The Incarnation and the Sacramental Life of the Church

[Knee V]

I see several posts about individual "sacraments". It also seems that the general view (from "outsiders" - forgive my word-for-the-lack-of-a-better-word) that "sacramental theology" is "theology about sacraments". So I would like to see a little discussion about the "nature" of the sacramental life; what it "means".

So with that, I will open it up with a few words. Those more knowledgeable than I are MORE than welcome to jump right in.

To start it off: the sacramental life of the Church is intrinsically bound up with the Incarnation. It is because of the fact that God united His nature with that of His creation that He now works THROUGH creation, giving His presence and grace through the medium of created things.

Discuss.

 

[a_ntv]

I see several posts about individual "sacraments". It also seems that the general view (from "outsiders" - forgive my word-for-the-lack-of-a-better-word) that "sacramental theology" is "theology about sacraments". So I would like to see a little discussion about the "nature" of the sacramental life; what it "means".

So with that, I will open it up with a few words. Those more knowledgeable than I are MORE than welcome to jump right in.

To start it off: the sacramental life of the Church is intrinsically bound up with the Incarnation. It is because of the fact that God united His nature with that of His creation that He now works THROUGH creation, giving His presence and grace through the medium of created things.

Discuss.

You are right.
Modern catholic theology gives a warning about the danger to reduce the theology of sacraments to the theology of each sacrament. (read ad instance C. Rahner about it). More: the numeer of seven is important for teaching reasons, but it is not a magic one: ad instance we can consider baptism and confirmation as one sacrament in two grades, or ordination as three sacraments or consider as sacraments some sacramentals, like taking a vow, exorcism, patriarch ordination...

We can say that sacrament touch directly the inner part of us, uniting us more tighly INTO Him, into His Body.

But to understand better the sacraments we shall have a strong Ecclesiology: sacraments are very striclty tied to the being part of His Body: in fact they are the sign of being part of His Body.

If we focus only on my OWN private salvation, on my OWN private relation with God, sacraments became meaning-less: only when we realize that our salvation is being a humily part of Him Body (= became one in Him)we can understand sacraments as a present figure of this union.

So the idea of sacraments as a way to quickerly increase the quantity of God grace in us (or as a simple help in our ascesis, as stated by some orthodox monks theology) is very reductive and lead to a wrong understanding.
Sacraments are a present touchable figure of our becaming one thing in Him.
Sacraments state about our onthological union with Him.

 

[Knee V]

To go along with that, I would say that the sacramental life is a foretaste of the New Heavens and New Earth, when God's presence fills all things fully. The Church in the here and now gets a glimpse of that through the mysteries.

 

[plmarquette]

1. Broad sense : sacrament - ordinance - principle - requirements of God to observe and do , as with Great Commission ... admission of a sovereign God , His son , Jesus , and the ministry of the Holy Spirit .

2. Catholics cite 7 sacraments and a specific unction / grace to follow

3. Protestants cite either 2 sacraments ( baptism & confirmation ) or 4 sacraments ( baptism , confirmation , marriage , & the Lord's Supper ) ; though in practice , they parallel what is practiced by their Catholic brethren

1 communion ( Lord's Supper ) , 2 water baptism , 3 confirmation ( baptism of the Holy Spirit ) , 4 pennace ( 1 John 1.8-9 ) , 5 holy orders ( 5 fold ministry ) , 6 matrimony , 7 extreme unction ( sacrament of sick )

 

[a_ntv]

2. Catholics cite 7 sacraments and a specific unction / grace to follow

3. Protestants cite either 2 sacraments ( baptism & confirmation ) or 4 sacraments ( baptism , confirmation , marriage , & the Lord's Supper ) ; though in practice , they parallel what is practiced by their Catholic brethren

The baptism is the only sacrament in common between protestants and catholic.

Perhaps also marriage, even if most protestants allow divorce and catholics dont: that is the result of the very different understanding.

The difference in the sacrament of Holy Order is so huge that Catholics consider the protestant 'holy order' not a sacrament at all (also because it is not celebrated by valid bishops)

So all the other sacraments (confirmation, confessions, Eucharist, anointing of sicks) performed by protestants are considerated unfortunatly not valid, because they depend from the holy orders.

So, in common with protestants, there is only 1 sacrament (perhaps 2, including also the marriage).

The situation is different with EO and OO that have all seven valid sacraments.

PS: the catholics doctrine is NOT so tied to the number of seven. What excedes the number of seven is called 'sacramentals', and it is surely worthfull and vehicle of grace too. Ad instance sacrametals are: monks vows, exorcism, minor orders, protestant Lord Supper...and so on.