Tattoo Your Soul!

'Time2bCatholic.com

None of my business if you have -or crave to get, tattoos.  The Catholic Church has no definitive "no" on the matter either.  Be aware there's a risk of the tattoo ink, or the shop you get it at, having attachment to the occult - so checking in with a Priest is always a great idea...  

But where the Church weighs in is when the tattoo represents the demonic (no surprise that it's a sin to get a pentagram tattoo...), 

or if there's demonic intent...(joining a vicious gang and getting their logo on your forehead - sinful, of course)..., 

or if your intent is to self-loathe or self-harm by purposefully covering your God-given, God-loved-self with ugliness: That's a sin. (And may God grant you an encounter with someone who reinforces how MUCH God loves you).  The sin is not the tattoos, (unless they are immoral), the sin is in the wrongly ordered intent.  Getting a flower tattoo because your tat-loving husband would find it attractive--not a sin.  Getting that exact flower on the small of your back because your intent is to allure then entertain random dates during casual physical encounters --sinful.

So if you're unsure on where your tattoos (or your opinions) stand - pop into confession and ask.  If you choose to, there is such a thing as Decommissioning your tattoos (not to be confused with physically re-designing/removing them), which involves making an appointment with a priest for that reason...  Anything, with God, can be wiped clean for a fresh start.

But in this post, I want to reference marks we might choose, that aren't of the physical realm.  

I'm talking about Sacraments.  Jesus instituted seven of them - all referenced in the Bible (see below): 1. Baptism, 2. Reconciliation (used to be called Confession), 3. Eucharist, 4. Confirmation, 5. Marriage 6. Holy Orders (becoming a Priest/Nun), 7. Extreme Unction (used to be called Last Rites).  For those of us still using the old-fashioned terms: Extreme Unction includes: Reconciliation (Confession) and Eucharist, ...and either "Annointing of the Sick" when your life is in potential danger (like going into surgery), or "Last Rites" requested near your last moments.  

The Church says Sacraments "Leave an indelible mark" on your soul.  That sounds to me like soul-tattoos!  The Heavenly realm can see these marks.  Remember when Adam and Eve's son Cain, after he committed the first murder (of his own brother), was scared because God punished him to "wander the Earth".  And so God put a mark on him for his safety: After all, the punishment was to send him away, not subject him to be bullied...   Whether the mark was physical or on the soul level, (the Bible doesn't say), evil knew to steer clear of him.   

Catholic Sacraments give you an actual mark of Grace on your soul.  You can't see the marks, but the Angels and Saints know you are family (Baptism), know you are Catholic (Eucharist), etc.  Catholic Sacraments are efficacious - meaning they DO something...they are not mere symbols of your intentions like baptism or communion bread and grape juice in some protestant churches are.  In the Catholic Church you are literally stamped on your soul when you are Baptized, ...and Jesus feeds you body and soul - literally is in you - when you eat his Eucharistic flesh at Communion (John 6)... 

Catholic Sacraments are Jesus still working through his Church with Miracles.  Why do we read of Jesus' many Miracles 2025 years ago, and hear him give to his disciples, the first Catholic Priests, the ability to confer miracles, but think miracles (and Priests who can continue them) are something of the past? A miracle happens on the altar at every Mass.  It's a miracle when you get a literal mark on your soul during a Sacrament. There are more!

And so, like getting your hand stamped to enter a festival, your Sacrament-marks show Heaven you're able to enter.  ...'Just like a festival though, if you're high and mean, or seen stealing, mark or no mark, they're not lettin' you in.    So encourage matching Sacrament tattoos for yourself and your children -- and keep the faith so we can all meet up in Heaven!

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Baptism: John 3:5, Matthew 28:19, Ephesians 4:5, Acts 2:37-39, 2 Corinthians 5:17,

Luke 18:15-16, Mark 1:4-5, 7-8, Acts 16:28-34, Colossians 2:11-12

Confession: John 20:21-23, Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, 

Communion: John 6:51, John 6:27-60, Acts 20:7-10, Luke 24:30-31, 1 Corinthians 11:18-33, Leviticus 17:11, Exodus 24:8, Revelation 5:9...

                       Besides the resurrection, only 1 miracle is in all 4 gospels:  Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:1-14. And Exodus 16...

Confirmation: Acts 8:14-17, 9:17, 19:6, Hebrews 6:2, Acts 2:4, Ephesians 4:29-32, Isaiah 11:1-2, Galatians 5:22-23

Marriage: Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6, John 2:1-2, Ephesians 5:21-33

Holy Orders: John 13:14-15, Titus 1:5, Acts 13:2-4, Acts 14:23, Revelation 20:6

Anointing of the Sick: James 5:14-15, Mark 6:7, Mark 6:12-13, Galatians 4:13-14