The Sacraments

THE SACRAMENTS

Christ above all, He who was the divine Savior of men, knew the priceless value of the human soul. He knew it so well that He was willing to lay down his own life to save it, to suffer the awful agony of the cross in so doing. He knew the awful responsibility that would be the lot of men to cooperate with Him in the salvation of their souls. He knew in addition the difficulty men would have in view of the weakness of human nature, and in the midst of the temptations to break God's law in this life. Christ therefore not only redeemed mankind by His death on the cross, He not only established His Church to be a light and a guide and a teacher of men unto salvation, but He also purchased for him innumerable graces that man would need in his journey through life. These graces would be spiritual helps that would give man the spiritual strength necessary to win out in the struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil. That these graces might flow into the souls of men, He dug for us seven different channels of grace in order that all men might partake of the spiritual strength they so desperately needed. These seven channels of grace are called Sacraments.

Now a Sacrament is a sign, a sign of Christ operating upon the souls of men. It is a visible sign instituted by Christ Himself to show that He is pouring His grace into their souls. For instance Baptism is a Sacrament. Christ instituted this sign, which is the pouring of the water upon the head of the person to be baptized and the pronouncing of the words by the priest. Christ Himself, the Author of all grace, instituted the sign, the pouring of the water. Christ Himself indicated plainly the words to be used.  "Baptize," He said, "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." He Himself taught us the necessity of Baptism. "Unless a man be born again," He said, "of water and the Holy Spirit, He cannot enter the kingdom of God." And to the Apostles He gave the command: "Go forth and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Baptism then is the first channel of grace, the first Sacrament. By it the person baptized is freed from the stain of original sin. He is made again a child of God and an heir of heaven. It is the badge of the Christian. It gives him the further right to partake of all the other sacraments Christ instituted. The sacraments the Church administers to the faithful are like the doctrines she preaches. They go back in an unbroken succession to Christ Himself for the Church neither makes up her doctrines nor invents her sacraments. She takes Christ at His word. Consequently when Christ says: "Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven," the Church takes Him at His word and teaches the absolute necessity of Baptism, the first Sacrament.