Indelible Mark/Character?

What is it?

I have looked everywhere, including the Catechism and have not found any sort of real definition. I want to know what it is, not what it does.

Do any of you know?

It's driving me crazy!

BC

According to Roman Catholic Church teaching, a sacramental character is an indelible spiritual mark (the meaning of the word character in Latin) imprinted by three of the seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders.
This teaching is expressed as follows in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1121:

“The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or seal by which the Christian shares in Christ's priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions. This configuration to Christ and to the Church, brought about by the Spirit, is indelible; it remains for ever in the Christian as a positive disposition for grace, a promise and guarantee of divine protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church. Therefore these sacraments can never be repeated.

The characters these three sacraments imprint are held to differ from each other, with each character remaining indelible, so that nobody can receive the sacrament in question more than once. The doctrine of the sacramental character is thus a particular expression of the long-established teaching that baptism, confirmation, and holy orders may not be repeated, e.g. no one may be baptized more than once.

One who receives a lower grade of holy orders may receive a higher. Thus, though one who has been ordained a deacon may not again be ordained a deacon, he may be ordained a priest. Similarly, while a priest may not again be ordained a priest, he may be ordained a bishop. There is no higher grade to which a bishop may be ordained. Each higher grade is considered to confer a deepening or intensification of the character of holy orders.

If it is doubtful whether a person has received one of the three sacraments in question, the sacrament may be administered conditionally, but not, properly speaking, repeated.

The doctrine of the sacramental character was dogmatically defined at the 16th century Council of Trent, but was held for more than 1000 years before, and was written about by Augustine of Hippo.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 698 explains as follows the significance of the image of "seal", used as an alternative to that of "character":

“"The Father has set his seal" on Christ (John 6:27) and also seals us in him (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:23, 4:30). Because this seal indicates the indelible effect of the anointing with the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, the image of the seal (σφραγί&#962 has been used in some theological traditions to express the indelible "character" imprinted by these three unrepeatable sacraments.

Leave it to wiki:
Sacramental character - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Its means after baptism and ordination (for priests) a ontological change happens to your soul and you literally are different in the respect you are now a redeemed Christian and priest (if you are ordained) and that never goes away.

Inwardly you now have a irreversible dignity of being in Christ, a child of God.

I just read a sermon from St. Vincent Ferrer and he links the indelible character imprinted by Baptism to the mark on the forehead spoken of in the Apocalypse/Revelation of St. John--which is the name of Christ and His Father:

Apo. 14 [1] And I beheld, and lo a lamb stood upon mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty-four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads.

Does this help ? " If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation . The old has gone ." ( 2 Cor:5:17 ) .

benedictaoo said:

Its means after baptism and ordination (for priests) a ontological change happens to your soul and you literally are different in the respect you are now a redeemed Christian and priest (if you are ordained) and that never goes away.

Inwardly you now have a irreversible dignity of being in Christ, a child of God.

Click to expand...

What is this ontological change? What is different?

BC

JoabAnias said:

According to Roman Catholic Church teaching, a sacramental character is an indelible spiritual mark (the meaning of the word character in Latin) imprinted by three of the seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders.
This teaching is expressed as follows in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1121:

“The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or seal by which the Christian shares in Christ's priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions. This configuration to Christ and to the Church, brought about by the Spirit, is indelible; it remains for ever in the Christian as a positive disposition for grace, a promise and guarantee of divine protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church. Therefore these sacraments can never be repeated.

The characters these three sacraments imprint are held to differ from each other, with each character remaining indelible, so that nobody can receive the sacrament in question more than once. The doctrine of the sacramental character is thus a particular expression of the long-established teaching that baptism, confirmation, and holy orders may not be repeated, e.g. no one may be baptized more than once.

One who receives a lower grade of holy orders may receive a higher. Thus, though one who has been ordained a deacon may not again be ordained a deacon, he may be ordained a priest. Similarly, while a priest may not again be ordained a priest, he may be ordained a bishop. There is no higher grade to which a bishop may be ordained. Each higher grade is considered to confer a deepening or intensification of the character of holy orders.

If it is doubtful whether a person has received one of the three sacraments in question, the sacrament may be administered conditionally, but not, properly speaking, repeated.

The doctrine of the sacramental character was dogmatically defined at the 16th century Council of Trent, but was held for more than 1000 years before, and was written about by Augustine of Hippo.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 698 explains as follows the significance of the image of "seal", used as an alternative to that of "character":

“"The Father has set his seal" on Christ (John 6:27) and also seals us in him (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:23, 4:30). Because this seal indicates the indelible effect of the anointing with the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, the image of the seal (σφραγί&#962 has been used in some theological traditions to express the indelible "character" imprinted by these three unrepeatable sacraments.

Leave it to wiki:
Sacramental character - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Click to expand...

Okay...let's go with the idea of 'seal' (seal, being an easier concept for me).

1)A person is sealed to Christ in Baptism.
2)A person is sealed to Christ in Confirmation.
3)A person is sealed to Christ in Ordination.

If a person is sealed to Christ, how can it's corresponding grace (habitual), be lost, without the seal itself breaking?

Or to put it this way, if you presented me with a gift, how would I be able to remove the gift from it's packaging (ie, tape, paper, ribbon and bow), without first removing the packaging itself?

