OUR SACRAMENTAL LIFE

A REFLECTION FOR THE 6TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Today, we plan on introducing a new Christian into the Church of Christ, that Church he founded for the purpose of providing us with the means of salvation.  This sacrament of Baptism does more than merely wash away the stain of original sin from the soul.  It makes us a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, one that is thenceforth nourished by the other sacraments, whose graces stream forth from the Precious Blood of Christ flowing through that Mystical Body.

Without baptism, we are not permitted to receive any of the other sacraments.  First of all, the original sin we would still harbor within us would act as an obstacle to the very graces we’re trying to receive.  We must cleanse the soul from original sin, and only then is the way open to all the other, infinite graces of which we are invited to partake.

For the same reason, as we get older and are beset with temptations, the need for sacramental absolution takes on a greater role in our lives.  Original sin is replaced with actual sins that we ourselves commit, and it is only through the words of sacramental absolution that we can be assured that our sins are forgiven and we are able to continue receiving the graces of the other sacraments.

The sacrament of Confirmation strengthens us in our resolve to remain temples of the Holy Ghost.  Holy Communion becomes our primary source of sanctifying grace as we receive, as often as we can, the Body and Blood of Christ, the very source of grace himself.  Without this Communion, we will literally starve to death in the spiritual sense of those words.  Without the grace that comes from Communion we will, as our Lord himself tells us, “have no life” in us.

The special graces of Matrimony and Holy Orders ensure the continuation of Christ’s Mystical Body and the priests to administer the sacraments to them.  And as we transition from this life to the next, it is the sacrament of Extreme Unction which provides the grace for us to complete our journey.

So make use of these essential gifts of God, the seven sacraments.  They are there for the taking, they cost nothing, they provide everything we need for salvation. By accepting and receiving these gifts, we show our gratitude to our loving Father, from whose bounty the Church and each of us, her members, are supplied with all we need to save our souls.