Divine Word College of Calapan

SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS

Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, 5200, Philippines

C. The Doctrine of Sacraments

I. What is a Sacrament?

A saving symbolic act or a visible sign, arising from the ministry of Christ and continued in, by & for the
Church, w/c When received in faith, fashions us into Likeness to Christ in His Paschal Mystery, Through the
power of the Holy Spirit.

Point Definitions:
• Latin: sacramentum; Greek: mysterion
• Rites/rituals performed in/by the Church, to convey God’s “grace” to believers
• PCP11 depicts the Sacraments as the center of Catholic life. Just as without Christ, Christian
faith is impossible, there could be no Catholic Church.
• The 7 ritual Sacraments are grounded directly both in Christ, the “Primordial Sacrament”,
and
• the Church as the basic or “Foundational Sacrament.”
• They are defined as the actions of Christ and of the Church
Number of Sacraments?
• Catholics & Orthodox Christians: seven (7)
• Most Protestants: only two (Bapt. & Euch.)
Aspects of each Sacrament:
–Effects & Ministers
–Biblical Basis
–Central Words & Actions

a. Catholic sacraments are at once sacraments of:

-of Christ in origin & presence
-of the Church, in the sense that they are by and for the Church.
-of faith, as condition & ongoing expression.
-of salvation, as efficacious and necessary means -of eternal life, as their ultimate goal

b. The purpose of the sacraments are:

-to sanctify men and women
-to build up the Body of Christ and
-to give worship to God.
 The 7 Ritual Sacraments
Sacraments of Sacrament of Sacraments of
Initiation: Christ’s Healing: Vocation and
Ministry in Christ:
Baptism Sacrament of Reconciliation Sacrament of Marriage
Confirmation Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick Sacrament of Holy Orders
Eucharist

II. Sacramentals

They are the objects, actions, practices, places and the like that help us become
aware of Christ’s grace filled- presence around us or liberate from the presence of the evil one.

Examples:
-blessings (house,cars,buildings, etc) ,-actions-kneeling, bowing, making the
sign of the cross, Words-Grace before & after meals,
Indulgenced novena prayers, pious invocations, litanies

>Places-Churches, Shrines

>Time-Liturgical Season, Advent, Lent

Filipinos tend naturally to seek concrete sensible expression of their faith * religious experience. sacrament
Objects ashes palms candles crucifixes rosaries scapulars statues Baptism of Jesus

A. Sacrament of Baptism

Baptism is the Sacrament of faith which brings us new life in Christ and forgiveness of sins through
water and the Spirit and by sharing in the Trinitarian divine life as adopted sons and daughters of the
Father.

KINDS OF BAPTISM

1. Baptism of desire – applies to those wishing to be baptized but die before receiving the Sacrament.

2. Baptism of blood – refers to the martyrdom of those who believe and killed for their faith.

3. Infant baptism/ adult baptism

The core of Baptism

-new life in Christ, not the washing of original sin but that Baptism focuses on Christ, a sharing on Christ
himself who baptized. Central Words & Actions
Baptism Central Words & Actions Baptism

Words: –"I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Actions: –Full immersion in water, or pouring water over head, Sprinkling or dabbing.

Other symbols: anointing; candles, white garment

b. Confirmation
Biblical Basis:
Confirmation

1. John 20:22 - "(Jesus) breathed on them (the disciples) and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'";
2. Acts 8:17; 19:6 -believers receive the Spirit, esp. through laying on of the apostle's hands.
3. Acts 10:44-48 - the coming of the Spirit is closely associated with the Baptism of new believers. Holy
Spirit Confirmation is the sacrament by which, those born anew in Baptism now receive the seal of
the Holy Spirit, the gift of the Father and the Son. The ordinary minister of Confirmation is the Bishop
who is the successor of the Apostles, with the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Candidate for Confirmation

- One who has attained the age of reason in a state of grace Have the intention of receiving the
Sacrament of disciple and witness to Christ, Be prepared to assume the role.
-Candidate for Confirmation
- One who has attained the age
of reason in a state of grace
- Have the intention of receiving
the Sacrament of disciple and
witness to Christ
- Be prepared to assume the role

DOVE

In Confirmation, Jesus gives us in a special way his Spirit, the “Spirit of truth.” The ordinary minister of
Confirmation is the Bishop. For grave reason, the Bishop may delegate a priest to administer the sacrament
at a particular time.

