Truths of the Sacraments

[Reformed_Rob]

Hi,

I’m reading this book by Abbot Vonier, called “A Key to the Doctrine of the Eucharist.”

First, let me say this is a great book. Some of it, honestly, is a little hard to grasp. Vonier is a Thomistic theologian, and does a good job of bringing out some of Aquinas’ advanced concepts, and explains them colloquially quite well. But still, some of it hard to get.

The thing I’m wondering about is about Sacraments in general. He says that they are basically in a completely different plane of existence than both the heavenly and earthly realms. This was completely new to me, and he spent just a few pages talking about it and moved on.

Here’s the essence of what he said:

The sacramental world is a new world created by God, entirely different from the world of nature and even from the world of spirits. It would be poor theology to say that in the sacraments we have here on earth modes of spiritual realities which resemble the ways of the angels. We have nothing of the kind. Were we to speak with the tongues of angels it would not help us in the least to express the sacramental realities.

They are not veiling anything; they are complete realities in themselves, existing in their own right.

The sacramental world is truly a mystical world in the best sense of the word: it is reality without fixity of being.

If a sacrament were a fixed being in its natural condition, radiating forth grace and life, it would not be a sacrament. With all its realism, a sacrament is a power which is transient, and incomplete as a natural being.

Wow, that was food for thought! I read that chapter two times this week, and while I’m confident that I basically understand what he is saying, I’m wondering can anyone else sort of chip in something you’ve read that can help me understand it better?

 

[ClaireS]

You quoted:
“If a sacrament were a fixed being in its natural condition, radiating forth grace and life, it would not be a sacrament. With all its realism, a sacrament is a power which is transient, and incomplete as a natural being.”

Wow, indeed! Would this mean that the sacrament exists in an instant that connects the eternal realm of God to the human realm of time. The sacrament is like a "ping!’ that communicates God’s life to a soul in a particular time and place. The effect of that ping! alters or changes the direction of the soul in some way but the sound of the ping! does not continue to exist.

Is this at all close to what the author may mean about the power being transient and incomplete as a natural being? I tend to think of a sacrament as an action rather than a “being” but it’s interesting to conceive of it that way.

 

[stbruno]

All sacraments are meetings with God. That’s what we teach. In the person of the priest or deacon at baptism, you meet God.
When you make your confession or receive Communion, again you are meeting God as well as taking Him entirely, body and blood into yourself. At your marriage, if you have a sacramental marriage, God makes the same vow to be with you in good times and bad. Confirmation, God the Holy Spirit gives you the wonderful gifts of wisdom, knowledge etc. And Holy Orders and the Sacrament of the Sick…more meetings with Christ…so this is not something new. Just packaged in a different way. I am glad that it has moved you. God definitely is good. That’s why it always surprises me that more people do not come to church. He is fully present to us in the sacraments, most especially in the Holy Eucharist. And the graces we receive, from this heavenly food cannot be matched anywhere.

 

[Reformed_Rob]

Wow, indeed! Would this mean that the sacrament exists in an instant that connects the eternal realm of God to the human realm of time.

Perhaps that would be a way of thinking about it. I will add this, Vonier cites Ezekiel 1:13, 14 to describe sort of how St. Thomas views the sacraments:

In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire. And the living beings ran to and from like bolts of lightning.

He says the sacraments would be like the fire running back and forth from God to us. The sacraments are there for an instant, impart their own special grace, and then they are no more, until they “are” again.

 

[ClaireS]

Perhaps that would be a way of thinking about it. I will add this, Vonier cites Ezekiel 1:13, 14 to describe sort of how St. Thomas views the sacraments:

He says the sacraments would be like the fire running back and forth from God to us. The sacraments are there for an instant, impart their own special grace, and then they are no more, until they “are” again.

That’s exactly what I was envisioning. I’ve got to get the book! I’m giving a make-up session Tuesday on an overview of the sacraments for some of our RCIA people and I’ll have to mention this insight. Thanks for posting.