R220 Final Reflection

I now view the Sacraments with new insights and perspective after being in this “Liturgy and Sacraments” class.  Coming into the class, I accepted the Catholic Church teachings of the Sacraments without giving it any real thoughts.  As I read through Joseph Martos’ “Doors to the Sacred”, the text book for the class, I was floored by all the historical actions that went into the formulation of the seven sacraments that we know today.  Although there were many intriguing and sometimes scandalous events throughout Church’s history that Martos presented involving the creation of the sacraments, I was constantly asking myself “What’s the point of all this?”

The Catechism defined sacraments as “efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.” (CCC 1131)  In short, sacraments are signs of grace through which we gain the abundant life that Jesus promised.  As such, sacraments are supernatural events beyond human recognition or comprehension.  So, why then, did the Church’s Fathers and many theologians after them, find it necessary to define and analyze something that for all intents and purposes, can never be adequately defined or understood.  It’s like trying to access the internet using only paper and pencil, or flying off into space using a bicycle (hmm…).  In any case, it’s impossible to approach the supernatural using natural languages.  It seemed that many of these attempts to define the sacraments were necessitated by societal demands (marriage), fear of the unknown (infant baptism), and ultimately power and control (ordination).  In the end, as Martos pointed out, only the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist were instituted by Christ.  One can argue that Christ also institute the sacrament of Reconciliation (John 20:19-23), Holy Orders (Matt. 16:18), and Annointing of the Sick (laying on of hands) (Mark 6:12-13).  So that leaves us with Confirmation and Matrimony as “created” sacraments.  Marriage as a sacrament, as Martos pointed out did not exist before the 12^th century.  Confirmation, on the other hand, was sneaked in by less than scrupulous monks.

So, what’s a deacon-candidate like me do with all these eye-popping information?  Do I go out and try to teach others the “historically correct” view of sacraments, or do I push for a more spiritual understanding of the sacraments.  Of course, I can present both side.  However, I believe that many Catholics are not ready for the raw version as Martos presented in his book.  I was personally forced to reexamine my own understanding of the sacraments and reevaluate my view of Protestantism.  It sadden me to think that so much of the current divisiveness in the Christian Churches were caused mainly by righteous attitude held by one party or the other in the way we worship and not in what we ultimately believe.  Jesus left us with these words, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15)  He didn’t say that those who do believe but worship in the wrong way will be condemned.  The more I meditate on this verse, the more I believe that my mission, as commissioned by Christ, is to tell the world of God’s love for humanity, show the world through my actions what I believe, and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit.