Are sacraments symbols?

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I know my sacraments as taught by the Catholic Church. I know hundreds of Catholics that have recieved the sacraments. There lives do not resemble a new life in Christ. Are they symbols of the works of Christ?
 
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I find it difficult to believe you know every single aspect of hundreds of Catholics lives. Sometimes, I can’t even remember what I did five minutes ago. I’m not trying to sound condescending, but I’m skeptical of what you say. Also, what do you mean by symbols? Sacraments really convey a means of grace, baptism really does something.
 
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1131 The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s1c1a2.htm
 
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Marp said:
There lives do not resemble a new life in Christ.
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As said, it would be difficult for another person to,know,exactly to what extent their minds have been altered by say baptism. But it should be obvious if they live differently due to it.

It’s actually not easy to live in an observably different way, but that doesn’t mean that people,haven’t been changed by the sacraments I don’t think. For,instance I pray quite a bit, no one sees that because it’s done in private.
 
Ha ha so true!!! I do have 11 brothers and sisters all married with 48 grandchildren and most live in Chicago! They are all Catholic and wonderful it is the 2nd cousins I am worried about! All jokes aside. I joined a nondenominational bible study 5 years ago and I am puzzled by the peace and joy they share. The Bible seems to be coming alive to me and gestures
 
Is a sacrament or a symbolic gesture to recieve sacraments and does it matter who administers them? Does the administrator have to be pure in heart to do so. I am anxious to be at peace with so many questions. Thank you for taking the time to respond.
 
Marp said:
Does the administrator have to be pure in heart to do so.
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No. A Priest in grave sin can still confect the Sacraments — Celebrate Mass validly, absolve sin validly, Baptize validly etc. The state of the soul of the Priest does not invalidate a sacrament. The Priest who Baptized you or gave you Communion could be a serial killer and it does not make the Sacrament any less valid.
 
Marp said:
Is a sacrament or a symbolic gesture to recieve sacraments and does it matter who administers them? Does the administrator have to be pure in heart to do so.
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No, the priest need not be in the state of grace to be able to perform the sacramental acts. The reason is because the promise and power of God, which is received through the Sacraments, is more than just the priest and is not dependent on the priest to be valid or to give us grace.
 
Sacraments can have a symbolic sense, like Baptism for example which is a symbol of washing and cleansing. However, it would be folly to just stop there. The Sacraments have the promise of Christ attached to them and are the means by which He has established that we share in His Power and Goodness. Baptism isn’t merely a symbolic washing or just a fancy ceremony. It is the way that Christ has given us that we receive the free gift of grace that He offers us. We don’t force God’s hand in the Sacraments to give us grace. Rather, we are assured that these acts have been instituted by Christ and have His promise to give us grace and to share in the Divine Life. Hope this is helpful @Marp!
 
Marp said:
I know my sacraments as taught by the Catholic Church. I know hundreds of Catholics that have recieved the sacraments. There lives do not resemble a new life in Christ. Are they symbols of the works of Christ?
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As James said, a “said faith” is a dead faith. That said, Augustine was no poster child for the faith before the faith transformed him. Prior to that he was a massive screw up. Monica his mother prayed mightily for her son. Obviously her prayers were answered. 😎
 
lagerald24 said:
No, the priest need not be in the state of grace to be able to perform the sacramental acts.
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I thought the priest had to be in a state of grace to perform the sacrament of communion. No? (New Catholic here!)

Thanks!
 
The Church has taught that the sacraments act ex opere operato , that is “by the very fact of the action’s being performed.” The efficacy of the sacrament does not depend upon the human minister– whether a bishop, priest, deacon, or layperson– being free of mortal sin and thereby in a state of grace. Here then is the distinction between Christ who instituted the sacraments and acts through them to communicate His grace, and the human person who acts as Christ’s minister in performing the sacrament.
 
Sacraments are not just symbols. They are both symbols and signs. As a symbol, the physical action represents the spiritual action taking place. More importantly, however, they are physical signs of that spiritual action. The physical action is essentially and inherently linked to the spiritual action of God. This is why, while the sacraments were instituted by Christ, they were entrusted to the Church for their execution, because they had specific physical requirements which accompanied the spiritual action which needed to be preserved for the sacrament itself to be preserved.

While the Church does teach that the sacraments act ex opere operato, meaning that the sacrament’s efficacy is separate from the state of Grace of the minister, the Church also teaches that the sacraments act ex opere operantis, meaning that the sacraments do depend upon the physical action of the minister and the intention to perform the sacrament and bestow the graces which accompany it.
 
, meaning that the sacraments do depend upon the physical action of the minister and the intention to perform the sacrament and bestow the graces which accompany it. I do not understand this area. Can you clarify?
 
So Christ bestows his grace from only a Catholic priest? And he would do so no matter what state of faithfulness the priest has. Can you match that with scripture? I am confused.
 
lagerald24 said:
No, the priest need not be in the state of grace to be able to perform the sacramental acts.
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So if the Priest is in grave sin and can still give Communion, is it still possible for him to receive the bread and wine himself?
 
The consecration is still validly accomplished by a priest in a state of grave sin. The priest must consume the host and chalice as an integral part of the Mass, and as such if he were in a state of mortal sin, would incur an additional sin by doing so.
 
daveturner said:
So if the Priest is in grave sin and can still give Communion, is it still possible for him to receive the bread and wine himself?
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No, that would definitely be a sacrilege. As 1st Corinthians 11:27 says, “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.”

The person receiving the Sacraments in a worthy manner will truly be receiving the whole Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. The state of the priest has no effects on the efficacy of the Sacrament.
 
Howdy Mary Pat! Here’s some info on the Sacraments, what they are and what they do. There’s a lot of great info on them at Catholic.com and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

So, first of all, Christ, not the Church, instituted the sacraments. The Church is not the source of the grace they convey and the Church does not have the arbitrary disposition of them. The Church merely administers them on behalf of Jesus Christ. Thus the sacraments are the central element in the life of the Church and within the Church, forming the Mystical Body of Christ.

For a sacrament to be valid, it must be properly celebrated — that is, certain requirements set forth in Church law must be met. For this reason, no sacramental rite may be modified or manipulated except by the supreme authority of the Church, which itself may not act arbitrarily but always “in the obedience of faith and with religious respect for the mystery” of the sacramental liturgy.

Also, for a sacrament to be valid, the proper “matter” or “form” of the sacrament. The matter is the tangible material sign which is proper to each sacrament: for baptism, water; for confirmation, consecrated chrism; for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the expression of contrition and the confession of sin; for the Eucharist, unleavened bread and wine from grapes; for the anointing of the sick, the blessed oil of the sick; for matrimony, one man and one woman exchanging marital consent; for holy orders, a baptized male. The form is the verbal statement that accompanies the matter of the sacramental rite.

Once again, Christ is always acting through the Sacraments He has given us. The Church has the authority to administer them from the authority that Christ has given her. Regardless of the personal state of the minister, if the proper intent and matter are present, the Sacraments are still valid.

Hope this is helpful!
 
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