A Key Difference Between Sacraments and Sacramentals
The Church teaches that the Sacraments work ex opere operato (Latin meaning “from the work performed”), which was defined by the Council of Trent.[1] Provided there is no obstacle placed in the way (e.g., improper matter was used, the wrong words were said, the minister did not have the proper intention), every Sacrament properly administered confers the grace intended by the Sacrament.
In layman’s terms, this means that the grace conferred by a Sacrament does not depend upon the personal holiness of the priest or recipient. The priest could be very immoral or even hold heretical beliefs, but as long as he follows the proper rite of the Sacrament, then grace is conferred.[2] This doctrine underlies the popularity of the phrase “Say the black, do the red.” In liturgical books the words which the priest is to say are printed in black and instructions for his actions are printed in red. (The very word rubric comes from “rubrum,” Latin for “red.”)
While Sacramentals can bring us grace, they do not work ex opera operato. As the Baltimore Catechism explains: “The Sacramentals of themselves do not remit venial sins, but they move us to truer devotion, to greater love for God and greater sorrow for our sins, and this devotion, love, and sorrow bring us grace, and the grace remits venial sins.”
To summarize, the Baltimore Catechism states: “The difference between the Sacraments and the Sacramentals is: 1. The Sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ and the Sacramentals were instituted by the Church; 2. The Sacraments give grace of themselves when we place no obstacle in the way; 3. The Sacramentals excite in us pious dispositions, by means of which we may obtain grace.”[3]
What Kinds of Sacramentals Exist?
Ask a Catholic for examples of Sacramentals and they would likely say a blessed Rosary or Scapular or medal. Some may even add blessed salt. They would be right. But Sacramentals include more than just these. Sacramentals also include blessings, consecrations, exorcisms, holy images and statues blessed by the priest, and the Holy Bible. One sacramental which all Catholics should be familiar with – and should use! – is the Miraculous Medal.
The Origin of the Miraculous Medal
The Sacred Medal of Mary Immaculate is a Sacramental in honor of the Virgin Mary, often called simply the “Miraculous” Medal for the many miracles conferred upon those that wear it.
St. Catherine Laboure was born in 1806 on a farm in northern France. In 1829 she entered a convent of the Sisters of Charity, an order of nuns who primarily work as hospital nurses. One day as she and the other nuns were in the chapel doing their evening meditation, she saw a vision of a beautiful Lady standing upon a globe, with rings with gemstones upon Her fingers that shed a bright light down upon the globe, and she knew it was Our Lady. The Blessed Virgin told her: “These rays symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask.”
Catherine then saw written around Our Lady in letters of gold the words “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.” Catherine was then told: “Have a Medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces; they should wear it around the neck. Graces will abound for persons who wear it with confidence.”
St. Catherine described the medal to her spiritual director and the first few were made under his direction, for she wished her own identity to remain secret. Although the Medal became instantly popular throughout the world, the identity of Sister Catherine was successfully hidden from the public for forty-six years, despite constant attempts to discover the visionary.
Many miracles were soon reported by people who had worn the Medal and recited the prayer, especially conversions and cures of those hopelessly sick, which led to its being named “The Miraculous Medal.” But during all this time, Catherine remained at her hospital, working as an obscure nurse. She died in 1876 and was canonized in 1947 by Pope Pius XII.
Historical Context
Our Lady’s primary apparition occurred in 1830. Mariologists have seen this as a decisive year which inaugurates a time when Our Lady has become more explicitly active in human history by appearing with greater frequency and insistence. For example, Her apparitions at LaSalette, Lourdes, Pontmain, Knock, and Fatima all followed this apparition at the convent on the Rue de Bac in Paris.
Her apparition also seems to correspond with the growing diabolical revolution which took a dramatic uptick with the French Revolution. This revolt began one hundred years after the French Kings refused to consecrate their nation to the Sacred Heart. The revolt was specifically hateful of [Catholic] altar and throne and sought to destroy both these manifestations of God’s right order. It spread across Europe and its colonies in America, Africa and Asia.
It makes sense that as the devil intensifies his attack upon mankind, so too does Our Lady, in Her great maternal solicitude, intensify Her aid and intercession. After all, it is She Who crushes the infernal serpent.
The Power of the Miraculous Medal
One of the most famous conversions due to the Miraculous Medal was that of Alphonse Ratisbonne, an anti-Catholic Jewish banker. He received a vision of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. After his conversion, he became a priest and worked for the conversion of the Jewish people.
