Sacrament

The Seven Sacraments by Rogier van der Weyden, ca. 1448.

In Christianity, a sacrament is defined as “an outward sign of an inward (invisible) grace, instituted by Jesus Christ.” (Baltimore Catechism, Article 304). The root of the word involves the act of “making sacred” (sacramentum, Latin and mysterium, Greek). Sacraments have been an important part of Christian ritual practice since the early Church. However, Christian denominations are not in agreement on the nature and number of sacraments, or who can receive or dispense sacraments. Sacraments (which in the Eastern Churches are known as “the Holy Mysteries”) vary in number according to history of particular denominations and can range from two to seven, or more. Sacraments are received in order to initiate individuals into the Church community and to enable them to grow spiritually. Fundamental to the efficacy of a sacrament is the presence of God’s grace and the working of the Holy Spirit within the individual. The most commonly accepted sacraments used by the Roman Catholic Church are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist (Communion), Reconciliation (Penance), Anointing of the Sick (Extreme Unction), Marriage, and Holy Orders. The Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church states:

The seven sacraments are the signs and instruments by which the Holy Spirit spreads the grace of Christ the head throughout the Church which is his Body. The Church, then, both contains and communicates the invisible grace she signifies. It is in this analogical sense, that the Church is called a “sacrament.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church # 774).

Most Protestant denominations accept some of the seven sacraments, usually Baptism and Marriage, which are seen as important activities requiring the presence of God.

Precursors

Several practices found in Judaism may be viewed as precursors to the New Testament sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ. Among these precedents, The “Law of Moses”, especially the Levitical rites mentioned in Book of Leviticus, prescribe numerous ceremonies for cleansing, offering sacrifice, atonement, and for giving praise to God. In particular, the Paschal/Passover sacrifice of Exodus in which the Israelites are commanded by God to eat a meal of roast lamb and bitter herbs (both ceremonially and literally) and use the blood of the lambs to mark their doorposts as a means of salvation from the “destroyer” (Exodus 12:21-12), is a foreshadowing of the paschal sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the institution of the Eucharistic meal of salvation and celebration. The Israelites were commanded to celebrate the “Passover” meal annually and to tell all their children in future generations about what God did for his chosen people. In the Christian celebration of the Eucharist, the faithful are commanded by Jesus to continually partake in the bread and wine (Luke 22:14-20).” They are to do this “as a memorial” to Jesus and just like the Paschal/Passover requirement, it has become perpetual celebration and requirement for the faithful.

Number of Sacraments

The question of the number and type of sacraments needs to be addressed. Roman Catholic theology numbers the sacraments at seven: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist (Communion), Reconciliation (Penance), Anointing of the Sick (Extreme Unction), Marriage, and Holy Orders (ordination to the various levels of the deaconate and priesthood). (Examples of additional sacraments held by some denominations are the ritual washing of feet (with or without a service of Communion) and the recitation or reception of the Holy Scriptures. If the presence of Christ is deemed essential to a sacrament he is present, according to the Catholic Church, in the priest, the community assembled, the scriptures proclaimed, and the Eucharist. cf. The Catholic Source Book.) The identification of these various rites as sacraments was codified in the documents of The Seventh Session of the Council of Trent (1545-1563), which in part states:

CANON I.- If any one saith, that the sacraments of the New Law were not all instituted by Jesus Christ, our Lord; or that they are more, or less, than seven, to wit, Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Order, and Matrimony; or even that any one of these seven is not truly and properly a sacrament; let him be anathema.

CANON IV.- If any one saith, that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary unto salvation, but superfluous; and that, without them, or without the desire thereof, men obtain of God, through faith alone, the grace of justification; -though all (the sacraments) are not necessary for every individual; let him be anathema.

