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Part 2: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (1066 - 1690)

Section 1: The Sacramental Economy (1076 - 1209)

Chapter 1: The Paschal Mystery in the Age of the Church (1077 - 1134)

Article 2: The Paschal Mystery in the Church's Sacraments (1113 - 1134)

III. THE SACRAMENTS OF FAITH ⇡

Christ sent his apostles so that "repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations."⁴¹ "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."⁴² The mission to baptize, and so the sacramental mission, is implied in the mission to evangelize, because the sacrament is prepared for by the word of God and by the faith which is assent to this word: The People of God is formed into one in the first place by the Word of the living God. ... The preaching of the Word is required for the sacramental ministry itself, since the sacraments are sacraments of faith, drawing their origin and nourishment from the Word.⁴³

41.

Lk 24:47.

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Mt 28:19.

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PO 4 §§ 1,2.

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"The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify men, to build up the Body of Christ and, finally, to give worship to God. Because they are signs they also instruct. They not only presuppose faith, but by words and objects they also nourish, strengthen, and express it. That is why they are called 'sacraments of faith.'"⁴⁴

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SC 59.

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The Church's faith precedes the faith of the believer who is invited to adhere to it. When the Church celebrates the sacraments, she confesses the faith received from the apostles — whence the ancient saying: lex orandi, lex credendi (or: legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi, according to Prosper of Aquitaine [5th cent.]).⁴⁵ The law of prayer is the law of faith: the Church believes as she prays. Liturgy is a constitutive element of the holy and living Tradition.⁴⁶

45.

Ep. 8.

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Cf. DV 8.

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For this reason no sacramental rite may be modified or manipulated at the will of the minister or the community. Even the supreme authority in the Church may not change the liturgy arbitrarily, but only in the obedience of faith and with religious respect for the mystery of the liturgy.

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Likewise, since the sacraments express and develop the communion of faith in the Church, the lex orandi is one of the essential criteria of the dialogue that seeks to restore the unity of Christians.⁴⁷

47.

Cf. UR 2; 15.

IV. THE SACRAMENTS OF SALVATION ⇡

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Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify.⁴⁸ They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work: it is he who baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies. The Father always hears the prayer of his Son's Church which, in the epiclesis of each sacrament, expresses her faith in the power of the Spirit. As fire transforms into itself everything it touches, so the Holy Spirit transforms into the divine life whatever is subjected to his power.

48.

Cf. Council of Trent (1547): DS 1605; DS 1606.

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This is the meaning of the Church's affirmation⁴⁹ that the sacraments act ex opere operato (literally: "by the very fact of the action's being performed"), i.e., by virtue of the saving work of Christ, accomplished once for all. It follows that "the sacrament is not wrought by the righteousness of either the celebrant or the recipient, but by the power of God."⁵⁰ From the moment that a sacrament is celebrated in accordance with the intention of the Church, the power of Christ and his Spirit acts in and through it, independently of the personal holiness of the minister. Nevertheless, the fruits of the sacraments also depend on the disposition of the one who receives them.

49.

Cf. Council of Trent (1547): DS 1608.

50.

St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III, 68,8.

A Christian Pilgrim

LET US JOIN JESUS ON THE ROAD TO CALVARY

(A biblical refection on PALM (PASSION) SUNDAY [YEAR A], 13 April 2014)

Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalms: Psalm 22:8-9,17-20,23-24; Gospel Reading: Matthew 26:14-27:66 (Matthew 27:11-54)

The Scripture Text
Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11 RSV)

Today, and all week, as we recall the events of Jesus’ Passion and death, God is inviting us to do more than simply remember past events. He invites us to join Jesus on the road to Calvary and peer into His heart at each step along the way. As we do this, let us allow Paul’s hymn about the humility of Christ to guide us.

Though He was in the form of God, (Jesus) … emptied Himself (Philippians 2:6-7). What could be a greater self-emptying than for the perfect Son of God to submit to the judgment of sinful men and women? What greater humility could there be than allowing your own creation to put you to death? Imagine Jesus standing before the Sanhedrin and before Pilate, humbly submitting to their judgment and their mockery. He formed each of them and gave them precious gifts they were to use to glorify His Father. And here, these gifts are used instead to beat Him, ridicule Him, and put Him to death.

He was obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Imagine the pain of the cross – not just the physical pain, but the emotional and spiritual pain. Jesus was abandoned by everyone. Even heaven seemed closed off. No matter where He looked, there was no comfort to be found, no assurance that the torment of His body was doing anyone any good. Yet He was convinced that God had led Him to the cross, and so He submitted to it, trusting in His Father with every labored breath He took.

Therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9). Jesus is glorified because He emptied Himself and accepted death. As you imagine all of heaven bowing before Him, picture the awe on the faces of the angels. They are looking at His now glorified wounds and wondering over the love that moved Him to accept death for our sake. Now fully God and fully man, bearing the marks of the cross, Jesus allowed Himself to be forever changed …… simply because He loves us.

Prayer: Jesus, I am in awe over Your love for me. This week, as I walk with You may I encounter You as never before. By Your Holy Spirit, let me fall in love with You all over again. Amen.