What do sacraments give us

He used that common, natural phenomenon of the rainbow as a sign of an uncommon, special, divine promise of His persevering and preserving providence.

Now, every time we see a rainbow, we are involved in the sacramental life of the faith, not in the technical sense of sacraments, but rather in the sense of the broader meaning of external objects that are used to enhance and support the communication of the verbal promises of God.

Old covenant believers also had circumcision as a visible reminder that they had been cut out of the world to be the Lord's holy people. Moreover, the prophets often dramatized the Word of God through visible signs such as a plumb line, a broken jar, or other such things.

Perhaps the preeminent sacramental celebration under the old covenant was the Passover, the meal that was eaten to commemorate God's deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.

Here we see the sign joined to the Word of God, as is to be the case whenever a God-ordained sacrament is celebrated. As the meal was being eaten, the families in Israel were to retell the story of the exodus, to recount the divinely sent plagues and God's message to Israel through Moses that were part and parcel of the liberation from Egypt. Under the new covenant, we remember, for example, the Lord's Supper, when Jesus took the Old Testament sacrament of Passover and filled it with new meaning and new content.

He took the bread and the wine of the Passover meal and made them signs and seals of His broken body and shed blood, which are the purchase price of our redemption. He said to eat the bread and wine in remembrance of Him.

The needs of the soul do resemble the needs of the body; for the body must be born, strengthened, nourished, healed in affliction, helped at the hour of death, guided by authority, and given a place in which to dwell. The soul is brought into spiritual life by Baptism; it is strengthened by Confirmation; nourished by the Holy Eucharist; healed by Penance; helped at the hour of our death by Extreme Unction; guided by God's ministers through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and it is given a body in which to dwell by the Sacrament of Matrimony.

Does the effect of the Sacraments depend on the worthiness or unworthiness of the one who administers them? The effect of the Sacraments does not depend on the worthiness or unworthiness of the one who administers them, but on the merits of Jesus Christ, who instituted them, and on the worthy dispositions of those who receive them.

When is a Sacrament said to give, and when is it said to increase, grace in our souls? A Sacrament is said to give grace when there is no grace whatever in the soul, or in other words, when the soul is in mortal sin. A Sacrament is said to increase grace when there is already grace in the soul, to which more is added by the Sacrament received. The Sacraments that give sanctifying grace are Baptism and Penance; and they are called Sacraments of the dead.

Baptism and Penance are called Sacraments of the dead because they take away sin, which is the death of the soul, and give grace, which is its life. May not the Sacrament of Penance be received by one who is in a state of grace? The Sacrament of Penance may be and very often is received by one who is in a state of grace, and when thus received it increases -- as the Sacraments of the living do -- the grace already in the soul.

What do we mean by Sacraments of the dead and Sacraments of the living? By the Sacraments of the dead we mean those Sacraments that may be lawfully received while the soul is in a state of mortal sin. By the Sacraments of the living we mean those Sacraments that can be lawfully received only while the soul is in a state of grace -- i.

Living and dead do not refer here to the persons, but to the condition of the souls; for none of the Sacraments can be given to a dead person. Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony are called Sacraments of the living because those who receive them worthily are already living the life of grace.

What sin does he commit who receives the Sacraments of the living in mortal sin? He who receives the Sacraments of the living in mortal sin commits a sacrilege, which is a great sin, because it is an abuse of a sacred thing.

In what other ways besides the unworthy reception of the Sacraments may persons commit sacrilege? Besides the unworthy reception of the Sacraments, persons may commit sacrilege by the abuse of a sacred person, place or thing; for example, by willfully wounding a person consecrated to God; by robbing or destroying a Church; by using the sacred vessels of the Altar for unlawful purposes, etc.

Sacramental grace is a special help which God gives, to attain the end for which He instituted each Sacrament. Printer Friendly. How do you help children understand that sacraments are so much more than a ceremony? Elizabeth Kelly Elizabeth M. See More. Related Links Sacraments Matching Game Review the sacraments by playing a fun, printable matching game.

Richert says, "When we participate [in the sacraments] worthily, each provides us with graces - with the life of God in our soul. In worship, we give to God what we owe Him; in the sacraments, He gives us the graces to live a truly human life. So it is with Benedict in the holy Rule. Although Benedict never mentions the word "sacrament," the Rule is filled with the idea of sacrament, in order that the monks show to each other "the pure love of brothers; to God, loving fear; to their abbot, unfeigned and humble love.

Through the sacraments, we Christians are outward signs to each other of an inward grace. And through living the Rule of Benedict , the monks - and others who follow the Rule - remain in right relationship not only with each other and their fellow humankind, but also with God. Enjoy our Benedictine hospitality. Join the monks at prayer or tour the grounds. Sacraments: What the Rule Says.

Some clues from the Rule Benedict begins in the Prologue by reminding us to "see how the Lord in his love shows us the way to life" Prologue