While many Protestant denominations recognize some of this list as sacraments, others do not recognize them all, or hold that they are simply reminders or symbols that do not impart actual grace—not sacraments but “ordinances” pertaining to certain aspects of the Christian faith. One example of divergence from the Catholic view is found in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England’s (Anglican Church) Thirty Nine Articles of Religion, Article XXV:

Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men’s profession [of faith], but rather they be certain sure witnesses and effectual signs of grace and God’s good will towards us, by the which He doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm, our faith in Him.

There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.

Those five commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures; but yet have not the like nature of Sacraments with Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God.

:The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon or to be carried about, but that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same, have they a wholesome effect or operation: but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves damnation, as Saint Paul saith.

The drafters of this document clearly saw a linkage between a sacrament and its institution by Jesus Christ, but they differed from Catholicism in Biblical origin for five of the sacraments.

The Lutheran Church’s Augsburg Confession (1530) confirms the use of sacraments, but only enumerates Baptism (Article IX), The Lord’s Supper (Article X), and Confession (Article XI). Article XIII, Of the Use of the Sacraments states:

Of the Use of the Sacraments they teach that the Sacraments were ordained, not only to be marks of profession among men, but rather to be signs and testimonies of the will of God toward us, instituted to awaken and confirm faith in those who use them. Wherefore we must so use the Sacraments that faith be added to believe the promises which are offered and set forth through the Sacraments. They therefore condemn those who teach that the Sacraments justify by the outward act, and who do not teach that, in the use of the Sacraments, faith which believes that sins are forgiven, is required.

This introduces an element of participation between humans and the God who institutes the sacrament in that those receiving the sacrament do so (in some means) with an element of faith in their efficacy. Arguably, confessions that decree a rite not to be a sacrament must rationalize the individual’s faith with their decree on what constitutes a sacrament. The faith of the individual seemingly provides an avenue for grace to enter and promote its work in the life of the individual, notwithstanding the status given to the sacramental nature of the rite by a particular denomination. That is to say, if, for instance, Matrimony is not deemed to be a sacrament, the faith of the couple in God’s grace present in the union is still able to work in a way that they move forward in their spiritual lives in a way that reflects growth in spiritual graces through the power of the Holy Spirit with the end result that a sacrament-like presence of Christ is indeed viable and life-sustaining in them.

Some denominations have a much larger picture of what constitutes the sacraments and hold that all the Church is and does is sacramental in nature and therefore one should not limit such a concept to this list alone. Additionally, there is great disagreement over the Sacrament of Eucharist or Holy Communion. While the Catholic Church teaches that through the mystery of the consecration of the species of bread and wine they become the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ (transubstantiation), others hold that they are mere representations of his body and blood. They celebrate communion as an annual or quarterly remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection.

The sevenfold list of sacraments is often organized into those of: initiation (into the Church, the body of Christ) under Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist; healing sacraments which are the Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation; and mission sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony.

A former view placed the sacraments in two categories—Sacraments of the Dead and Sacraments of the Living—based on the necessary state of the individual receiving them. The Sacraments of the Dead, which were Baptism, Reconciliation, and Anointing of the Sick did not require the individual to be necessarily in a state of grace to receive them (especially true for the penitent who had not received his or her absolution). They lead the individual into a new life. However, the remaining sacraments of Confirmation, Eucharist, Matrimony, and Holy Orders, to be efficacious in the life of the individual, require a greater degree of preparation and must naturally engender a state of grace or greater awareness in the individual.

Description of Specific Sacraments

The Sacrament of the Eucharist (also referred to as: The Lord’s Supper; The breaking of the Bread; The Blessed Sacrament; Holy Communion; Holy Mass) dramatically portrays outward signs. The visible signs being the bread and wine, representing Christ’s body and blood are directly connected to the Old Testament species of the paschal meal which was a sign of God’s grace that saved the Israelites from their Egyptian overlords and their temporal slavery. The Christian sacraments, instituted by Jesus, reveal God’s grace in the New Testament. While those captive Israelites faced temporal death and bodily enslavement, the Christian sacraments address enslavement to sin and the eternal death which results. The grace of God that is said to be received in the Eucharist is a manifestation of the sacrifice of the perfect Paschal Lamb, Jesus Christ.

