8.101. My Protestant friends say holy water, relics, scapulars, and prayer cards are superstitious. I kind of agree—shouldn’t we just focus on Jesus instead?
This mindset is the fruit of Protestantism and Vatican II ecumenism. By seeking to appear “respectable” to non-Catholics, many Catholics have been led to despise their own spiritual treasures. But these so-called “weird” things—relics, sacramentals, holy water, scapulars—are not man-made gimmicks. They are God-given means to sanctify our lives, protect our souls, and bring us closer to Christ.
To “just focus on Jesus” by ignoring sacramentals is like saying, “I love Jesus, but I reject the things He gave me.” The saints loved sacramentals—because they loved Jesus.
Below is a comparison between the Catholic understanding of sacramentals, and the modern Protestant-influenced rejection of them.
| Category | Traditional Catholic View | Vatican II / Protestantized View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramentals | Instituted by the Church to sanctify daily life and dispose souls to grace | Dismissed as optional, outdated, or “superstitious” | They are **channels of actual grace** and spiritual protection |
| Holy Water | Used to bless, protect, and remind us of Baptism | Seen as irrelevant or ritualistic | Christ used **physical signs** to convey spiritual realities |
| Relics | Honored as instruments through which God has worked | Called “morbid” or idolatrous by Protestants | Scripture shows miracles through relics (cf. 2 Kings 13:21; Acts 19:12) |
| Scapulars / Medals | Outward signs of devotion and spiritual promises | Ridiculed as “magic tokens” | St. Alphonsus and many saints promoted them fervently |
| Prayer Cards / Images | Visual aids to focus prayer and recall the saints | Seen as distractions from “direct relationship” with Jesus | “We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1) |
| Devotions | Lead deeper into Christ (e.g. Rosary, Sacred Heart, First Fridays) | Downplayed or replaced by vague “praise and worship” | True devotion forms the soul and deepens union with Christ |
| Evangelical Influence | Rejected by the Church Fathers and pre-Vatican II popes | Now embraced in Novus Ordo parishes through ecumenism | False unity has led to the **loss of Catholic identity** |
| Fruits | Holiness, protection, conversion, miracles | Confusion, loss of devotion, spiritual weakness | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16) |
Summary:
Sacramentals are not superstitions—they are treasures of grace, sanctified by centuries of holy use, endorsed by the Church, and often confirmed by miracles and saints. To reject them because Protestants mock them is to trade heavenly power for human approval.
Jesus is at the center of every sacramental—because it is through Him that all blessing flows. Holy water drives out demons, relics glorify His saints, scapulars express our Marian consecration, and prayer cards help lift our minds to heaven.
To “just focus on Jesus” while rejecting these gifts is to ignore the tools He gave us to focus on Him better.