For use in printed publications, Right-Click on the filename below to download and choose "Save Target As" or "Save Link As"What is a Sacrament?  Part 2

As we learned last month, Article 1131 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

“The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.”

 

We know from this that the sacraments were established by Christ, that they give grace, and that they have been delegated to the Church for safekeeping.  We see that they involve rites and signs that are efficacious (they produce the desired result as in Baptism – the water really does wash away sin).

 

Why, then, did Jesus institute the sacraments?  Part of the answer lies in the love story that unfolds in Scripture.

 

Think about the fundamental nature of Jesus’ ministry.  In John 3:16 we are told that, “God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”  As stated in John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…”  Jesus took on the human body that touched and was touched, saw and was seen, listened and was heard.  He displayed compassion to the point of weeping upon seeing the grave where his friend Lazarus was buried: “And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘see how he loved him’” (John 11:35-36).

 

The miracles he performed that involved healing were acts of compassion, reflecting the desire to alleviate human suffering.  Jesus used physical means to heal: he touched, he pasted, he spoke, he made eye contact.  He told his apostles, “As I have loved you so you also should love one another” (John 13:34).

 

Jesus, obedient to the will of the Father, did not intend his work to be experienced by a few number of contacts in a remote place and time during his brief three-year ministry.  He wanted all to experience his presence and healing touch, therefore, he established the Church.  It is in the Church, an extension of his incarnation through time and space that has been entrusted with the task of preserving and celebrating the sacraments.  We are the Church, the Body of Christ, gifted with this trust.  He commanded his priests to celebrate sacraments with him through all time:  Baptize all nations…(Matthew 28:19); Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24); “Cure the sick” (Luke 10:9); “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them…” (John 20:22-23); “Feed my sheep…” (John 21:15-19).

 

Jesus is the sacrament of God.  That is, Jesus served as the physical, concrete symbol and image of the living God; Jesus was the perfect sign of God’s presence with us. The Church is the sacrament of Jesus – the outward physical expression of the Risen Christ, the body of Christ, a real presence of Jesus in the world.

 

When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus responded: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and the first commandment.  The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).  Thank God the young man questioned Jesus with, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29) because we get to hear Jesus’ answer. Jesus responds with the story of the Good Samaritan, which ends with, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:29-37).  Jesus illustrates in words the story of The Good Samaritan to describe how perfectly he wants us to love.  Then he demonstrates through action this perfect love through St. John’s description of Jesus’ washing the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper.

 

“You ought to wash one another’s feet…I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do…”(John 13:1-20).  There were no big pronouncements in these two stories, just simple acts of service and love with huge implications for those with eyes to see and hearts to love.

 

Bill Huebsch, reflecting on Eucharist in his book, Rethinking Sacraments: Holy Moments in Daily Living, points to the washing of the feet as the point where Jesus founded the Church:

 

“This is the apostles’ ‘real baptism;’ this is their healing, their reconciliation, their call to ministry.  This is, most importantly, their Eucharist.  This is, for John and for us, the moment where the body of Christ is embraced, shared, broken.  This intimate love-making among them replaces for John any words of institution.  The line, ‘This is my body,’ is omitted in this gospel.  The only reference is to this body of Christ in love and service.”

 

God’s will is that we love everyone, even our enemies, with a love that includes serving, forgiving and sometimes suffering without receiving love in return. We need the sacraments to fulfill God’s will.  God lavishly bestows love through each sacrament:

 

Jesus said, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

 

Discussion Question:

Thinking about the people in the various scripture passages referred to above (or other familiar scripture passages), we see that they all experienced sacramental encounters with Christ.  What similar sacramental moments have you had in your life?  Has someone “washed your feet?”  Has someone treated you as a neighbor?