essential to the Mass and the sacraments. Most important of these books are the

Missal, that is, the Mass book, and the Breviary, containing the Divine Office or

the Church’s Hour Prayers.

Before the so-called Reformation, the Mass books, the Breviary, and the Bible

were known to religious and laity alike, the source of instruction and of love. Later

the laity lost their familiarity with the Mass and the Divine Office, but this cen-

tury’s liturgical revival is bringing many back to active participation in the holy

Sacrifice and the Office. English translations are available for those who cannot

use Latin.

Which are the most important liturgical books? When and why did the laity

lose their familiarity with these sacred books? What is reviving their use among

the laity today?

DEVELOPMENT OF MISSAL. As the parts of the celebrant and other
ministers in the liturgical drama of the Mass developed, they were written down

in various books: the priest’s part in sacramentaries, deacon’s in Gospel-books,

subdeacon’s in lectionaries, choir’s in antiphonals and graduals. Between the

seventh and the sixteenth centuries, these books were gradually brought together

to form the Missal.

The Roman Missal was first printed at Milan in 1474. Nearly 100 years later,

in 1570, Pope St. Pius V made the use of the official Missal obligatory throughout
the Church. Because of the antiquity of their liturgies, churches or religious orders

having Mass customs dating back at least 200 years were exempted from the

obligation to adopt the revised Missal and were allowed to retain their customs.

Revisions and additions have been made by Popes since that time, the latest being

that of Benedict XV in 1920.

The Missal contains the prayers common to all Masses, those proper to differ-

ent Masses of the liturgical seasons or saints and to Masses for special occasions

such as weddings and funerals. Besides these prayers, it includes a list of feasts

of the church calendar and rules to guide the priest in celebrating Mass.

Discuss the development of the Missal. When was it first printed? When and

by whom was the use of the Roman Missal made obligatory? Who were exempted
from the use of the standard Missal? What does the Missal contain?

“PRAY THE MASS.” Since the Mass continues the sacrifice of Calvary and
carries on Christ’s redemptive work, it is by participating as actively as possible

in the Mass that the faithful can play their full part as living members of Christ’s

Mystical Body, the Church. To bring himself into intimate union with Christ in

the holy Sacrifice, one can find no better medium than the Missal, containing the

prayers with which the Church has clothed the Mass. In using the Missal, the

faithful say the beautiful prayers right with the priest. Thus they gain a deeper

understanding and love of the Mass and of its sacred victim, Christ Himself, and

they function as active members rather than mere lifeless appendages of the

Mystical Body.

That all are intended to participate in the Mass is shown by the very prayers

of the Sacrifice. Always they say “we, our, us.” “Wherefore, 0 Lord, we Thy

1. Qu’est-ce que la Liturgie? Pages 79-80.



LITURGICAL BOOKS 35

servants, as also Thy holy people . . “And now, most gracious Father, we humbly

beg of Thee . . By using the Missal, the faithful really “pray the Mass’’ instead
of passively witnessing the drama of Calvary. Many of the prayers are the word
of God, taken directly from Scripture; all are the words the Church has chosen as

best expressing man’s relationship to God.

In some places the “Missa Recitata” has been introduced with success. In

this the faithful answer the prayers at Mass aloud along with the server, and

also say the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei together with the priest; at

Communion they say the Confiteor together, and then the Domine, non sum dignus

three times with the priest.

Why should all the faithful develop the habit of using the Missal? How do
the prayers indicate that all are to take an active part in the Mass? What is the

“Missa Recitata”?

CONTENTS OF BREVIARY. As the Missal contains the prayers for Mass,
the Breviary contains those of the Divine Office, which, priests and most religious

must recite daily. The term Breviary, from the Latin hreviarium, abridgment or

compendium, is used because it contains the Office as shortened by Pope Gregory

VII and newly revised in the eleventh century. The Breviary includes four books,

one for each season : winter, spring, summer, and autumn. Each volume contains

these principal parts: 1. Ordinary, elements that recur daily and determine the

Office’s general pattern. 2. Psalter, the 150 Psalms distributed over the seven days

of the week, with their antiphons. 3. Proper, parts for each separate day divided

into the Temporal, for the liturgical seasons, and the Sanctoral, for saints’ days.

4. Common of saints, parts assigned to different classes of saints. 5. Appendix,
Offices and prayers not frequently used but said on special occasions and in special

places.

What particular prayers does the Breviary contain? How many books?
What are the principal parts of each book?

HOUR PRAYERS. The Office is divided into eight parts to be said at the
different hours: 1. Matins, originally said during the night, about 2:00 a.m., and

consisting of psalms. Scripture selections, a homily on the Gospel, and a short

biography of the saint or a history of the feast of the day. 2. Lauds, which greets

Christ in the rising sun and is devoted entirely to praise of God. 3. Prime, the

morning prayer asking God’s protection through the day. 4. Terce, commemorat-

ing the Holy Ghost’s descent upon the apostles. 5. Sext, said at noon to ask God

to “extinguish the flames of strife . . . give health of body and true peace of heart.”

6. None, which asks God to bestow His light in the evening. 7. Vespers, the official

evening song of praise. 8. Compline, the night prayer begging God’s protection

against the spirits of darkness.

What are the divisions of each day’s Office? When is each hour to be recited?

BREVIARY AND LAITY. In the Middle Ages, when the laity recited the
Office publicly with the religious or privately in their homes, excerpts from the

Breviary were familiar and generally accepted forms of prayer for the faithful.

But the Office, like the Missal, was forgotten by the people until our own day,

when they are slowly returning to it. The individualistic spirit of the Reforma-

tion, which affected Catholics as well as Protestants; the decline in familiarity with

Latin, and changes in the Breviary were responsible for its gradual neglect and

final abandonment by the people.

As the Mass is the official act of worship, the Office is the Church’s official

prayer— obligatory for clergy and for most religious, recommended for all. “It
is composed of psalms, canticles, hymns; lessons from the Scripture, the lives of

the saints, and the homilies or sermons of the Fathers; prayers, versicles and

responses, with the frequent repetition of the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary, and

the Apostles’ Creed.”2 Though individual devotions are not to be discouraged.

2. Lambing, The Sacramentals of the Holy Catholic Church. Page 44.



36 THE SACRAMENTALS

they can never compare with the Office, in which the individual joins his prayers

to those of the whole Mystical Body. St. Alphonsus Liguori said: “Many private

prayers do not equal in value only one prayer of the Divine Office, as being offered

to God in the name of the whole Church, and in His own appointed words.”

What can be said of the use of the Breviary by the laity? Why was the official
prayer of the Church almost entirely abandoned by the lay people? What did St.

Alphonsus say of the value of the official prayers of the Breviary?

MISSAL NOT ENOUGH. To those who would say that the Missal gives them
enough part in the Church’s official life, Dom Rodolphe Hoornaert replies: “No,
the Missal is not enough . . . The Missal and Breviary go together and each com-

pletes the other. If those who love the Mass wish to carry their devotion to its

logical conclusion, they must inevitably take up the Breviary. The Office is at once

a preparation for the Mass and a prolongation of it.”3 The theme of the Office

follows that of the Mass, stressing the liturgical season and the same mystery or

saint’s day as the Mass.

As the Missal has brought the people into union with the Church’s life and

hence the very Christ-life itself, it has drawn them also toward the Breviary. In

1936, the League of the Divine Office was organized by the Benedictine Fathers of

St. John’s Abbey at Collegeville, Minnesota. Members devote themselves to recita-

tion of the Office in whole or in part. In chapters of seven, they divide the Office

so that all the Day Hours (excluding Matins) are recited daily. The part said by

each member is rotated weekly so that in seven weeks he says all the Day Hours

in succession. Members of the league share in the fruits of the monthly solemn

Mass offered at St. John’s for the intention of the liturgical apostolate.

Is the use of the Missal enough for the Catholic who wishes to play his full

part as a member of the Mystical Body? What is the League of the Divine Office?

Tell how it functions.

OTHER LITURGICAL BOOKS. Every educated and devout Catholic should
also be acquainted with the Ritual, which contains all ordinary services performed

by priests but not included in the Missal or Breviary. The Ritual is used in admin-

istering most of the sacraments and in giving many blessings. It contains the
formulas used in blessing almost innumerable sacramentals. The treasures of the

Ritual will be made clear when the various blessings of persons and things are

considered in later chapters.

The Church’s other official books are the Pontifical, which describes functions

reserved to bishops; the Ceremonial of Bishops, which contains other directions for

episcopal rites; the Martyrology, which gives the names and brief biographical

sketches of saints honored on each day of the year, and the Memorial of Rites, a

sort of small Ritual for use in smaller churches, especially during Holy Week. Lay

Catholics are little concerned with these because the ceremonies contained in them

are so seldom witnessed by the faithful. Not an official liturgical book but an

important volume for anyone interested in the sacramentals is the Preces et Pia

Opera, which lists prayers and actions indulgenced by Rome, the indulgences

granted for each, and the conditions for gaining the favors.

What is the Ritual? Name the other liturgical books. What is the Preces et
Pia Opera?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. Make it a habit to use the Missal at Mass.

2. If it is possible, organize a chapter of the League of the Divine Office; or

try to pray some part of the Divine Office each day, especially Prime and

Compline.

3. Hoornaert, The Breviary and the Laity. Page 24.



POPULAR DEVOTIONS 37

XI

Popular Devotions

“For where two or three are gathered together for My sake, there am I in the
midst of them,”i Christ told His apostles. Relying on Christ’s promise to be “in

the midst of them,” the faithful gather to hold special religious services apart

from the Mass, the sg,craments, and the Divine Office. These devotions, such as

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, the Forty Hours’ adoration, public recita-

tion of litanies, novenas, triduums, and the like, serve to increase religious fervor.

To many of them generous indulgences are attached.

Name some of the devotions that are popular with the faithful.

BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. When the elevation
of the sacred Host was introduced into the Mass to counteract heretical theological

opinions being spread in the early part of the thirteenth century, the people devel-

oped a great desire of having the Host exposed for adoration. After the institution

of the Feast of Corpus Christi in 1246, eucharistic processions and exposition serv-

ices became popular. So eager were the faithful to see their eucharistic King that

in Spain a black velvet screen was held behind the altar at the Elevation of the

Mass to make the Host stand out in sharp relief. In some places it was customary

to hold the Blessed Sacrament before the eyes of dying persons who were physi-

cally unable to receive the Viaticum. In Germany especially, the Host was con-

tinuously exposed in “sacrament houses,” huge tabernacles in which the Eucharist

was kept behind a lattice-work door, where it could be dimly seen by people in the

church. In England and France the Eucharist was exposed at evening services

honoring the Blessed Virgin. These ended with a blessing such as is now given

at Benediction.

How did Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament originate? Tell some of the
means used in the Middle Ages to allow the people to gaze on the Sacred Host.

BENEDICTION TODAY. In our time Benediction retains features that recall
its history: 1. Direct veneration of the Eucharist. 2. Devotion to Mary that often

shows itself in the singing of hymns or the recitation of the Litany of Loreto. No
hymns are prescribed except the “Tantum Ergo,” which must immediately precede

the actual blessing. In this country it is customary to sing the “O Salutaris” or

another appropriate hymn at the beginning of the service and to follow it with

litanies or prayers preceding the final hymn. Only the “Tantum Ergo” and the

actual Benediction are regarded as strictly liturgical. Usually the Benediction is

followed by the recitation of the Divine Praises (“Blessed be God,” etc.).

A principal feature of the Benediction service is the exposition of the Blessed
Sacrament in the monstrance. In a simpler form of the devotion, the monstrance is

not used, but the blessing is given with the Host in the ciborium, which has been

exposed by having the door of the tabernacle opened. Benediction “is a suitable

means of giving adoration to the incarnate Son of God, of strengthening faith

in the presence of Christ in the most Blessed Sacrament, and of intensifying the

dispositions of the faithful.”2

What two features in the Benediction service today recall the history of this

devotion? How is the simpler form of Benediction given? What is it called?

FORTY HOURS’ DEVOTION. Another eucharistic devotion is the Forty
Hours’ adoration, in which the Sacrament is exposed publicly for forty hours,

recalling the time Christ spent in the tomb. It too grew out of the eucharistic

processions of the late Middle Ages. No one knows just when the period of forty

1. Matthew XVIII, 20.
2. Stapper-Baier, Catholic Liturgies. Pages 178-9.



38 THE SACRAMENTALS

hours was adopted for the exposition, but it became a practice in some places to

expose the Host for forty hours to make reparation to God for the excesses of the
pre-Lenten carnival. The modern custom of transferring the devotion from one

church to another so as to keep public adoration of the Eucharist in progress

throughout the year was proposed at Milan in 1537 by a barefoot Capuchin friar,

Father Joseph Plantanida of Ferno. Two years later. Pope Paul III granted the
first indulgences attached to the devotion.

Pope Paul Ill’s document granting indulgences for the Forty Hours’ stated

the purposes of the devotion as follows: “To appease the anger of God provoked

by the offenses of Christians and in order to bring to naught the efforts and mach-

inations of the Turks.” Pope Clement VIII in 1592 established the devotion in

Rome, and in 1731 Pope Clement XII issued a detailed code of instructions which

still regulate the carrying out of the devotion. The Forty Hours’ was brought to

the United States about 1854, probably by Bishop John Neumann, C.Ss.R., of Phila-

delphia. Now it is usually in progress somewhere in each diocese at all times of
the year.

How did the Forty Hours’ adoration begin? When and by whom was the
present-day form adopted? What are the purposes of the devotion, as stated by

Pope Paul III? When and by whom was the devotion brought to the United States?

FORTY HOURS’ TODAY. The devotion today opens with a Mass of Exposi-
tion, followed by a eucharistic procession. On the second day, a Mass for Peace

is said, and on the third the devotion closes with a Mass of Reposition and another

procession, at the end of which the people are blessed with the sacred Host. In our

country the actual period of adoration is seldom continuous for forty hours, but

is interrupted at night. In churches where the Forty Hours’ cannot be held, a one-

day devotion, the Thirteen Hours’, sometimes takes its place.

The Forty Hours’ is among the Church’s most richly indulgenced devotions.

A plenary indulgence may be gained once each day by visiting the church where
the Eucharist is exposed and praying for the Pope’s intention. This is subject to

the usual conditions of confession and Communion. There is also an indulgence of

15 years for each visit made during the Forty Hours’.^

Discuss the manner in which the Forty Hours’ is usually conducted in America

today. What are some of the indulgences attached to the Forty Hours’?

“ANGELUS” AND “REGINA COELI.” The “Angelus,” a devotion honoring
Christ’s Incarnation and His Blessed Mother, is held at the sound of the church

bells morning, noon, and evening. It consists of the triple recitation of the Hail

Mary, together with three introductory versicles and a concluding versicle and

prayer. The devotion takes its name from the opening prayer, which recalls the

message of Gabriel to Mary: “The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.”

“Angelus” is the Latin word for angel. The “Angelus” should be said kneeling,

except on Saturday noon and evening and on Sunday. The “Regina Coeli,” substi-

tuted for the “Angelus” during the Easter time, consists of three versicles and

their responses, followed by a prayer. Its name comes from the opening words,

“Regina Coeli, laetare” (0 Queen of Heaven, rejoice). This prayer should be

recited standing. Both the “Angelus” and the “Regina Coeli” bring an indulgence

of ten years for each recitation and a plenary indulgence once a month for those

who say them habitually.”^

What is the “Angelus”? What other devotion is substituted for it in the Easter

time? What indulgences are attached to these devotions?

NOVENAS AND TRIDUUMS. Novenas are devotions held for nine consecu-
tive days or weeks, usually for the purpose of asking special favors or graces. The

nine days the apostles spent in prayer between Christ’s Ascension and the descent

of the Holy Ghost may be regarded as a prototype of novenas. A popular form of

3. Preces et Pia Opera. Pages 83-4.

t. Preces et Pia Opera. Page 203.



POPULAR DEVOTIONS 39

novena is the reception of Communion on the first Fridays of nine consecutive

months in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, usually to gain the favors promised

to St. Margaret Mary of Alacoque in a series of visions. In some churches perpetual

novenas, which the faithful may begin in any week, are held in honor of Our Lady

of the Miraculous Medal, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, or certain saints. A triduum
is a three-day devotion similar to a novena.

What is a novena? What is a triduum? Name some of the popular novenas?

What is a perpetual novena?

LITANIES. A litany is a prayer in which salutations and petitions are
repeated again and again in varying forms. In early Christian times, prayers with

set responses were used in the Mass. A trace of this practice remains in the Kyrie
Eleison of the holy Sacrifice today. From this practice developed a large number

of litanies, and at one time as many as eighty were in use. In 1601, Pope Clement

VIII forbade the public recitation of any except the Litany of the Saints and that

of the Blessed Virgin. Three others, those of the Holy Name of Jesus, the Sacred
Heart, and St. Joseph, have since been approved for public use.

As early as 590, the Litany of the Saints, most ancient of those still in use,

was prescribed by Pope St. Gregory the Great. It is recited in three forms: 1. The

most common form is recommended for private devotion. It is said at the blessing

of a church or cemetery, at the Forty Hours’ adoration, on the Feast of St. Mark,

April 25, and on the Rogation days, the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before

Ascension Thursday. To its recitation is attached an indulgence of five years,

with a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions for those who say it on every

day of a month.^ It was approved as a blessing for the fruits of the earth in 816

by St. Leo III. 2. A shorter form is used on Holy Saturday and on the Vigil of
Pentecost. 3. The third form is the “Litany of the Dying,” given in the. Ritual as

part of the “Commendation of a Soul Departing.”

What is a litany? What two litanies were approved for public recitation by

Pope Clement VIII in 1601? What litanies are approved for public recitation

today? How many forms of the Litany of the Saints are used? Discuss the use
of this litany in the liturgy of the Church.

OTHER LITANIES. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin is also called the
Litany of Loreto, because of its origin at Loreto in Italy. The titles by which

Mary is addressed are mostly from sacred Scripture. The Litany of the Holy

Name of Jesus was approved in 1862 by Pope Pius IX and was extended to the
whole Church in 1886 by Leo XIII. The Litany of the Sacred Heart, which con-

tains thirty-three invocations in memory of Christ’s thirty-three years on earth,

was approved by Leo XII in 1899. Each of these three litanies carries an indulgence

of seven years for its recitation, and a plenary indulgence may be gained under
the usual conditions for reciting the same litany every day for a month. The

Litany of St. Joseph, latest one approved for public use, was sanctioned by Pope

Pius X in 1909. An indulgence of five years may be won each time it is recited,
and there is a plenary indulgence for saying it every day for a month.®

What is another name for the Litany of the Blessed Virgin? When was the
Litany of the Holy Name approved? Who sanctioned the Litany of the Sacred
Heart? What indulgences are granted for reciting these litanies? Which is the

most recently approved litany? What indulgences does it bear?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES
1. Attend Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament whenever it is given in your

parish church.

2. Make it a habit to recite regularly the “Angelus” or the “Regina Coeli,”

according to the season.

5. Preces et Pia Opera. Page 511.
6. Indulgences listed in this paragraph are from Preces et Pia Opera.



40 THE SACRAMENTALS

XII

Sacred Images

The first commandment of God says: “Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven

thing, nor the likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or in the earth be-

neath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not

adore them, nor serve them.”i This would seem to forbid any representations of

men or other creatures, but a proper understanding of the commandment shows
that the real force of the prohibition is in the words: “Thou shalt not adore them,

nor serve them.” What God forbids is not the use of images, but their worship.
Such is the age-old doctrine of the Church.

This interpretation of the first commandment must be correct, for God Himself

ordered Moses to place two cherubim of beaten gold upon the Ark of the Covenant^

and to set up a brazen image of the fiery serpent^ in the desert.^ Many Jews were,
nevertheless, bitterly opposed to images, and some early Christians too feared

that images might lead to idol worship. But the Roman catacombs contain many
sacred pictures and statues, and archeologists have proved that in the East also

images were frequently used by the first Christians.

How is the use of images restricted by the first commandment? Cite instances
in which God Himself commanded the use of images in Old Testament times. How
do we know that the first Christians made pictures and statues of Christ and the

saints?

