SACRAMENTAL'S - BLESSED SALT
Blessed Salt is intended to be an instrument of grace to preserve one from the corruption of evil occurring as sin, sickness, demonic influence, etc
SACRAMENTAL'S - EXPLANATION BELOW
Sacramental's are material objects, things or actions (sacramentalia) set apart or blessed by the Roman Catholic Church to manifest the respect due to the Sacraments, and so to excite good thoughts and to increase devotion, and through these movements of the heart to remit venial sin, according to the council of Trent (Session XXII, 15).
Sacramental's excite pious dispositions, by means of which the faithful may obtain grace. It is not the sacramental itself that gives grace, but the devotion, love of God, or sorrow for sin that it inspires, and the prayers of the Church that render sacramental's efficacious against evil.
Only the Sacraments give grace of themselves and are always fruitful when the faithful place no spiritual obstacles in the way. The Sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ; but not all of the sacramental's were instituted by the Church.
Blessed Salt – A Powerful Sacramental
In these times of increasing evil and diabolic disturbance Blessed Salt is an absolute must for every home.
• Are you or a loved one suffering from sickness, depression or addiction?
• Is your home and family at peace or is there division and unrest?
Do you have loved ones away from the Faith?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then we strongly urge you to take advantage of the power of this sacramental.
Below is more information on this great spiritual weapon:
A Powerful Sacramental of the Catholic Church Blessed Salt is an instrument of grace to preserve one from the corruption of evil occurring as sin, sickness, or demonic influence.
As in the case of all sacramentals, its power comes not from the sign itself, but by means of the Church's official (liturgical, not private) prayer of blessing -- a power the Church derives from Christ Himself. (see Matt. 16:19 and 18:18)
As the Vatican II document on the Liturgy states, both Sacraments and sacramental's sanctify us, not of themselves, but by power flowing from the redemptive act of Jesus, elicited by the Church's intercession to be directed through those external signs and elements. Hence sacramental's like blessed salt, holy water, medals, etc., are not to be used superstitiously as having self-contained power, but as 'focus points' funneling one's faith toward Jesus, just as a flag is used as a focus point of patriotism, or as handkerchiefs were used to focus faith for healing and deliverance (Acts 19:12).
Thus, used non-superstitiously, modest amounts of blessed salt may be sprinkled in one's bedroom, or across thresholds to prevent burglary, in cars for safety, etc. A few grains of blessed salt in drinking water or used in cooking or as food seasoning often bring astonishing spiritual and physical benefits. As with the use of Sacraments, much depends on the faith and devotion of the person using salt or any sacramental. This faith must be Jesus-centered, as was the faith of the blind man in John 9; he had faith in Jesus, not in the mud and spittle used by Jesus to heal him.
Blessed salt is not a new sacramental, but the Holy Spirit seems to be leading many to a new interest in its remarkable power as an instrument of grace and healing. Any amount of salt may be presented to a priest (please ask the priest first if he would have time to bless the salt or if you need to set up an appointment) for his blessing using the following official prayer from the Roman Ritual.
"We humbly ask you, almighty God: be pleased in your faithful love to bless this salt you have created, for it was you who commanded the prophet Elisha to cast salt into water, that impure water might be purified.
Grant, O Lord, we pray, that, wherever this mixture of salt and water is sprinkled, every attack of the enemy may be repulsed and your Holy Spirit may be present to keep us safe at all times.
The reference to the prophet Elisha comes from his curing the poisoned waters with salt in 2 Kings 2:19-21.
The use of blessed salt with blessed water is particular to the Latin tradition. At first, blessed salt was tasted by those preparing for baptism, as testified by St. Augustine among others. The meaning was probably related to the allegorical significance of salt as a symbol of divine wisdom to those destined to be formed as "the salt of the earth." It was also used in the rite of baptism itself.
One of the earliest mentions of the use of blessed, or holy, water is found in a letter written in 538 by Pope Vigilius to Procuro of Braga in Portugal. Since the context of this letter suggests an established practice, it is possible to surmise that holy water was first used at Rome about a century earlier. There is evidence of people taking blessed water home and conserving it in vessels from the year 590, even though the practice of sprinkling the congregation at Mass is from the ninth century and the presence of fixed holy water fonts in churches did not appear until the 11th century.
The practice of mixing salt with this water is probably related to the fact that this custom was already widespread in pagan Rome; for salt was perceived as being effective in repelling evil spirits. This custom was simply carried into Christian practice once the pagan use had diminished to the point that there was no longer any danger of religious syncretism.
Therefore, even though the actions of the prophet Elisha are mentioned in the blessing prayer it is unlikely that this episode was a direct influence in forming the custom. The earliest extant prayers of blessing of salt and water hail from Merovingian France sometime between the years 600 and 751. Most of the current prayers were composed in the early ninth century.
Although, as mentioned above, the origin of fixed holy water fonts is not historically related to the baptismal font, liturgical practice and private devotion have established such a relationship over the centuries.
Thus, the use of holy water is a reminder of baptism, the faith in the Trinity, and redemption through the cross. When water is blessed and sprinkled on a Sunday it reminds us that every Sunday is a little Easter and baptism is renewed in a symbolic manner.
Finally, the extraordinary form of the rite of blessing salt and water may be used but not in such a way that the two forms of the Roman rite are joined in a single celebration. Nor is it necessary as the rite is still found in the ordinary-form missal.
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/a84285_a55f9f01d8d3469c8701b01401eae683.pdf
https://www.pamphletstoinspire.com/sacramentals
