Day 151: The Seven Sacraments (1113-1121)

• It’s Day 151!!

• ARTICLE 2: THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN THE CHURCH’S SACRAMENTS

• What does that mean?

• Great question!!

• It means there are 7 SACRAMENTS

• THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST

• These 7 Sacraments were INSTITUTED BY JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD

• They flow out of the works, the action, the saving words of Jesus Christ

• Paragraph 1116 says, “Sacraments are ‘powers that come forth’ from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving. They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in his Body, the Church. They are ‘the masterworks of God’ in the new and everlasting covenant.”

• THE SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH

• Over the course of many many years the Church has come to a better understanding of these 7 Sacraments and how they are to be exercised and how they are to be understood and how they are to be lived out

• Paragraph 1118 says, “The sacraments are ‘of the Church’ in the double sense that they are ‘by her’ and ‘for her.’”

• The Sacraments are by the Church in the sense that they are the sacraments of Christ’s work THROUGH the Church

• BUT…

• They also BUILD UP THE CHURCH

• We will also talk about the BAPTISMAL PRIESTHOOD

• All of those who are Baptized are baptized into Christ and also have a share in Christ’s Priesthood

• There is also the MINISTERIAL PRIESTHOOD that guarantees and ensures the presence of Jesus Christ through the action of Jesus Christ in ALL OF THE SACRAMENTS

• Let’s pray!!

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, you are good. You are God. We love you. And we ask you to please send your Holy Spirit to be with us in this moment. We know that we have access to your Fatherly heart by the work of your Son, Jesus. By the gift of your Holy Spirit. And by the fact that you have called us and made us into your sons and daughters through Baptism. Lord, you continue to pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and we ask that you, in this moment, come to us in our weakness. Come to us in our need. Come to us in our brokenness and give us healing. Come to us in our frustration and give us peace. Come to us in our weakness and give us strength. Come to us in our fear and give us courage. Lord God, we do not ask for you to make this world safer. We do ask you to help us be more brave, to be more courageous, and to be strong. Help us to love you the way you love us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen”

• So there we have it!!

• IT IS SO GOOD!!

• Paragraph 1113 says, “There are seven sacraments in the Church…”

• THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST

• They are ALL instituted by Jesus Christ, our Lord

• Paragraph 1115 says, “Jesus’ words and actions during his hidden life and public ministry were already salvific, for they anticipated the power of his Paschal mystery. They announced and prepared what he was going to give the Church when all was accomplished. The  mysteries of Christ’s life are the foundations of what he would henceforth dispense in the sacraments, through the ministers of his Church, for ‘what was visible in our Savior has passed over into his mysteries.’”

• Jesus’ teachings and healings were ALREADY SALVIFIC because they are connected and anticipated the power of the Paschal mystery, His suffering, death, and Resurrection

• When we encounter and participate in the Sacraments we are NOT JUST REMEMBERING

• The ANAMNESIS is a remembrance that BRINGS US THERE

• We are given the Holy Spirit and it is MADE PRESENT TO US

• The mysteries of Christ’s life are made VISIBLE TO US IN THE SACRAMENTS

• St. Ambrose said, “You show me your face, O Lord. I have seen you in the Sacraments. I have seen your action. I have seen your work. I have seen your life, your love. I have seen this power in the Sacraments.”

• The Sacraments are the POWER that comes forth from the Body of Christ

• They are the actions of the Holy Spirit that work IN AND THROUGH THE CHURCH

• THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!

• Some people will say that the Sacraments were not always around in the early Church, like Reconciliation

• They DID have Reconciliation in the Early Church

• BUT…

• They did not have it exactly the same way that we have it today

• They didn’t necessarily have confessionals or rubrics

• BUT…

• They did have the sacrament in ITS GERMINAL FORM

• It was given to the Apostles when Jesus says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins you hold bound are held bound. Those whose sins you forgive are forgiven them.”

• It’s already been handed over

• James Ch 5 talks about calling for the priests of the Church and by their work, sins will be forgiven

• THE SEEDS ARE THERE!!

