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Sacramentals are a strange thing for a priest to tackle. On one hand, a priest regularly ministers to people who have an unvirtuous use of sacramentals. There's two extremes here. Some people have little to no interaction with sacramentals. They're clearly missing out. The Rosary is one of the most powerful prayers a person can pray. The Miraculous Medal is thus named because so many miracles are associated with it. Wearing a Crucifix is a perpetual reminder of the sacrifice of Christ, the source of our life. A wedding ring is a sacramental of the sacrament of marriage. Just because you can be validly married without them doesn't diminish the cultural and personal significance they hold.
At the same time, sacramentals can't be the entirety of a person's prayer life. They're signs - they aren't powerful because of what they are but because of what they represent - what (or rather who) they point to. Many holy priests have said that they believe it's far better to be devoted to the richness and symbolism of only a few sacramentals than to overindulge and fail to meditate on the significance of the devotionals. I'm engaging the first part of that process, finding a few sacramentals to really devote myself to and embrace the charism of. The rosary is on the top of that list. So is the brown scapular - something I've worn for as long as I can remember, but never contemplated the significance of, or even knew there were prayers attached to. As a Catholic young adult, let alone a seminarian, I'm trying to build my own spirituality and relationship with the Lord. Sacramentals are like the recreational activities a family does together. They don't comprise the relationship, but participating in them strengthens the bonds of love. The reason I thought to write about this topic is this powerful sacramental I just discovered: the St. Joseph Cincture. My seminary is named after St. Joseph. He was the image of God the Father to Jesus - who better to imitate as I aspire to be an image of the Father to His Church? He married the Blessed Mother knowing that she was to remain a virgin - who better to imitate as I desire celibate fatherhood? Cinctures are ropes worn like belts around the waist. They symbolize chastity. Priests wear them at mass and pray vesting prayers asking for the continual grace of celibate chastity. Religious wear them with their habits and the knots in them represent the vows they take. The St. Joseph cincture is a long cotton cord with seven knots tied into it, symbolizing the Seven Sorrows and Joys of St. Joseph. Everything I know about this devotion comes from the internet, so here's an article with some information about the history and graces associated with the cincture. If you are a young man desiring the grace of chastity, a devotion to St. Joseph, and a growth in spirituality (or know a young man who could use these graces), consider making or getting a St. Joseph cincture. I can't put the graces I've experienced through it into words, but I will say that St. Joseph and his virtues have been present in my life in a new way since wearing the cincture and praying the prayers attached to it. It also looks cool. It definitely helps that I feel like an undercover monk while wearing it...
1 Comment
Chug and Debbie
4/28/2023 09:27:42 am
Rosary beads are versatile - the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy,, Rosary of Abandonment, etc.
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July 2023
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