1.- There are several questions upon the sacraments: what are they? empty meaning rites? a meaningless routine? something magic? opium for the people religious consumption? a fraud and alienation source? Signals of the man’s meeting with God? Christ’s action? In many cases what people perceives are empty rites. “To understand this, it must be taken into account that the rite has two characteristics: on one side, it is a socially stereotyped action submitted to a fixed regulation; on the other side, the rite produces its effect only by the fact of being executed with fidelity and correction. This is the reason by which the rites offer safety for those carrying them out. But, on the other side, when experiences in the life fail or are missing, we come into the danger to continue executing the mere external expression, the mere ritual” (J.M. Castillo).
2.- Originally, in the roman world, sacrament is the act by which the soldier promises total fidelity to his emperor. In analogy, Tertulian (about 160-220) names sacrament to the baptism as far as it incorporates to the Christian militancy. In the latin version of the N.T, greek word mystery is sometimes translated like sacrament, and others is simply transcribed. Saint Paul uses the word mystery-sacrament to indicate that mysterious plan that for centuries and generations remained secret, and which God has now revealed to his holy ones (Col 1,26). The word sign is also used. According to Saint Agustin, a sign is called sacrament when it means relationship with divine matters. Its use is very wide and reaches from the view of the sacrament in the Old Testament events, personalities and words, as far as related to the New Testament, till to assume like sacraments Christ’s actions, gestures and words, or also and even mainly – from the fourth and fifth centuries- the Church sacred rites.
3.- In the thirteenth century, under Peter Lombardo’s influence, the distinction between the “main or highest” sacraments and “other sacraments” that we can name like sacramentals and which depend from those, is raised. The last ones are today grouped in three categories: consecrations, blessings and exorcisms. According to the second Vatican Council, sacramentals are “sacred signs created following the model of the sacraments, by which effects obtained through church’s intercession above all of spiritual character, are expressed. Through those, people prepare themselves to receive the sacraments main effect and they sanctify life’s diverse circumstances” (SC 60). The Council calls for a revision of his rites (SC 79), to enlighten their true values and to ensure that they answer the present needs (SC 62).
4.- In the apostolic Church there are gestures and actions that, although they are not presented with the specific name of sacraments, ecclesial tradition has identified them with those that later on have been named sacraments. In this manner is cited the baptism (Acts 2,38.41), the gift of the Spirit (8,17; 19,6), the fraction of the bread (2,42.46) also known like Lord’s supper (1 Co 11,20), the unction of the sick (James 5,14), the constitution of someone in the ecclesial minister (Acts 6,6; 1Tm 1,12; 4,14), to marry in the Lord (1Co 7,39). Nevertheless, rituals carried out with these events in the initial Church are not explained in the New Testament. Following the prophetic tradition, hypocrisy in a formalist and superficial cult that leaves out the fundamentals is denounced (Jr 7; Mt 21; James 5, 1-6)
5.- The sacraments are the great moments of faith life, which the Christian community celebrates. The Church counts seven. Being the same Spirit acting in all of them (1Co 12,11), the sacraments diversity answers to different situations of the believers´ life, which in some way assume a new beginning. Thus the baptism is the sacrament of the birth of faith; the confirmation the sacrament of the testimony of faith; the Eucharist, the sacrament of the Bread of Life and the celebration of the Lord’s Pasch; the penitence, the sacrament of the conversion and the forgiveness; the unction of the sick, the sacrament of the Christian hope before the illness´ pain and the death; the holy orders, the sacrament of the service to the Christian community; the marriage, the sacrament of human love, sign of definitive fidelity and of responsible parenthood.
6.- In the context of the church’s mystery, the sacraments are Christ’s himself personal acts that mean God’s salvation in the Church’s visible plan. Such is the authentic nucleus of Christ’s presence in a mystery’s style. Like the second Vatican Council says, “Christ is always present in his church, above all in the liturgical actions. It is present in the Mass sacrifice. He is present with his strength in the sacraments so that when someone baptizes, is Christ himself who baptizes. He is present in his word, since when the Scriptures are read in the Church, it is He who speaks. He is present, at last, when the church implores and sings Psalms” (SC 7). The sacraments are not things. Inscribed in the visible level of the sensible facts and the human actions, they are meetings with Christ. That who celebrates the sacraments in a living way may appropriate himself these words: “Christ, you have shown yourself to me face to face: I meet you in your sacraments” (Saint Ambrosias, Apology of the prophet David, 12,58).
7.- In the sacraments we do not celebrate merely natural events, like the birth, the age majority, the marriage or the death. This is done by the so named natural religions. The sacraments are encountering of the Lord with us in decisive moments of our faith, which are expressed and carried out in elemental actions of our existence: to get out of the water (to cross the sea), to share the table, to cure, to receive a mission, to marry, to confess the own fault. In the Christian celebrations, these realities of the human being change to be signs of the new creation already inaugurated by the Resurrected Lord. In this way, neither to baptize is to take a bath nor to celebrate the Eucharist is to satiate the body. The baptized already baths himself in a new world and he is in a new world when the community eats.
8.- The sacraments are a living extension of the Lord’s Body. Like Saint Lion Magnus says, “what was visible in Christ has passed over to the sacraments in the Church” (Sermon 74,2). The sacraments are community celebrations from which Saint Paul says: you are Christ’s body (1Co 12,27). Being a community, the Church is people light (LG 1), a sign raised in the middle of the nations (SC 2), universal salvation sacrament (GS 2). It is not the individual but the community the one that may evangelise. It is not the individual but the community the one who may live today the Gospel’s signals. It is not the individual but the community the one who celebrate the sacraments.
9.- The sacramental sign has a very close kinship, on one side, with the word and, on the other, with the action: it expresses and carries out the effective relationship of the man with God. The sign is the faith reflected in act and the grace is precisely that personal communion with God. The sacraments (in first place, the baptism) convey the stamp of the living God (Eph 1,13; Rev 7,2). The Baptism, the Confirmation and the Holy Orders are received only once. They imprint a definitive mark: they impress character. The sacrament is an effective grace’s sign, a sign that effectively operates the grace that it conveys. Trent’s Council defined that the sacraments, assumed the required conditions of the person receiving them, carry out the grace ex opere operato (DS 1606-1608). This expression, to avoid its magic and routine use, has been reinterpreted like efficacy from Christ’s mystery. Besides, it is necessary to take into account that, in the first centuries, initiation sacraments celebration (baptism, confirmation, eucharist) was preceded by a catechumenal process.
10.- The Church celebrates the sacraments by means of ministers. Paul wish is this: Let everyone then see us as the servants of Christ and stewards of the secret works of God (1Co 4,1). Of course, faithfulness shall be demanded of us (4,2). The minister does not act in his own name, but in Christ’s and Church’s name, because “purification does not proceed from Damasus, neither Peter, neither Ambrosias, nor Gregory. We are the ministers, but the sacraments are yours. To communicate the divine gifts do not proceed from the human forces, but from you, Lord” (Saint Ambrosias, On the Holy Spirit, 1).
*Dialog: over those aspects considered most important.