IMAGE-BREAKERS. By the eighth century, images, called “icons” in the
East, were universally used, and some abuses had crept in. There were images

everywhere. “They hung in a place of honor in every room, over every shop
;
they

covered cups, garments, furniture, rings; wherever a possible space was found, it

was filled with a picture of Christ, our Lady, or a Saint.”^ The Church officially

fought abuses in image-worship, but certain fanatics in the East began a violent

reaction against all effigies. In the middle of the eighth century, the Iconoclasts,

or “image-breakers,” began a drive to wipe out all images.

In a violent persecution of those who followed the traditional doctrine, monas-

teries and churches were destroyed, sacred statues smashed, relics of the saints

desecrated, priests and monks brutally murdered. The Church’s doctrine had

always been clear, and the Second Council of Nice in 787 made explicit once and

for all the principles governing the use of images. Iconoclast disorders continued

until the middle of the ninth century. Some violent followers of the Protestant

Revolt in the sixteenth century repeated the excesses of the Iconoclast age. An

English royal decree of 1548 ordered that all crucifixes and sacred statues be taken

down and that the royal arms of the Lion and Unicorn be put up in their place.

Who were the Iconoclasts? What was their aim? How long did the Iconoclast
disorders continue? Give an example of “image-breaker” tactics used in the time

of the Protestant Revolt.

RIGHT DOCTRINE. The Council of Nice declared: “We define with all cer-
tainty and care that both the figure of the sacred and life-giving cross, as also the

venerable and holy images, whether made in colors or mosaic or other materials,

are to be placed suitably in the holy churches of God, on sacred vessels and vest-

ments, on walls and pictures, in houses and by roads; that is to say, the images

of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, of our immaculate Lady, the holy Mother

1. Exodus XX, 4-5.
2. Exodus XXV, 18.
3. This brazen serpent was a figure of Christ crucified.
4. Numbers XXI, 8-9.
5. Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. VII. Page 668.



SACRED IMAGES 41

of God, of the honorable angels and all saints and holy men. For as often as they

are seen in their pictorial representations, people who look at them are ardently

lifted up to the memory and love of the originals and induced to give them respect

and worshipful honor but not real adoration, which according to our faith is due

only to the Divine Nature.”® Nothing has since been added to these principles,

which were reaffirmed by the Council of Trent in 1543.

The blessing of images shows clearly the purposes they are to serve. The

blessing says: “Almighty eternal God, who dost not forbid the sculpturing or

painting of the images of Thy saints, so that, as often as we gaze upon them with

our bodily eyes, we may, with the aid of our memory, meditate upon their holiness

of life for the purpose of modeling our own upon theirs: we humbly beseech that

Thou wouldst deign to bless and sanctify these images made unto the honor and

memory of Thy only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; and grant that, whoso-

ever shall suppliantly worship and honor Thy only-begotten Son in the presence

of these images, may by His merits and satisfaction obtain grace from Thee in
this life and eternal glory in the next. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.”'^

This blessing shows that images serve the highest aim of the entire liturgy: “. . .

the process of transfiguration by which the fallen race of mankind is progressively

assimilated to God.”^

What was the teaching of the Second Council of Nice on the proper use of

images? In what council was this teaching reaffirmed? What purposes are images

intended to serve, as shown by the blessing? What' is the meaning of “transfigura-

tion” as applied to the function of the liturgy, including sacramentals like images?

RELIGIOUS ART. The Church has always been the mother of the arts, and
her use of sacred images has inspired artists of every type to do their best work.

The finest mosaics of the early Christian era, the best metal work of the Middle

Ages, the greatest productions of the Renaissance painters and sculptors, the most

magnificent stained-glass windows of all time— all these are the products of
inspired sons of the Church. Religious art reached its highest development in

works like the Last Supper, painted by Leonardo da Vinci on the refectory wall

of a Dominican convent in Milan; the Madonnas by Raphael, and Michelangelo’s

sculpture, such as the Pieta in St. Peter’s at Rome. Copies of many famous religious

art works can be found in museums and in books available to everyone.

Reformation fanaticism almost stifled religious art, and no age since Protestant-

ism’s rise has produced anything to rival the work of Catholic geniuses in the

fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. After an era of near stagnation, there is now

a revival of the craftsmanship and artistry that marked the Age of Faith. Artists

in Europe and the Orient are making crucifixes and images worthy of the sacred

subjects they represent. In this country promoters of the liturgical revival are

producing really artistic images to replace the unsightly pictures and statues that

were foisted on the faithful for years.

How has the Church been “the mother of the arts”? What are some examples
of great religious art? What is the history of religious art since the Protestant

revolt ?

SACRED IMAGES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. Sacred images have found
their place, not only in the highly developed art of Europe, but in the art of every

Christianized race. Primitive tribes of Africa and South America have fashioned

their own crude statues, like the weird crucifix, made from a cross-like fishbone by

Indians of Dutch Guiana, brought to this country and displayed in 1937 by a

Denver art collector. Chinese and Japanese have developed a Christian art with

all the delicacy of the Orient’s best workmanship. Indians and Spanish-Americans

of the Southwest have painted on rough slabs of wood or on bits of metal from tin

cans the likenesses of their favorite santos. From small blocks of wood they have

6. Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. VII. Page 671.
7. Orate Fratres. Jan. 23, 1938. Pages 107-8. (Italics ours.)
8. Herwegen, The Art-Principle of the Liturgy. Page iv.



42 THE SACRAMENTALS

formed crude statues, the bultos that adorn their humble adobe huts. These may

be seen in many art shops of the West.

Discuss the creation of sacred images by all races. What are “santos” and

“bultos” among the Indians of the Southwest?

USE IN HOMES. Every Catholic home should have its sacred images, pic-
tures, and statues to increase the devotion of the family and to create an atmos-

phere that will better the lives of all who dwell within its walls. In every home

there should be at least a crucifix and pictures or statues of Christ and His Mother.

If possible, every bedroom should have its crucifix, if only a small one. The presence

of sacred images tends to make those who live in the house think of those virtues

of Christ and the saints which everyone should imitate. There is no better protec-

tion against temptation than contemplation of the crucifix, which recalls the suf-

ferings of Christ for the sins of men. In some homes, devout Christians set up

small shrines of the Sacred Heart, our Lady, or some favorite saint. Before them

fiowers are placed, lights or candles sometimes burn, and family devotions are held.

Especially in May, many families honor Mary by erecting shrines for daily prayer.

These customs bring rich blessings to those who practice them. Not the images or

the shrines, but the holy thoughts they inspire, the prayers they provoke, and the

transformation they effect are the things that merit bountiful spiritual rewards.

Why should every Catholic home have its sacred images? What should be the
smallest number of images in any good Catholic home? Discuss the setting up of

home shrines and their use for special devotions.

ENTHRONEMENT OF THE SACRED HEART. Christ promised St. Margaret
Mary of Alacoque to “bless every house in which an image of My Sacred Heart
shall be exposed and honored.” There is a formal ceremony called the Enthrone-

ment of the Sacred Heart in which a picture or statue of the Sacred Heart is set

up in a place of honor and the entire family is dedicated to the Sacred Heart. This

practice and that of rededicating the family to the Sacred Heart on the first

Friday of each month are becoming ever more popular. Those who wish to have

the Sacred Heart enthroned in their homes should consult their pastors.

What is the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart? Why is the first Friday of
the month an appropriate day on which to rededicate the family to the Sacred

Heart?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. If you do not have a crucifix or a sacred image of some kind in your bed-

room, obtain one and be sure to have it blessed; also have one in a promi-

nent place in the dining room of your home.

2. Examine the images in your parish church and seek to imitate the virtues

of the saints shown in these images.



BLESSINGS OF PERSONS 43

XIII

Blessings of Persons

Through the sacramentals the Church extends her saving influence into every

department of daily life. She not only blesses things for the use of the faithful;

she has special blessings for persons themselves. Some are for those in the religious

life, such as abbots and nuns. Others are for the ordinary Christian, to bring him

God’s graces in all the actions of his life, particularly in times of trial.

How does the Church extend her influence into every department of daily life?
What kinds of blessings does the Church give to persons? What is their general

purpose?

BLESSINGS OF RELIGIOUS. The blessing of an abbot is performed at
Mass by a bishop, assisted by two other abbots. The abbot receives the symbolic

insignia of his office as father of the monastic community— the mitre, special
gloves, symbolic shoes and stockings, a pectoral cross, a ring, and the crozier. Near

the end of the ceremony, the monks embrace their new father, kiss his ring, and

pledge obedience and reverence to him. “These outward marks of honor are more

than mere ornaments; they stand for something; they are heavy with the prayers

and blessing of Holy Church; they drip graces”^ which the abbot will need in

exercising his office.

The consecration of virgins in religious communities is a beautiful and impres-

sive ceremony. In the ceremony for the consecrating of virgins or the solemn pro-

fession of nuns, as described in the Roman Pontifical, the bishop says: “We choose
these virgins, to bless and consecrate them and to wed thern to our Lord Jesus

Christ.” The women are vested in clothes blessed as garments of salvation and of
eternal joy. Veils, rings, and wreaths are blessed. After the vesting, the bishop

puts a ring on the finger of each, saying: “I betroth thee to Jesus Christ . . Plac-

ing the wreath on the virgin’s head, the bishop prays that she may deserve to be
crowned with glory and honor by Christ in heaven. At the Offertory of the Mass,

each new religious offers a burning candle to symbolize the oblation of herself to

God.

What insignia does an abbot receive at his blessing? What is their signifi-

cance? Discuss the consecration of virgins in religious communities. How is the
spiritual wedding of virgins to Christ symbolized in the consecration ceremony?

SACRAMENTALS OP THE SICK. Some blessings for lay persons are inti-
mately connected with the Christian home and family life. These will be con-

sidered in Chapter XVI. Others are for every person, and among them none are

more beneficial than the “sacramentals of the sick.” The Church blesses not only

the sick themselves but also their beds, linens, bandages, and ambulances. The

blessing of the sick-bed linens asks that those who are covered with these cloths

and linens may merit health of mind and body. The ambulance’s blessing mentions
Christ’s healing every ailment and infirmity of the people, and asks that the sick

to be carried in the ambulance may arrive safely at the place of cure.

Catholics often neglect the sacramentals of the sick, but many receive the

blessing of the throat on February 3, Feast of St. Blase. Because he saved the life

of a child who had choked on a bone, St. Blase is recognized as the healer of all

throat diseases. Two candles are used in imparting the blessing, intended to pro-

tect those who receive it from all throat disorders and other ills.