Another famous conversion occurred in 1942 when Claude Newman, a poor African American man from Mississippi, was sent to prison for murder. One night during a quarrel with his cellmates, a Miraculous Medal was thrown down by someone, and Claude picked it up. That night, he awoke to a touch on his wrist and saw a beautiful Lady standing near him. She said: “If you would like Me to be your mother, and you would like to be My child, send for a priest of the Catholic Church.” He awoke the prison shouting for a priest and asked to receive religious instruction when one arrived.
In the course of this instruction, the priest was amazed to find that this illiterate young man had already been instructed in many things by some unknown person. Claude reminded the priest of an unfulfilled secret vow that he had made to Our Lady while lying in a ditch during the Second World War. Everyone who knew Claude was amazed by the change which overcame him. Now he welcomed death so that he could be united with God. He even offered his death for the conversion of another prisoner who hated him. Claude requested a celebration with the other prisoners to rejoice over his redemption and firm hope in God’s mercy. He then went to his execution “beaming with happiness.”
Conclusion
Let us honor Our Lady and the gift of the Miraculous Medal, especially in the month of November, by wearing or carrying one at all times and by gifting some to family and friends. Just ensure the medals are properly blessed by a Catholic priest first. November 27th is the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in some places. The Catholic Encyclopedia states:
“On 23 July 1894, Pope Leo XIII, after a careful examination of all the facts by the Sacred Congregation of Rites, instituted a feast, with a special Office and Mass, of the Manifestation of the Immaculate Virgin under the title of the Miraculous Medal, to be celebrated yearly on 27 November by the Priests of the Congregation of the Mission, under the rite of a double of the second class. For Ordinaries and religious communities who may ask the privilege of celebrating the festival, its rank is to be that of a double major feast. A further decree, dated 7 September 1894, permits any priest to say the Mass proper to the feast in any chapel attached to a house of the Sisters of Charity.”
The apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary are continual reminders that She is always present. She is with us today and in this moment to offer Her example of cooperation with Divinity. With Jesus as the Head, and the Church as the Body, we are to be the hands … to do God’s work in the world.
Daily Miraculous Medal Prayer of St. Maximilian Kolbe
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee, and for all who do not have recourse to Thee, especially the enemies of the Church and those recommended to Thee.
An Act of Consecration to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
O Virgin Mother of God, Mary Immaculate, we dedicate and consecrate ourselves to Thee under the title of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. May this Medal be for each one of us a sure sign of Thy affection for us and a constant reminder of our duties toward Thee. Ever while wearing it, may we be blessed by Thy loving protection and preserved in the grace of Thy Son. O most powerful Virgin, Mother of our Savior, keep us close to Thee every moment of our lives. Obtain for us, Thy children, the grace of a happy death; so that, in union with Thee, we may enjoy the bliss of Heaven forever. Amen.
ENDNOTES:
[1] The Council of Trent dogmatically defined that grace is always conferred by a Sacrament, “in virtue of the rite performed and not as a mere sign that grace has already been given, or that the sacrament stimulates the faith of the recipient and thus occasions the obtaining of grace, or that what determines the grace is the virtue of either the minister or recipient of a sacrament.”
[2] One should also note that although God confers grace in every Sacrament rightly performed, the recipient may not cooperate with that grace. For example, one might be validly confirmed but never strive to “stir up the grace” which is in him (cf. 2 Tim 1:6). The powerful effects of the Sacrament’s grace may then remain dormant. Similarly, spouses are encouraged to frequently call upon the grace of matrimony through prayer. This helps husbands and wives fulfill their daily duty well and is especially helpful in times of trial. Sadly, it is all too common that Catholics are never taught this practice. This in turn means they rarely intentionally and purposefully call upon the matrimonial graces at their disposal through this Sacrament.
[3] Another way of understanding the difference is that Sacraments confer sanctifying grace when they are performed correctly. On the other hand, the sacramentals dispose one to receive actual grace in accordance with the user’s disposition. The Catechism teaches there are two kinds of grace: sanctifying and actual. Sanctifying grace is the grace which makes the soul holy and pleasing to God. Sanctifying grace remains in the soul as long as one is not guilty of mortal sin (hence, it is often called habitual grace or being in the state of grace). Actual grace, however, comes to us only when we need its help in doing the good or avoiding the evil, and it remains with us only while we are doing or avoiding the action. A Catholic in the state of grace is constantly using actual graces throughout the day. We could not pray the Our Father without actual grace. Every spiritual and corporal work of mercy is done with the aid of actual grace.