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Sacraments’ origins

3/5/2025

Catholic Living

Sacraments’ origins

Consecration of bread and wine in the body and blood of Jesus – Sacred Host

Question: Not long ago, I participated in a catechetical conference within our diocese, and when I inquired whether Christ established all the sacraments, the speaker refrained from responding with a simple “yes.” He avoided the question and provided only an ambiguous reply. Additionally, he did not affirm that Christ provided us with seven sacraments. What are your thoughts on this?

— Name and address withheld

Answer: There are three approaches to addressing the inquiry regarding the origin of the sacraments — two unsatisfactory and one more satisfactory. The first approach is to claim that Christ specifically established the seven sacraments at distinct times and provided them with their fundamental words (form) and their fundamental actions (matter). The Gospels do not present proof of this kind of formal and meticulous establishment by Christ. Efforts to provide an elaborate account of the explicit and detailed institution of the sacraments by Jesus gained popularity in the scholastic tradition that emerged after the Council of Trent.

The alternative method of addressing this issue is to propose that Christ did not establish the sacraments whatsoever, and that they were established by the Church throughout the ages. From this perspective, Christ — at the very least — established baptism and the Eucharist. This viewpoint was prevalent in liberal Protestantism during the 19th and 20th centuries and continues to be a well-known aspect of liberal theology today.

The most suitable approach to addressing the inquiry regarding the establishment of the sacraments is to state that they represent the ongoing manifestation of Christ’s ministry throughout history. To the extent that Christ remains present in the world, his presence is sacramental. The sacraments are intrinsically linked to Christ, and Christ is inextricably linked to the sacraments. Without the sacraments, Christ would lack visibility in the world.

Throughout his public ministry, Jesus invited disciples to accompany him and, through the grace of the Spirit, united them with himself. These activities persist in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. Jesus frequently dined with his disciples, particularly during the Last Supper and the meal on the road to Emmaus. He continues to partake in this today in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Central to Jesus’ mission was his continual act of forgiving wrongdoers and their restoration to the principles of the Kingdom. The Sacrament of Penance extends this ministry of Jesus into the present day.

Jesus restored health to the ill and tended to the wounds of those suffering in both body and soul. This service persists through the anointing of the sick by the ministers of the Church.

Jesus dispatched selected disciples to announce the Kingdom and to perform baptisms. This commissioning of apostles persists through holy orders. At Cana, Jesus sanctified marriage with his presence at a wedding event. He continues to sanctify marriages today through his sacramental presence in the Church’s wedding blessings.

In this perspective on the establishment of the sacraments, we discover the most direct link between Jesus and the sacraments. The sacraments represent the ongoing actions and ministry of Jesus in the world, empowered by the Holy Spirit. An outstanding explanation of this perspective can be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (refer to Nos. 1113-1116).

With respect to the count of the sacraments, the Catechism employs a comparison to the evolution of the canon of Scripture: “As she has done for the canon of Sacred Scripture and for the tenets of faith, the Church, guided by the Spirit who leads her ‘into all truth,’ has progressively acknowledged this gift received from Christ and, as the faithful steward of God’s mysteries, has delineated its ‘dispensation.’ Therefore, the Church has recognized throughout the centuries that among liturgical celebrations, there are seven that are, in the strictest sense, sacraments established by Christ” (No. 1117).

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