BC

rawson said:

Does this help ? " If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation . The old has gone ." ( 2 Cor:5:17 ) .

Click to expand...

In what way is a Confirmed person a new creation, that a person just Baptized is not?
In what way is an Ordained person a new creation, that a person just Baptized and Confirmed is not?

BC

babychrist said:

What is this ontological change? What is different?

BC

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You now have Christian dignity. When we are born, we may be cute innocent babies but our soul, the state of our souls is separated from God and we need to be re joined back to Him and Christ is who bridged this gap between us and God through Himself.

So in baptism, we die with Christ and rise with Him to a new life IN Him and He, Christ, He gives us this dignity of a child of God.

For priests, they are a marked with Persona Christi, the person of Christ. They act in His person in His name and have the ability to consecrate the Eucharist and absolve ppl of their sins. No other but them have this mark.

Now for the sake of this conversation, lets say a priest goes to hell (God forbid) those in hell will know him by this mark, that he is a priest. Same with the baptized, those in hell know them becuase of this mark.

Don't ask me how the know, what it looks like... but those in hell are able to recognize this mark. I dare say priest suffer worse of all in hell and then Christians in general.

You see being a Christians is not a feeling or just a mere "acceptance", its a real true concrete thing of being literally born again. Its not an idea or a notion, its a real tangible thing. The outside my stay the same, look the same and feel the same but the soul changes.

babychrist said:

In what way is a Confirmed person a new creation, that a person just Baptized is not?
In what way is an Ordained person a new creation, that a person just Baptized and Confirmed is not?

BC

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Confirmation is not a new mark, its the sealing of the Holy Spirit that enabling you to be a solider for Christ in His holy army. Its the anointing, the laying on of hands. It is what gave the apostles the power, courage and confidence to go out there and build the Church and spread the gospel. None of us can live this life out and follow Christ with out the power of the Holy Spirit. We do nothing, the Holy Spirit works through us.

So this mark is an extension of, or the completion of the baptismal mark of a Christian. Its not necessary for salvation, only baptism is but its the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

and a Ordained priest has a mark of being able to act in Christs person and a bishop is a successor to the apostle, so by these they will be identified.

By their changed character, they have a much greater responsibility.

babychrist said:

Okay...let's go with the idea of 'seal' (seal, being an easier concept for me).

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Its not an idea, its a reality. When we are baptised, we are changed. We can not like it all we want and we can de convert and convert to as many false religions as we want but this mark is permanent.

I would not call it a seal, its a mark, a change. Our soul changes from unredeemed born to Adam to redeemed born of Christ. Its an adoption.

1)A person is sealed to Christ in Baptism.

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A person is redeemed by Christ in baptism by being born again in Him, of His seed.

2)A person is sealed to Christ in Confirmation.

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A person is sealed with the Holy Spirit's anointing by a bishop laying hands on them to go out and build the Church of Christ. Its not a confirmation of being saved. Its a confirmation that you as an adult accept the gig of building up the Church.

The final battle and Christs return happens when the full number of the gentiles come in... and so Christ gave us the Holy Spirit becuase its only by this power we can go out make make disciples and build the Church, this is our mission, its what Christians do.

So the mark is that. We have been anointed with the Holy Spirit.

3)A person is sealed to Christ in Ordination.

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No, a priest is given a special character to forgive sins and to consecrate the Eucharist which mean he brings to us the Body and Blood of Jesus.

If a person is sealed to Christ, how can it's corresponding grace (habitual), be lost, without the seal itself breaking?

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Because its not a seal but a change. What it means is we will not have to be baptized over and over each time we sin and break our relationship with God. It means we just go and confess our sins and repent and God forgive us. Like a earthly family. The kid messes up and is in the dog house and when he's sorry he is in good again. At no point doe the parent disown him but the kid has to realize he did wrong and make a mends, its a given the parent will forgive him when he comes to them and repents.

Same with God, we are HIs children adopted through baptism. We know he will forgive us, but we have to come to Him. We can becuase we have been baptized and we went from being Adam's seed to His.

Or to put it this way, if you presented me with a gift, how would I be able to remove the gift from it's packaging (ie, tape, paper, ribbon and bow), without first removing the packaging itself?

BC

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Because we have free will. Can you undo who you were born to naturally? No, your mom is your mom and will always be. You can hate her and never have a thing to do with her as long as you live but does the fact ever change that she is you mom who birthed you?

Same with baptism. It is literally a birth. You were birthed, you are born now as a child of God, all made possible by Jesus Christ.

So you can ignore this fact and reject it and never want it but the reality will never change. You are a Christian. You were born again as a Christian... this mark will always be in your soul.

When we go to hell, we go there becuase we want to, we send ourselves there by rejecting what God gave us. The gift is there will always be there, we just didn't want it and for Christians in hell, this is what they suffer over the most- having it and not wanting it but its not a sorrow or a contrition, its a mean nasty bitterness.

babychrist said:

If a person is sealed to Christ, how can it's corresponding grace (habitual), be lost, without the seal itself breaking?

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By "Free Will". Its a choice to break a seal/promise/vow/covenant.

The indellible mark remains just the same. God is ever faithful and cannot lie.

Repentance would be a return to grace.