How does the Church show her deep sympathy for the sick? Discuss the bless-
ing of sick-beds and linens; of ambulances. Why is St. Blase considered the patron
of those who have throat ailments? When is the blessing of throats given?

1. Abbot Martin Veth, O. S. B., at blessing of Abbot Leonard Schwinn, O. S. B., in Canon City,
Colo., Aug. 10, 1937.



44 THE SACRAMENTALS

BLESSINGS FOR THE SICK. One whole division of the Ritual is devoted to
the sick. Besides the ceremonies of Extreme Unction, it contains numerous other

rites—a blessing for a sick child, another for adults, the formal pastoral visitation
of the sick, the last blessing, the recommendation of a departing soul, and prayers

for the dying. The next section deals with Christian burial. The Missal contains

a votive Mass for the sick, the Collect of which begs God: “Hear us on behalf of

Thy servants who are sick, for whom we humbly crave the help of Thy mercy, that,
being restored to health, they may render thanks to Thee in Thy church.”^ There
is also a Mass for a happy death.

The blessing of a sick child recalls Christ’s raising of Jarius’ daughter from

the dead^ and asks God: “Extend Thy right hand upon this Thy servant, who at this

tender age is ill, that being restored to health and vigor he may come to fullness of
age, and all the days of his life ever thank and serve Thee faithfully.” The bless-

ing for a sick adult says: “May the Lord Jesus Christ be with you to defend you;
within you to preserve you, before you to guide you, behind you to protect you,

and above you to bless you.”4

The pastor’s formal visit to the sick is an impressive ceremony. After the

blessing of the house and sickroom, the priest recites certain prayers over the sick

person. He may then, if he think fit, read certain passages from holy Scripture
which are indicated in the Ritual, e.g., the healing of St. Peter’s wife’s mother and

that of the paralytic at the pool of Siloe. Both physical and spiritual benefits are

asked for the sick person: “Grant, we beseech Thee, 0 Lord God, that this Thy ser-

vant may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body; and, by the intercession of the

blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sorrow, and obtain eternal

joy.”5

What are some of the ceremonies contained in the Ritual’s section dealing with

the care of the sick? What is asked in the blessing of a sick child? Of a sick adult?

What are some of the ceremonies connected with a pastor’s formal visitation of the

sick?

SACRAMENTALS OF THE DYING. In the prayer that precedes the last,
or apostolic, blessing, to which is attached a plenary indulgence “in articulo mortis”

(at the moment of death), the Church asks God: “Graciously grant unto him the

pardon and remission of all his sins, that his soul at the hour of its departure may
find in Thee a most merciful judge; and being cleansed from every stain in the

blood of Thy same Son, may be worthy to pass to everlasting life.” The Confiteor

is recited, another prayer is said, and the priest asks: “Through the most sacred

mysteries of man’s redemption, may God almighty remit to thee all penalties of
the present and the future life, open to thee the gates of Paradise, and bring thee

to everlasting joys.”® The actual blessing follows.

The recommendation of a departing soul includes many prayers, some of them

very ancient, such as the Litany of the Saints. This ceremony is contained in a

ninth-century Ritual used by Prudentius, Bishop of Troyes, but the prayers are

much older than this Ritual. When no priest is present, relatives or friends of the
dying should recite the prayers. The prayer of the Passion of Christ should be

said by the dying person or repeated for him by another.

When death draws near, all should kneel to pray for the departing soul. A
crucifix should be placed in the hands of the dying, and, if he is unable to speak,

the name of Jesus should be whispered to him time after time. Such formulas as

this should be repeated in his ear : “Into Thy hands, 0 Lord, I commend my spirit.”
After the death, the prayers include these words: “To Thee, 0 Lord, we commend

the soul of thy servant (name), that being dead to the world he may live to Thee.”’^
The Psalm “De Profundis” (“Out of the Depths”) should be recited, and prayers

should continue about the bier until time for the funeral.

2. Saint Andrew Daily Missal. Page 1762. 3. Luke VIII, 41-56. 4. Scholz, “Sacramentals for the
Sick.” Orate Fratres. Vol. V. Pages 158-62. 5. Layfolks’ Ritual. Page 65. 6. Ibid. Pages 81-2.

7. Ibid. Page 108.



BLESSINGS OF PERSONS 45

How do the prayers connected with the last blessing show the purpose of the
Church in providing the blessing? What indulgence is attached to this blessing?

What is the recommendation of a departing soul? What should be done when a

person is dying and there is no priest present? Name some of the prayers that
are often recited for a person who has just died.

CHRISTIAN BURIAL. The Church continues to pray for her children after
their death, and the liturgy of the dead is among her most beautiful and consoling

rites. When time for the funeral arrives, the body should be taken to church in
procession. In our country this procession usually begins at the church doors and

proceeds up the middle aisle. After the body is placed before the high altar, the

recitation of the Office for the Dead, or a part of it, and the Mass for the day of

burial should follow. After Mass, a final absolution is pronounced over the body,

still in the church. This absolution includes the celebrated responsory “Libera Me”

(From everlasting death, deliver me, O Lord). The bier is sprinkled with holy

water and is incensed. In the cemetery, the grave is blessed and final prayers are

recited over the corpse.

Besides the funeral rites, the liturgy includes three Masses for all the departed

on All Souls’ Day, November 2; the Mass on the anniversary of a person’s death

or burial, and a common Mass of the dead. There are commemorations of the

dead in the Mass and Office of every day.

The Church’s funeral rites are not marked by despair or terror, for the thought

of the eternal glories of heaven runs all through them, but “it cannot be denied

that they express, sometimes in heart-rending accents, the realization of human

corruption and the horrors of death. The thought of the Church on death is

probably best expressed in the Preface of the Mass for the Dead, which says that

we should ever praise God “through Christ our Lord. In whom the hope of a
blessed resurrection hath shone upon us, that those whom the certainty of dying
afflicteth, may be consoled by the promise of future immortality.”®

What ceremonies are included in the burial rites of the Church? What is the

Church’s attitude toward death? How is this attitude shown by the words of the
Preface of the Mass for the Dead?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. When someone in your family is seriously sick, be sure that a priest is
called in time to provide the last rites of the Church for him.

2. Often make the resolution to accept without question any sufferings that

God may give you in this life, but do not fail to make use of the sacra-
mentals in which the Church asks God to give health to His servants.

8. Ibid. Page xxxi. 9. Saint Andrew Daily Missal. Page 997.



THE SACRAMENTALS46 .

XIV

Sacramentals in Agriculture

Christ taught His followers to pray for the fruits of the earth when He
included in the Lord’s Prayer this petition: “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Never forgetting man’s physical needs, the Church constantly repeats this petition.

Until recent times, agriculture was everywhere the principal occupation of men.

Even today it occupies millions of persons. Hence it is natural that the Church

should give particular attention to the farmer’s needs and should unceasingly ask

God to bless his lands, seeds, harvests, and animals.

How did Christ show that men should pray for their food and for the other
necessities of human life? Why is it natural that the Church should give particular
attention to the needs of the farmer? How does it do so?

EMBER DAYS. The Ember Days at the beginning of each season grew out
of nature festivals held by the pagan Romans in June, September, and December.

The Church gave the festivals a Christian character and added the Lenten Ember

Days to the others. On these days of fast and abstinence the seasons are dedicated
to God and abundant crops are prayed for. Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday,

and Saturday in the weeks after the first Sunday of Lent, after Pentecost, after the

Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, September 14, and after the Feast of St. Lucy,

December 13.

Tell the origin of the Ember Days. When are they observed? For what
purposes?

ROGATION DAYS. The Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension
Thursday are known as the Rogation Days. Rogation means supplication or peti-

tion. It is derived from the Latin verb rogare, which means to ask or to beseech.

The Rogation Days fall in the sixth week after Easter, in the spring growing sea-

son. The public procession held everywhere on these days in times past and still

observed in Catholic rural communities, was prescribed in the fifth century by

St. Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne, France, whose diocese had suffered many calami-

ties. He ordered the procession to appease God’s anger and to ask His protection
of people and crops. These are still the purposes of the devotions. In 511, the

Rogation Days were adopted all over France. In 816, Pope Leo III introduced

them to Rome, and soon they were extended throughout the Church.

On Rogation Days, called the “Lesser Litanies,” the Litany of the Saints is

recited during the procession. At certain places, the litany is interrupted and the

fields are blessed: “We beg of Thy goodness, O almighty God, that the fruits of the
earth . . . may be penetrated by the dew of Thy blessings; grant also to this people
always to thank Thee for Thy gifts; that the fertility of the earth may enrich the
hungry . . . and that the poor and the needy may celebrate Thy glory . . . May the
blessing of almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, descend in plenty on the

fields and on all these good things, and remain there forever.”

April 25 is the Feast of the Greater Litanies, introduced at Rome in the fourth

century to replace a pagan corn festival. In this day’s procession, the Litany of the

Saints is recited and the Church asks God to protect people and crops. April 25 is

also the Feast of St. Mark, but there is no connection between the two observances.

When are the Rogation Days? What was their origin? Discuss the Lesser

Litanies; the Greater Litanies. When is the Feast of the Greater Litanies observed?

What feast is also celebrated on this day?

BLESSING OF GRAINS. Besides these seasonal ceremonies, there are many
other agricultural sacramentals, such as blessings of seeds and fruits, fields and

farm buildings, animals and food stuffs. In the growing of grains, there is no



SACRAMENTALS IN AGRICULTURE 47

time for which the Church has not her special benediction. Formerly no Christian

farmer would sow unblessed seed. At planting time in both spring and fall, God

was asked to protect the seed and make it fertile. The fall ceremony was held on

the Feast of Our Lady’s Nativity, September 8.

