·
As human beings we are constantly
confronted with uncertainties and ambiguities of life.
·
Religions with their understandings of
the world, God and man enable human beings to find
·
Religions make use of rituals in this
process.
A
characteristic mark of Catholicism is its sacramental life which is centered on
the seven sacraments.
1.
Religious rituals are celebrations of life and means of overcoming
evil,purifying individuals and of obtaining social acceptance in a community.
Ritual : Solemn ceremony
of celebration made up of – presecribed formulas,
gestures,
certain
materials
stylized actions,
Symbolizing
community traditions handed down generation to generations.
·
Rituals are prescribed action or
ceremonies through which myths become alive to the members in a particular
community.
Rituals could be secular or
religious.
·
Secular: e.g. Hoisting of the flag,
·
Religious: eg: Bathing in Ganges.
Religious rituals:
·
Symbolic Actions: Gestures, ceremonies,
prescribed forms and materials.
·
Performed to obtain – divine blessings,
social acceptance in a particular religious community.
Functions
of Rituals
a.
Rituals are celebrations of life:
Celebration of different stages of life. – Birth, Puberty, Marriage, Death.
to
make meaning at these moments recognizing what is taking place in the life of a
person and community.
b.
Rituals are means of overcoming
evil: God provides us grace to overcome
evil, such as corruption and evil tendencies and this is celebrated in the
rituals.
Evil:
·
Prevents one from realizing his/her
potential.
·
Prevents me from going beyond myself.
·
Rituals put us in touch with God.
·
They remind us of the values to be
followed.
c.
Rituals purify individuals from all that hinders him from coming into
contact with the ultimate:
eg:
Hindus taking bath in the Ganges for the inner purification.
Penitential
Mode: The retreats etc.
d.
Rituals are means to obtain social
acceptance in the community
·
Rituals are community celebrations, so
once purified through the ritual a person is vested with – Rights – Duties -
obtains social acceptance in the community.
·
Eg: Through baptism one gets social
identity. This also brings unity in the community.
·
The sacraments of the church have much
in common with rituals but they have meaning and sacrifice much beyond the rituals.
The Concept of rituals helps
Christian believers to understand the 7 sacraments which originate from Jesus
Christ (Nd 1311) and are celebrated in the church ( SC 7,11)
(ND 1311: Anathama
sit.
·
That the sacrament of the new law or one or not all instituted by
Jesus, our Lord.
·
In fact there are more that 7 sacraments.
·
Or any of these truly and properly sacrament)
·
The sacraments are our encounter with God.
·
The Church experiences, expresses and celebrates its union with God through 7
sacraments.
ND
1311: There are 7 sacrament originating from Jesus Christ
There
are 3 opinions about the constitution of the sacraments.
(Sacraments transform human lives and
affect communion with God and community.)
1. Fundamentalists:
The historical Jesus instituted all the 7 sacraments, it cannot be scripturally
proved.
2. Protestant reformers:
Only 2 sacraments have scriptural basis ( Baptism and Eucharist); They are
instituted by Jesus Christ, other sacraments are created by the Church.
3. Mediate Institution :
Christ instituted the sacraments through the Church. The Church interpreted the
mind of God.
·
The sacrament of the church has much in
common with rituals but they have a meaning and significance that go far beyond
these rituals. The Christian sacraments are rooted in the Christ event.
·
Each of the 7 sacraments is an occasion to
celebrate the saving mystery of Christ
in the different areas/ stages of life.
·
Christ is the primordial sacrament and
church is the fundamental sacrament, meaning it is the saving community willed
by God.
·
Sacraments while fulfilling the basic
functions of rituals (purification, giving identity, overcoming evil) go far
beyond these rituals. That is, transform human lives and effect union with God
who is revealed in Christ event.
·
In order that sacraments be meaningful,
SC makes a plea to reform and promote the liturgy. In SC 7 it calls the church
to use such signs which are perceived by the people.
·
SC
11 – it (SC) recommends that the faithful must be
properly disposed inorder that the liturgy may be effective. It is the duty of pastors to ensure that the
faithful take part in the liturgy actively and are fully aware of what they are
doing, inorder tobe enriched by it.
SC
59 :
·
Luthers contention was that five
sacraments have no biblical basis. They were instituted by the church, not
being faithful to the Lord’s command.
·
For Luther only – Scripture ( Sola
Scriptura) and Faith alone( Sola Fedei)
·
Council of Trent reacted and said all 7
sacraments are originated from Jesus Christ.
·
Today we make use of Rahner’s argument
to explain how God is the author of sacraments:
“In so
far as God willed the church, he also willed its constituent elements”;
Scripture
– sacrament and Magisterium.
In other words Christ intended it, Mt
28, 18-20
SC 59 says - the purpose of sacraments
is to – sanctify men, build up the
body of Christ, to give worship to God.
·
Sacraments are those finite realities
though which God is communicated to the church and through which responds to
the communication of God(Self – Communication)
·
Sacraments are therefore ecclesiological
in character.
3.The Christian sacraments confer grace – ex
opera operato, that is by the performance of the rite itself(ND 1318)
·
The sacraments confer grace –‘ ex
opera operato’ that is by the very act of the ritual.
