Theology
...work of Christ is continued in the Catholic Church, especially through the seven sacraments which He instituted. The Holy Spirit gives His grace through the sacraments and sanctifies souls.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church enjoys the presence of Christ in the sacraments and carries on His ministry and saving mission.
A. Etymology of the Word Sacrament
1. Mysterium/ Musterion
• Literally translated as MYSTERY (realities that our mind couldn’t grasp!)
• It is something to do with the secret religious rites of cults.
• Gospel: it refers to the mystery of the kingdom, which is revealed explicitly to the disciples but to others only in parables.
2. Sacramentum
• Gk: “musterion” ( Lt: “sacramentum” or “mysterium”
• Sacramentum ' came to emphasize the visible sign of the hidden reality of salvation indicated by the term mysterium.
• Mysterium ' came to emphasize [Christ] himself
*Christ ' the mystery of salvation
***The term sacrament comes from the Lt. term sacramentum.
B. Definitions from Theologians
1. Tertullian
• First true theologian of the West, RCC
• First X’tian author to write mainly in Latin
• First to use the term sacramentum
2. St. Augustine of Hippo
• Great Doctor of the Church
• He used Greek when he taught that a sign is something that imprints a double image on the senses:
1. its distinctive image
2. The further reality that pops into the mind of the one who sees it.
• He said that a sacred sign must lead
one to a sacred or religious reality.
• Grace comes from this sacred sign because it is Christ himself who is at work.
***A sacrament is a sign of sacred reality.
• Furthermore:
Sacrament has two...
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