The Sacrament of Baptism is commonly said to bring the individual into membership within the body of Christ (the Church). John the Baptist’s ministry was to proclaim baptism for the remission of sins, while proclaiming the coming of Jesus, but Jesus, although sinless, submitted to baptism from John. This was the starting point for Jesus’ earthly ministry in the Biblical accounts. Jesus later discussed baptism with Nicodemus. This discourse addresses the reality of Jesus and God and is used as a teaching tool by Jesus who cryptically tells this Pharisee that it is not the law that leads to God, but a right attitude and relationship (the attitude will be learned and practiced, but the relationship is sealed through the sacrament). What is of this world is not necessarily a preparation for the kingdom of heaven. Jesus opens the conversation by telling Nicodemus that to see God’s kingdom one must be reborn or “born from above (John 3:3).” Nicodemus’ perplexity over how a person could be reborn in a physical sense allows Jesus to elaborate and he tells Nicodemus that “unless man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God: what is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is spirit (ibid. 5-6).” Therefore, a sacrament involves God’s action through His Holy Spirit and it leads one in the direction of his kingdom.

There is a component of motion introduced into many of the teachings of Jesus and the sacraments are no exception. One leaves the old life behind or is desirous of attaining a new (way of) life and the sacraments are a means of initiating, strengthening, and maintaining regeneration and continued spiritual growth. The individual will manifest works and an attitude that reflect both a new way of living and of looking at the world.

These two preceding examples of Jesus and the Sacrament of Baptism show, first, his involvement or participation in it and, second, his explanation of its necessity in the life of the believer. The Biblical authority for the general institution of this sacrament is found in the final command of Jesus to his disciples: “He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you’ (Matthew 28:18-19).” (cf. Mark 16:15-16: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”) Thus, Jesus has the authority to institute the sacraments.

Baptism, as an example of a sacrament, is the sign of God’s grace bestowed freely on an individual through the merits, authority, and institution of Jesus Christ.

In the case of infant baptism, the parents/god parents provide the initial faith and the individual will potentially grow in his or her faith in tandem with the administration of the other sacraments over the course of a lifetime. If one is in an unconscious or incoherent state, the faith of the person administering or arranging for the individual to receive the sacrament would seem to be required. Baptism can also be effected through the desire of the individual who may not otherwise be able to receive the sacrament due to circumstances beyond the individual’s control—certainly underscoring the need for faith.

Faith is fundamentally important in the reception of a sacrament. Many confessions reject infant Baptism, in part because of the perceived need for participation on behalf of the person receiving Baptism and personal faith in its efficacy. This brings to mind the difference between the Baptism of John and that of Jesus Christ himself. This variance in Baptismal views is found in Acts 19:1-7 when Paul interacts with the faithful at Ephesus: “When he asked, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” they answered, “No, we were never told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit.” “Then how were you baptized?” he asked. “With John’s baptism,” they replied. “John’s baptism,” said Paul was a baptism of repentance; but he insisted that the people should believe in the one who was to come after him—in other words Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the moment Paul laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them and they began to speak with tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of these men.”

(Need more info here.) The sacrament is the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance). Peter’s confession of who he believes Jesus to be— “You are the Christ,” he said, “ the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).”— is followed by Jesus granting future authority to his disciples and invoking a sacrament: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven (ibid. 16:19).” (cf. John 20:21-23: The risen Christ appeared to the disciples in a locked room “and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the father sent me, so I am sending you.’ After saying this he breathed on them [transferring to them the Holy Spirit’s power and presence in the sacrament] and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’ ”)

There are numerous accounts of the healing of individuals with afflictions. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick finds its origins in these various healings, both mental and physical. A summation of the need to address the cares of those around us is found in the story of the sheep and the goats (The Last Judgement). The failure to show concern and aid those less fortunate is a rejection of Christ, because he can be found in them, and results in eternal punishment. However, the lesson is a call to actively care for, and address the needs of: the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned (Matthew 25:31-46). The importance of caring for these individuals in our communities is underscored in the words of Jesus to those who are condemned for their failure to act: “Then he [Jesus, the judge of the nations] will answer, ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.’ And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life (ibid. 45-46).”

