Blessed Items Cannot Be Sold (Note: Blessings Cannot Be Sold)

Years ago, I happened to stop at a local yard sale in search of something completely different than what I carried away. As I browsed the items scattered about the tables in the yard, I noticed a box filled with religious articles. My eyes were immediately drawn to an extra large Rosary. I slid the beads through my fingers admiring how worn out they were and I smiled thinking that whoever had previously owned them, had used them a lot.

“Those belonged to a good friend of my sister”, proclaimed the woman at the money box. “My sister’s friend was a Catholic Nun…she gave those to my sister before she passed away….she wore them around her waste”, she chuckled. There wasn’t a price tag on the Rosary or anything else inside that box, and I knew right away these religious articles held great value. As I held the Nun’s Rosary in one hand, I shuffled through numerous items inside the Catholic treasure box…a bottle of Holy Water, a beautiful framed picture of our Blessed Mother, a few Saint statues and a Crucifix! “All that ‘stuff’ belonged to my sister’s Nun friend”, the money box lady shouted again to me.

“There isn't a price on it”, I hinted to the woman collecting the money.
“Oh, ummm, you can have the whole box for $10”, she said as she made her way toward me from across the yard.
“Doesn't your sister want these most Holy items that belonged to her friend?”, I asked curiously.
“My sister recently passed away too, and I have no use for them”, she replied.
“I would love to have these Holy items”, I explained….”but I am almost certain that they have been Blessed, therefore there cannot be any exchange of money.”

I turned to the woman and she looked at me as though she might cry. She appeared to be embarrassed and humbled. Her entire demeanor changed. “I'm sorry”, she said, “I had no idea that Blessed items cannot be sold”, as she hung her head.

“You may sell a blessed item for the value of the item alone, but you cannot price the blessing upon it, nor exchange money for the blessing. This is considered ‘simony’”, I tenderly broke the news to the humbled saleswoman. Since she had already told me that she had no use for the items, there wasn't anything further to discuss. I didn't go into any further detail, but for those of you who may not know;

Per the Catechism of the Catholic Church;

Simony is defined as the buying or selling of spiritual things. To Simon the magician, who wanted to buy the spiritual power he saw at work in the apostles, St. Peter responded: “Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money!” Peter thus held to the words of Jesus: “You received without pay, give without pay.” It is impossible to appropriate to oneself spiritual goods and behave toward them as their owner or master, for they have their source in God. One can receive them only from him, without payment. (2121)

With full respect to those who may not know, we can use moments like this to teach what is right, good and just. The most beautiful Rosary “belt” hangs draped over a picture of Jesus in the foyer of my home to this day. While I pass through that door, I remember the Nun, who I never met, and I say a prayer for her. Then I remember the humbled woman…..and I say a prayer for her too.

Editor's Note:  Blessings cannot be sold. If you purchase a blessed object, you would need to have it reblessed.

 According the New Advent, Catholic Encyclopedia " It is thus unlawful to exchange ecclesiastical benefices by private authority, to accept any payment whatever for holy oils, to sell blessed rosaries or crucifixes. Such objects lose, if sold, all the indulgences previously attached to them (S. Cong. Of Indulg., 12 July, 1847)."