John Carberry
New member
Sacraments
by John Carberry
The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are signs and symbols which present an underlying reality.
When we look to each sacrament, we often associate a concept regarding a Church teaching about an
important aspect of the faith. Sacraments also present certain truths about the faith that must be believed by
Catholics.
When we think of symbols, we often look to the Cross. The vertical tree of the Cross represents the
superiority of God above and the inferiority of us on earth. We must be humble, and respect all that is holy in
God’s eyes. Just as the second commandment tells us not to take the Lord’s name in vain, using it without
respect and without purpose (Ex 20:7, Dt 5:11), so too we must give great respect to what is holy and godly.
Often, the matter used for sacraments is considered natural: food, drink, oil, sex, etc. However, the
sacraments elevate this matter to the supernatural. We therefore show honor and respect for these
sacraments. Ordinary matter is turned into extraordinary results. The horizontal, or the arm of the Cross,
represents equality. Each human being is equal in God’s eyes. The sacraments are freely offered to all
believers without prejudice or bias.
In Baptism, the concept is life, not only physical life, but also spiritual life. The Book of Genesis begins
Sacred Scripture with two creation stories (Gn 1:1-2:3, 2:4-25), so too, each of us was given both physical and
spiritual life. Adam and Eve quickly destroyed their spiritual life or unity with God through original sin, but
their physical life lasted much longer. Adam lived for 930 years (Gn 5:5). Christ restored our spiritual life and
unity with God through his passion, death and resurrection. Nicodemus struggles to comprehend this new
birth from above or being born again (Jn 3:3-5) through water and the spirit, or through Baptism. When we
are dipped into the waters of Baptism, we dip into death and a new spiritual life is given us, just as Jesus died
and rose on the third day.
Confirmation is a sacrament of both maturity and growth, where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are
bestowed on the confirmandi. These gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, piety and
fear of the Lord (Is 11:2-3) represent a development of virtues which are enhanced by the Holy Spirit. We
become wiser, understand God’s Word better, counsel others, build up our fortitude, learn more of God’s
Word, become holier, or more like God, and finally recognize that our only hope of eternal union with God at
the last judgment is if Jesus finds us worthy (Mt 25:31-46, 2 Cor 5:10). For this reason, we fear God. In the Old
Testament, Pentecost was a celebration of both the wheat harvest and giving of the law to Moses. In the New
Testament, Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, shows the maturing of the Apostles who, with the help of the Holy
Spirit, now go out and preach the New Law, the Law of Love of Jesus Christ.
In the Holy Eucharist, we recognize the actual transformation of the substance of bread and wine into
our Lord’s Body and Blood, or his Real Presence. With God becoming a part of us, we begin to understand
how we must treat this Mystical Body of the Church as holy and deserving of our love. We form a communion,
or a common union, with oneself, God and others, causing us to share our possessions and our talents with
others, seeing within them the presence of God, and putting the interests of the other over our own self interests.
The sacrificial Passover lamb (Ex 12:3) is fulfilled by the person of Jesus Christ.
The Sacrament of Penance deals with forgiveness. God forgives us and requires us to forgive others.
Jesus takes on the punishment that rightfully belongs to us. He requires us to show contrition or sorrow for
our sins, confess to a priest, and perform the penance that the priest gives us. To show contrition, we must
first recognize our sinful actions. We must repent, or rethink about what we have done and then have a
change in heart. We cannot continue to deny God’s law and adapt it to our own corrupted values. We cannot
continue to act like Adam and Eve (Gn 3:5-6, 22), who want to become like God by making their own rules.
Like the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament (Lv 16:1-34), Christ becomes both the scapegoat (Lv 16:20-22)
and the offering of sacrifice (Lv 16:24-25) that takes away our sins (Lv 16:30). The scapegoat symbolism is
fulfilled when Christ begins his ministry, and he goes out into the desert to confront Satan. The offering of
sacrifice comes at the end of Christ’s ministry when he gives up his body on the cross. The requirements to
confess one’s sins (Lv 16:21) and the need for an ordained priest (Lv 16:32) foreshadow the requirements of
Confession.
Physical and spiritual healing are the themes of the Anointing of the Sick. Christ carried out his
ministry over a three-year period by not only healing the spiritual ailments of the people, but by also healing
their physical ills. He tells the paralytic that his sins are forgiven, and then he heals his paralysis (Mk 2:5-12).
The whole concept of human suffering must be studied to recognize that God has the power to inflict
punishment and the ability to heal one’s ills. The punishment is imposed because of sin, the healing is
provided by the one who, although completely innocent, took on our punishment. When we suffer, we share
in the salvific mission of Jesus.
