Sacramentals

Sacramentals
Blessings of persons, animals, places, and things of ordinary use in daily life.

“Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy.”

Various forms of sacramentals

Among sacramentals blessings (of persons, meals, objects, and places) come first. Every blessing praises God and prays for his gifts. In Christ, Christians are blessed by God the Father “with every spiritual blessing.” This is why the Church imparts blessings by invoking the name of Jesus, usually while making the holy sign of the cross of Christ.

House Blessing

Among the sacramentals, blessings hold a major place. There are blessings for persons, meals, objects, places and special occasions.

All blessings praise God for His gifts. Most blessings invoke the Holy Trinity as expressed in the Sign of the Cross – sometimes accompanied by the sprinkling of holy water. The word Blessing has two distinct and related meanings: it refers to our praise of God and to our requests for His loving care for us (Ps 134; Ps 115).

As we praise God over people and things, they are blessed for His service. In seeking God’s blessing for the house with which He has provided us, we praise Him for His goodness, and seek His continued loving care for all who share our homes.

“Be our shelter, Lord, when we are at home, our companion when we are away, and our welcome guest when we return, and at last receive us into the dwelling place you have prepared for us in your Father’s house, where you live for ever and ever.”

Kindly feel free to contact the respective priest-in-charge for reserving a day to have your house blessed.