The activity of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians

1. The Spirit empowers us to love.
2. The Spirit empowers us to know the truth.
3. The Spirit empowers us to bear witness to Jesus Christ.
• The word ‘confirm’ means to strengthen.
• That is why the matter used in the sacrament of confirmation must be one that is a natural sign of
strength.
• If one looks weak (I.e., from fasting), what can they apply to themselves in order to look stronger,
healthier, more joyful?
• Olive oil comes from the Olive tree, a source of wealth.
 • Because oil is a sign of wealth or blessing, and because it is a sign of strength and joy, kings were
anointed with oil as a token of benevolence, a sign of favor, sort of like the expression: “Long live the
king”.
• The title “Christ” means anointed one. In Confirmation, one is make a little Christ, and so one is
anointed “priest, prophet, and king”.
• All the graces received in baptism are “strengthened” (I.e., faith, hope, charity, and the 7 gifts of the
Holy Spirit).
• As priest: one is obligated to live a life of sacrifice, to live a religious life, to offer one’s life to God, to
center it around Christ.
• As prophet: one is obligated to witness to truth, to love it, search for it, find it and profess it.
• As king: one is obligated to live the truth, and aspire after what is higher, namely the kingdom of God.
To exercise kingship over oneself is to govern one’s passions and strive to conquer sin.

c. The Sacrament of the Eucharist

The Eucharist is a sacrificial meal.

“This is My body which is given for you.” “The Eucharist is the centerpiece of the 7 Sacraments and the
source and summit of the whole Christian life” It is the memorial of Christ’s sacrifice, the sacrament of the
Lord’s Supper, and the center of his sacramental presence uniting the people of God, the Church
The other Sacraments as well as the other ministry of the Church and every work of the apostolate
are linked with the Holy Eucharist and directed towards it. At the Last Supper, on the night Jesus was
betrayed, He instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his body and blood. The Eucharist is a covenant meal. It
is rooted in the Judaic tradition which is an expression of Israel’s unique relationship with God. At the Last
Supper, on the night Jesus was betrayed, Jesus instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his body and blood He
took a piece of bread gave thanks to God, broke it and gave it to them saying, “This is My body which is given
to you. “Do this in Memory of Me” In the Eucharist, Christ left his sacred memory in the gift of bread broken
and the wine shared. In the Eucharist, Christ left his sacred memory in the gift of bread broken and the wine
shared. The essence of the Sacrament of the Eucharist is that it is a celebration of commitment on the part
of all who participate to sacrifice themselves in return for Christ and his people.

Biblical Basis:
•Jesus’ Last Supper:
–Mark 14:22-25
–Matt 26; Luke 22; 1 Cor 11
•Gospel Theology:
–John 6:48-58
•Early Christian Practice:
–Luke 24:35
–Acts 2:42; etc.
Matter: Bread and wine – universal signs of nourishment.

Form: Words of Consecration: …take this all of you and eat it, this is my body which…. This is my blood,
Transubstantiation The changing of the substance of bread into the substance of Christ’s body. The
changing of the substance of wine into the substance of Christ’s blood.
Catholics believe (and the Church has always taught) that the whole Christ, his body, blood, soul and
divinity, are really and truly present under the appearance of bread and wine (literally). After consecration,
it is no longer bread, and no longer wine, but the substance of Christ’s body and blood. The attributes of
the bread and wine remain the same (I.e., color, shape, size, taste, etc)

CFC

By the consecration the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is
brought about. Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself, living and glorious, is
present in a true, real, and substantial manner: his Body and his Blood, with his soul and his divinity (cf.
Council of Trent: DS 1640; 1651).

4. Holy Matrimony
(Sacrament of marriage)

Matter: Bride and Groom

Form: The vows in the liturgy.

Marriage is the only sacrament that the couple actually administers to one another. The priest is only a
witness.

Marriage as a Sacrament refers to 2 essential things:

1. the sacramental celebration of marriage and
2. the ongoing married life.

They freely and publicly declare: to be of one heart and one soul, from this day forward, for better or worse,
for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health until death do us part.

