Oh, I said the “magic word:” Rosary.
You don’t understand Sacramentals and it is no use trying to tell me that I don’t follow Jesus because of our beliefs in the blesings of a priest on a creature created by Our Lord in imitation of what He did.
Remember these words?
“- St. Matthew 26:26-32:
26- While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27- Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you,
28- for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.
29- I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.”
30- Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31- Then Jesus said to them, “This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed’;
32- but after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.”
He Blessed the Bread.
Blessing things is pretty biblical.
I think we all know the type. They think they have knowledge and intelligence that we lack or we would believe the way they believe. They never consider that they could be wrong. They think that we are ignorant about Protestants and their myriad beliefs and that we have considered them and found them partial and not whole.
I think we all know the type. They think they have knowledge and intelligence that we lack or we would believe the way they believe. They never consider that they could be wrong. They think that we are ignorant about Protestants and their myriad beliefs and NOT that we have considered them and found them partial and not whole.
Here’s another creature of our Lord’s:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03696b.htm
“Chrism is used in the administration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, in the consecration of churches, chalices, patens, altars, and altar-stones, and in the solemn blessing of bells and baptismal water. The head of the newly-baptized is anointed with chrism, the forehead of the person confirmed, the head and hands of a bishop at his consecration, and the hands of a priest at his ordination. So are the walls of churches, which are solemnly consecrated, anointed with the same holy oil, and the parts of the sacred vessels used in the Mass which come in contact with the Sacred Species, as the paten and chalice. If it be asked why chrism has been thus introduced into the functions of the church liturgy, a reason is found in its special fitness for this purpose by reason of its symbolical significance. For olive-oil, being of its own nature rich, diffusive, and abiding, is fitted to represent the copious outpouring of sacramental grace, while balsam, which gives forth most agreeable and fragrant odours, typifies the innate sweetness of Christian virtue. Oil also gives strength and suppleness to the limbs, while balsam preserves from corruption. Thus anointing with chrism aptly signifies that fulness of grace and spiritual strength by which we are enabled to resist the contagion of sin and prduce the sweet flowers of virtue. “For we are the good odour of Christ unto God” (II Cor., ii, 15).”
CHRISM: A combination of oil and sweet balsam or perfume that is mixed and consecrated by the bishop and used to anoint newly baptized people and newly ordained priests and bishops.Chrism is also used in the consecration of churches and altars.
The use of oils to anoint has a great place in the Scriptures:
“The gospels contain three other stories in which a woman anoints Jesus with perfume. Both Matthew and Mark begin their account of Jesus’ passion by recounting the story of a nameless woman who anoints Jesus’ head with a very costly perfume (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9). John also begins his passion account with a similar story—only in John’s version, the woman is Mary, Martha’s sister. For John, the anointing takes place in Martha and Mary’s home, and Mary anoints Jesus’ feet, not his head (John 12:1-8). Luke tells us that the host is a Pharisee named Simon, while Mark and Matthew call him “Simon the leper.””
Jesus is anointed at His burial.
There so many references to God’s creatures in the Bible and their use in blessing that ignore seems to be a bit willful. IMVHO.