Navarre Commentary on Canon Law

This resemblance borne by sacramentals with regards to sacraments is also indicated in the canon by the term "imitation"….The scope of that imitation is - subject to the ontological nature - indeed a broad one. As has been shown by the doctrine, they resemble eachother in that:

In this commentary on canon 1166 of the new Code of Canon Law, the author outlines five points of "imitation", namely: 1.sensible signs, 2.public means of sanctification, 3.they are intended to produce spiritual effects, 4.their confection and administration belong to the public worship of the Church hence are regulated by law, 5.their efficacy flows from the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.

Sacrosanctum Concilium

Rightly, then, the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. In the liturgy the sanctification of the man is signified by signs perceptible to the senses, and is effected in a way which corresponds with each of these signs;

- Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium (4 December 1963), §7, at The Holy See, www.vatican.va.

In quote from section 7 of SC we see reflected the sacramental character of the liturgy itself. I take this to be a reflection of the Canons from Trent session 22 cited earlier, though I need to demonstrate why I think that.

This pertains to sacramentals because like the liturgy they are instituted by the church to dispose men to and to actually impart the fruits of Christ's sacrifice. Or as it says earlier in section 7, to sanctify men and give glory to God.

Sacrosanctum Concilium

Thus, for well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event in their lives; they are given access to the stream of divine grace which flows from the paschal mystery of the passion, death, the resurrection of Christ, the font from which all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is hardly any proper use of material things which cannot thus be directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God.

- Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium (4 December 1963), §61, at The Holy See, www.vatican.va.

This paragraph immediately follows the definition of sacramentals as an imitation of the sacraments. I think this paragraph helps us to understand the meaning of the analogy. The "power" referred to is grace, the very life of God shared with man through the sacraments instituted by Christ.

Without using the (what is in my mind scholastic) language, I think this is getting to the distinction between actual and sanctifying grace.

Book of Blessings

The blessings instituted by the Church are included among those signs perceptible to the senses by which human sanctification in Christ and the glorification of God are "signified and brought about in ways proper to each of these signs." Human sanctification and God's glorification are the ends toward which all the Church's other activities are directed.

- Book of Blessings Approved for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America. (New York, NY: Catholic Book Publishing, 1989), §9 p.xxv.

Blessings fit into the basic mission of the Church. This reminds me of Weller's introduction where he says Christ is the "anointed of God" who by his incarnation sanctifies and sacramentalizes creation. Then the work of the Holy Spirit builds on this.

I think this quote speaks to the objective / concrete quality of blessings, they aid in accomplishing sanctification AND God's glorification.