They strengthen each other’s faith, supporting, counseling, and easing each other’s burdens in healing and
comforting. They minister to their children most of all by having a lasting, loving relationship. As parents they
have to take care of their children not only physically but also provide for their religious formation.
They minister to their children by a lasting, loving relationship with each other that established a
sound family atmosphere Married life is the state of life, which the majority of human beings choose for
themselves. Through Marriage, human race propagates and preserve itself. Without Marriage and the
children that are born, educated, and developed in Marriage, the human race would vanish from the face of
the earth. It is a unique sacrament in that the vocation of marriage itself is a foundational human reality built
into the very created nature of man and woman.
In marriage, 2 people surrender themselves to one another to have children and to lead a common
life. Marriage is not only a contract, it is also a sacrament Christ has raised to the dignity of a Sacrament.
The Sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union with Christ and the Church. The blessing of the sacrament
is the child. The child is the first blessing of marriage. It is the expression and the fruit of
mutual love of husband and wife. Matrimony as a sacrament is a holy institution, a symbol of the union
between Christ and the Church. Marriage, then, is a vocation to a fuller life in Christ, in love that is sealed,
purified, deepened and strengthened by the Spirit of love, the Spirit of the Father and the Risen Christ.
Biblical Basis
Matrimony/Marriage
Gen 2:24 - "a man leaves his parents and clings to his wife and they become
one flesh”

Mark 10:2-12; Matt 19:1-9 - Jesus teaches against divorce; "What God has
joined together, let no one separate”

Eph 5:22-33; 1Cor 7:10-16 - Paul stresses the unity of husbands and wives
not simply Jesus' presence at the wedding at Cana, John 2:1-11

How is marriage the image of the New Covenant?

⚫ (CFC 1998) The marriage covenant between husband and wife images the covenant between
Christ and his Church.
Therefore, husbands and wives should love each other as Christ loves the Church, “deferring to one
another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph. 5:21

What are the three “goods/ values of Marriage”?

⚫ (CFC 1999) Catholic tradition speaks of Marriage in terms of:
- sacrament,
- mutual love and fidelity of spouses, and
- offspring.

How is Marriage a Sacrament?

⚫ (CFC 2000) Both the celebration of the Marriage Rite and the couple’s married life of love are a
“sacrament” of Christ’s love for his people.
- a saving symbolic act and life,
- grounded in Christ’s ministry, and
- continued in, by and for the Church, which,
- when celebrated in faith,
- fashions the married couple into the likeness of Christ
- by making them actually share in God’s own love and faithfulness
- through the power of the Holy Spirit
⚫ (CFC 2001) Catholic spouses marry in the church:
a) to have their binding commitment of love
- to each other
- before God and
- the Christian community
b) blessed through, with and in Christ their Lord and Savior, as he blessed the wedding at
Cana, where he performed the firs of his “signs” revealing his glory to his disciples (cf. Jn 2:1-11)
 5. Sacrament of Reconciliation

Matter: the acts of the penitent.

Form: words of absolution

(uttered by the priest)

"God the Father of mercies has reconciled the world to Himself through the death and resurrection of His
Son, and has poured forth the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins. May He grant you pardon and peace
through the ministry of the Church. And I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit."

• Effects:
• Forgiven of one's sins
• Reconciled to God
• Reconciled to others
• Ministers:
• Bishops
• Priests
Biblical Basis
Penance/Reconciliation
• Jesus: Forgive!
– John 20:23
– Matt 16:19; 18:18
• James: Confess!
– James 5:16
–
Central Words & Actions
Penance/Reconciliation

• Words:
– "I forgive you of all of your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit"
• Actions:
– confesses his sins
– expresses contrition
– proposes amendment

6. Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

Christ instituted this sacrament to remove the remnants of sin from the souls of men, and uniting them
closely to Christ passion. Only priests (Bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick
Anointing of the Sick is another proof of the face of death. Sacrament's healing is the total, personal
healing, a saving and raising up of the whole person.
No amount of sickness, pains and suffering – death itself – can shake our confident faith that our
ultimate healing is assured in Jesus Christ. The celebration of the Anointing of the Sick consists in the
anointing of the forehead and
hands of sick person,

The anointing being accompanied by the liturgical prayers of the

Celebrant asking for the grace of this sacrament.

Each time a Christian falls seriously ill, he may receive the Anointing of Sick. And also, when after he has
received it the illness worsens.

In the Old Testament, anointing signified healing, purification, and strengthening, but most of all
empowerments. By “healing” we do not necessarily mean a cure or the eradication of the disease or defect,
which the medical profession pursues.

There can be “healing” by holistic care that touches the body, soul and spirit of the sick person.
The Sacrament of the Anointing unites the sick person with the Passion and death of the Primordial
Sacrament: Christ, the Healer

Biblical Basis
Anointing of the Sick

• Disciples anoint the sick:

– Mark 6:7-13
• Call elders to pray/anoint:
– James 5:14-16
• Mark 6:7-13 - Jesus' disciples "anointed with oil many who
were sick and healed them”
• James 5:14-16 - "call for the elders of the church and have
them pray over (the sick), anointing them with
oil in the names of the Lord."

7. Sacrament of holy orders

Matter: Laying on of hands

Form: the prayers of the ritual.

• Effects:
• Becoming "ordained" clergy, in leadership “orders”:
• Bishops
• Priests
• Deacons
• Ministers:
• only Bishops
Biblical Basis
Holy Orders

• Jesus chooses Apostles:

– Mark 3:13-19; etc.
• Laying on of Hands:
– Acts 6:6
– 1 Tim 4:14; 5:22
– 2 Tim 1:6
What are the three degrees of the Sacrament of Orders?
⚫ (CFC 2019) The ordained ministry is exercised in three different degrees:
- Bishops, on whom the fullness of the priesthood is conferred;
- Priests, who serve the Church as co- workers under the Bishop; and
- Deacons, who minister in various ways in the service of the liturgy, the Gospel
and works of charity.
What are the two basic relationships of the priest?
⚫ (CFC 2018) By his ordination in the Sacrament of Holy Order, the priest is specially related
to, and functions in the name of:
- Christ, Head, Shepherd and Spouse of the Church, in whose name the priest labors;
- the whole Church in which the priest is a constitutive element in his being and
action
⚫ (CFC 2021) As consecrated to God in a new way by their ordination, priests are bound in a
special way to strive for the perfection indicative of one called to represent Christ before
the faithful.

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
⚫ (CFC 2020) The Holy Spirit configures the ordained to Christ, Head and Shepherd of the Church,
by a special grace, and confers an indelible spiritual “character”, which marks the priest for special
ministry in the Church.

Questions for Discussion:

1. What is the importance of the 7 Rituals? Discuss.

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

2. Why do we have the sacrament today? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

3. What is the most important thing that all seven sacraments have in common?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
 Activity 10. Write True if the Statement if correct and False if incorrect.

_____________1.In the Old Testament, anointing signified healing, purification, and strengthening,
but most of all empowerments.
_____________2. In Confirmation, Jesus gives us in a special way his Spirit, the “Spirit of truth.”
_____________3. Sacrament is a saving symbolic act or a visible sign, arising from the ministry of
Christ.
_____________4. Catholic sacraments are at once sacraments of Christ in origin & presence.
_____________5. Sacraments are the objects, actions, practices, places and the like that help us
become aware of Christ’s grace filled- presence.
_____________6. Baptism is the Sacrament of faith which brings us new life in Christ and
forgiveness of sins through water and the Spirit.
_____________7. Baptism of blood – refers to the martyrdom of those who believe and killed for
their faith.

_____________8.The Eucharist is the centerpiece of the 7 Sacraments and the source and
summit of the whole Christian life.

_____________9. The vows in the liturgy. Marriage is the only sacrament that the couple actually
administers to one another.
_____________10. Marriage is only a contract; it is also a sacrament Christ has raised to the
dignity of a Sacrament.

Course References:

• Wostyn, Lode. DISCIPLESHIP IN COMMUNITY: A WORKBOOK FOR THEOLOGY 3. Quezon

City: Claretian Publications, 2003.
• Raas, Bernhard, SVD. LITURGY, MINISTRIES AND THE BIBLE. Manila: Logos Publications,Inc.,
2010.
• CBCP-ECCE. CATECHISM FOR FILIPINO CATHOLICS. Manila: Word and Life Publications,1997.
• Chupungco, Fr. Anscar, OSB. The Filipino Catholics and their Life of Worship And Prayer.
• DOCETE, Nos. 107 & 108, Issue Nos. 112, 113 & 114. Intramuros, Manila: ECCE National
Catechetical Office, Jan to Sept. 2003.
• Balon, Jess P. Liturgical Year, DOCETE, Nos. 107 & 108. MANILA: ECCE-National
Catechetical Office, 2015.

• Salud, Audrey Vincentine. Christ and the Church (Module 2), Letran Calamba Religious Education
Program. Katha Publishing Company, Inc., 2013.
• Knox, Ian. Theology for Teachers, Claretian Publications, 2011.