It is a sign of grace instituted within the Church, without the solemnity sacred, necessary character of a sign instituted by Christ.

In the case of all Sacraments, the power comes not from the sign itself, but by means of the Church’s official (liturgical, not private) prayer of blessings – a power the Church derives from Christ himself (see Mt. 16:19,, 18:18). As the Vatican II document on the Liturgy states (Sacrosanctum concilium, art. 61) both sacraments and sacramentals sanctify us, not of themselves, but by the power flowing from the redemption act of Jesus, elicited by the Church’s intercession to be directed through those external signs and elements. Hence sacramentals like blessed salt, holy water, medals, etc. are not to be used superstitiously as having self-contained power, but as a “focus –point” funnelling one’s faith toward Jesus, just as a flag is used as a “focus-point” of patriotism, or as handkerchiefs were used to focus faith for healing and deliverance by Paul (Acts 19:12)

Vatican II urges us to participate “intelligently and actively” in the use of sacramentals, just as the use of sacraments.

As with the use of sacraments, much depends on the faith and devotion of the person using blessed salt or any sacramental. This faith must be Jesus-centered, as was the faith of the blind man in Jn 9; he had faith in Jesus, not in the mud and spittle used by Jesus to heal him.

In light of this, we can see why Vatican II states that “there is hardly any proper use of material things which cannot thus be directed toward the sanctification of persons and the praise of God” art 61 of Liturgy document). Hence new sacramental may also be added when rituals are revised (art. 79).