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What is the difference between a Sacrament and a Sacramental? 

A sacrament is an outward and visible sign that is instituted by Christ to give us grace.  For non-Catholic Christians, baptism, communion, ordained ministry, marriage, etc. are simply signs and symbols.  They are considered an outward expression, a witness of one’s faith, and a reminder to stay committed to Jesus. 

 

Catholics agree that sacraments are a sign and a witness, but more importantly, we truly believe that these are vehicles of the power of Christ in and of themselves -- His grace.  Our faith embraces sacramental theology and this is perhaps the greatest difference between Catholics and other Christians. We believe the Sacraments are powerful and necessary. 

 

Catholics believe that Sacraments accomplish what they signify. In other words when baptized, we are truly washed of all sin at that moment. When taking the Eucharist in communion, we are truly partaking in the body of Christ. When a couple marries, grace pours out on them just by the action of getting married.  When a priest is being ordained, a power flows upon him at the moment of his ordination that gives him the ability to forgive sins and create the Eucharist. Catholics believe, for a sacrament to occur, the person ministering it must have the intention to perform the sacrament. In other words, the sacrament can't just happen by mistake; it must be intended. 

 

What are Sacramentals?

 

Sacramentals 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. 

 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1670) says, “Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it.” 

 

Some of the more recognizable Catholic sacramentals are Holy Water, the Rosary, and the Crucifix.  We wear devotional medals or a scapular as a reminder of our communion with the saints.  We light blessed candles for a prayer request.  We take home a blessed palm on Passion Sunday.  When the following Lent approaches, the palms are burned and the blessed ashes are placed on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday. 

 

A few sacramentals can be overlooked: our Missal, the incense used in worship, and our churches and chapels.  These are all means that help us receive God’s grace. 

 

Finally, the most commonly overlooked sacramental is the Sign of the Cross. With our hands, we trace the four points of the cross on our bodies and recall our baptism and the method of our salvation. We unite ourselves with Christ’s passion and resurrection. 

Author Bio:
Deacon Dan Vaughn