Compendium of Sacramentals
By Shaun McAfee · Published by TAN Books
Overview
The Catholic Faith possesses an infinite treasury of devotions, prayers, and sacred rituals designed to draw us into deeper spiritual life. Among these spiritual gifts, sacramentals hold a unique and vital place in the lives of all who seek God’s grace. From rosaries and crucifixes to medals, relics, bells, candles, blessed salt, and scapulars, these holy signs—when woven into our everyday lives—sanctify our environments and better prepare us to “receive the fruit of the sacraments” (CCC 1677).
In Compendium of Sacramentals, author Shaun McAfee provides a comprehensive, accessible, and deeply theological guide to these sacred tools. Whether you are seeking to understand the history behind a specific devotional item or want to incorporate traditional blessings into your household, this masterwork bridges ancient Church history, scriptural foundations, and practical daily application.
What You'll Discover
- The Three Groups of Sacramentals: Clear distinctions between the Church’s three primary forms: sacred blessings, solemn exorcisms, and pious devotions.
- History & Spiritual Realities: The scriptural roots, development, and supernatural reality behind each sacramental object and practice.
- Disposing the Soul for Grace: How sacramentals act as chief instruments in preparing Christians to fruitfully receive the Seven Sacraments.
- Apologetics & Defense: Useful, scripture-backed arguments for defending each sacramental against both historical and contemporary objections.
- Wisdom from the Saints: Moving insights from popes, doctors of the Church, Church Fathers, and theologians on incorporating sacramentals into everyday life.
- Practical Guidance: In-depth instructions and best practices for practicing devotions—both familiar and lesser-known.
Sanctify Your Everyday Life
Sacramentals are not mere symbols or superstitious talismans, but sacred channels instituted by the Church to extend the sanctifying power of the Sacraments into every aspect of daily routine. From protecting your family with holy water to carrying a blessed scapular or medal, this compendium equips you to wield these visible signs of invisible grace in daily spiritual warfare.
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Short previews exploring the Compendium of Sacramentals.
Intended Audience
For converts seeking to fully immerse themselves in their newfound faith, as well as lifelong Catholics wanting to revitalize their devotional life, Compendium of Sacramentals is an essential, lifelong reference guide for home libraries, OCIA/RCIA classes, and spiritual direction.
FAQs
What is the difference between a Sacrament and a sacramental?
Sacraments were instituted directly by Jesus Christ to confer sanctifying grace of themselves (ex opere operato). Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church that dispose the soul to receive grace and sanctify various settings in Christian life.
Does this book cover both popular and obscure sacramentals?
Yes. The compendium explains widely known sacramentals such as the Rosary, Miraculous Medal, and Brown Scapular, as well as lesser-known blessings, blessed salt, bells, candles, and traditional pious practices.
- SKU:
- 3167
- ISBN-13:
- 9781505128178
- Publication Date:
- 11/14/23
- Pages:
- 384
- Pdf:
- https://tanbooks.com/content/3167_Preview.pdf
- Height:
- 10.00
- Width:
- 8.00
10 Reviews Hide Reviews Show Reviews
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A Wonderful Gift
This is a stunning book. The photographs & paintings included are tasteful & draw in the reader. This would make a perfect & fitting gift for anyone currently in RCIA, or who has recently received any of the Sacraments for the first time. It discusses, in rich detail, so many beautiful components of our Faith that we can easily take for granted. It would also be a great addition to any homeschool or CCD curriculum. The text is presented in a way that can easily be broken into daily or weekly excerpts for study and classroom discussion. Well done!
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Very pleased with purchase.
Good book.
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Wonderful Presentation of Sacramentals
“The Compendium of Sacramentals” is a wonderful exploration and presentation of the Church’s deep and rich history of sacramentals and devotions. This book provides a thorough catechesis on the topic, in addition to providing clarity for common questions and objections which often emerge regarding the Church’s teaching and use of sacramentals. This book is a valuable tool for all Catholics today and can be particularly helpful to families and teachers of the Faith.
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A Beautiful Treasure-Trove of Traditions
Whatever the reason you're buying this Compendium (homeschool, home library, church library, gift, etc.), it's well worth it! Beautifully bound with gold accents on the cover and full-color illustrations throughout, it contains of wealth of information and history behind many of the sacramentals and devotions we use regularly and might even take for granted. A lifelong Catholic, I even learned about a powerful sacramental I'd never encountered before!
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The best, most concise book
Love it! Every Catholic home should have one. Go to book for anything you wanted to know about sacramentals and then some! Very beautiful also
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Excellent collection of info on sacramentals - perfect for the convert!
As a convert to Catholicism, I'm acutely aware of how overwhelming it is to absorb the richness of the faith. McAfee's compendium is an attractive and robust collection of info on the sacramentals, something that is often misunderstood. Highly recommend for reading, gifting, and setting on a coffee table.
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Compendium of Sacrementals
This is a very good book to read and to use as reference. It also makes a great gift.
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A Must Have
This is a great for every Catholic home library. It will increase your knowledge, love and appreciation of the Faith
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Compendium of the Sacraments
Very good book for those who are starting there journey in the faith. Great review for those who are teaching the faith and Clergy.
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Expertly crafted and enjoyable to read
What a great book! I purchased a copy for a gift for my mother's birthday and after thumbing through it decided to purchase one for our family as well. The greatest strength of this book is the ease of use coupled with the depth of learning. I've been a life long Catholic, but these kinds of books prove we all have so much more to learn. We also homeschool our kids (ages 4-15 years) and this will prove to be a great resource for their studies and another win to not have a digital resource. And lastly, the cover and photos are simply beautiful. A big thanks to Mr. McAfee for creating this volume. Essential for every Catholic family!
