Explaining sacraments to non-christians

[vince2paul]

I need to explain the sacraments to my non-christian friends. so I’m wondering whether anyone could teach me the shortest possible way of explaining it without confusing them.

Thanks in advance!

 

[japhy]

I need to explain the sacraments to my non-christian friends. so I’m wondering whether anyone could teach me the shortest possible way of explaining it without confusing them.

Sacraments are visible signs of spiritual realities – instituted by Christ – which confer grace.

What this means first is that Christ made physical matter and actions sacred, “set apart”. At his baptism in the Jordan, he sanctified all water to be used in baptism. At the Last Supper, he sanctified simple bread and wine to be used in the consecration and offering of the Eucharist. (That’s the “visible signs” part.)

Second, there is a spiritual reality infused to the visible sign. The spiritual reality of being baptized in water while the Trinity is invoked over you is that you receive the grace of God, the remission of sin (original and actual) and its punishment, incorporation into the Body of Christ, and being made a new creation as a temple of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual reality of the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ being present under the appearance of bread and wine.

Third, these are instituted by Christ. Christ is the creator of the sacraments, the sustainer of them, and the chief actor in them.

Fourth, they confer grace. They are not merely “symbols” (in the modern understanding of the word) of grace, they actually confer it. The act of baptizing, of receiving Holy Communion, of having hands laid upon you, of being anointed with oil, etc., confers grace.

A sacrament is a mystery; at the beginning of Mass, the priest says “as we prepare to celebrate these sacred mysteries” referring primarily to the Eucharist. A non-sacramental theology eschews matter and the physical world in favor of an exclusively spiritual world; on the other hand, the Incarnation – by which God assumed a body of flesh – is the origin of sacramentality.

I’m probably not being helpful… Suffice to say, because man is a being of spirit (his soul) and flesh (his body), God chose certain “staples” of our physical existence – bread, wine, oil, water, union between man and woman, laying on of hands – and uses them to speak to us in His language of grace, a language in which we are called to participate/

 

[Fidelis]

jaaphy -

I thought that was an excellent explanation (and that is how I always explain it too). The key is the definition:

Sacraments are
– visible signs
– of spiritual realities
– instituted by Christ
– which confer grace.

vince2paul -

If you explain it to your friends using each of the points in this definition – just like japhy did – you will be able to go a long way towards giving your friends some insight on what Catholics believe about the Sacraments. You can use japhys’s words or come up with your own wording and examples to fit your audience, but the framework is a good one.

 

[Craisin]

Hello! As a previous Evangelical now considering Catholicism I know that sacraments were one of, and still are at times, the most difficult aspects of the Church to ‘explain’, because really they are more to be ‘experienced’ than explained in limiting terms. Still, I truly believe they are important to understand at a basic level first in order to richly experience them, and even more important to understand as a practicing Catholic so not to be in danger of being convinced of a heretical view (i.e. just symbols and not realities)

However, I think the above definitions are great in depth definitions. What worked for me when others were explaining sacraments for the first time was when they used language that I was used to already…so for example, I understood the words ‘grace’, but many non-Christians may not understand what ‘grace’ really means. You may want to define this to them … gifts from God which we do not deserve…etc.

Evangelicals taught me that sacraments (for them Baptism and Holy Communion) were outward signs of an inward grace (same as Catholics), BUT for Evangelicals, the grace came about BEFORE the sacrament itself, and the outward sign was a way to reverently proclaim their personal belief to the world. --In order to avoid the possible months of confusion with your non-Christian friends, you might want to add that with the act of the sacrament comes about the grace from God.–

I think one of the most beautiful definitions that has really helped me personally begin wrapping my mind, but mostly my heart, around the beauty of the sacraments, was when my Orthodox brother told me, “Sacraments are entering into the life of Christ.” This reality that Christ’s risen body dwells here among us in the Eucharist, and that he pours His spirit in us in Baptism and Confirmation, is what helped me to begin the process of loving the sacraments, because Christ IS present - yes, sacraments are real encounters with God on earth.

Sorry this is not quite as in depth and technical of an answer, but I hope that these simple answers that have helped me thus far may serve as a possible spring board into a deeper understanding for your friends! God bless.

 

[Cluny]

I suggest that the doctrine of the sacraments is the “strong meat” of the Gospel.

At first, talk about why we need Jesus–the milk.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I need to explain the sacraments to my non-christian friends. so I’m wondering whether anyone could teach me the shortest possible way of explaining it without confusing them.

Thanks in advance!

We humans are both Spiritual and Physical beings. Therefore God gives us Spiritual things in Physical things.

 

[vince2paul]

thanks for all the replies.
Any other information?

 

[jpjd]

I would explain that the seven sacraments are holy events in a person’s life.

They are visible signs performed by the priest that bring on an action of Christ (washing away of original and personal sin in Baptism, forgiveness of sin in Confession; bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, etc) that gives grace.

The sacraments are an encounter with Christ.