Catholic Sacramentals · Water and oils
Historical origin: Lourdes (France), since 1858.
What is and what is not
This object or practice belongs to the field of Catholic piety and must be understood from the general doctrine of the sacramentals. The sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church who, by their prayer, prepare to receive grace and sanctify the circumstances of life. They do not confer grace in the same way as the seven sacraments and do not act automatically. Matter, color, or form have no magic power.
History
During the apparitions of Lourdes in 1858, Bernadette Soubirous excavated by indication of the Lady in the Grotto of Massabielle and sprout a spring. Water is not blessed by the mere fact that it comes from the sanctuary and does not contain a force of its own: it is a material memory of the evangelical call to conversion, prayer and trust in God. The sanctuary organized fountains, swimming pools and a medical office to study the declared cures rigorously. Only a small part has been recognized ecclesiastically as inexplicable and miraculous after long processes.
Its development is inserted into a broader Christian history. From the first centuries, the faithful used the sign of the cross, blessings, water, oil, clothing, pilgrimage and images to keep alive the memory of Baptism and the communion of the saints. In the Middle Ages, the cofradies and reduced forms of religious habits grew; the Modern Age multiplied rituals, medals and sanctuary memories. The contemporary liturgical reform called for a review of these practices so that they lead to the liturgy, sprout from it and avoid superstitions.
Christian use and blessing
It can be preserved or drank with respect, praying and avoiding any promise of healing. It does not replace the sacraments, medical care or blessed water through the rite of the Church.
The blessing must be done with a rite approved and by the competent minister. The faithful responds to that prayer by living the Gospel: faith, hope, charity, participation in the Eucharist, confession when necessary and works of mercy. A sacramental does not replace a medical consultation, a prudent decision or moral duty.
doctrinal sources for deepening
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1667-1679
- Code of Canon Law, 1166-1172
- Directory on popular piety and liturgy
