Why was it fitting for Christ to Institute the 7 Sacraments He Instituted?

      There are three main explanations given for the fittingness of the seven sacraments. One explanation draws an analogy between what is needed for natural life and supernatural life. Another explanation ties the seven sacraments to the seven virtues. A third explanation views the fittingness of the seven sacraments as a remedy for different aspects of sin.
      In the natural life there are certain things required for man to survive. Analogously it follows that there are certain things required for supernatural life. In the natural world there is a necessity of birth, nourishment, growth, healing when one gets sick, a preparation for death, and a need in the human world for marriage and government. Analogously there is a necessity in the spiritual life for spiritual rebirth in baptism, spiritual nourishment in the Eucharist, spiritual growth through the sacrament of Confirmation, spiritual healing through the sacrament of Reconciliation, a spiritual preparation for death through the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, the raising up of marriage through the sacrament of matrimony and a spiritual governance through the sacrament of Holy Orders.  
      A different view on the fittingness of the seven sacraments highlights the relationship between the seven sacraments and the seven virtues of faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude. Baptism corresponds to faith, Anointing of the Sick to hope, the Eucharist to charity. Further Prudence is ordered Holy Orders, justice to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Marriage to temperance and fortitude to Confirmation.
      A third view sees fittingness for seven sacraments by understanding them as healing for different sin of man. Baptism is understood as a cure for the lack of a spiritual life, Confirmation for the weaknesses that still exist in the soul after Baptism, the Eucharist against a tendency to sin, Confession against sins committed, Anointing of the Sick to the effects of sins already forgiven in Confession, Marriage as a cure for concupiscence and Holy Orders against divisions in the community.

The Sacrament as an "Instrument" of Christ

            Christ has ascended to the right hand of the Father yet he still imparts grace through the sacraments.This sacramental reality is most perfectly understood through the philosophical principle of instrumental causality. Instrumental causation occurs when an instrument is used to produce a cause that is higher than itself through the direction of a superior cause. Take for example the work of a sculpture. To sculpt a statue the artists must make use of a chisel to carve the marble. The chisel by itself is unable to sculpt a statue; rather the chisel carves the statue under the direction of the principle cause, the artists, resulting in something greater than the chisel could ever produce by itself. Likewise it is only God who imparts grace through the sacraments. It can thus be said that the sacraments are like the chisel in the artist’s hands. The sacraments are the instrumental cause of God’s imparting of grace.
            Understanding the sacraments as instruments used by God makes it clear that the sacraments are efficacious not by the worthiness of the minister but by the desire of God. The efficacy of the sacraments comes in virtue of the fact that Christ is the principle minister who uses the sacramental sign as an instrumental cause to impart grace.
           The sacraments are said to work ex opera operato or by the work signified. The minister works as an instrumental cause used by God, the principle cause, to impart grace in a similar manner to the sculptor who uses the chisel to create a statue. Similarly a sculpture using a chisel, no matter how sharpness of the chisel, is able to sculpt through the work of the chisel likewise as long as the minister does what the Church and thus Christ intends Christ, is able to impart grace through the instrumental cause, the minister, no matter his worthiness. 

Baptism like all 7 Sacraments is Rich in Symbolism but Why?

           A sacrament is an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ which infuses grace. Sacraments are conferred through the use of signs that are perceptible to the senses. All sacraments have a catabatic and anabatic component, they express man’s worship of God and they impart grace. While it is true that the grace imparted through the reception of the sacraments is spiritual and invisible it is fitting that Christ instituted a sacramental economy that uses sensible signs. Using sensible signs, the sacraments, reflect man’s nature,the two natures of Christ Incarnate, the Church, and a remedy for the fall of man.

           Man is a unique creature; he is a rational animal who possesses a spiritual soul, placing him within both the spiritual and material realms. As a rational animal it is proper that man should worship God and receive His grace in a physical way which involves his senses through the use of signs.As a rational creature man comes to know things through abstraction from the senses following the manner of Aristotle who said “There is nothing in the mind that is not first in the senses.”He is unable to grasp spiritual realities in a purely spiritual way. Thus the use of sensible signs respects man for who he is and is necessary for man to have some understanding the spiritual reality of the sacrament.

