In trying to answer this question we have to first discover what is meant by sacrament. According to one definition it is an outward visible sign that points the way to receiving the Grace of God. Fr. Karl Rahner says of grace that it is “God’s self communication to man”. So a sacrament is a channel for God to reveal Himself to us. It is important to note that the imparting of this grace is not dependant on the godliness of the minister or the faith of the person receiving the sacrament. If the sacrament is performed correctly according to the rites of the Church, and the person receiving sets up no obstacles to receiving grace, such as disbelief, the channel is open for God to impart His grace. The outward visible sign consists of two parts: matter, and form. Matter is the material substance used-for example, water in Baptism. Form is the actions or words used- for example, breaking and eating in the Eucharist. The inward sign is really the presence of God that is revealed as we partake in the sacrament. For example: in the Eucharist, God is present in the bread and wine, so when we eat and drink we become partakers of God’s grace revealed in the ‘ performance’ of the Eucharist. This in turn strengthens us in our Christian walk. The number of sacraments has varied through Church history and among the denominations, ranging from Augustine who recognised 304 sacraments (or sacred signs) to the Anglicans, Catholics and Orthodox who have 7 sacraments. A modern definition of a sacrament is ‘An encounter with God when something of the material world becomes a conduit, or door, to the sacred’. There are four primary ways that the sacraments become real in the lives of believers:-
- Jesus, the Eternal Sacrament.
- Creation- As a Sacrament of God
- The Church-Called to be a visible presence of Jesus in the world. There are 7 sacraments that Jesus moves throug today-Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Healing(Anointing of the sick), Holy Orders, Marriage. Through these key encounter with His grace He upbuilds His Bride and prepares her to serve the Father in the world. The Body of Crist, the Church, is His principle Sacrament to humanity. Through her He intends to communicate His love, mercy, and witness.
- Believers, as Living Sacraments.
Jesus is the Primordial, or Eternal Sacrament. He is fully God, and has been with God the Father since the creation of the world-“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning”. John 1:1. But He became human for us, and took on the physical limitations of a human being while remaining fully God. Because He remains fully God, he is able to reveal to mankind the truth concerning the Father. Macquarrie describes Jesus as “a ‘Supersacrament’, a unique manifestation in visible form of the authentic life of God”. When we think of a particular sacrament, i.e. ‘baptism, we normally think of the accompanying matter-water. Instead we should think of Jesus as the sacrament, allowing the Grace of God to be received. For example the sacrament of Unction or anointing with oil allows the recipient to have the Grace of wholeness.
Creation as a sacrament communicates the existence and nature of God to mankind.
Romans 1:19-20 says, “Ever since the creation of the world, His invisible nature-eternal power and divine character-have been clearly perceptible through what He has made”. We can see through looking at the creation around us a master craftsman at work. The Bible reminds us that the “Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaim His handiwork”-Psalm 19:1. Everything in creation from the smallest animal to the highest mountain shows us the Creator God. In this creation is sacramental, because it is a way for our invisible God to reveal Himself to man.
As I have said previously the Church is called upon to be a visible presence of Jesus in the world. He no longer has a physical body on earth, so we as Christians need to be His eyes, ears, voice, hands, and feet. Ways of doing this are through the 7 sacraments that the Church uses today- Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Marriage, Anointing the sick, Holy Orders. Through these the Church is able to show others the way to God and give an opportunity for an outward sign of an inward change once a person has become a Christ follower (Baptism & Confirmation). Through reconciliation a person can receive confirmation that their sins have been forgiven if they have been confessed. When a marriage is celebrated, the grace of love is communicated as two people promise to love each other unconditionally. Through the sacrament of Anointing a person is able to receive the graces of wholeness and restoration, whether their need is physical, emotional or spiritual. And when a person is appointed to Holy orders, they are given the grace of service, to fulfil their calling and serve God both in their home Church and further afield as they are led.
Christians are living sacraments. In their book ‘How the understand the sacraments’ Bequerie and Duchesneau state, “…When any one of us chooses to act as Jesus was known to act, we too become living sacraments in our world. When I forgive my brother or sister from my heart, I become a sacrament of forgiveness; I unveil the face of God who forgives, just as Jesus did”. Whatever we do or say reflects the life that is in us. If we are in communion with God, that will affect how we live our lives. We become the hands of Jesus when we anoint the sick or share Eucharist with others. We become His voice when we share our faith with the world. In fact we actually ask God to enable us to do this every time we celebrate Eucharist using the words from the ‘Common Worship’ book-“…May we who share Christ’s body live His risen life, we who drink His cup bring life to others, we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world”. We are the window through which others will see God.
In conclusion, there are a number of ways of viewing how real something is. Some people take the view that the ‘spiritual’ world is a delusion and only rely on what their senses tell them. Others will say that the material world is unimportant, and true reality is mind and spirit. The Christian message however, as revealed in the Sacraments includes both the material (Physical) and spiritual worlds. The spiritual world expresses itself in and through the material. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us”-John 1:14. The material world, such as creation shows us God. Jesus, because He became human while remaining fully God, also shows us God by the example He left for us to follow. In John 20:21 Jesus said to His disciples, “Just as the Father sent me, I send you”. Through observing the sacraments and contemplating what they mean we are able to develop a deeper relationship with God, which enable us to become living sacraments in the world.
Rev. Esther Squire. (CEEC).