Like the Fourth Commandment (Ex 20:12, Dt 5:16), Holy Orders is often associated with the theme of
authority. God has given authority to the priest and to the Church. He has imposed order through the Church
hierarchy. The keys of the kingdom have been passed on to the pope, or our papa (Mt 16:19). Whatever he
declares bound on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever he declares loosed on earth will be loosed in
heaven. When we hear the apostles, and their successors, the bishops, we hear Christ (Lk 10:16, Mt 10:14-15,
40-41, Jn 13:20). Through obedience to the Church, we move from relativism and pride to objective truth and
humility.
Finally, Matrimony has two underlying themes, unity and procreation. This exclusive union of man and
women represents the love of God for his Church and the procreative aspect of enlarging Christ’s Church (Mt
28:19-20). The love of God is most fully represented in the love of a husband and wife, who cooperate with
God in the creation of new life (Gn 4:1) and through family love reflect the love of God for his Church. The two
become one in this exclusive union (Gn 2:24), one body, one mind, and one heart. The exclusivity shows our
loyalty and devotion to the One God. The procreative aspect follows the first directive by God to human
beings: Be fruitful and multiply (Gn 1:28).
When we reflect on the sacraments, we can begin to understand what God considers important. Life
through Baptism, growth, maturity and progress through Confirmation, love through the Holy Eucharist,
forgiveness through confession, healing and acceptance of suffering through the Anointing of the Sick,
authority and obedience through Holy Orders, and union and procreation through marriage. We now see why
Catholics treat these concepts different than the secular world. They are respected because they have been
elevated to holiness by Jesus Christ. Life, from womb to tomb, is holy. Growth is never complete, but it must
constantly be searched out. Love is an unending challenge of how we use our time, talents and treasure.
Forgiveness is available if 1) we are forgiving, and 2) we can distinguish good from evil, and acknowledge when
we have failed to produce good or failed to avoid evil. Suffering may not always be the result of our own
actions, but it can always be a participation with the suffering of Christ, who suffered not because of his own
actions, but as a remedy for the sinful actions of others. Obedience begins with humility, knowing that we do
not know it all. We elevate the leaders of the Church and respect their proclamations. Finally, the mutual
love of spouses shows us why we treat our sexuality as holy, directed exclusively between loving spouses and
always accepting the fruit of the womb, another child of God. The vertical respect for what is divine and the
horizontal equality of one another.
John Carberry is the author of the book: Sacraments: Signs, Symbols and Significance (2023).
by John Carberry
The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are signs and symbols which present an underlying reality.
When we look to each sacrament, we often associate a concept regarding a Church teaching about an
important aspect of the faith. Sacraments also present certain truths about the faith that must be believed by
Catholics.
When we think of symbols, we often look to the Cross. The vertical tree of the Cross represents the
superiority of God above and the inferiority of us on earth. We must be humble, and respect all that is holy in
God’s eyes. Just as the second commandment tells us not to take the Lord’s name in vain, using it without
respect and without purpose (Ex 20:7, Dt 5:11), so too we must give great respect to what is holy and godly.
Often, the matter used for sacraments is considered natural: food, drink, oil, sex, etc. However, the
sacraments elevate this matter to the supernatural. We therefore show honor and respect for these
sacraments. Ordinary matter is turned into extraordinary results. The horizontal, or the arm of the Cross,
represents equality. Each human being is equal in God’s eyes. The sacraments are freely offered to all
believers without prejudice or bias.
In Baptism, the concept is life, not only physical life, but also spiritual life. The Book of Genesis begins
Sacred Scripture with two creation stories (Gn 1:1-2:3, 2:4-25), so too, each of us was given both physical and
spiritual life. Adam and Eve quickly destroyed their spiritual life or unity with God through original sin, but
their physical life lasted much longer. Adam lived for 930 years (Gn 5:5). Christ restored our spiritual life and
unity with God through his passion, death and resurrection. Nicodemus struggles to comprehend this new
birth from above or being born again (Jn 3:3-5) through water and the spirit, or through Baptism. When we
are dipped into the waters of Baptism, we dip into death and a new spiritual life is given us, just as Jesus died
and rose on the third day.
Confirmation is a sacrament of both maturity and growth, where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are
bestowed on the confirmandi. These gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, piety and
fear of the Lord (Is 11:2-3) represent a development of virtues which are enhanced by the Holy Spirit. We
become wiser, understand God’s Word better, counsel others, build up our fortitude, learn more of God’s
Word, become holier, or more like God, and finally recognize that our only hope of eternal union with God at
the last judgment is if Jesus finds us worthy (Mt 25:31-46, 2 Cor 5:10). For this reason, we fear God. In the Old
Testament, Pentecost was a celebration of both the wheat harvest and giving of the law to Moses. In the New
Testament, Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, shows the maturing of the Apostles who, with the help of the Holy
Spirit, now go out and preach the New Law, the Law of Love of Jesus Christ.
