FAMILIAR INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SACRAMENTS. I. ON THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. THE sacraments are so many channels by which sanctifying grace is infused into our souls, and certain especial helps are given us, so that we may practise virtue and persevere in good; or, as the Council of Trent says: "By which sanctification is acquired, preserved, and augmented, or, if lost, recovered." Of the sacraments it is my intention to speak, and in doing so I will begin by speaking of them in general, unfolding to you many things necessary for a Catholic to know. After which I shall proceed to treat of each sacrament in particular. Beginning, then, with an explanation of the word sacrament, which, in particular, has various interpretations, but in common use signifies a sacred thing. In bygone times, when one person brought an action against another, a certain sum of money was placed by both in a sacred place, and when the case was decided, the person gaining the suit received back what he had deposited, and the other was condemned to lose the amount. For this reason, the money placed in a sacred place was called a sacrament. Secondly, the word sacrament has been used to signify an oath taken, which binds the person to the performance of some service. Thirdly, it is a word to express a sacred thing, but hidden or a mystery: thus the secrets of God, the mysteries of our holy religion, are sometimes called in Scripture a sacrament. Finally, it expresses every sacred rite dedicated to the worship, honour, and service of God. Besides the meanings of this word given, there is one which we, Catholics, understand. The word sacrament, by our holy Mother the Church, means an outward sign of inward grace, ordained by Jesus Christ, by which grace is given to our souls." Then a sacrament is a sign, that is to say, besides what it presents to the senses, it constitutes also a medium through which we arrive at the knowledge of something else. For instance, when we see a thing, and we say that that thing is a sign of this or that, we mean that that thing brings to our minds the cognition of another. So, when we say a sacrament is a sign, we declare that it brings to our minds something we do not see. To illustrate what I have just said: when a child is brought to be baptised, the water poured upon its head and the words said are a sign that by the power of the Holy Ghost all the stain and defilement is inwardly washed away, and that the soul of that child is enriched and adorned with sanctifying grace. You are not, however, to suppose, when we say a sacrament is a sign, that we mean a natural sign, as smoke denotes fire: no, but a sign determined by God to signify a sacred thing; for it not only indicates, but produces at the same moment what it signifies. And this sign is also visible, that is, something falls under our senses-something we feel, touch, taste, and the like, as in baptism we see the water and we hear the words: "I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." A sacrament is also a visible sign instituted by God; if it were not so, it could not produce the effect. Hence, it is necessary that the institution should be by God; for, if it were instituted by the Church it might be a sacred thing as holy water, but not a sacrament. Moreover, a sacrament is a visible sign instituted by God, by which grace is given to our soul. This is the chief property of a sacrament-this is the end for which sacraments were instituted, viz.: to adorn the soul with sanctifying grace, or to increase it in those who have it. Sanctifying grace cannot be received unless through the sacraments, if we are able to receive them-if we cannot receive them, we must have, at least, an ardent desire to do so. Thus, he who makes a perfect act of contrition obtains at once the grace of God-why? because he has perfect charity, and is willing to do all God requires of him, consequently there is an implicit desire to receive the sacraments. That God should be pleased to confer His grace by means of material and sensible things, such as the sacraments, when He could have given it to us directly by His omnipotent power, or at least through spiritual things, is not for us to investigate His motives for so doing. It is sufficient for us to know that God has so willed it. Nevertheless, St. John Chrysostom tells us: "It becomes God to communicate His grace to us by means of natural and sensible things, because we are not pure spirits, but composed of body and soul, and therefore He has appointed these external and natural means as best adapted to our weakness and to our nature." Thomas gives another reason, saying: "It is natural for us to arrive at the knowledge of intelligible things by means of sensible things." And St. Augustine: "God has been pleased to confer His grace by certain sensible signs, that by them we are distinguished; for no society of men, professing a true or false religion, can be knit, as it were, into one body unless they be united and held together by some federal bond of visible signs." St. It is an article of our faith that the sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ, God for evermore, and this truth has been revealed by God in Holy Scripture, and by means of tradition-a truth which the Church has always taught, and if anyone should say that the sacraments of the New Law were not all instituted by Jesus Christ, our Lord, let him be, saith the Council of Trent, anathema. And not only did Jesus Christ institute the sacraments, but He destined and determined their matter and form. Thus He destined water for the Sacrament of Baptism, and He determined that it should be administered In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." If Jesus Christ had not determined the matter and form of the sacraments, He would have left authority to the apostles or to the Church to do so; but to the apostles He has not left that authority, for they, far from calling themselves institutors of the sacraments, declare themselves to be ministers and dispensers of them. "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God." Neither has Jesus Christ left that authority to the Church; for had He left it to her to determine the matter and form of the sacraments, then the Church would have the power of changing them, which the Council of Trent declares she cannot do. Jesus Christ is then the institutor of the sacraments, and the number of them are seven, viz.: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. And this is also of faith, and we know it from Scripture, the Fathers, and the universal consent of the Church, so that should any one say they are more or less than seven, let him be anathema. It may be asked if martyrdom is a sacrament, since it not only confers grace, but admits the person at once into heaven. No, it is not, for although it supplies the place of baptism in him who has not received that sacrament, gives sanctifying grace, and admits the person into heaven, yet, martyrdom was not instituted by God, nor has it those rites and necessary things to make it a sacrament. Again, should it be asked why Jesus Christ has instituted no more or less than seven sacraments, the best reply that can be given is, that God has done all things well. Nevertheless, an answer we will give in the words of St. Thomas: "Man is composed of body and soul, and has seven necessities for his corporeal life-public and private-and so seven sacraments are necessary for the public, private, and spiritual life of man." For in order to live and preserve life, and to contribute to his own and to the public good, these |