Having a statue blessed?

[Gnarwhal]

I got my girlfriend a statue of Sleeping Saint Joseph for Christmas, unfortunately it arrived the day after I left to spend the holiday with her so I haven't been able to give it to her yet. Am I supposed to have it blessed? I know about blessing rosaries but statues I wasn't sure...

Thanks!

 

[Anhelyna]

Ask your priest to do it - he will, I'm sure , be most pleased to do it

 

[Gnarwhal]

Ask your priest to do it - he will, I'm sure , be most pleased to do it

Thanks @Anhelyna, I appreciate the help!

 

[Lost4words]

Yes, ask your priest. I have had them blessed a few times..

 

[Arc F1]

Yes, ask your priest. I have had them blessed a few times..

May I ask what good that does? I don't understand why anyone would do that.

 

[Lost4words]

May I ask what good that does? I don't understand why anyone would do that.

I not going to get into that sorry.

 

[Arc F1]

I not going to get into that sorry.

OK. That's fine. I was just curious. I've never been a part of doing anything like that.

 

[Michie]

I got my girlfriend a statue of Sleeping Saint Joseph for Christmas, unfortunately it arrived the day after I left to spend the holiday with her so I haven't been able to give it to her yet. Am I supposed to have it blessed? I know about blessing rosaries but statues I wasn't sure...

Thanks!

Yes he’ll bless it. After that though, it turns into a sacramental. Every time I had something blessed, I was always reminded of that. No selling, etc. proper disposal should it break, etc.

 

[Michie]

May I ask what good that does? I don't understand why anyone would do that.

Here are a couple of things that explains it @Arc F1


Question:
I’ve always wondered what the Catholic Church means by "blessing," especially in blessing objects. Does the object bear a new and real virtue?
Answer:
Briefly, a blessing on an object is a prayer that praises God for the act of creating this object and implores that the object be used for his greater glory. The Catechism puts it this way:

Among sacramentals, blessings (of persons, meals, objects, and places) come first. Every blessing praises God and prays for his gifts. In Christ, Christians are blessed by God the Father “with every spiritual blessing.” This is why the Church imparts blessings by invoking the name of Jesus, usually while making the holy sign of the cross of Christ. (CCC 1671)

Why Do Catholics Bless Stuff?


Catechism

The characteristics of sacramentals

1668 Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. In accordance with bishops’ pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time. They always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism).

1669 Sacramentals derive from the baptismal priesthood: every baptized person is called to be a “blessing,” and to bless.174 Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained ministry (bishops, priests, or deacons).175

1670 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. "For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God."176

scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc.htm

 

[Gnarwhal]

Yes he’ll bless it. After that though, it turns into a sacramental. Every time I had something blessed, I was always reminded of that. No selling, etc. proper disposal should it break, etc.

Can I ship a sacramental or do I need to hand deliver it? I'd prefer to do the latter but it might be a few weeks before I see her next and I'd like her to have it sooner rather than later if possible.

 

[Michie]

Can I ship a sacramental or do I need to hand deliver it? I'd prefer to do the latter but it might be a few weeks before I see her next and I'd like her to have it sooner rather than later if possible.

I don’t know. I was never told anything about mailing. But you are taking a chance with a sacramental through the mail if you go that route. Personally, I think it would be better if you hand delivered it and got it blessed together. Or you could mail it out before being blessed and write her a sweet note about getting the statue blessed together upon your next reunion.

 

[Gnarwhal]

I don’t know. I was never told anything about mailing. But you are taking a chance with a sacramental through the mail if you go that route. Personally, I think it would be better if you hand delivered it and got it blessed together. Or you could mail it out before being blessed and write her a sweet note about getting the statue blessed together upon your next reunion.

That's a good call, maybe I'll hold off and then she (or we) can have it blessed by one of her priests.

 

[Michie]

That's a good call, maybe I'll hold off and then she (or we) can have it blessed by one of her priests.

Was this her Christmas gift? If so, you could mail it before getting it blessed as a couple.

 

[Arc F1]

Here are a couple of things that explains it @Arc F1


Question:
I’ve always wondered what the Catholic Church means by "blessing," especially in blessing objects. Does the object bear a new and real virtue?
Answer:
Briefly, a blessing on an object is a prayer that praises God for the act of creating this object and implores that the object be used for his greater glory. The Catechism puts it this way:

Among sacramentals, blessings (of persons, meals, objects, and places) come first. Every blessing praises God and prays for his gifts. In Christ, Christians are blessed by God the Father “with every spiritual blessing.” This is why the Church imparts blessings by invoking the name of Jesus, usually while making the holy sign of the cross of Christ. (CCC 1671)

Why Do Catholics Bless Stuff?


Catechism

The characteristics of sacramentals

1668 Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. In accordance with bishops’ pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time. They always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism).

1669 Sacramentals derive from the baptismal priesthood: every baptized person is called to be a “blessing,” and to bless.174 Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained ministry (bishops, priests, or deacons).175

1670 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. "For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God."176

scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc.htm

Thank you.

 

[Gnarwhal]

Was this her Christmas gift? If so, you could mail it before getting it blessed as a couple.

Yeah, it was supposed to be delivered the day I left so I thought it would arrive in time, but it only got as far as my local post office and then they said delivery was delayed until the next day (Christmas Eve), but I was in NY by then.

I mean, I can just hold on to it. God willing, I'll be on the east coast again shortly and then I'll see her much more often and can give it to her then.

 

[Michie]

Yeah, it was supposed to be delivered the day I left so I thought it would arrive in time, but it only got as far as my local post office and then they said delivery was delayed until the next day (Christmas Eve), but I was in NY by then.

I mean, I can just hold on to it. God willing, I'll be on the east coast again shortly and then I'll see her much more often and can give it to her then.

I just hate it when things arrive late!

 

[Gnarwhal]

I just hate it when things arrive late!

Me too! It said it was going to be here on 12/23 all the way up until 12/23 when it changed to 12/24. I actually drove down to the post office to see if I could pick it up and the lady at the counter called me crazy. I mean, I get it, the postal workers were in overdrive unloading and sorting all the Christmas deliveries but man...

 

[Lost4words]

I just hate it when things arrive late!

My mum said that when i was born!

 

[Chrystal-J]

I got mine blessed, then someone stole it.