In the Holy Eucharist, we recognize the actual transformation of the substance of bread and wine into
our Lord’s Body and Blood, or his Real Presence. With God becoming a part of us, we begin to understand
how we must treat this Mystical Body of the Church as holy and deserving of our love. We form a communion,
or a common union, with oneself, God and others, causing us to share our possessions and our talents with
others, seeing within them the presence of God, and putting the interests of the other over our own self interests.
The sacrificial Passover lamb (Ex 12:3) is fulfilled by the person of Jesus Christ.
The Sacrament of Penance deals with forgiveness. God forgives us and requires us to forgive others.
Jesus takes on the punishment that rightfully belongs to us. He requires us to show contrition or sorrow for
our sins, confess to a priest, and perform the penance that the priest gives us. To show contrition, we must
first recognize our sinful actions. We must repent, or rethink about what we have done and then have a
change in heart. We cannot continue to deny God’s law and adapt it to our own corrupted values. We cannot
continue to act like Adam and Eve (Gn 3:5-6, 22), who want to become like God by making their own rules.
Like the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament (Lv 16:1-34), Christ becomes both the scapegoat (Lv 16:20-22)
and the offering of sacrifice (Lv 16:24-25) that takes away our sins (Lv 16:30). The scapegoat symbolism is
fulfilled when Christ begins his ministry, and he goes out into the desert to confront Satan. The offering of
sacrifice comes at the end of Christ’s ministry when he gives up his body on the cross. The requirements to
confess one’s sins (Lv 16:21) and the need for an ordained priest (Lv 16:32) foreshadow the requirements of
Confession.
Physical and spiritual healing are the themes of the Anointing of the Sick. Christ carried out his
ministry over a three-year period by not only healing the spiritual ailments of the people, but by also healing
their physical ills. He tells the paralytic that his sins are forgiven, and then he heals his paralysis (Mk 2:5-12).
The whole concept of human suffering must be studied to recognize that God has the power to inflict
punishment and the ability to heal one’s ills. The punishment is imposed because of sin, the healing is
provided by the one who, although completely innocent, took on our punishment. When we suffer, we share
in the salvific mission of Jesus.
Like the Fourth Commandment (Ex 20:12, Dt 5:16), Holy Orders is often associated with the theme of
authority. God has given authority to the priest and to the Church. He has imposed order through the Church
hierarchy. The keys of the kingdom have been passed on to the pope, or our papa (Mt 16:19). Whatever he
declares bound on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever he declares loosed on earth will be loosed in
heaven. When we hear the apostles, and their successors, the bishops, we hear Christ (Lk 10:16, Mt 10:14-15,
40-41, Jn 13:20). Through obedience to the Church, we move from relativism and pride to objective truth and
humility.
Finally, Matrimony has two underlying themes, unity and procreation. This exclusive union of man and
women represents the love of God for his Church and the procreative aspect of enlarging Christ’s Church (Mt
28:19-20). The love of God is most fully represented in the love of a husband and wife, who cooperate with
God in the creation of new life (Gn 4:1) and through family love reflect the love of God for his Church. The two
become one in this exclusive union (Gn 2:24), one body, one mind, and one heart. The exclusivity shows our
loyalty and devotion to the One God. The procreative aspect follows the first directive by God to human
beings: Be fruitful and multiply (Gn 1:28).
When we reflect on the sacraments, we can begin to understand what God considers important. Life
through Baptism, growth, maturity and progress through Confirmation, love through the Holy Eucharist,
forgiveness through confession, healing and acceptance of suffering through the Anointing of the Sick,
authority and obedience through Holy Orders, and union and procreation through marriage. We now see why
Catholics treat these concepts different than the secular world. They are respected because they have been
elevated to holiness by Jesus Christ. Life, from womb to tomb, is holy. Growth is never complete, but it must
constantly be searched out. Love is an unending challenge of how we use our time, talents and treasure.
Forgiveness is available if 1) we are forgiving, and 2) we can distinguish good from evil, and acknowledge when
we have failed to produce good or failed to avoid evil. Suffering may not always be the result of our own
actions, but it can always be a participation with the suffering of Christ, who suffered not because of his own
actions, but as a remedy for the sinful actions of others. Obedience begins with humility, knowing that we do
not know it all. We elevate the leaders of the Church and respect their proclamations. Finally, the mutual
love of spouses shows us why we treat our sexuality as holy, directed exclusively between loving spouses and
always accepting the fruit of the womb, another child of God. The vertical respect for what is divine and the
horizontal equality of one another.
John Carberry is the author of the book: Sacraments: Signs, Symbols and Significance (2023).