Why eucharist not in the creed?

[ttaM]

" 1. It is necessary to set forth the essential elements of a sacrament. These are a) a sensible sign [or efficacious symbol if you will since we are comfortable with this term, note this was my addition in the brackets] instituted by God, which gives sanctifiyings grace; b) both matter and form present with each sacrament; the matter is the material used, the form in the accompanying words and action; and c) a minister, someone authroized to give the sacraments with the intention of doing what the Church intends."

quoted from the Catholic Encyclopedia by Broderick

The reason that I do this, is the Sacraments are essential more than what you stated. I can infer from what I quoted that you indeed know that the Sacraments are more than just essentially efficacious signs or symbols. Yet becuase there are people who heaven forbid would only take that the Sacraments are just only efficacious symbols or signs, I post the proceeding.

God Bless. I pray that your night has been most restul.

Little One0307

Thanks for posting. This is really what I was saying all along, but I apologize if I was unclear. By “efficacious” I mean that the Sacraments actually effect the grace which the symbol (or sign) represents. I should probably stop using the word symbol altogether I suppose. So the outward cleansing of the body through baptism is a sign of the real cleansing of the soul through the grace of the Spirit.

Don’t worry, we’re on the same page!

 

[Little_One0307]

Thanks for posting. This is really what I was saying all along, but I apologize if I was unclear. By “efficacious” I mean that the Sacraments actually effect the grace which the symbol (or sign) represents. I should probably stop using the word symbol altogether I suppose. So the outward cleansing of the body through baptism is a sign of the real cleansing of the soul through the grace of the Spirit.

Don’t worry, we’re on the same page!

LOL. It is nice to be on the same page. I think the recipie for disaster on my part was the late night posting. I am a bit more awake tonight or rather today lol. Yeah I guess you can interchange symbol or sign, I just do not use symbol because of what the Protestants usually connotate it with.

Have a great night. I had better get done going through the forum so I can get to bed at a decent hour tonight. LOL.

Nite.

God Bless.

Little One0307

 

[twf]

Porcupine:
In answer to your response to my post earlier in this thread, I did not mean, exactly, that the liturgy of the eucharist was considered a “secret”. St. Justin the Martyr, for example, does explain to his pagan correspondent that the elements of the sacred meal are believed to be the true body and blood of Christ (c. AD 150). I meant, rather, that the experience of the liturgy of the eucharist was reserved for the baptized, as the intimate union of Christ and his bride, the Church, and thus wasn’t focussed on when it came to evangelization and catechesis…at least not until the foundational doctrines of the Trinity and the incarnation, upon which the eucharist stands, were properly laid. We must remember that the eucharist, and for that matter, all the sacraments, are a mystical extension of the Incarnation itself. In the Church, the mystery of God made flesh continues to unfold on a daily basis, within our own spirits as we partaken of the divine life, but most importantly in the confection of the Blessed Sacrament.