In blessing seeds, the Church prays: “We beg of Thee, O Lord, deign to bless
these seeds, to foster them with the mild breath of a serene heaven, to render them

fertile by dew from above, and to bring them unharmed to fullest maturity for the

use of souls and of bodies.” For growing crops, the Church prays : “Bless, O Lord,

the growing fruits and grant that we who eat of them in Thy holy Name may enjoy
health of body and mind.”i Another prayer asks God’s protection from “mice,

grasshoppers, bugs, worms or other pests.” Before harvest, crops are solemnly

dedicated to God. The Sixty-fourth Psalm, a hymn of thanksgiving for bountiful

crops, is recited. “Thou hast visited the earth, and hast plentifully watered it,”

the Psalm says. “Thou shalt bless the crown of the year of Thy goodness . . . the

vales shall abound with corn.” The first fruits are offered to God, and He is asked

to preserve the crops from evil. The grain is sprinkled with holy water and is

incensed.

The benediction for the granary and its contents asks God to preserve the

stored grain and to protect its owners from any such attachment to temporal goods

as might endanger their salvation. The mill also has its blessing: “Omnipotent and

eternal God, Who, because of the punishment of sin, hast said ‘in the sweat of thy

brow thou shalt eat thy bread,’ bless this mill which has been constructed to grind

grain in order to make bread for our sustenance; deign to appoint for it an angel

of light and defense.”^

What, besides the seasonal ceremonies, are some of the agricultural sacra-

mentals? Tell how the Church asks God’s blessing on the grains of the fields from

before their planting right on up to the time of their consumption. Quote from

some of the blessings for grains.

BLESSINGS FOR ANIMALS. Farm animals, their quarters, and even their
food may be blessed. In blessing the stable, the Church recalls the ox and the ass
in the manger at Christ’s birth. Salt and hay for animals have special blessings,

and there are others for pasture lands. The blessing of animals in Italy on the

Feast of St. Anthony the Abbot, January 17, attracts cabmen with their horses,

children with their pet dogs and cats, housewives with canaries, parrots, or

monkeys, and sometimes even circus animals like elephants.

The blessings of bees and silkworms are of particular interest. The prayer

for bees recalls the use of beeswax candles in divine worship. It asks God to bless

“these bees and this apiary ... so that their fruits may be dispensed unto Thy
glory, and that of Thy Son and of the Holy Ghost, and of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

The use of silk in the modern world is almost unlimited, and the cultivation of silk-

worms is the sole support of many people. The blessing of the worm, formulated

when silk was introduced into Europe, asks God, Who has given to animals the
power of propagating their species, “to bless these silkworms, to foster and mul-

tiply them by Thy kindness,” so that His altars and His faithful, adorned with

silk, may glorify Him.

How does the Church show its solicitude for farm animals? Tell of the bless-
ing of animals on the Feast of St. Anthony the Abbot. Show how the blessing of

bees indicates the use to which their product may be put. Discuss the blessing of
silkworms.

BLESSINGS FOR FOODS. The Ritual contains numerous blessings for food
products of agriculture— bread, fruits, eggs, oil, butter, cheese, lard; for drinks
such as beer and wine. On Easter Sunday there are special blessings for the
paschal lamb, for bread, meat, eggs, and eatables in general. All ask health of

1. Scholz, “The Sacramentals in Agriculture.” Orate Fratres. Vol. V. Pages 323-6. 2. Scholz, op. cit.



48 THE SACRAMENTALS

both soul and body for those who eat the food. The blessing of the lamb points to
Christ: “O God, Who didst command Thy people Israel ... to kill a lamb, as a type
of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . vouchsafe ... to bless and to sanctify this meat

which we Thy servants are about to eat.” Another Easter blessing for meat asks
that “all who eat thereof . . . may always rejoice in corporal and spiritual well-
being.” The blessing for bread says: “O Lord Jesus Christ . . . Thou living Bread

of eternal life, deign to bless this bread . . . that all who partake thereof may
obtain the desired health of body and soul.” There is a special benediction for the

colored Easter eggs that have been the delight of children for centuries. The

liturgy looks on these eggs as symbols of creation and resurrection.^ The bless-

ings or grace at meals will be considered in the chapter on family sacramentals.

What are some of the foods for which there are special blessings? Discuss

the blessings of the paschal lamb; meat; bread; eggs on Easter.

REVIVAL OF AGRICULTURAL SACRAMENTALS. In an article on “Sacra-
mentals in Agriculture,” from which we have quoted freely in this chapter, the

Rev. Bede Scholz, O.S.B., wrote: “Every farmer must undergo many hardships and
much fatigue to prepare the ground for the seed and plant the grain ... he must

leave the rest to the providence of God . . . What farmer does not desire to see

his labors blessed, to obtain a plentiful harvest? . . . Farmers should be told about

these blessings and encouraged to ask for these various benedictions.”

The peasants of Europe centuries ago appreciated and used the agricultural

sacramentals. It is a sign of a revitalized Christian spirit that these ceremonies are

now being revived in agricultural regions of the United States. Plagued by locusts

and by drought, farmers in recent years have turned to God for relief. Many a
drought-cracked field has been the scene of solemn liturgical processions asking

God to bless the thirsty soil and its cultivators. In rural churches, farmers have

repeated day after day the prayers for rain ordered by their bishops. The Missal

contains a Collect, Communion, and Postcommunion asking God for rain. The

Postcommunion says: “Grant us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, beneficial rain and
deign to pour out showers from heaven upon the parched face of the earth.”^ The

calamities that have led bishops to prescribe these prayers and infiuenced farmers

to seek God’s blessing herald a widespread revival of the agricultural sacramentals.

Another important factor in the revival of the agricultural sacramentals is the

spread of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference.

Why should farmers avail themselves of the Church’s agricultural sacra-
mentals? Why is there reason to believe that these sacramentals will be used
more frequently in the future?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. When you observe the Ember Days and the Rogation Days, remember the
purposes for which the Church set these days aside, and pray that God will

bless the fields and their fruits.

2. If you are engaged in agriculture, have your fields and crops blessed so that

God will protect your lands and give abundance to your harvests.

3. These blessings for Easter are considered at some length by Goeb in his article on “Easter Bless-
ings.” Orate Fratres. Vol. V. Pages 216-20.

4. Saint Andrew Daily Missal. Page 1726.



SACRAMENTALS IN INDUSTRY 49

XV

Sacramentals in Industry

Anyone accusing the Church of not keeping up-to-date would find nothing to

support his argument in the Ritual. This book contains blessings for the latest and

most intricate modern inventions. As the Church provides her benediction for the

farmer, she extends it also to the machines that have promoted industrial progress.

In these recently formulated blessings she shows her understanding of the people

with whom she now has to deal — people who have lost their appreciation for
things spiritual in their concern over worldly things. In an age of rank materialism

the Church asks God to give her children the spiritual light needed to avoid the

pitfalls of worldliness.

Among the greatest marks of modern progress are the advances in communi-
cation, transportation, and manufacture. In communication, modern times have

brought the printing press, telephone, telegraph, and radio. Transportation

employs the automobile and the railroad on land, the powerful steamship in the

water, the airplane in the air. The industrial revolution has also developed power

machinery for use in manufacture. Most of this machinery is run by steam and

electricity. For all of these inventions, the Church has blessings. Thus she brings

the influence of her prayer into all kinds of modern endeavor.

How does the Ritual attest that the Church is keeping abreast of the times in
her sacramental blessings? How do the more recently formulated blessings show
the Church’s complete understanding of modern times? What are the principal

marks of industrial progress? How has the Church taken these into consideration
in providing her sacramental blessings?

LIBRARIES AND PRESSES. In the Middle Ages there was a benediction
for the writing-rooms in which monks copied the Scriptures and other books by

hand: “Vouchsafe, O Lord, to bless this workshop of Thy servants, that all which
they write therein may be comprehended by their intelligence and realized by their
work.”i

Today, when printing has reached a development never dreamed of by medie-

valists, the Church still blesses the men and machines engaged in publishing books.

In the modem blessing, Christ is asked to “fill the writers, managers, and workmen
with the spirit of knowledge, counsel, and fortitude, and imbue them with the spirit

of Thy fear, so that . . . they may properly serve Thee and in a salutary manner
also their neighbor. Bless . . . this place and grant that all dwelling therein may

. . . happily arrive at the imperishable crown of glory.” Then follows a blessing

for the machines themselves.

The prayer for libraries asks God to protect them from fire and other dangers

and to increase their stock of books “so that all who come together here . . . may
progress in the knowledge of both human and divine things and equally in Thy

love.”

What does the medieval blessing for a writing-room ask of God? What favors

for editors and writers are asked in the blessing of the equipment of a printing

press? What is asked for the machines? How does the prayer for libraries indi-
cate their purpose?

TELEGRAPH AND SEISMOGRAPH. In blessing the telegraph instrument,
the Church prays: “O God, who walkest upon the wings of the wind . . . grant that,

when by the power given to this metal in the flash of an eye Thou dost transmit

most swiftly things absent to this place and things present to another place, we,

instructed by new inventions, may by the help of Thy grace more promptly and
more easily come to Thee.”

1. Clendenin, Altar and Sanctuary. Page 15.



50 THE SACRAMENTALS

Not an ordinary means of communication but a valuable instrument by which

men learn what is happening in other parts of the world is the seismograph, which

records earthquakes thousands of miles away. This scientific mechanism has a

special blessing, which asks : “Almighty eternal God, who regardest the earth and

makest it to tremble, fiood this seismograph with Thy blessing: and grant that

signs of the trembling earth be properly registered in it and correctly understood

for the benefit of Thy people and for the greater glory of Thy name.” At the end

of this prayer, St. Emigdus, protector against earthquakes, is asked to defend both

people and instrument.

Tell how the blessing of the telegraph instrument indicates the operation of

the telegraph. What blessing is asked for those who use the instrument? What

is a seismograph? What saint is mentioned in the blessing of a seismograph?

What special blessings are asked for those who use the seismograph and for the

machine itself?

AUTOMOBILES AND RAILROADS. A common means of modern trans-
portation is the automobile, but few even know that there is a beautiful blessing

for this almost indispensable vehicle: “0 God! Vouchsafe to hear our prayers and

bless this car with Thy right hand; bid Thy holy angels to stand by it; save and

protect from all danger those who travel in it. Just as, through Thy levite, Philip,

Thou didst grant faith and grace to the Ethiopian who was sitting in his chariot

and reading Thy sacred words, show likewise to Thy servants the way of salva-

tion, that, helped by Thy grace and ever striving to do good, they may, after all the

vicissitudes of their life and journey here below, rejoice forever.”2 Car owners

should see that their automobiles receive this blessing and are supplied with a

medal of Our Lady of the Highway or of St. Christopher, patrons of travelers.