• Paragraph 1117 says, “As she has done for the canon of Sacred Scripture and for the doctrine of the faith, the Church, by the power of the Spirit who guides her ‘into all truth,’ has gradually recognized this treasure received from Christ and, as the faithful steward of God’s mysteries, has determined its ‘dispensation.’”

• We didn’t have a comprehensive list of ALL 73 Books of the Old and New Testament

• When did the Church OFFICIALLY compile this list?  

• Church councils like Council of Rome in 350 AD and the Council of Carthage in 398 AD

• So it’s OVER THE COURSE OF TIME

• Also when it comes to doctrine, the Nicene Creed, etc.

• OVER THE COURSE OF TIME what has been given to us in this Deposit of Faith is how we come to a DEEPER UNDERSTANDING of it

• Not just with SCRIPTURE

• Not just with DOCTRINE

• BUT…

• ALSO WITH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SACRAMENTS!!

• What we understand NOW is not necessarily what they knew THEN

• BUT…

• IT IS AN ORGANIC GROWTH!!

• THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!!

• The acorn becomes the oak tree

• The acorn does not become corn

• Organic growth is ESSENTIAL

• That is what we see in Scripture, Doctrine, and the development of the Sacraments as we understand them

• HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE!!

• Paragraph 1119 says, “Through Baptism and Confirmation the priestly people is enabled to celebrate the liturgy…”

• If you have been Baptized you have been anointed to share in Christ’s PRIESTHOOD, PROPHETSHIP, and KINGSHIP

• THAT IS SO IMPORTANT!!

• THE KINGDOM PRIESTHOOD

• Paragraph 1120 says, “The ordained ministry or ministerial priesthood is at the service of the baptismal priesthood.”

• The ORDAINED priests are not meant to LORD OVER the lay faithful

• Just like Jesus telling his Apostles

• The GREATEST OF ALL is the one who makes themselves THE SERVANT OF ALL

• The ministerial priests are meant to be AT THE SERVICE of the Baptismal priesthood

• Of course, we help each other as the family of God

• We take care of each other

• We serve each other

• BUT…

• Priests are NOT lords

• Priests are SERVANT LEADERS

• Priests are meant to be FATHERS

• The father is not meant to dominate his family

• The father is not meant to lord it over his family

• The father is there to LEAD HIS FAMILY

• How does he do this?

• He does this by laying down his life for his family

• He does this by serving his family

• EVERY FATHER IS THE SERVANT OF HIS FAMILY!!

• THAT IS A GIFT!!

• Priests are meant to be the same

• They are meant to lay down their lives and be at the service of the Baptismal priesthood

• The ordained priesthood is SO IMPORTANT 

• Paragraph 1120 continues, “The ordained priesthood guarantees that it is really Christ who acts in the sacraments through the Holy Spirit for the Church.”

• Jesus passed that on

• The saving mission that the Father entrusted to the Son was committed to the Apostles and then to their successors

• Remember what Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, so now I send you.”

• He breathes on them and sends them out for forgiveness of sins

• He gives them the ability to confect the Eucharist

• As part of the Body of Christ, the Sacraments come to us by Jesus in the Power of the Holy Spirit

• They come to us through the ministry of the ordained priesthood

• ALL OF THE FAITHFUL participate in them through their Baptismal priesthood

• Tomorrow we will talk about THE SACRAMENTS OF FAITH

• Then THE SACRAMENTS OF SALVATION

• Then THE SACRAMENTS OF ETERNAL LIFE

• IT IS ALL COMING IN HOT!!

• WHAT A GIFT!!

• Here you are able to exercise your Baptismal priesthood united with the priest in your parish

• Here we are, a priestly people, able to offer sacrifice to the Father in the Power of the Holy Spirit

• What sacrifice?

• The great Sacrifice of the Son of God

• WE UNITE OURSELVES TO THAT SACRIFICE!!

• Hope that makes sense!!

• Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!

• Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!

• I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!