Having concluded the discussion of the sacraments in Lesson Twenty-Sixth, the Baltimore Catechism No. 2 now takes up the discussion of sacramentals in Lesson Twenty-Seventh.
The word sacramentals is not much used today, but those things which it signifies still are. Sacramentals are religious objects that the Church gives us to increase our devotion. Unlike the sacraments, sacramentals do not provide grace in themselves, but through our use of them to draw our minds and hearts toward God.
The two most common sacramentals are the Sign of the Cross and holy water, but the rosary, scapulars, holy cards, icons, and statues are sacramentals, too.
We should make frequent use of the Sign of the Cross, both with and without holy water, and our homes and offices should have crucifixes and other sacramentals to keep our thoughts focused on the higher things. Parents and godparents should give their children and godchildren sacramentals to help them develop an attachment at a young age to these powerful aids to prayer and instruments of grace.
Lesson Twenty-Seventh from the Confirmation Catechism has 11 questions. Note that the lesson begins with Question 292, continuing with the numbering from Lesson Twenty-Sixth.
The parallel lesson this week in the First Communion Catechism is Lesson Twenty-Third. It includes 7 questions drawn from Lesson Twenty-Seventh of the Confirmation Catechism.
Check out this week's lesson, and if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments or ask them in the Catholicism Forum!
Previous Lessons in Sunday School:- Welcome to Sunday School!
- On God and His Perfections
- On the Unity and Trinity of God
- On Creation
- On Our First Parents and the Fall
- On Sin and Its Kinds
- On the Incarnation and Redemption
- On Our Lord's Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension
- On the Holy Ghost and His Descent Upon the Apostles
- On the Effects of the Redemption
- On the Church
- On the Attributes and Marks of the Church
- On the Sacraments in General
- On Baptism
- On Confirmation
- On the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Ghost
- On the Sacrament of Penance
- On Contrition
- On Confession
- On the Manner of Making a Good Confession
- On Indulgences
- On the Holy Eucharist
- On the Ends for Which the Holy Eucharist Was Instituted
- On the Sacrifice of the Mass
- On Extreme Unction and Holy Orders
- On Matrimony