sacramental

Sacramental refers to the category of sacred signs and practices in several Christian traditions that prepare believers to receive grace, honor God, or sanctify certain moments of life. The term comes from a Latin root related to sacred signs and is distinct from the sacraments themselves.

In Roman Catholic theology, sacramentals are instituted by the Church and include blessings, liturgical actions, and the use of blessed objects or places. They are designed to dispose a person to receive grace and to express devotion, faith, and piety. Examples commonly cited include the blessing of persons, objects, or places; holy water; the use of blessed candles, palms, and candles; medals and scapulars; and the veneration of icons or relics. Sacramentals may accompany prayer, worship, and sacraments, and they often involve acts of faith and a proper disposition of the believer. They do not themselves confer grace in the same way as the seven sacraments, but they are believed to prepare or cooperate with grace.

In other Christian traditions, the term is used less uniformly. Some denominations emphasize the sacraments as the primary means of grace and treat sacramentals as devotional practices or symbols, while others may employ objects and rites in a manner similar to Catholic practice.

Overall, sacramentals function as aids to devotion and moral formation, bridging liturgical life and daily living, with a focus on reverence, prayer, and the sanctification of ordinary experiences.