For more than 100 years the railroad has been important in commerce. The

Church asks God “to bless this railway and its instruments and ever to guard them

with Thy kind providence; so that, while Thy servants go rapidly on the way,

walking in Thy law, and running in the way of Thy commandments, they may
happily arrive at the celestial home.”

Discuss the blessing for automobiles. Who are the patrons of travelers? How
does the blessing of a railroad show the Church’s solicitude for both the physical

and spiritual needs of her children?

SHIPS AND AIRPLANES. There is a blessing for the mighty ocean liner
and another for the small fishing smack, but that for the fishing boat is a long and

solemn rite while the other is a simple ceremony. The liner’s blessing recalls how

Noah’s ark was protected and how Christ stretched out His hand to sustain Peter

walking on the water. An angel of the Lord is asked to preserve the ship from
danger and see it safely to port. Each year in September, the blessing of the fish-

ing fleet is a gala celebration at Monterey, California, where the devout Italian

fishermen honor Santa Rosalia as their patron.

In 1920 the Church provided a blessing for a “machine for journeying in

the air.” The opening versicles recall that “our help is in the name of the Lord . .

.

who walkest on the wings of the winds.” God is asked to bless “this machine

destined for aerial journeys; that, every injury and danger being removed, it may
serve to propagate more widely the praise and glory of Thy name, and to dispatch

more promptly the affairs of men, and that it may foster heavenly desires in the
hearts of those using this machine.”^ The airplane is today being widely used by

missionaries to “propagate more widely the praise and glory” of the name of God.

The Missionary Communications Association supplies planes and other modem
means of transportation to missions where communication is difficult.

2. Scholz, “Sacramentals in Industry.” Orate Fratres. Vol. V. Pages 268-71.
3. See Hennig, “The Blessing of Airplanes.” Orate Fratres. Vol. XVI. Pages 348-56.



SACRAMENTALS IN INDUSTRY 51

Which blessing is more solemn, that of a large ocean liner or that of a fishing

boat? Describe briefly the blessing of the liner. Where in America is the blessing

of the fishing fleet a customary observance? Discuss the prayers used in blessing

airplanes. What organization is using airplanes to “propagate more widely the

praise and glory” of the name of God?

DYNAMOS. The blessing for the electric dynamo, which supplies both power
and light, resembles that of the telegraph. Both include the canticle “Benedictus,”

whose last verse is particularly applicable to the purpose the dynamo serves: “To

enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death : to direct our feet

into the way of peace.” A Psalm follows in each case, and the antiphon for the
blessing of the dynamo reads: “Light is risen to the just, and joy to the right of

heart.” The final prayer says: “Lord, God almighty, who art the founder of all

lights, bless this machine recently set up for making light; and grant that after

the obscurity of this world we may come to Thee who are the light unfailing.”

There are other blessings for instruments used in industrial life. Limekilns

and blast furnaces have been blessed for many years. The prayer over the limekiln

asks that “by the fire’s exerting the force of its strength those engaged in this work

may receive by Thy bounty a good quality of lime, and grant to them also that at
the same time an increase of Thy salutary grace may grow in them.”

How does the blessing of the dynamo indicate the purposes for which the
instrument is used? Name two other industrial blessings.

IMPORTANCE OP INDUSTRIAL SACRAMENTALS. So important does
the Church consider some of the industrial blessings that they can ordinarily be

administered only by a bishop. Among these are the blessings of the dynamo and
the telegraph, and the more solemn formula for railroads. A priest can perform
these ceremonies if he has the bishop’s permission. The importance of the indus-

trial sacramentals is increased by the fact that the changes brought about by the

introduction of machinery have contributed to the weakening of faith in the modern

age. But all the things of the world can be turned to good purposes— to the bet-
terment of man and to the honor and glory of God. And the Church prays that the
very things which have in some cases worked harm to her children may rather
increase their faith in God and bring them to a better understanding and appre-

ciation of things spiritual.

How does the Church indicate the importance of the industrial sacramentals?
What is the purpose of these blessings?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES
1. If you own an automobile, have it blessed by a priest and provide it with a

medal of Our Lady of the Highway or of St. Christopher.

2. When you use the machines of modem industry or their products recall that
God is the first Author of all these wonders and that their complexity is a

sign of His all-inclusive intelligence in creating the world.



52 THE SACRAMENTALS

* XVI

Family Sacramentals

“If we do not return to the ideals of our Catholic forebears ... in what respect
will our homes differ from those of the pagans?’’ asked Bishop Aloisius J. Muench

of Fargo in a pastoral letter on the Christian home, issued at the beginning of Lent

in 1937. In December, 1937, Bishop J. H. Schlarman of Peoria issued a letter on

the liturgy and the home. “The interior life of every Christian should be the repro-

duction in his soul of the life of Christ,” said Bishop Schlarman. This reproduc-

tion can be promoted by constant use of the family sacramentals. These include

rites surrounding the marriage ceremony, blessings of persons and homes, family

prayer and devotions, and sacramental objects.

Discuss the pronouncements of Bishop Aloisius J. Muench and Bishop Joseph

H. Schlarman on Christian family life. What does Bishop Schlarman say the inte-
rior life of every Christian should be? Can the sacramentals contribute anything

to this end?

NUPTIAL BLESSING. Important in the marriage ceremony, though not
essentials of Matrimony itself, are the sacramental rites that surround the sacra-

ment. These include the blessing of the ring, the priest’s instructions to the couple,

and above all the Nuptial blessing. This blessing is directed particularly to the

woman. After the Pater Noster, the priest turns to the couple and prays over

them. He asks that the woman’s marriage may be a “yoke of love and peace,”
that she may be faithful, chaste, long-lived, virtuous, fruitful in offspring. The
blessing asks that the couple may see “their children’s children unto the third and
fourth generation.”!

What are some of the family sacramentals? Name some of the sacramentals
connected with the marriage ceremony. Explain the Nuptial blessing.

OTHER BLESSINGS. Carrying her influence into the most intimate family
life, the Church provides a blessing for a pregnant woman whose health is in
danger. Prayers are said over the woman, and she is blessed with holy water. God

is asked to defend her from “all craft and injury,” to grant that “her offspring may

come prosperously to this light of day, and may be preserved for holy regenera-

tion.”2

After a woman has brought forth a child, there is the ceremony of churching,

an act of gratitude to God for the gift of motherhood. This recalls the Jewish puri-

fication ceremony, especially Mary’s purification, but there is in this Christian rite

no idea of the woman’s defilement. Carrying a lighted candle, the woman is re-
ceived by the priest at the church door. The priest leads her into the church, then

prays over her as she kneels before the altar: “Almighty, everlasting God, who,

through the delivery of the blessed Virgin Mary, hast turned into joy the pains of

the faithful in childbirth, look mercifully upon this Thine handmaid . . . that . . .

she may merit to arrive, together with her offspring, at the joys of everlasting
happiness.”3

There are also formulas for blessing children. That for an infant recalls

Christ’s becoming a babe. The blessing for an older child asks that, like the divine

Child, this one may grow in wisdom, age, and grace. The blessing for sick children
was discussed in Chapter XIII.

What is asked in the prayer for a pregnant woman whose health is in danger?

Discuss the churching of women. What are some of the other blessings for mem-

bers of the family? What is asked in the blessing of a child older than an infant?

FAMILY RELIGIOUS PRACTICES. A program of family prayer published

1. Layfolks’ Ritual. Pages 162-4. 2. Layfolks’ Ritual. Pages 168-72. 3. Layfolks’ Ritual. Pages 165-7.



FAMILY SACRAMENTALS 53

in the Diocese of Peoria said: “Its [prayer's] absence marks the family of Catho-

lics; its presence, the Catholic family.’’^ Common prayer is the most salutary of

family religious practices. By it, parents and children daily acknowledge their

dependence on God and give Him the adoration that is His due. For family devo-

tions as for others, the official prayers from the Divine Office are best. Especially

fitting for family recitation is Compline, the Church's official night prayer, which

includes this petition: “Visit, we beseech Thee, 0 Lord, this house and family, and

drive far from it all snares of the enemy; let Thy holy angels dwell herein, who

may keep us in peace, and let Thy blessing be always upon us."

Other family devotions should include common recitation of the rosary, daily

if possible, especially in October; devotions for particular feasts or seasons, such

as in May, when our Lady should be honored in every home; sprinkling of beds

with holy water, particularly in time of storms. Feasts of the children's patron

saints and occasions such as their First Communion or Confirmation are fitting

times for special devotions.

Discuss the value of common prayer in the family. Give an example showing

how parts of the Divine Office are specially fitting for family recitation.

PRAYER AT MEALS. The Church has her official table prayers, and these
show the principal purpose of prayer, the praise and worship of God. Several ver-

sicles praising God precede the Our Father. Then follows the familiar: “Bless us,

0 Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty,

through Christ our Lord. Amen." A young member of the family addresses the
father: “Pray, sir, a blessing," and the father replies: “May the King of eternal
glory bring us to a share in the heavenly table." This is the blessing for noon. At

night, the father says: “May the King of eternal glory lead us to the table of

eternal life." The others respond, “Amen." The short form, using only the “Bless

us, 0 Lord,” is approved by the Church.

The prayer after meals is: “We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Al-
mighty God, who livest and reignest forever, and may the souls of the faithful
departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”

How do the official table prayers show the primary end of prayer? Recite the
grace before meals. Describe the blessing used at noon. Say the grace after meals.

BLESSINGS OF HOMES. The several blessings for homes include one on the
Feast of the Epiphany, January 6; one on Holy Saturday, the common blessing for

general use, and a special benediction for a new house.