           The sacraments, using sensible signs, further reflects the two natures of the Incarnate Christ. Christ, in virtue of His incarnation, is visible to humanity, yet at the same time His divine power remains invisible. In the same manner insofar as the sacraments are signs they are visible to humanity yet the sanctifying power of the sacrament remains invisible.

           Sacraments, possessing both visible and invisible dimensions further reflects the Church. As visible signs the sacraments reflect the visibility of the Church. As with any group there must be identifying signs which identify the members of that organization. The reception of a visible sacrament thus outwardly marks members of the Church for who they are. They signify to the world an invisible reality that occurs while marking the person receiving the sacrament as a member of the Church.

           The sacraments as visible signs also reflect the medicinal purpose of the sacraments. Fallen man frequently finds himself tempted to act against his reason by his sensible appetites. In other words for fallen man the cause of his sins are frequently his senses. It is thus fitting that God cures man from his disorders through something tangible and visible.

           Christ ordained that the sacraments should make use of sensible signs. A true understanding of sacramental theology and human anthropology makes the fittingness of the sacraments use of sensible signs clear. As sensible signs, the sacraments help to shed light on man’s nature, the two natures of Christ Incarnate, the Church, and the remedy for the fall of man.

Proclaim the Great Things of the Lord

What wondrous things God has done for us… what wondrous things! Before we were formed in the womb our Lord knew us. Not only are we known, willed and loved by God who created us but at our baptism we were claimed for Him. You and I are claimed for Christ, the Redeemer of the world. No matter what this world throws at us we have the confidence of knowing that we belong to Christ. How Blessed we are. What wondrous things God has done for us.

Do we proclaim the great things of the Lord? Do we stand up and boldly proclaim our faith? I think it is easy for us to take the great gift of faith we have received for granted. Sure we are good about going to Mass on Sundays and pray everyday. While going to Mass and praying are very good and essential this is just the foundation. Viewing our faith in terms of only our spiritual life is dangerous. It boxes our faith into the four walls of this church. Yet we are called to be Catholic not just in church but at our very core radiating our faith to the whole world.

We as Catholics are called to bring our faith beyond these four walls to the public sector. Will we be persecuted for this? Sure. Even our Lord warns us in the Gospel that no prophet is accepted in his own native place. (Lk 4:24) Our Lord himself was put to death by his own people. Some people will love us for the message we preach and others will persecute us. In the end what difference does it make? Our hope is placed in Christ and not the world. While worldly friends are good and necessary our ultimate fulfillment comes from Christ and not from what others think or say about us.

Bringing our beliefs to the public sector is not really that foreign to us as Americans. Today many in our country will gather to celebrate Super Bowl Sunday. How many people from across the country are wearing either San Francisco 49’s jerseys or Baltimore Ravens jerseys? … We have no problem pledging allegiance to our favorite sports team by wearing their gear and cheering them on in public yet we have a fear of proclaiming our faith in public. If I had to guess I would guess that more people in our country are supporting their favorite team today than are speaking about their faith.

Now I’m not saying we need to flash our faith to the world in an arrogant way as we sometimes do with our favorite sports teams. In fact this approach to sharing our faith can be dangerous. How many fights break out across the world over people’s favorite teams. All we have to do is look at international soccer to see the danger of this type of evangelization.

As Christians I believe we often have a desire to go to the mountain top to proclaim the truth and the beauty of our faith. While our world is greatly in need of catechesis our world is often not disposed to hear the truth. Our World needs witness of the truth not necessarily orators of the truth. Jesus Christ needs us to be living catechists, living models of our faith. Christ needs you and I to witness to our faith in an authentic way at all times. Yet before we can become authentic witness, our faith needs to so penetrate our lives so that as the psalmist says “our lives sing of the salvation of the Lord.” (Psalm 71) When our faith becomes completely ingrained in us we will naturally proclaim the greatness of the Lord and as our Collect for fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time says we will honor God with all our mind and love everyone in truth of heart. Allowing our faith to seep into us so that it becomes a part of who we are is not easy … yet nothing in life worth pursuing comes easy.

If you have ever watched a professional football team up close this becomes clear. Watching these teams up close one cannot help but be amazed at the sheer size, speed and athleticism of the players. Yet more remarkable is watching how quick they react. In only a matter of a split second they read a play to see what is unfolding in front of them, realize what their responsibility to the team is on that play and react. Seeing all of this unfold in a matter of seconds during a game I often ask myself how can they do this? Anyone who has ever played any sport knows the answer to this question lies in practice.