·
This was against the view of Luther who
held the view that grace of the sacrament depend on faith of the recipient and
he also made an overstress on the role of the ministers.
·
In this context T’RENT( ND 1318) by its doctrine of “ex-opera operato” affirms
that faith does not suffice without the sacraments and the worthiness of the
minister does not matter for the validity/ efficacy of the sacraments which
means that the efficacy of the sacrament is in the performance of the rite
itself, wherein it is the work of Christ continued in the church and made
concretely present through the minister(who acts on behalf of Christ)
·
Theologically the minister need not be holy
(morally sound) for the efficacy of the sacrament, yet pastorally, the minister
must be holy (lead a holy life) being the spiritual leader of the people.
On the other hand the mere celebration
of the sacrament, does not ‘sanctify a person’ unless he actively co-operates
in the sacramental action (proper disposition).
·
The subjective disposition of a person
receiving a sacrament does affect its validity, but the spiritual effects or
the fruitfulness can be blocked lack of faith or lack of proper disposition.
4. Sacraments are celebrations of
faith, signs of the KOG and a means to identify with Jesus Christ.
Celebrations
of Faith:
·
In using the sign we express our faith,
in the unseen reality hidden in the underneath the sign.
·
The Church is related to God in the
experience of faith.
·
Sacraments give us a chance to relate to
God, in and through the community. Thus sacraments are celebration of our faith
(done at various stages of life) done in community, encountering God .
Sacraments
are the signs of the Kingdom:
·
The proclamation of Jesus Christ in the
NT - (Lk 4, 16 – good new to the poor,
sight to the blind, liberation to the captives) - Mk 1, 14 – Kingdom of God
isat hand.
·
The kingdom of God continues to
establish in the world.
·
The church through the sacraments
confirms this mission.
·
Each individual sacrament is an
expression of God’s reign because it affirms the sacra mentality of Jesus
Christ and is continued with newness in everything.
·
That is newness in the community, in a person,
mind, attitude etc and thus establishing the kingdom.
A
means for persons to be identified with Jesus Christ
·
Jesus Christ showed how human beings can
live meaningfully in the world and encounter God in the world.
·
Disciple identified themselves with
Jesus and his values
·
Today the sacraments remind us of our
true identity of being one with Christ.
Extra
Each sacrament helps us at certain stage
of life to be closely related to God our Father through Jesus Christ.
1.
context of religious rituals
2.
How rituals help in understanding 7
sacraments
3.
Ex Opera Operanto(Understanding of)
4.
Transforming role of Christian rituals.
·
We do not encounter Christ directly but
in the church, which is his body. although it is Jesus Christ who is present
and active in the sacrament, it is the church that makes that celebration
available and which mediates his presence and saving action.
·
Ex opera Operantis := “from the work of
the worker”
·
Thomas Aquainas speaks of right
disposition, rarely valid reception is efficacious sign of grace = sacraments cause what they signify.
·
Augustine : Visible signs of invisible grace.
Sacraments do not cause grace
magically.
·
They are free acts of God, and they are
free acts of ours. They work only to the extent that we bring faith and
devotion to them.
The
minister of the sacrament:
·
The minister must voluntarily carry out
the intention of the church.
·
He or she must intend what the church
intends.
·
This doesn’t mean however that the
minister must also be a Person of profound faith or even of moral purity although
these are eminently desirable.
·
But if those qualities were demanded of
each minister, in every instance, then the church would never know when and to
what extent its sacraments were properly celebrated and administered.
·
It s precisely because the sacraments
are acts of church, and not simply acts of devotion, that the role of the
minister is so important.
The
recipient : A
sacrament can have no ecclesiological importance if the intended recipient has
no faith in it or in the reality it
symbolizes or he/she is morally unprepared for it.
Sacramentals:
·
Not ex opera operanto but ex opera operates, that is through the
faith and devotion of those who are using, receiving or celebrating the
sacramental.
·
Eg: Baptisma water, holy oils, candles,
crucifixes, statues an medals.
Council
of Trent:
·
Taught that the sacraments also cause
grace for those who don’t place an obstacle to it.
·
It is not the personal merit of the recipient
that causes the cause received.
·
At the same time God does not force the
human will
·
Sacraments are directly ecclesiological
in character.
·
Christian Anthropology : Redeemed human
person is made visible in the church
·
Christology: Christ is encountered in
the sacrament. Christ acts in the sacraments. Jesus is the sacrament. The 7
sacrament are manifestations of him.
·
Eschatology: Church is the sign and instrument of the KOG.
Ecclesiology
:
·
Sacraments are made available by the
church and mediates his presence and saving action.
·
Sacraments immediately relates the recipient
to the church.
·
Eg: sacrament of Penance has it
immediate purpose and effect not the restoration of friendship with God but
reconciliation with the church. it is not just the God who is “offended “by the
sin. Church too has been violated. Sinner has to make up with the church.
Christian Moral life: Christian moral life is our way of being the
church.
7 sacraments or more: are not important but there are certain
rituals throughwhich the saving presence and activity of God.
