Scapulars, Holy Water, Ect.

[cheryl]

[quote name='Thomist-in-Training' post='1702627' date='Nov 16 2008, 02:30 PM']Lourdes water isn't the same as rosaries, though; I would just 1. not think of it as blessed 2. nor get it blessed again. It certainly IS holy, but it's not the same thing as Holy Water. And, you can order it on the Internet from some companies because they charge you for shipping and decorative bottles--not for the water.

Cheryl, I've never seen any Catholic gift shops that claimed to sell blessed items. Curious.[/quote]

I think I'm confused. What I thought was blessed items probably weren't. What is the difference between the blessing of a priest and the grace our Lady endows an object?

[cmotherofpirl]

Any miracle that occurs from Lourdes water is an act of God because the recipient had faith in God, not something in the water itself. Its water from a spring miracleously surfaced by Mary, but it is still water. Faith is the key, not the water itself. If a priest in your community blesses water for you, it is then holy water as well. Faith is the important part, not the location from whence the water came.

[Ziggamafu]

I'm curious how the Church has, in the past, formally responded to the notion that there is no charge for the blessings, that the object itself is being sold and not the blessing (similar to when reliquaries are sold and the 1st class relics inside are included for "free"). I have seen this many times.

[Carmeliteheart726]

[quote name='cheryl' post='1702087' date='Nov 15 2008, 02:09 PM']Is it okay to buy devotional articles that have already been blessed? I've always wanted to purchase some holy water from Lourdes, but have been leery of doing so. Since it has already been blessed, isn't that like buying grace? I know almost every major catholic gift shop sells blessed items, so I guess it's okay... [/quote]

No, the Catechism forbids it. You must buy non-blessed articles and then have them blessed by a priest.

"Blessed Sacramentals should be treated with respect. When they have outlived their usefulness they should be respectfully destroyed if normal methods of disposal might give scandal. For example, the broken pieces of a statue, or a badly soiled scapular should be burned or buried instead of being put out with the trash. Your parish priest will be happy to help you if you have not the proper means for disposing of Sacramentals. Blessed items should not be bought or sold if the blessing is construed as a component of the price."

Hope that helps! God bless you!