Practice can at times be very boring because they seem to do the same thing over and over again. To an untrained eye it is easy to ask why are they wasting all this time doing the same thing over and over again. The players clearly understand what is expected of them why do they have to waste time going over it so many times? Yet when you see these athletes make plays during the game you realize not only do they have to know what to do and have the ability to do it, their bodies must be so used to doing it that it becomes second nature. These football instincts must become a part of who the athlete is.

In many ways living our faith out in public requires not only the grace of God but also work on our part. We come to the liturgy to be nourished and strengthened to go out into the world and as the deacon says at the end of Mass to announce the Gospel of the Lord. It can at times be tempting to ask ourselves why do we continue to come to Mass and say the same prayers over and over again? It is exactly in this repetition that these prayers are seeped into our DNA. It is exactly in coming to the regularity of the Mass that the Mass becomes a part of our life and in becoming a part of our life we can carry it out to others.

We to Mass to nourish ourselves through the reception of Jesus’ Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in Holy Eucharist and through the prayers of the Mass so we can leave the four walls of this Church and boldly proclaim Christ to the world in an authentic way by the way we live our lives. We come to the liturgy to allow it to permeate our entire lives, to become a part of our DNA so that it can shine forth from us in all that we say and do.          

A Different View on Suffering

Every time a tragedy occurs Catholics, and for that matter most Christians, are quick to ask how God, who is omnibenevolent, can allow evil and suffering. As an immediate reaction this question is fair but continuing to question will lead into doubt and despair. This short post attempts to provide some introductory thoughts to this apparent problem of pain and suffering.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear that there is no short answer to this question. The Catechism says “there is not a single aspect of the Christian message that is not in part an answer to the question of evil.”[1] Our entire Christian faith is a response to evil. Evil entered the world at the fall and Christ came to redeem man.

God certainly could have created the perfect world in which there would be no suffering, but God decided, in His mysterious plan, not to create the world perfect. Instead of creating the world perfect God created the world journeying towards perfection. He created man with free will, the ability to choose the good and avoid evil, however man has gone astray and sin has entered into the world. God is thus not the cause of evil, however he does permit it because he values the freedom of man and knows the good that can come from evil.[2]

To see that good can result from evil we need look no further than the cross where “Christ took our painful condition and made of it the way of true life.”[3] Christ’s greatest act of love came at the price of the greatest human suffering. The cross teaches us that to love one must suffer. Christ teaches us that suffering flows from love and points back to it.[4]

While suffering is by its very nature painful, we must realize the necessity of suffering. We are all called to be people of hope, yet without suffering we would not know what hope is and a superficial desire for a superficial happiness. Through evil we learn to place our complete trust, not in things of this world, but in God.

It seems that through suffering greatness shines through. God permits suffering then works greatness through it. “Suffering is never a reason for discouragement or lack of confidence in God since if proves the truth of his love for us.”[5]

Often when evil and suffering beset us we try to come up with an explanation or an excuse as a means of escaping the pain. “In the face of suffering and death human beliefs and ideologies are all, more or less, explicitly doctrine of escape, Marxism not excluded. No doctrine of escape is worth of God.”[6] Ultimately it does not concern us why God permits evil and suffering, rather what is important is our approach to it. We must accept the suffering and see it as an opportunity to grow towards perfection in heaven.

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[1] CCC §309

[2] CCC §310-311

[3] Vanhoe, Cardinal Albert. Our Priest is Christ. (1969) pg. 20

[4] “God is a sufferer because he is a lover; the entire theme of the suffering God flows from that of the Loving God and always points back to it.” Ratzinger, Joseph Cardinal. Behold The Pierced One. San Francisco: Ignatius. (1986) pg 33

[5] Our Priest is Christ pg 56.

[6] Our Priest is Christ pg 20.

A Brief Theology on the Role of the Laity in the life of the Church

            The Church has always recognized the essential and unique role of the laity in the life of the Church. In recent times, since the Second Vatican Council and its declaration on the universal call to holiness,[1] the Church has drafted document after document exhorting and teaching the lay faithful how to live out their Catholic faith in the world. This short paper will briefly examine a theology of the laity by engaging the role of the laity in the life of the Church.

