For Catholics:how do you go about having a saint's medal blessed?
605312
Any priest (and maybe deacon) can do it. Just ask. It only takes a few seconds.\n\nIf your husband is Catholic, I suggest he ask to receive the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick before the surgery. \n\nWith love and prayers in Christ.
887575
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/blessed_virgin_mary.html
924795
I placed an item in friend and fellow Soldier's casket. It was a small medallion of St. Christopher 'traveler's saint'. \n\nTraditionally there is nothing against it - just ask the familiy first. \n\nI am sorry for your loss. To the Soldier - thank you for your service.\n\n 'Gratias Ago Tibi'
191489
I can only speak for the Catholic religion as it's ther only one I have direct experience with that acknowladges Heaven. You have to repent your sins. Cleans your soul by confessing to a priest in the house of God, spend time saying the suggested amount of prayers as an act of attrition. And here's the tricky part, you have to be truly sorry for the sins you did commit. That's between you and God. And he knows if you're faking it. Also: You have to claim the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior. ( and mean it ) \nThat's the "A" ticket to Heaven through the Catholic Religion. Amen.
278798
Check out my sources and read up on all you want.  The only challenges are the ones Christ sends you.  Anyone who is baptised in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost has a chance, \nanyone who has undefeatable ignorance (such as someone who lives somewhere Christianity hasn't reached yet) has a chance,\nanyone who dies a martyr for Christ's one true Church has a chance.\n\nThe most important ritual?  When the priest consecrates a piece of bread so that Christ's body is truly present in it at Mass, and the wine turns into Christ's blood.  The priest is offering the same sacrifice Christ offered on Golgotha when He was up on the cross (the cross being His altar), when I say the same, I mean it's the SAME one, because the sacrafice exists outside the limits of time and space.\n\nHoly Communion.
781014
your patron saint????? \nthere were two general rules of thunb - either your namesake or their "day" was your birtrhday.  if could also be someone that a family member had a special devotion too.  from example, my brother John was named after St John of the Cross.
713355
That is unique indeed. Your parish will most likely have get together and draw up something on paper and then find some outfit that makes custom stickers and posters. This could take some time and a lot of imagination, but that is the only thing that I can think of doing at this point.
578978
To april_hwth: Catholics don't pray to popes and saints as an end. They pray to saints to intercede on their behalf to God since they are already in heaven and can effectively communicate with God. Catholics can also pray directly to God, if they so choose. \n\nThe Rosary is one type of prayer asking the Virgin Mary (who is a saint) to intercede to her son Jesus on behalf of the person. It is not the only prayer that Catholics employ, but it is one of the more popular ones.\n\nAnd Catholics believe that faith is not enough to get to heaven. You should do all you can to do good works and help others because you'll find Jesus while doing good works. Faith without good works is dead. What are you supposed to do, just keep believing in Jesus and not do anything good? Is that fair for the people who spend their entire life doing good? Will they get the same reward as someone who honestly believes in Christ but does nothing good? Even Jesus did good things...and all Christians should do their best to emulate that good example, which does include good works.
354691
Beatification\n\n\n\nIn Catholicism, beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed, via Greek μακάριος, makarios) is a recognition accorded by the church of a dead person's accession to Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name (intercession of saints). As far as the word "beatification" is concerned, its use probably does not antedate the fourth century, when it was introduced in the church at Carthage, but the fact is certainly older. In the earlier ages this honor was entirely local and passed from one diocese to another with the permission of their bishops. This is clear from the fact that early Christian cemeteries contain paintings only of local martyrs. The history of the process is more closely examined in the article on canonization. It should be noted that some of the beatifications by bishops in the Middle Ages are almost scandalous by modern standards. For instance, Charlemagne was beatified by a court bishop shortly after his death. He was never canonized, and his veneration has been mostly suppressed, though permission is given to celebrate Mass in his honor in the cities of Aachen and Osnabrück, though without using the title of "Blessed".\n\nBeatification primarily differs from canonization in this: that the former implies (1) a locally restricted, not a universal, permission to venerate, which is (2) a mere permission, and no precept, while canonization implies a universal precept.\n\nSince the canon law reform of 1983, one miracle must be proven to have taken place through the intercession of the person to be beatified, though this requirement is waived for those who died a martyr. More about the process can be found in the article on canonization.\n\nA person who is beatified is given the title "Blessed." The feast day, however, is not universal, but is celebrated only in regions where the Blessed receives particular veneration. For instance, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha is honored in the United States of America and Canada. The Blessed may also be honored in a particular religious order. For instance, veneration of John Duns Scotus is found in the diocese of Cologne, Germany and among the Franciscans, among other places.\n\nBeatification is considered to be a step towards being declared a saint, usually following the step of being declared venerable and preceding the step of canonization as a saint. Unlike canonization, most theologians do not consider the declaration of beatitude to be an infallible statement of the Church.\n\nPope John Paul II (18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) markedly changed previous Catholic practice regarding beatification. By October 2004 he had beatified 1,340 people, more than the sum of all of his predecessors since Pope Sixtus V (d. 1590), who established a beatification procedure similar to that used today.
969012
Catholic. Every week and on holy days of obligation. I"m even planning on spending First Friday adoration there sometime (an hour of prayer before the eucharist that lasts all night. YOu sign up for your hour so the church knows to not lock the doors) and I used to be an active member of the League of Mary (a charitable prayer group)
177637
http://www.universalis.com/lauds.htm There you go! Hope this helps.
921708
Here we go Again.\n\nThey are NOT prayed to, they are prayed through and with.  In the prayer Catholics ask for their help, as a mediators.  Suppose you want to meet with the Kind, can you just go directly to the Kind, walk  into his house, and ask Him for what you want! No.  Each Saint, is a patron of something.  such as Patron of children, of lost causes, etc.  If all we need is to go directly to God, then what was the need for God to send us so many Prophets, Saints, and other to aid us! think of that one!\n\nI hope that was helpful.  It is not to, but through them.  OK!
21842
This site is pretty informative\n\nhttp://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/patron00.htm#g
1058294
Go here. It is a overseas Bar and not a medal. You get a certificate with it\n\ngo here\n\nhttp://www.amervets.com/osb2.htm\n\nAll military who served in Korea are authorized the new medal!
386353
Buy a missal. \n\nhttp://www.inhisname.com/Books/Missals_St%20Joseph_Sunday.htm
1145730
Are you trying to choose a Confirmation name??  The reason you do that is to have someone in heaven praying for you - and also someone whose life, legend, or legacy impacts you or makes you want to be like them. . . .\nYou can choose either a male or female saint for your Confirmation name, altho' more girls have picked out male Saints' names than guys picking female names.  Anyway, you should think carefully and prayerfully about which Saint you'll choose to be your prayer partner in Heaven!!\n(At our church, it can also be the name of someone in our family - like a grandma, etc. . . .)  We believe that there are many Saints, not all of them have been Canonized!!
437051
By encouraging others to make a difference as well, live as you want people to live, and give as you want people to give!\n\nI'm not a Catholic, but I saw part of a doco on Mother Theresa the other day, and OMG she did so many good things for people - people no one else would touch with a barge pole, and when she did these good things, others followed!\n\nMaybe you could read up on Mother Theresa, I'm not trying to push religion on you by any means, but read about her life and her works, and perhaps try to emulate some of that!