This sacrament builds upon earlier anointings found in the Old Testament and throughout surrounding cultures. A Biblical example of this sacrament is found in the story of the healing of a blind man by Jesus. The question arises about the reason for a particular man being blind. It was commonly held that such afflictions were the direct result of some sin in the person’s life or in the lives of his or her parents. Jesus explains that this blindness is not about sin, his blindness offers an opportunity to see God’s power and desire to help those he has created. “Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste of the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.’ So the blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored (John 9:6-7).”

This particular sacrament has traditionally been reserved for those only in extreme peril of dying or being mortally ill. It was formally called “Extreme Unction”, thus denoting its relationship to immanent death.

Sacrament of Holy Orders. Later, and modern, rites of Baptism invoke the “Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” thus including all elements of the Holy Trinity when the sacrament is administered and received. This account of the laying on of hands to pass or invoke the Holy Spirit on to the recipient is intrinsically linked to the sacrament of Holy Orders in churches confessing “Apostolic succession” wherein each bishop is believed to have received the Holy Spirit directly from another bishop down through history from his original reception by St. Peter.

Examples such as this one also indicate that a certain degree of faith is required on the part of the person receiving the sacrament, or on the part of those involved in its administration. One must come to Christ, or allow Christ to come to him or her in the form of the person who administers the sacrament.

Therefore, the sacraments not only move the individual further along in a state of grace towards a new life, they also move the collective of individuals, known as the Church, forward to carry out the commands of Christ to his followers:

Thus the Church’s mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the Holy Trinity . . .

Because the Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is Christ who, as head of the Body, pours out the Spirit [in the sacraments] among his members to nourish, heal, and organize them in their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear witness, and associate them to his self-offering to the Father and to his intercession for the whole world. Through the Church’s sacraments, Christ communicates his Holy and sanctifying Spirit to the members of his Body.

These “mighty works of God,” offered to believers in the sacrament of the Church, bear their fruit in the new life in Christ, according to the Spirit (Catechism of the Catholic Church. # 738-739).

In summation it must be clearly stated that the concepts of the sacraments may well be integral to many of the world’s religions, however, by strict definition the term “sacrament” is generally received in the Christian context alone. Underscoring the concept of sacraments is the mystery involved in their creation, formation, administration, and reception. God supplies the mystery while the administrator intercedes to take common materials (water, bread, wine, oil) and invoke their use in a particular sacrament with the end result being an application of God’s grace to the individual(s) who receives it. Thus, there is a requirement of unity between God, the administrator, and the recipients and this is all brought about through the authority and establishment of the sacrament by Jesus Christ.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Thirty Nine Articles of Religion. Article XXV. Of the Sacraments.

• http://www.eskimo.com/~1howell/bcp1662/articles/articles.html Retrieved 8/14/2006.

Catechism of the Catholic Church. 1994. Ligouri, MO.: Ligouri Publications. ISBN 0-89243-566-6

• Klein, P. Rev. The Catholic Source Book. 3rd Edition. 2000. BROWN-ROA, a division of Orlando, FL.: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-950653-0

• The Augsburg Confession. Article XIII. http://bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.html Retrieved 8/14/2006.

• The Jerusalem Bible. Reader’s Edition. 1968. Garden City, NY.: Doubleday & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-385-01156-3

• The Seventh Session of the Council of Trent. http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/ct07.html Retrieved 8/14/2006.