Many lay Catholics fall on a wide spectrum with regards to their role in the Church. Unfortunately many Catholics misunderstand their role. Some well-intentioned but  mis-catechized Catholics see their role as that of the priest, making frequent communion calls, offering spiritual direction and running parishes. This view, while well-intentioned, is incorrect. Many other faithful, yet un-catechized Catholics believe that as long as they attend Mass on Sunday, avoid sin, frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and pray daily they are living their lives as faithful lay Catholics. While all of these things are good and fundamental for living a Catholic life, this line of thought completely misses the point of what it means to live as a lay Catholic in the world; it fails to realize their call by the Father to their vocation in the lay state. Living our lives as a member of the Church is about more than just doing a list of things. It involves our whole being, our thoughts, words, actions, and dispositions.

Before one can understand his role in the world he must first understand who he is, where he come from and where he is going. Man is on a journey to return to the Father in heaven. All Catholics at their baptism were claimed for Christ.[2] They are marked by Christ who created them and calls them back to Him. At his baptism man was anointed with chrism, uniting him to the people of Christ, the Church, and uniting him to Christ who is Priest, Prophet, and King.[3] It is from their baptism and confirmation that the members of the lay state receive their mission which, while it overlaps with the mission of the clergy, is essentially different.

Man lives out this journey and mission in a concrete and specific way on this earth through a specific calling from the Father, his vocation. Man is not left alone in this world to fend for himself. God sent His Son into the world to save the world and sent His Spirit to be with the Church until the end. God provides all people the graces they need to return to the Father and the gifts they need for their mission, no matter their vocation, but man must freely accept these gifts and use them to build up the kingdom of God.

God calls some to the priesthood, others to religious life and still others to the lay state. All three vocations are important and have a proper role to play in the mission of the Church. Christ reminds us that as members of the Body of Christ[4] we are grafted on to him and thus to each other. The way each individual lives out his life has an effect on the Church.

It is the laity and not the clergy who not only compose the majority of the members of the Church but also are on the front lines charged with bringing the Gospel message to every aspect of human life. They are called to live out their vocation as Christians in the secular world by grounding their vocation and receiving strength from the Church. If the laity are to effectively live out the beautiful gift of faith they received at their baptism, they must be rooted in the life of the Church.      

            Pope John Paul II properly noted that any theology of the laity must begin with the universal call to holiness through living a sacramental life.[5] The Church calls the laity to open themselves to Christ, who through the Holy Spirit leads them to the Father. They are called to be alive in Christ by living a sacramental life. A sacramental life links them to the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit and enables them to apply the teachings of Christ to their life and live a life pleasing to the Father. At the heart of a sacramental life is the full and active participation in Sunday Mass. The frequent reception of the sacrament of Penance and daily prayer are also in dispensable for living a sacramental life.

            Having been nourished by the sacraments the lay faithful are called to evangelize through their lives. In the words of the psalmist, after they receive the Spirit sent by the Father they are called to renew the face of the earth.[6] The Good News Catholics know and which has transformed them should compel them to want to go out and share it with others. All Catholics are called to give witness to their faith but the laity, who are on the front lines, have the obligation to give witness to their faith at all times whether at work, school, in the family or in social settings. As Catholic men and women direct their gaze to the love of Christ[7] they will draw others to Christ. Catholics have received the gift of faith and have the obligation to share this love of Christ with others. This only makes sense; any person who has heard good news will desire to share it with others.  When this faith is shared with others it will strengthen the faith of the one sharing it.[8] While words are certainly necessary, the ordinary way of spreading the Gospel is by the living out of faithful Christian lives by the faithful.

            Often well intentioned Catholics think the priest has the “religious role” and they are to live their lives and leave evangelization to the priest. On the other hand, some very well intended Catholics think that to be a good Catholic they need to attend two Masses a day and make a daily Holy Hour. The Church, however, reminds the laity not to take either extreme, but to take the middle road.

            Catholics are called to live out their faith in their daily lives through their specific vocation. One’s state in life will dictate how they live out their life. A young mother of three, for example, has an obligation to raise her children. She most probably should not be attending two Masses and making a Holy Hour every day because this will take away from her obligations to her three children. An older retired widower, however, may have more time and can make it to daily Mass, spend an hour in front of the Eucharist, and volunteer at the local soup kitchen.

            Living out one’s faith in the context of their state in life is not an excuse to ignore the spiritual life. All people are called to be united to the Trinity and the Church and develops a deep spiritual life appropriate to their state in life.[9] Regardless of one’s state in life all people must integrate their spiritual life into their everyday lives.

