The Seven Sacraments

Dr (Fr) Thomas Kollamparambil CMI is a senior member of DVK. With distinct clarity and lucid accounts, Fr Thomas Kollamparambil explained the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church. By the end of the class, each participant had a clear idea of the inner meaning of God's saving grace.

Introduction

Disintegration is seen in human life and society. In the biblical understanding, disintegration is seen from the first pair of human beings. By their disobedience, the first pair became vulnerable to disintegration. The natural course of such disintegration is death and annihilation. But divine mercy has its own plan to integrate everything and fulfill all the promises of creation.

God's plan was to bring up humanity to a sacred level at which divine-human relationship could well be established. This will and plan of God continues even with all forms of disobedience and disintegration of Adam/humanity. Hence God's plan of salvation history progresses as it was intended. Even if Adam is fallen, God has the plan to resurrect him (make him stand up). This plan is effected through creation, incarnation, and resurrection.

God makes humanity sacred, and all divine activities in view of this are sacramental. Hence the incarnation of the Son is the most powerful of all such activities of God, and therefore Christ, the Messiah, is the sacrament of God for humanity. The Church is the continuation of the work of the Messiah and the Church effects her work through the means of sacraments. Thus, creation, incarnation, and the Church & sacraments are the road of divinisation for humanity according to the plan of God.

Sacramental and Secular World Visions

The whole created world is good in itself and was pleasing to God (Gen 1:10, 1:25, 1;31). Because God is the architect and creator of this world, including human beings, designs and signs of divinity are there in the world. In other words, the Spirit (power) of the divinity is working in the world and in its history (salvation history), and it is through that power (of the Spirit) that the created world attains its goal or salvation (life in its fullness, Jn 10:10).

The power and presence of the divinity in the world makes the whole world sacred and hence a sacrament of God. If only we approach this sacred world with the awareness of the presence of the divine designs and signs underlying in the phenomenon of the world, we would be able to relate with it in the proper manner. This type of proper understanding of the phenomenon of the world with its essential relationship to divinity is the sacramental world vision and sacramental understanding. If somebody finds the utilities and benefits of the elements of this world, without any reference to the creator, that would be the secular mode of looking at things and hence the secular world-vision. What we need is a journey from the secular to the sacramental vision.

Sacramental Vision of the Created World and Humanity

Due to the 'image and likeness of God' in Adam/humanity (Gen 1:26), Adam/humanity assumed the powers and faculties of prophet, priest, and king. Assuming the fullness and summit of these faculties is the goal of humanity. The fullness is brought about by the incarnate Son who is the heir and consummation of Adam. Thus, Adam/humanity's relationship with Christ and the Christ Event is the source of human existence, life, and fulfillment in all aspects. Hence, Christ (incarnate Son/Messiah) is the sacrament of God for Adam/humanity. Christ (incarnate Son/Messiah) continues his work through the Church. The Church makes all Christians related to Christ (Messiah) and the Christ Event through sacraments.

More about Sacraments

"Human beings were created in the image of God." (Genesis) That is, divinity in creation itself.

• The church is a divine-human institution. (Instituted by Christ)
• As it is human, the church needs constant renewal. (By the grace of God, divinity and humanity have come together.)
• The renewal of the church is most effectively done through the renewal of the sacramental life of Christians.

Index   Seven Sacraments   Baptism   Eucharist   Confirmation
Holy Orders   Marriage   Reconciliation   Anointing

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