In blessing chalk for use in the benediction of homes on January 6, the priest

asks God to make the chalk “helpful to mankind; and grant that through the invo-

cation of Thy holy name those who use it or who write with it over the doors of

their homes the holy names of Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar may obtain health
of body and safety of soul." With this chalk the priest marks the date of the year

and the initials of the Magi on the house doors. Gold, incense, and myrrh are

blessed to recall the gifts of the Magi to the Christ-Child. The priest prays : “Bless,

O Lord, Almighty God, this home that in it there may be health, chastity, strength
of victory, humility, goodness, and industry, a fullness of law and the action of

graces through God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and that this

blessing may remain on this home and on those who frequent it."5

The priest, wearing surplice and white stole, visits the houses in his parish

on Holy Saturday. He sprinkles the chief rooms with Easter water while reciting

the “Vidi Aquam." The last prayer beseeches God: “Vouchsafe to send Thy holy

angel from heaven to guard, foster, protect, visit, and defend all that dwell in this

dwelling.”®

The common blessing for homes includes the sprinkling of the rooms with holy

4. The Register, Peoria Edition. Jan. 7, 1938. Page 10.
5. The Register, Peoria Edition, Jan. 7, 1938. Page 10. 6. Layfolks’ Ritual. Pages 183-4.



54 THE SACRAMENTALS

water, a number of antiphons, and a prayer like that on Holy Saturday. The bless-

ing of a new house asks God to grant those who live in the house “the abundance

of the dew of heaven, and food of the fatness of the earth, and let their desires

and their prayers find fulfilment in Thy mercy.”'^

How many blessings for homes are in use? Discuss the blessing of home on
the Feast of the Epiphany; on Holy Saturday; at other times. For what kind of

home is there a special blessing?

SACRAMENTAL OBJECTS IN THE HOME. Each member of the family
should have his own blessed rosary, and a prayerbook— or a Missal, if he is old
enough to use the official Mass book. Every child should be introduced to the

Missal as soon as possible. For those who are old enough to recite the Divine Office

two excellent English editions are available. The Day Hours of the Church con-
tains the full text in both Latin and English of the day hours only. A Short
Breviary for Religious and the Laity contains all the hours and propers of the

seasons and of the saints in a shortened form. Both versions may be used by
members of the League of the Divine Office. Children and adults alike should also

have medals, scapulars, and such other sacramentals as aid in promoting their

spiritual development.

The Christian home should show forth its religious character in its furnishings

and adornment. There should be a crucifix in each bedroom and in the dining room,

and a statue or picture of Christ and an image of our Lady in every home. The

image of the Sacred Heart should be enthroned in every home, and if possible there

might be a shrine honoring Christ, our Lady, or some other saint, before which the

family gathers for regular devotions. Some houses have private chapels, where

Mass is sometimes celebrated. There should be the necessary equipment for a

priest’s visit in time of sickness or death. Holy water and blessed candles should

always be available. And there should be a supply of Catholic literature— the
diocesan newspaper. Catholic magazines for both children and adults, and a

number of religious books.

With what sacramental objects should each member of the family be provided?

How should the furnishings and decorations of the home show its Christian
character?

“UNLESS THE LORD BUILD—.” The home that is so equipped will differ
in every way from “those of the pagans.” It will be a home constantly blessed by

Christ, a home modeled after that of the holy family at Nazareth. Realization of

the need for real Christian family life is indicated by the formation in recent years

of the Catholic Conference on Family Life, by the parent-educators’ program of

the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, and by the many bishops’ appeals for a

return to the religious customs that marked the Catholic home in the past. The

pastoral letters of Bishop Schlarman and Bishop Muench have already been quoted.

At the beginning of Lent in 1938, Bishop Louis B. Kucera of Lincoln urged his

people to revive family prayer. These bishops and all who know the needs of the

Christian home realize that “unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain

that build it.”^

What signs are there that leaders in the Church are concerned over the neces-

sity for a return to real Christian home and family life?

SUGGESTED PRACTICES

1. Institute the custom of having common prayer and common devotions in

your home. Hold special exercises in such times as May and October.

2. Provide your home with religious pictures or images and if possible with a

small religious shrine. See that Catholic reading material is always avail-

able for members of your family and for your guests.

7. Layfolks’ Ritual. Pages 182-3.

8. Psalm CXXVI, 1.



INDEX 55

Index

Abbots, Blessing of—8, 43.
Adoration—Hours of 37-38, 39 ; of cross 15.
Agnus Deis—28, 30.
Agricultural Sacramentals—46-48.
Airplanes, Blessing of—50-51.
Alb—32.
All Souls’ Day—45.
Alphonsus Liguori, St.—36.
Altar—13, 24, 32 ; consecration of 32 ; crucifix
on 13.

Amice—32.
Angelus—32, 38, 39.
Animals, Blessings of—47.
Apostolic Indulgences—12, 13.
Art, Religious—12, 31, 41-42.
Ascension Thursday—27, 39.
Ash Wednesday-—23, 24.
Ashes, Blessed—7, 22-24 ; blessing of 23, 24.
Asperges—^19, 21.
Automobiles, Blessing of—50.

Baptism—7, 11, 19, 20, 21, 25, 33 ; of bells 33.
Baptismal Water—19, 20, 33.
Bees, Blessing of—47.
Bells, Church—7, 31, 32-33.
Benedict, St.—28, 29, 30.
Benedict XIV—29.
Benedict XV—34.
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament—24, 26,

32, 37, 39.

Blase, St.—27, 43.
Blessed Sacrament—Benediction of 24, 26, 32,

37, 39 ; Exposition of 23, 26, 32, 37 ; Forty

Hours’ adoration 37-38, 39 ; processions of

22, 24, 37-38 ; Thirteen Hours’ adoration 38.

Blessed Virgin—See Mary, Blessed Virgin.
Blessings—Constitutive 8 ; definition 8 : In

Articulo Mortis 14, 44 ; invocative 8 ; kinds

8 ; Nuptial 52 ; of abbots 8, 43 ; of Agnus
Deis 28 ; of airplanes 50-51 ; of animals 47 ;
of ashes 23, 24 ; of automobiles 50 ; of bap-

tismal water 20 ; of bees 47 ; of candles 25,
26 ; of children 44, 52 ; of church bells 32-

33 ; of church cornerstones 31 ; of cross 12 ;
of crucifix 12 ; of dying 13-14 ; of dynamos
51 ; of Easter eggs 47-48 ; of Easter water

20 ; of foods 47-48 : of grains 46-47 ; of Gre-

gorian water 20, 21 ; of holy water 20, 21 ;
of homes 53-54 ; of images 41 ; of incense
24 : of libraries 49 ; of limekilns 51 ; of

medals 28 ; of palms 22 ; of paschal candle
27 ; of persons 8, 43-45 ; of pregnant women
52 ; of printing presses 49 ; of railroads 50,

51 : of rosary 17 ; of salt 19-20 : of seismo-

graph 49-50
: of ships 50-51 ; of sick 8, 43-

44 : of silkworms 47 ; of telegraph 49-50, 51 ;
of throat 27, 43 ; personal 8, 43-45 ; real 8.

Bona Mors Indulgence—13-14.
Books, Liturgical—34-36.
Breviary—34-36, 54.
Burial, Christian—45.

Candlemas Day—25-26.
Candles, Blessed—7, 24, 25-27, 28 ; blessing of

25-26
; Mass of 25, 26 ; Paschal 24, 27, 28 ;

symbolism of 25.

Catechumens—Mass of 15 ; oil of 32, 33.
Catholic Action—3, 6.
Catholic Conference on Family Life—54.
Ceremonial of Bishops—36.
Chalice—32.
Chasuble—32.
Children, Blessings of—44, 52.
Chrism, Holy—32, 33.
Christ—See Jesus Christ—Mystical Body of 8,

16, 31, 34, 36 ; the King 13.
Christopher, St.—28, 50, 51.
Church, the—3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.

17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 34,

35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48,

49, 50, 51, 52, 53.

Churches—Blessing of 31 ; consecration of 20,
31-32.

Churching of Women—52.
Ciborium—32.
Cincture—32.
Clement VIII—38, 39.
Clement XI—17.
Clement XII—14, 38.
Colors, Liturgical—32.
Communion, Holy—13, 14, 19, 26, 28, 38, 39,

53 ; See also Holy Eucharist.
Confession—9, 23, 38.
Confirmation—7, 33, 53.
Compline—35, 36, 53.
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine—3, 54.
Consecrations—Definition of 8 ; of altar 32 ; of

chalice 32 ; of churches 20, 31-32 ; of paten

32 : of virgins 43.

Cords, Blessed—30.
Cornerstone, Blessing of—31,
Corporal—32.
Cross—7, 10-12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 46 ;

adoration of 15 ; blessing of 12 ; feasts of

12, 46 ; history of 11-12 ; indulgences 12, 14 ;
kinds of 12 ; sign of the 10-12, 19, 20, 21 ;
Stations of the 7, 12, 14-15 ; true 12, 15 ; use

in liturgy 12 ; veneration of 12, 15.

Crucifix—7, 12, 13-15 ; 23, 24, 41, 42 ; blessing
of 12 ; for use of sick in making Stations of
the Cross 14 ; history of 13 ; indulgences 13-

14 ; prayer before 13 ; return 13 ; symbols of
13.

Death—14, 44-45.
Devils—8, 20.
Discussion Clubs—5-6.
Divine Office—7-8, 32, 34-36, 37, 53, 54 ;
League of the 36, 54.

Dominic, St.—16, 28.
Dry Mass—22.
Dying—Apostolic indulgences for 13 ; Bona
Mors indulgence 13-14 ; blessing In Articulo
Mortis 14 ; litany of 39 ; prayers for 44 ;
sacramentals of 44-45.

Dynamos, Blessing of—51.
Easter—17, 19, 20, 21, 29, 47, 48 ; water 19,

20, 21.

Ember Days—-46, 48.
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart—42.
Epiphany—53, 54.
Eucharist—See Communion ; Holy Eucharist.
Exorcisms—8, 19, 20, 29.
Exposition of Blessed Sacrament—24, 26, 32,

37.

Extreme Unction—7, 11, 19, 33, 44.
Family—Prayer 52-54 ; sacramentals in 8, 42,

43-44, 52-54.

Father, God the—10, 14, 15, 16, 21, 35, 53.
First Commandment—39.
First Fridays—39, 42.
Foods, Blessings of—47-48.
Forty Hours’ Devotion—37-38, 39.
Francis, St.—28, 30.
Funeral Rites—45.
God—3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,

23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 31, 32, 33, 35, 37, 38, 40,

41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54;

Father—See Father, God the ; Holy Ghost

—

See Holy Ghost ; Son—See Jesus Christ.
Good Friday—12, 15 ; liturgy of 15.
Grace—7.
Grains, Blessings of—46-47,
Gregorian Water—19, 20, 21, 31.
Gregory I—39.
Gregory VII-—35.
Gregory IX—20
Gregory XIII—17.