            The lay faithful have a unique, important, essential and beautiful mission in the Church. They are called to work in cooperation with the clergy to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth.[10] Their mission and indeed their entire life must be rooted in the universal call to holiness and must be grounded in the sacramental life of the Church. This call to holiness is lived out in the world, the workplace, home and places of entertainment, yet is formed and receives strength within the communion of the Church.

 

 

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[1] “It is therefore evident to everyone that all the faithful, whatever their condition or rank, are called to the fullness of the christian life and the perfection of charity.” Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium (21 November 1964), §40, in Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils Vol. II, ed. Norman P. Tanner, S.J. (Washington DC: Georgetown University Press, 1990), 881.  

[2] “I claim you for Christ our Savior by the sign of his cross.” Reception of the Child, Rite of Baptism for one Child, in The Rites of the Catholic Church, vol. 1 (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1990), §79, p. 395.

[3] “He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation so that, united with his people, you may remain forever a member of Christ who is Priest, Prophet, and King.” Anointing After Baptism, Rite of Baptism for one Child, in The Rites of the Catholic Church, Vol. 1 (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1990), §98, p. 404.

[4] John 15:1-17

[5] “Holiness … must be called a fundamental presupposition for everyone in fulfilling the mission of salvation within the Church.” Pope John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World Christifideles Laici (30 December 1988), §17, at The Holy See, www.vatican.va.

[6] Psalm 104

[7] Pope John Paul II, Encyclical on the permanent validity of the Church’s missionary mandate Redemptoris Missio (7 December 1990), §4, at The Holy See, www.vatican.va.

[8] Pope John Paul II, Encyclical on the permanent validity of the Church’s missionary mandate Redemptoris Missio (7 December 1990), §2, at The Holy See, www.vatican.va.

[9] “neither providing for their families nor any other business in the secular world should be thought to be outside the scope of the spiritual life.” Second Vatican Council, Decree on the apostolate of the laity  Apostolicam Actuositatem  (18 November 1965), §4, in Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils Vol. II, ed. Norman P. Tanner, S.J. (Washington DC: Georgetown University Press, 1990), 983.  

[10] “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Mt 28:19 - 20

United to the Crucified Christ

          Why do Catholics portray a crucifix when most Protestants only use a cross? Why do Catholics have images of the bloody and beaten Christ while Protestants only have images of the risen Christ? I believe this difference in art between Catholics and Protestants reflects a difference in theological understanding on both the crucifixion of Christ.

As Catholics we recognize that we cannot separate Christ into two different persons. Yes we are an Easter people and Easter is the greatest feast in the Church year but there is no resurrection without the passion and death of Christ. St. Paul reminds us that we are heirs to Christ and if we wish to rise with Christ we must first die with him. He says in his letter to Philemon “That I may know him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Phil 3:10-11)  Simply put, just as Christ freely endured His passion and death, we too are called to endure suffering and death so that we too may rise with Christ.

When we as Catholics develop this crucifixion mentality presented by St. Paul the problem of pain and suffering no longer seems like a problem. St. Paul teaches that suffering came into the world as a result of sin.[1] God does not stand off in the distance and watch man suffer; rather he enters into our suffering. Christ experienced the many hardships of man, suffering with us, even to the point of death on a cross. Christ further invites us to enter into suffering for our own salvation. Even in the midst of our suffering Christ is their present with us.

While the cross may appear to be a moment of weakness for God it is not. A closer look however, shows us that it was precisely at that moment of greatest physical weakness in Christ’s life that he transformed into His greatest act of redemptive suffering. This paradox applies to us as well. Even in our greatest suffering we have Christ with us who has conquered death. St. Paul reminds us that it is through our suffering the Christ becomes manifest.[2] While we may be called to endure many hardships we can have the confidence that if we enter them with Christ we will be victorious because Christ has already won the battle through His resurrection from the dead.

St. Paul reminds us that we are to glory in the cross. “But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal 6:14) When we offer our sufferings up and unite them to the suffering of Christ on the cross we are blessed to participate in the crucifixion of Christ and can cooperate with the suffering of Christ for the salvation of souls. St. Paul is clear “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)

 

 

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[1] Rom 5:12

[2] 2 Cor 4:8-11