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Sacrament
An efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Efficacious Sign
Capable of producing the desired effect that it signifies/communicates. A stop sign doesn't act in this way since it only tells a person to stop w/o actually stopping them.
Sacraments and Human Nature
Sacraments are fitting for people b/c both have a physical and spiritual dimension. Angels, being pure spirits, cannot receive sacraments.
Sacraments and the Four Causes
Each sacrament has the following four elements: Matter, Minister, Form, Effect
Matter
The material aspect of the sacrament perceptible to the senses
Minister
The individual appointed to give the sacrament. Each sacrament has an ordinary minister and some have an extra-ordinary minister in special cases.
Form
The spoken words of the sacrament that cause the grace to be given
Effect
The purpose or result of the sacrament
ex opere operato
The sacraments are effective through the work of God if received with the proper disposition/intention of the recipient. Thus, sacraments are not effective due to the holiness of the minister or recipient nor are they superstitious/magical because their power is from God.
Valid
When a sacrament has the necessary matter, form, minister, and intention. If these are missing the sacrament loses this necessary quality.
Licit
When a sacrament is performed according to the proper procedure of the Church. Some sacraments that lack this quality can still be valid such as a lay person baptizing when it isn't an emergency.
Grace
A free and unearned favor from God, infused into our souls that helps us to live as his children.
Sacramental Grace
The gifts proper to each of the Seven Sacraments.
Sanctifying Grace
The grace that heals our human nature wounded by sin, makes one holy, restores us to friendship with God, and allows us to enter heaven if we die with it in our souls. This can be received or restored through certain sacraments.
Necessity of Sacraments
Objectively and ordinarily speaking, one needs the sacraments to be saved. However, there can be subjective/extraordinary circumstances in which God can save an individual who through no fault of their own (i.e. invincible/non fault worthy ignorance) has not received the sacraments. Another example is baptism by blood (i.e. martyrdom of the unbaptized) and baptism by desire.
The Seven Sacraments
Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.
Why Seven Sacraments?
There are seven sacraments since that is what Christ instituted. This was officially recognized by the Church in the 1500s at the Council of Trent which gave the definition of a sacrament.
Sacramental Character
A permanent, unrepeatable mark on the soul received through Baptism, Confirmation, and or Holy Orders, since they give one a greater share in the priesthood of Christ
Sacraments and the Basic Needs of Humanity
Baptism = birth, Confirmation = maturation, Eucharist = nutritional nourishment, Confession + Anointing = healing medicine for physical ailments, Holy Orders = authority, Marriage = reproduction and propagation of the species
Three-fold division of sacraments
Sacraments of: 1) Initiation (which bring one into the Church and allow a deeper participation in the Body of Christ), 2) Healing (which take away sin), 3) Service (vocations from which members of the Church help meet the needs of others)
Sacraments of Initiation
Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist
Sacraments of Healing
Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick
Sacraments of Service
Holy Orders and Matrimony
Non-Catholics and the Sacraments
The sacraments require faith to be effective. The Church doesn't give what is holy to those who aren't properly disposed.
Changes to the Seven Sacraments?
The seven sacraments are from Christ and were dogmatically defined at the Council of Trent. Thus, the Church cannot make a new sacrament, take away a sacrament, or substantially alter a sacrament. This shows that the Church is the custodian, not creator of the sacraments.
Seven Sacraments and other Christian Denominations
Only Eastern Orthodox Christians share the same seven sacraments as Catholics. No Protestant denomination has seven valid sacraments and there is a wide diversity as to the number of sacraments (if any) that are recognized.
