Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just curious why Catholics follow all these things like holy water and sacred salt and crucifixes over the bed, though not a single mention of them can be found in the Bible. Some of it, like little statues, seem basically like idolatry, as the Ten Commandments says not to make graven images. Yet you have statues of Mary and Jesus and various saints. Why do you do all this? The Bible outright condemns some of it, and none of it is suggested as having any merit, power or efficacy. Ephesians 1 says that those with faith in Christ have already been blessed by God with every spiritual blessing. Nothing more is needed than your faith. I'm genuinely perplexed and would appreciate someone explaining this. Thank you.

This is an old libel of Catholicism. Catholics don't worship these items. Rather they are used as aids in prayer, meditation, sacraments, etc. You don't have to have them. Quite a few older generation newborns in my family were baptised at home at birth with zero frills but the vials of holy water and blessed salt that were available and grandparents as godparents. If I break a statue of Mary, I'm sad if it was a favorite piece, but I don't think something awful will happen. We probably accidentally spill holy water 2-3 times a week.

I find it so weird that people consider religious pictures/art idolatry. Just having a picture of something does not mean you worship the picture. You all have pictures of children in your home and you manage not to tell those to go clean their room.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just curious why Catholics follow all these things like holy water and sacred salt and crucifixes over the bed, though not a single mention of them can be found in the Bible. Some of it, like little statues, seem basically like idolatry, as the Ten Commandments says not to make graven images. Yet you have statues of Mary and Jesus and various saints. Why do you do all this? The Bible outright condemns some of it, and none of it is suggested as having any merit, power or efficacy. Ephesians 1 says that those with faith in Christ have already been blessed by God with every spiritual blessing. Nothing more is needed than your faith. I'm genuinely perplexed and would appreciate someone explaining this. Thank you.

This is an old libel of Catholicism. Catholics don't worship these items. Rather they are used as aids in prayer, meditation, sacraments, etc. You don't have to have them. Quite a few older generation newborns in my family were baptised at home at birth with zero frills but the vials of holy water and blessed salt that were available and grandparents as godparents. If I break a statue of Mary, I'm sad if it was a favorite piece, but I don't think something awful will happen. We probably accidentally spill holy water 2-3 times a week.

Anonymous wrote:I'm just curious why Catholics follow all these things like holy water and sacred salt and crucifixes over the bed, though not a single mention of them can be found in the Bible. Some of it, like little statues, seem basically like idolatry, as the Ten Commandments says not to make graven images. Yet you have statues of Mary and Jesus and various saints. Why do you do all this? The Bible outright condemns some of it, and none of it is suggested as having any merit, power or efficacy. Ephesians 1 says that those with faith in Christ have already been blessed by God with every spiritual blessing. Nothing more is needed than your faith. I'm genuinely perplexed and would appreciate someone explaining this. Thank you.

Anonymous wrote:Former Catholic, now more new-agey progressive Christian. Many fingers pointing to the same moon, etc.

No crucifix. It's creepy. I wouldn't hang an electric chair or lethal injection needle in my home either. We do have Rosary Beads from Jerusalem. Tibetan Prayer Beads. A happy Buddha picture. A picture of Jesus smiling. Native American Prayer Wheel. Crystals. Objects that are sacred to us. And tons of religious texts from many faiths.

But no instruments of torture in our home.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard of having blessed salt in the kitchen as the devout but living in sin PP references in her last line.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Not just a Catholic practice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessed_salt_in_Christianity

I saw that, but it doesn't explain what a household would do with sacred salt.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small cross over each doorway. Crucifix at front and back door along with holy water fonts.

We have an alcove that we've turned into a small prayer area. Family bibles, sacred and immaculate hearts, heirloom rosaries etc.

Do people usually take holy water before entering your home?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard of having blessed salt in the kitchen as the devout but living in sin PP references in her last line.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Not just a Catholic practice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessed_salt_in_Christianity

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard of having blessed salt in the kitchen as the devout but living in sin PP references in her last line.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small ones in each bedroom. There's a holy water font on the wall next to front door so we can bless ourselves as we leave. Our family altar in in the dining room. It's pretty discrete and fellow Catholic tend to notice it more than non-Catholics. There are bibles and small religious statutes in each room. My DD each have a 3 inch guardian angel in unglazed cream colored pottery. I have a small statue of Mary. My fiancé has a wooden carved portrait of St. Joseph that he got when he became a stepfather. Everyone has a bedside Bible. There is a Bible in the living room. I also have a Missal with the Offices in print in our bedroom, but prefer to use Divine Office on my iPhone. There's a Catholic calendar next to DD#2's bed because she's a lector. We have a small framed portrait for each patron saint (baptismal name and/or confirmation name), one of St. JPII, and one of Pope Emeritus Benedict, and one of His Holiness Francis. On any given day, you'll see 4 rosaries in various stages of use. I also tend to forget to put back on my scapular immediately after my morning shower, so that might be on the back of the bathroom door. There is blessed salt in the kitchen. We are NOT the most devout family we know either.

Wait, your fiancé? You have that much Catholicism going on and you are living in sin with children?

I caught that too, that's why I thought it was a joke post.

No joke. Our priest knows. He knows that we have extenuating circumstances and are in the annulment process. He's less judgy than random strangers on DCUM I guess.

It's not judgy random strangers on the internet that I find perplexing - it's the fact that you are leading this life in front of your DDs. That is not Catholic.

Are you and the others who are condemning PP even Catholic? You don't have a clue what OP's circumstances are. Live your own life, for pete's sake.

Anonymous wrote:Small ones in each bedroom. There's a holy water font on the wall next to front door so we can bless ourselves as we leave. Our family altar in in the dining room. It's pretty discrete and fellow Catholic tend to notice it more than non-Catholics. There are bibles and small religious statutes in each room. My DD each have a 3 inch guardian angel in unglazed cream colored pottery. I have a small statue of Mary. My fiancé has a wooden carved portrait of St. Joseph that he got when he became a stepfather. Everyone has a bedside Bible. There is a Bible in the living room. I also have a Missal with the Offices in print in our bedroom, but prefer to use Divine Office on my iPhone. There's a Catholic calendar next to DD#2's bed because she's a lector. We have a small framed portrait for each patron saint (baptismal name and/or confirmation name), one of St. JPII, and one of Pope Emeritus Benedict, and one of His Holiness Francis. On any given day, you'll see 4 rosaries in various stages of use. I also tend to forget to put back on my scapular immediately after my morning shower, so that might be on the back of the bathroom door. There is blessed salt in the kitchen. We are NOT the most devout family we know either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Non-catholic here still asking why the crucifix is put over the bed? Just curious.

No requirement to do so. Some Catholics have it there because it is above their heads at night, but we always oriented our beds to our windows and had crucifixes beside or across from the bed.

I alwasy thought it had to do with God blessing your marital relations and bringing children into the marriage.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Non-catholic here still asking why the crucifix is put over the bed? Just curious.

No requirement to do so. Some Catholics have it there because it is above their heads at night, but we always oriented our beds to our windows and had crucifixes beside or across from the bed.