Helena, St.—12, 15.
Holy Eucharist—7, 22, 26, 37, 38.
Holy Family—26, 54.
Holy Ghost—3, 6, 10, 17, 38, 47, 53 ; prayer to

6.



56 INDEX

Holy Name of Jesus, Litany of—39.
Holy Oils—7, 33.
Holy Orders—7.
Holy Saturday—20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 53, 54.

Holy Spirit, Prayer to—6 ; See Holy Ghost.
Holy Thursday—23, 29, 33.
Holy Water—7, 8, 11, 19-21, 31, 33, 53-54 ;

blessing of 20 ; in home 20, 21 ; indulgence
for using 11, 19, 20 ; kinds of 19, 20, 21 ;

uses of 19.

Homes, Blessings of—53-54.

Iconoclasts—40

.

Images—7, 40-42, 54.
Improperia— 1 5

.

In Articulo Mortis Blessing—14, 44.
Incense—7, 24.
Indulgences—6, 8-9, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20,

29, 30, 38, 39 ; Apostolic 12, 13 : Bona Mors

13-14 : definition of 8-9 ; of Angelus 38 : of

crosses 12, 14, of crucifix 12, 13, 14 ; of

Forty Hours’ devotion 38 : of holy water 11.

19, 20 ; of litanies 39 ; of Miraculous medal

29 : of prayer befox’e crucifix 13 ; of prayer

to Holy Spirit 6 ; of Regina Coeli 38 : of

rosary 17, 18 : of St. Benedict medal 29 : of

scapulars 30 ; of sign of the cross 11, 19, 20 ;

of Stations of the Cross 14-15,

Industrial Sacramentals—49-51.

Jesus Christ—3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,

14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31,

32. 34. 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44,

45, 46, 47, 48, 52, 53, 54.

John XXII—30.
Joseph, St.—28, 30, 39 ; litany of 39 : medal of

28 ; scapular of 30.

Lauds—35.
League of the Divine Office—36, 54.
Leo III—39, 46.
Leo XIII—17, 39.
Libraries, Blessing of—49.
Linens, Sacred—31, 32.
Litanies—37, 39, 44, 46 ; Greater and Lesser

—

46 ; of dying 39 ; of Holy Name 39 : of
Loreto 37, 39 ; of St. Joseph 39 ; of saints

39, 44, 46.

Loreto, Litany of—37, 39.

Maniple—32.
Margaret Mary of Alacoque, St.—39, 42.
Marriage—52.
Martyrology, the—36.
Mary, Blessed Virgin—14, 15, 16-18. 22, 25,

28, 29, 30, 37, 38, 39, 40. 42, 44. 47, 50. 51,

52, 53, 54 ; Angelus 32, 38, 39 : litany of 37.

39 ; medals of 28-29 ; Miraculous medal of

28, 29, 39 : Our Lady of the Highway 28, 50,
51 : rosary of 16-18 : scapulars of 30.

Mass—7, 9, 10, 11, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,
26, 27, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 43, 44.

45, 54 : Dry Mass 22 ; Missa Recitata 35 : of
candles 25-26 ; of Catechumens 15 ; of Pre-
sanctified 15 : prayers of 34-35.

Matins—35.
Matrimony—7, 19 ; See also Mari’iage.
]V|

I

Medals—7, 28-29,’ 30, 39 : Miraculous 28, 29,
39 : of St. Benedict 28, 29 ; Scapular 30.

Memorial of Rites—36.
Miraculous Medal—28, 29, 39.
Missa Recitata—35.
Missal—10, 34-36, 44, 53.
Monstrance—32.
Moses—24. 25, 40.
Mystical Body of Christ—8, 16, 31, 34, 36.

National Catholic Rural Life Conference—48.
None—35.
Novenas—29, 37, 38-39.
Nuptial Blessing—52.

Office—See Divine Office : for Dead 45.
Oil—See Holy Oils : Holy Chrism—32, 33 ; of
catechumens 32, 33 : of sick 33.

Our Lady of the Highway—28, 50, 51.

Pall—32.
Palms, Blessed—7, 22-24 ; blessing of 22.
Palm Sunday—22, 23.
Paschal Candle—24, 27, 28.
Passion Sunday—15.
Paten—32.
Paul III—38.
Penance, Sacrament of—7.
Pentecost—3, 20, 21, 25, 46.
Peter, St.—44.
Pius V—17, 34.
Pius IX—29, 39.
Pius X—39.
Pius XI—9, 14, 15, 17, 18.
Pontifical, the—36, 43.
Possession, Diabolical—8.
Prayer—7-8, 17, 34-35„ 52-54 ; family 8, 52-54 ;
Mass prayers 34-35

; meal prayers 53 ; men-
tal 17 : official 7-8 ; vocal 17.

Preces et Pia Opera—36.
Prime—35, 36.
Printing Press, Blessing of—49.
Processions—21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 37, 38 ;
Asperges 21 ; Blessed Sacrament 22, 24, 37-
38 ; Candlemas 25-26 ; Forty Hours’ 37-38.

Pyx—32.

Railroads, Blessing of—50, 51.
Regina Coeli—38, 39.
Ritual, the—12, 28, 36, 43, 49.
Rogation Days—39, 46, 48.
Rosary—7, 8, 13, 16-18, 54 ; blessing of 17 ;

feast of 17 ; history of 16 : in liturgy 17 ;
indulgences of 17, 18 ; month of 17, 18 ; use
in home 18.

Sacramentals—Agricultural 46-48
; benefits at-

tached to 8-9 ; definition 7 ; effects 7 ; efficacy
8: family 8, 42, 48, 52-54; how to use 9;
kinds of 7-8 ; in home 42. 43-44, 52-54 ; in in-
dustry 49-51 ; of sick 43-45 ; social 31,

Sacraments—7, 9, 11, 31, 33, 37.
Sacred Heart—Enthronement of 42 ; litany of

39.

Sacred Linens—31, 32.
Sacred Vessels—7, 8, 31, 32.
Sacred Vestments—7, 31, 32.
Saints, Litany of—39, 44, 46. For particular

saints look under first name, e.g.—Peter, St.
Salt. Blessing of—19, 20.
Sanctuary Lamp—26.
Scapulars—7, 29-30 : kinds of 30 : medal 30 ; of
Mt. Carmel 30.

Seismograph, Blessing of—49-50.
Sext—35.
Ships, Blessing of—50-51.
Sick—Blessings of 8, 12, 43, 44 ; oil of 33 :

sacramentals of 43-45
; Stations of the Cross

for 14-15.

Sign of the Cross—10-12, 19, 20, 21 ; forms of
10 : indulgences of 11, 19, 20.

Silkworms, Blessing of—47.
Simon Stock, St.—30.
Social Sacramentals—31.
Stations of the Gross—7, 12, 14-15: history of

14 : indulgences of 14-15.

Stole—32.

Telegraph, Blessing of—49-50, 51.
Tenebrae—27.
Terce—35.
Thirteen Hours’ Devotion—38.
Tridnums—38-39.
Trinity—10, 27.

Veronica, St.— 14.
Vespers—26, 35.
Vessels, Sacred—7, 8, 31, 32.
Vestments, Sacred—7, 31, 32.
Vidi Aquam—21, 53.
Virgins, Consecration of—43.
Water—See Easter Water ; Gregorian Water ;
Holy Water.

Way of the Cross—See Stations of the Cross.

8 U.S. A.Printed in



REFERENCE LIST

Butler-Clendenin, Praying the Mass (textbook for discussion clubs). Catholic

Action Committee, Wichita, Kansas. 1939.

Catholic Encyclopaedic Dictionary. General Editor, Donald Attwater. Macmillan,

New York. 1931.

Catholic Encyclopedia. Universal Knowledge Foundation, New York.

Ceremonies of Holy Week. The Paulist Press, New York. 1935.

Clendenin, Altar and Sanctuary (textbook for discussion clubs). Catholic Action

Committee, Wichita, Kansas. 1939.

Connell, The Sacramentals—What They Are, What They Do. Paulist Press, New
York. 1930.

Deutsch, Manual for Oblates of St. Benedict. Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minn.

1937.

Ellard, Christian Life and Worship. Bruce, Milwaukee. 1938.

Gasqiiet, Sacramentals and Some Catholic Practices. Lohmann, St. Paul, Minn.

1928.

Henry, Catholic Customs and Sjmibols. Benziger, New York.

Herwegen, The Art-Principle of the Liturgy. Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minn.

1936.

Lefebvre, Saint Andrew Daily Missal. Lohmann, St. Paul, Minn. 1937.

Layfolk’s Ritual, The. Bums, Oates and Washboume, Ltd., London. 1916.

Liturgical Arts (quarterly). Liturgical Arts Society, New York.

MacMahan. The Liturgical Catechism. Gill and Son, Dublin, Ireland. 1930.

McNeill-Aaron, The Means of Grace. St. Anthony Guild Press, Paterson, N. J. 1937.

McNeill-Clendenin, The Liturgical Year (textbook for discussion clubs). Catholic

Action Committee, Wichita, Kansas. 1939.

Michel, The Liturgy of The Church. Macmillan, New York. 1937.

Mullaly, Could You Explain Catholic Practices ? Apostleship of Prayer, New York.
1937.

New Catholic Dictionary. The Universal Knowledge Foundation, New York. 1929.

Orate Fratres (monthly liturgical review). Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minn.

Pius XI, Sixteen Encyclicals of His Holiness, Pope Pius XI, 1926-1937. N. C. W. C.,
Washington, D. C. 1937.

McNeill, Prayers (textbook for discussion clubs). Catholic Action Committee,

Wichita, Kansas.

Preces et Pia Opera. Vatican Press. 1938.

Roulin, Vestments and Vesture. Herder, St. Louis. 1931.

Sacramental Liturgy, The (study-club outline). Liturgical Press, Collegeville,

Minn. 1936.

Scholz, Sacramentals (series of five articles). Orate Fratres, Vols. IV and V.

Stapper-Baier, Catholic Liturgies. St. Anthony Guild Press, Paterson, N. J. 1935.

Sullivan, The Visible Church. Kenedy, New York. 1922.



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