October 1, 2023 - Pastor Message
04/30/2024THE YEAR OF MISSION
THE SACRAMENTS (cont.)
“Since the sacraments are the same for the whole Church and belong to the divine deposit, it is only for the supreme authority of the Church to approve or define the requirements for their validity; it is for the same or another competent authority according to the norm of can. 838 §§3 and 4 to decide what pertains to their licit celebration, administration, and reception and to the order to be observed in their celebration” (Canon 841 of the Code of Canon Law).
Now that we understand the definition of sacraments - effective signs of God’s grace, instituted by Christ, celebrated by the Church, for the salvation of souls - we need to understand how they work. We can approach that subject from multiple directions, but, as a canon lawyer, I think the clearest way is from the perspective of canon, or church, law. From that perspective, the minimum requirements for a sacrament to work, or to give grace, are the necessary matter, form, minister, recipient, and effect.
As signs, the sacraments need to have a sensible reality, something we can see, hear, touch, taste and smell. We call that sensible component the matter of the sacrament. We take that matter and do something with it - we pour it, anoint with it, etc. We call that the form of the sacrament. Someone is the necessary person to do the form with the matter; we call that person the minister. And someone is able to receive the grace of the sacrament, whom we call the recipient. If all of that happens as prescribed by the Church, grace will happen, which we call the effect, and those are the canonical basics of how the sacraments work.
We will look at these requirements for each of the sacraments, but there are two other vital requirements for the grace of the sacraments to take effect in our lives: disposition and intention. Disposition refers to the objective ability of persons to receive the grace of the sacraments. That means that, regardless of the individual, certain prerequisites must be met, not as a matter of “the rules”, but as a matter of the situation of the person. The clearest example of this is the need for a person to be baptized to celebrate any of the other sacraments. Baptism is the necessary prerequisite, or disposition, to receive the grace of all the other sacraments.
Intention refers to the subjective ability of persons to receive the grace of the sacraments. That means that the individuals involved need to orient their minds and wills toward the fruitfulness of the sacrament, intending by their action what the Church intends. That is completely up to the individuals, regardless of their situation. So, for example, as long as they are properly disposed and using the necessary matter, form, etc., prisoners in a simple chapel in jail can receive the grace of the Eucharist from a Sunday Mass while people in three-piece suits at a gorgeous cathedral who are distracted and not even thinking about what they are celebrating may not.
The proper disposition and intention are necessary for every sacrament. In the coming weeks, we will look at all the sacraments from the perspective of the other necessary components, which are particular to each sacrament. May our reflection lead us to a more fruitful celebration of all the sacraments here at St. Boniface
Fr. Marc Stockton
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