catholic rituals

What is the meaning of the Catholic practice of burning a little basket of herbs and swinging it around and putting smoke on people? Some of my family is Catholic and I've attended funerals where this and other rituals were performed. Along the same line, what's with holy water? Does saying a prayer over water make it different somehow, and what's it used for? Does it have to be special magic water from Evian, or is just out of the tap ok?
No disrespect intended. I'm just curious to see how someone would explain these practices.

Incense is always symbolic of our prayers rising to God. When a body is incensed not only are we praying for the one who once occupied that body, but we are also praying that the soul of this person will "rise to God" as the incense rises.

Incense is also used as a sign of reverence, sanctification, and offering. So incensing the body is a way for the church to show it's respect for the person who is being sent on their way to the Lord and whose body will rise again on the last day. It's a sort of final giving over of self to God, assisted by the communion of saints.

Exodus 30:37 - And the incense which you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves; it shall be for you holy to the LORD.


Exodus 31:11 - and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do."

1 Kings 3:3 - Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father; only, he sacrificed and burnt incense at the high places.


Revelation 8:2-4 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; 4 and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God.

Holy water is tap water that has been blessed. Holy water is usually made with a touch of salt which is a preservative.

Numbers 5:17 "And he shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and he shall cast a little earth of the pavement of the tabernacle into it."


When the Israelites entered the Temple, they had to undergo purifcation by immersion in a mikvah (modern Jews still make use of mikva'ot on Yom Kippur, on wedding days, for purification after menstruation or coming into contact with a dead body or semen, etc.). These ritual purifications by water prefigured Christian Baptism, which we recall when we bless ourselves (cross ourselves) using holy water upon entering our churches. Numbers 5:17 "And he shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and he shall cast a little earth of the pavement of the tabernacle into it."

When you enter a church, you might find a holy water font ("stoup") attached to the wall at one or both sides of each door, or you might find a free-standing font. Simply dip the tips of the fingers of your right hand into the water and cross yourself while mentally contemplating the words, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

This holy water is also used by the priest to sprinkle the people before the beginning of Mass. This is called "Asperges" and the accompanying words (which should be chanted) are rooted in the Psalms, "Thou shalt sprinke me, O Lord, with hyssop and I shall be cleansed; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall become whiter than show. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy." ("Aspérges me, Domine, hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbador. Miserére mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam."). Holy water is blessed on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6).

2009-03-25 07:18:27 by SemiConsciousLiquid

Interview with Connie Ostlund on Catholic rituals

I saw couple Catholic rituals on History channel and would like to know about them further. Can anyone tell the name of a Catholic ritual that appoints certain dead people as saints? And also for a ritual that posthumously states certain people are now in heaven? Thanks.

Canonization.

Saints are people in heaven or on their way to heaven. All Christians dead and alive are saints.

The Catholic Church selects some of the most extraordinary examples, does in-depth research, and canonizes them.

Canonization is the solemn declaration by the Pope that a deceased member of the faithful may be proposed as a model and intercessor (not mediator) to the Christian faithful on the basis of the fact that the person lived a life of heroic virtue or remained faithful to God through martyrdom.

Here is the modern method of canonization:

In order to allow greater objectivity and less emotion, no petition for sainthood can be made until at least 5 years after the candidate’s death.

+ Diocesan Investigation +

A diocese, parish, religious congregation, or association asks the bishop of the diocese in which the candidate died to open the investigation. After Vatican approval, the bishop forms a diocesan tribunal.

Witnesses are called before the tribunal to recount the candidate’s heroic exercise of Christian virtues. All documents regarding the candidate must be gathered.

At this point he is entitled to the title of Servant of God.

+ Vatican Investigation +

All documentation is passed on to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican.

The cause undergoes an examination by nine theologians.

If passed, the cause is for examined by the Congregation.

If passed, the cause is presented to the Pope for approval. A decree is published and read publicly.

+ Beatification +

A miracle attributed to the Servant of God is necessary.

The miracle must be proven through an appropriate investigation and another decree is issued.

Then the Pope decides on beatification.

With beatification, the candidate receives the title of Blessed.

+ Canonization +

Another miracle occurring after beatification is needed for canonization (sainthood), attributed to the Blessed’s intercession.

This miracle must again be proven through an appropriate investigation.

Papal infallibility is involved with canonization.

The Blessed acquires the title of Saint.

http://www.usccb.org/comm/SaintsFinal.pd f

For the latest beatifications and canonizations, see: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/litu rgy/saints/index_canoniz-beat_en.html

+ With love in Christ.

2008-11-26 22:56:30 by Billy E

Price: $12.95

What are the historical origins of the Christian symbols, dates and rituals used today in the Catholic Church? E.g. the halos of Catholic saints, the elements of the Catholic ritual, the miter, the altar, the doxology, and communion, December 25 as Christ's birthday, Sunday as our Sabbath day, while the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday...

There are several good books about what you are asking. One is The Catholic Source Book. The details about the book are here:
http://www.faithalivebooks.com/books/hrp _catholic_source_bk.html

2009-12-11 22:32:52 by Kouji Nakajima O

Do catholics do rituals?

I love this question.
This question and its frequent recurrence prove how far the Catholic church has fallen from true Christianity. When the sinful world cannot recognize the Catholic church as being Christian, then you know they are in trouble.

Christianity worships Jesus Christ and have only one ritual, the Lord's Supper (or communion).

Catholicism worships Jesus Christ, His mother Mary, and a lot of the dead saints (as evidenced by their prayers to them). They also have hundreds of rituals and have distorted the Lord's Supper.

Don't believe what you read about Catholicism being the one true faith. They gave up that mantle thousands of years ago when they burned at the stake people who translated the Bible into other languages!

2009-10-19 09:35:21 by Beckerellavictoriana

All Christians should appreciate this martyr who died about 269 C.E.

Little is known for sure about Valentine. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 C.E. Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.

A book published in 1493 tells this story: Valentine was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius the Goth [Claudius II].

Since he was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding any Christians who were being persecuted under Emperor Claudius in Rome [when helping them was considered a crime], Valentine was arrested and imprisoned.

Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentine made a strategic error: he tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death.

He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't do it, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate [circa 269].

One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentine restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter.

Another legend says, on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine."

St. Valentine is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, young people.

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php ?saint_id=159

With love in Christ.

2009-02-13 11:44:20 by Adam of the wired