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7
CHAPTER SEVEN
SACRAMENTS
SACRAMENTS
The
sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual
grace, given by Christ as a means by which we receive that grace.
This
is the definition of sacrament.
Thus every sign is a
sacrament if it is recognized as such
The only way Jesus
could explain himself was by using the available means of
communication which essentially included symbols and elaborate system
of parables.. Thus when he was to explain the deepest mysteries he
emphasized that we should take what he says as simply a sign of more
deepest mysteries and not concentrate on the signs themselves. If
those signs do not lead to understanding of the heavenly truths it
looses its meaning. As such the rites are taken from everyday life
symbols so that it may be meaningful. It is not externally imposed.
Thus many of the sacramental forms can be found outside of the
church. It is this that gives its communicative value.
God,
the Invisible One, whom ‘no one has ever seen'
(Jn 1:18), is disclosed through
something that is
earthly,
visible,
audible,
tangible,
something which may be
humanly experienced.
SACRAMENTS ARE MANY –
Family Prayer,
Grace Before food,
Sunday Church,
Bible Studies,
Prayer meetings,
Laying on of hands,
Hand shakes,
Graduation parties,
Birthday parties ……..????
but the main
sacraments that are used in the church to clearly point towards Christ
and redemptions are usually numbered as seven.
SACRAMENTS ARE MANY – main ones are:
The core of the
Sacraments of the Church is the Cross. After all the core of the
Church is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ through whom we
have redemption. So the experience of this redemptive process is
expressed and experienced within the church community through the
seven sacraments. The central sacrament obviously will be the
Eucharist or the Holy Communion which reminds us of the death and
resurrection of Jesus week after week and day after day.
Every society needs
rites, symbolic assertion of the values and social expectations.
Sociology classifies them as
1.
The
Rites of Passages
which takes place whenever a change in status of the person in
relation to the society take place.
2.
The
Rites of Intensification
which is a repeated rite in order to emphasize the values and
expectations on an ongoing basis.
The sacraments are
rites within the church.
The rites of passages
marking important transitions in life are:
·
Baptism
·
Confirmation
·
Marriage
·
Ordination
Rites of Passages
essentially has three steps
·
Seperation
·
Transition
·
Incorporation
It takes the person
from an existing status into a new status within the community.
The Rites of
Intensification on the other hand are a repeated performance. They
mark group occasions. The purposes are:
·
Expression and Affirmation of Common faith, values and belief
·
Creating
a Unity within the community. Bonding.
·
Prevention of disruption of the community.
Examples of Rites of
Intensification includes
·
Prayer –
family, group, community
·
Worship
·
Communion
·
Bible
Studies
·
Revival
meetings
Every church function
is an intensification rite. Even the rites of transition for a
particular person is an intensification rite for others who come
together at that time.
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Worship |
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Communion |
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Bible Studies |
It is not difficult
to see how grace is imparted through these rites which help the growth
of a Christian realizing the Spiritual maturity within the church.
The seven sacraments
touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life.
There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life
and the stages of the spiritual life.
Infant
Baptism followed by discipleship
Mature
Child Confirmation followed by
Communion
Teen Ager
Reconciliation
Adult Marriage
Mature
Adult Ordination into Church
responsibilities
Old
Age Anointing in times of sickness
  
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