Faith of Our Fathers

New Zealand Tablet, 22 December 1921, Page 33

Faith of Our Fathers

y; [A Weekly > Instruction for Young and Old.]Third Article: Effects and Efficacy of the Sacraments — . v y . ' . - Ceremonies. ._ 15. What are the effects of the Sacraments, and how ; do they produce these effects in the soul? . (1) The ects of the Sacraments are three in number: sanctifying grace, actual graces, and character. 16. (1) All the Sacraments confer sanctifying ; some of them the first grace, others the second. We call the first.sanctifying grace.that which is given to souls still stained by mortal sin, because it changes their state from that of sin to that of holiness. We call that second sanctifying grace, or augmentation-'-of grace, which further sanctifies souls already sanctified, and which is added to the - graco they already possess, to increase their spiritual treasure. The-Sacraments of the dead are instituted to produce the first sanctifying grace; those of the living to produce the second, or the increase of grace. (2) All the Sacraments also bestow actual graces proper to the end of each ; or rather, they give the right, founded on sanctifying grace, to receive actual graces corresponding to the end of the Sacrament that has been received, whenever we stand in need of them. . Thus the actual graces of Baptism are the helps which the baptised person will need to enable him to preserve his baptismal innocence and lead a Christian life. ' 17. (3) Three of the Sacraments imprint on the soul a character, an indelible spiritual mark, which renders their second reception impossible. This character, says the Council of Trent, has two effects: by one of them we are rendered capable of receiving or doing certain things in the order-cf religion; the other serves to distinguish those who have received the Sacraments that imprint a character. These Sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. * ""' Baptism is a. spiritual birth, in which is received the character, the distinctive mark of beng a child of God by adoption, and a member of the great Christian family, with the right to "participate in all the blessings which the Church communicates to her children. Confirmation is a putting' on 'of spiritual armor; in it we receive a military character, the distinctive mark of the soldiers of. Jesus Christ. This character gives strength to fight and suffer for the faith; it also renders S the person confirmed more fit to receive the other Sacraments. Holy Orders is a spiritual -consecration, by which he who is ordained receives the sacerdotal ..character, the distinctive mark of the ministers of the Church. This character raises those who receive it above, the ordinary faithful, as leaders are raised above the common soldiers," as shepherds above a flock; it bestows on them a resemblance to Jesus Christ, the great High-Priest or Pontiff by nature; associates them to His sacerdotal dignity, and to all the power that was given to him.in heaven and on earth. 18. (2) Efficacy of the Sacraments, or manner in which the 'Sacraments produce their effects. —The Sacraments produce their effects by their own power, independently of the disposition of the minister, but ddpendently on those '- of the subject who receives them. 19. Power and virtue proper to the Sacraments. They act by , their own power, or, as we may say, they produce their effects by virtue of the act done, and not by virtue of him who ,does it. In other words, the Sacraments act in a necessary manner, as natural agents do; for instance, fire, water, and the like. ._ . - A Sacrament is not a mere prayer, the effect of which depends on the devotion of him who prays. It constitutes in the spiritual order a cause that- bears analogy to causes in the natural order. Therefore it always ,produces its effect by whatever" minister it may be conferred; as fire always consumes wood, by whatever hand they are brought into contact; as a seal, always leaves its impression on soft wax by whatever hand it be pressed upon it as seed "enriches cultivated land by whatever hand it be Scatteredj-:: ■"' there. So, whether the minister of the Sacrament be good ; J. or bad, whether he be a saint or an imitator of the per- . fidious apostle who betrayed his v divine Master, the baptism ;.~_ he Confers, the absolution he : gives, the : Mass which he

celebrates, 'will.always be equally valid. If he exercises his -4 functions unworthily, woe indeed is his, but his alone the : Sacrament suffers not in the least, and its effect is not./ thereby diminished. , • * * The reason of all this is that the visible minister is only the secondary minister, an instrument of Jesus Christ, who is the invisible and principal minister. He it is : •' who baptises by the hand of the man, who confirms by the hand of the bishop, who consecrates, who absolves, by the ymouth of the priest; it is Christ Himself, always.holy, always full of grace and truth, who gives to the Sacrament its • full efficacy. ~ ; -. : ._. ■->'" 20. (2) Dispositions of the subject.—But although on ' the part of the Sacrament the effect is infallible and * necessary, on the part of the subject it depends on fitness and disposition. ■ As wax must be soft to receive an impression, wood dry to take fire, the land prepared to receive the seed, so must ho who receives a Sacrament be duly prepared and disposed in order to obtain its effects. 21. There are two kinds of dispositions to be distinguished : those necessary for the validity of the Sacrament, and those for the fruit or production of grace. In the case of adults, the first are, (1) the intention; (2) the baptismal character, for the Sacraments that follow baptism. The second dispositions are not the same for all the Sacraments; we shall take them into account when treating of each Sacrament in particular. 22. As the dispositions of the subject can vary, and be either good or defective, so, consequently, the nature of the sacramental reception varies: it may be valid, null, fruitful, or informal. \ The reception is valid when the subject (1) is of receiving the _Sacrament, and (2) when he has the intention or wish to receive it. Thus all unbaptised persons who wish to be baptised always receive baptism validly. The reception is.null when the subject is not capable, or has not the intention of receiving the Sacrament. s For instance, if an infidel were to be baptised against Iris will, or a child already validly baptised were to be rebaptised, N the baptism would be null. He who receives absolution without repentance, or without a sincere confession, renders the Sacrament of Penance null. Not because he is incapable or lacks the intention, but because he subtracts. ' from that Sacrament the matter proper to it, which is repentance and sincere accusation. The reception is fruit- \ ful when it is not only valid, but efficacious as well'; that ~ is, when it produces all its fruits in the soul. This is what takes place every time the subject (1) capable of receiving the Sacrament, and intends to receive it (2) -and has all the dispositions required by the Sacrament he receives.^Thus baptism is .fruitful in an adult -when, besides the wish to.receive baptism, he has faith, sufficientinstruction,"and repents of his sins. ~ / The reception is informal when it island but .unfruitful. Thus an, adult receiving baptism ' without faith or sorrow for his sins would be validly baptised, but would not receive sanctifying grace. In' such a case, the baptismal character would bo stamped upon the "soul, but, like seed falling upon dry land, it could not produce its fruit of sanctification. The same is to be said of Confirmation and Holy Orders. These three Sacraments can revive— is. they can produce the rest of their effects later on, if the obstacle is removed, and the subject puts himself into the re-. quired dispositions. According to the established opinion of the doctors, Extreme Unction and Matrimony are in this respect like the three Sacraments which imprint a 7 character; those who have received them in. mortal sin can afterwards receive their salutary effects by means of'asincere conversion/- . Tj ' , Ceremonies are to the Sacraments what the gold or. silver setting of a diamond is to the jewel incased in it. r; They are sacred and symbolical ornaments with which J the Sacraments are invested, (1) that they may be administered with greater dignity and respect} (2) that the faithful may better understand'their effects and mysteries.; All the ceremonies prescribed necessary from the necessity of precept, but not essentially, necessary for\heir validity; a Sacrament, would produce all its effects without . them. "/••". <:-.\ : ';-"-.•',rOr ■ ; .'■".■:'- \-: .'."-'.„ - ~ - :

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