IN MY OPINION, there is one thing which Catholics need to learn from Protestants. It is the confidence in their individual prayers being heard by God.
There are Catholics who tell me that there is a book which says that all blessing must be done by a ministerial Priest. I say, ministerial, because we are all baptized, priests, prophets and kings. But ministerial Priests have the further consecration of service for the people of God and to God.
I have met Catholics, however, who oppose the idea that a lay Catholic can bestow a blessing on anyone. My poor Mama Grande (Great Grandmother), Mama Paz (Grandmother) and Mama Nena (Mother), have wasted many blessings then. Because they confidently bestowed on me and all their children their blessings, signing us with the Cross just like any Pastor and calling down the grace and protection of God, just like any Pastor.
And now I find out that someone is waving a book around claiming that their blessing was invalid. PLEASE.
The days of "clericalism" are long gone. For many simple and faithful Catholics, they never existed. When Priests are absent, we claim the blessings of God. To be sure, Sacramental blessings are absolutely guaranteed by God. But, St. Cornelius is proof that God's Spirit blows where it will:
1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit."God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.
I have met people who bless their own water, bless their own homes, bless their own rosaries and other objects in the absence of a priest. But they consider the priest blessing superior and get them blessed by the priest when available. I don't see anything wrong with this, nor do I know of any Church rule against it. Do you?
In fact, I don't see how the Church could rule against these things since they are essentially prayers.
I'm not an expert, but is the water of Lourdes blessed by a Priest? I don't think so. Therefore, some things need not be blessed by a Priest to convey Grace. And the blessings of a mother or father are such.
In fact, there are different "Holy Waters". Holy Water from Lourdes is considered more efficacious than that received in the local churches because of its curative properties.
And of course, God listens to certain people more than others. Job, as far as I know was not a priest. Yet God listened to his prayers before any others. Moses was a Levite but not a Levitical Priest. Yet God listened to his prayers before any others.
Since you are not a priest or deacon, the things you bless do not become sacramentals.
Sacramental means a sign institued by the Church. In that sense, no, I am not a ministerial priest nor a deacon so, I can't bless anything and call it a Sacramental of the Church.
However, I can pray over them, request God's blessing and have faith that God has conferred it. And although I am not a ministerial priest, I am a member of the common order of Priests, to which all the Baptized belong. We are all Priests, Prophets and Kings are we not? And wouldn't it be a totally useless teaching to call us Priests, Prophets and Kings if we could not command the graces of God in some manner?
There is one thing which Catholics need to learn from most Protestants. Confidence in our prayers.
Yes, the communion of Saints is true. But believe me when I tell you that the Church teaches that our individual prayers call down the graces of God and have great effect.
And the Church does not forbid us from blessing anything for personal use.
We are not permitted to bless holy oils for liturgical use, nor holy water for the Church, but we may bless anything we want, within reason.
to bless means to:
give a benediction to; "The dying man blessed his son"
confer prosperity or happiness on
make the sign of the cross over someone in order to call on God for protection; consecrate
consecrate: render holy by means of religious rites
I have met people who bless their own water, bless their own homes, bless their own rosaries and other objects in the absence of a priest. But they consider the priest blessing superior and get them blessed by the priest when available. I don't see anything wrong with this, nor do I know of any Church rule against it. Do you?
In fact, I don't see how the Church could rule against these things since they are essentially prayers.
I'm not an expert, but is the water of Lourdes blessed by a Priest? I don't think so. Therefore, some things need not be blessed by a Priest to convey Grace. And the blessings of a mother or father are such.
In fact, there are different "Holy Waters". Holy Water from Lourdes is considered more efficacious than that received in the local churches because of its curative properties.
And of course, God listens to certain people more than others. Job, as far as I know was not a priest. Yet God listened to his prayers before any others. Moses was a Levite but not a Levitical Priest. Yet God listened to his prayers before any others.
Since you are not a priest or deacon, the things you bless do not become sacramentals.
Sacramental means a sign institued by the Church. In that sense, no, I am not a ministerial priest nor a deacon so, I can't bless anything and call it a Sacramental of the Church.
However, I can pray over them, request God's blessing and have faith that God has conferred it. And although I am not a ministerial priest, I am a member of the common order of Priests, to which all the Baptized belong. We are all Priests, Prophets and Kings are we not? And wouldn't it be a totally useless teaching to call us Priests, Prophets and Kings if we could not command the graces of God in some manner?
There is one thing which Catholics need to learn from most Protestants. Confidence in our prayers.
Yes, the communion of Saints is true. But believe me when I tell you that the Church teaches that our individual prayers call down the graces of God and have great effect.
And the Church does not forbid us from blessing anything for personal use.
We are not permitted to bless holy oils for liturgical use, nor holy water for the Church, but we may bless anything we want, within reason.
to bless means to:
give a benediction to; "The dying man blessed his son"
confer prosperity or happiness on
make the sign of the cross over someone in order to call on God for protection; consecrate
consecrate: render holy by means of religious rites
Except for the last item, these things are not restricted to ministerial priests.
In the same way, if I purchase a rosary I can pray over it and use it exclusively in the Lord's service, but that does not make it what is commonly called "blessed".
As I was born into a Catholic family, I have always understood that what Catholics commonly call "blessed", is short hand for "blessed by a Priest, Bishop or Pope or some other saintly person" in whom that individual has faith.
However, I learned from my parents and from the example of Scripture. My wife and I regularly bless our children. We regularly pray for those we love and we teach our children to do the same.. And I am confident that God has passed down His grace through our prayers. Despite those folks who claim that there is a book which says that Priests and Deacons are the only ones who may call down blessings for anyone.
Sincerely,
De Maria
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