Dear Catholic Exchange,
I am a confirmed and practicing Catholic. Recently, I got a tattoo on my left wrist of the Irish Claddagh holding the Sacred Heart. To wear the claddagh on the left hand with the heart open to you means that you are spoken for. Also, the tattoo artist drew my hands as the claddagh hands. The whole thing is very symbolic. I want to know if it would be too weird to get it blessed by a priest. I got the image as a sacramental. It's so I can look at it and be reminded that I belong to someone else and need to act accordingly. What do you think?
Kenneth
Dear Kenneth,
Peace in Christ!
Because there are certain items which the Church traditionally blesses, it may be that the tattoo itself is not a suitable object for a blessing. However, priests often give spontaneous blessings to persons for various reasons. Therefore, if you explained to the priest that the tattoo symbolizes your commitment of fidelity to Jesus Christ, his blessing would strengthen you personally in your efforts to more perfectly live that commitment. In this way the reception of the tattoo would become more effectively symbolic of your personal consecration to Christ.
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