February 1, 2017 - class 20 Chapters 18 and 19 - the Healing Sacraments SACRAMENT: An efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the Holy Spirit (774, 1131). The sacraments (called mysteries in the Eastern Churches) are seven in number: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance or Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony (1210). The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick "And he said, "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father," Father, give me the share of property that falls to me. 'And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, "How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him," Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants. "' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him," Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son. ' But the father said to his servants, "Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry. " Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound. ' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father," Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found. '" (Luke 15:11-32) Basically, the prodigal son told his father he wished that the father was dead. He took the father's money, squandered it, and descended to the lowest possible state to which a Jew
could fall. Jews weren't even allowed to touch swine but he had to tend to it. He came to his senses and decided to return to his father where his life would be better. While the son was at a distance, the father saw him and ran to him. That indicates that the father was watching for him and waiting for him to return. God's mercy is blind - he will forgive anyone who comes to him and asks for forgiveness. The complete abandonment with which the father receives the prodigal son should be reflected in the way we approach the sacrament of reconciliation. There is no such thing as a victimless sin. If we sin with someone else, we are guilty of corrupting that person. If we sin alone, we are guilty of creating a rift within the Church community. Venial sin: a sin that wounds the virtue of charity but doesn't separate us from God. It doesn't kill our relationship with God. Every sin is significant. Receiving the Holy Eucharist, the use of holy water, making a penitential act, and other reverential acts can forgive venial sins. Choosing something inferior to God over God. Mortal sin: Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by grave violation of God's law - a sin that has grave matter committed with full knowledge that it is a grave matter, and committed with full consent of the will - that kills charity in our souls and separates us from God. This sin can generally only be forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. A life of sin needs to be forgiven. Jesus died on the Cross to atone for all the sins that were to be committed for all time. His voluntary death had the effect of forgiving those sins. The Risen Christ imparted to his Apostles his own power to forgive sins. He breathed on them, imparting the promised Holy Spirit and said: "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. " And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them," Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. " John 20:21-23 So if you confess your sins to a priest, receive absolution from a priest, possess contrition, do penance, you have complete confidence that your sins are absolutely forgiven. That is the power of the Sacrament. Conversion of heart is the beginning of our journey back to God. Conversion must involve a change of heart as well as a change of actions. It is not possible without God's grace. The law of graduality - people gradually get better by staying close to the sacraments, seeking God in prayer and their sins become less in severity and number. Contrition that arises from the love of God above all else is called perfect contrition. When other motives such as the ugliness of sin or fear of damnation, bring us to confession, this is called "imperfect contrition," which is sufficient for forgiveness in the Sacrament. The Holy Sprit moves us in either case and initiates the conversion.
Penance: within the context of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is a prayer or action that helps to pay the debt incurred by the sins committed. Once you have confessed your sins, the priest will talk to you and assign a penance. The effects of the Sacrament are not complete until the penance is performed. The most important words in the prayer of absolution: "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" Absolution takes away sin but does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused" (CCC, no 1459). The sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for sin; he must make satisfaction for or expiate his sins. This satisfaction is called "penance." (CCC, no 1459). The Seal of Confession - the priest cannot directly reveal the sins confessed under any circumstance. The Sacrament of Confession: reconciles us with God reconciles us with the Church gives the penitent the merciful judgment of God 1468 The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God s grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship. 73 Reconciliation with God is thus the purpose and effect of this sacrament. For those who receive the sacrament of Penance with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation. 74 Indeed the sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true spiritual resurrection, restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is friendship with God. 75 (2305)Mercy is God s most prominent characteristic: Isaiah 43:25: I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Psalm 103:2-3 adds: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases Leviticus 19:20-22 is equally unequivocal: If a man lies carnally with a woman they shall not be put to death But he shall bring a guilt offering for himself to the Lord And the priest shall make atonement
for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the Lord for his sin which he has committed; and the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. " Matthew 16:18 (18:18) Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained (John 20:18). To break the habit of sin, we need God's grace. Our call to holiness will be clearer when we recover an awareness of the reality of sin and evil in the world and in our own souls. Catholics only have to go to Confession once a year. Father recommends that Catholics go to Confession once a month. (If you know that you have committed a mortal sin, you should go to Confession as soon as possible.) Devotional sin: frequent attendance at Confession when you only confess venial sins Weekly Mass, confession once a month, an active prayer life - this combination is a powerful way to avoid sin. We have to be as patient with ourselves as God is with us. Indulgence - Christ's life and death left an infinite treasury of resources of mercy. The Church has the ability to apply that treasury to remove temporal punishment. Confession of mortal sin removes temporal punishment but you may have to spend time in Purgatory. Indulgences are pardons, that is, the full (plenary) or partial remission of temporal punishment due to sin. Christ, acting through the Church, brings about the healing of the consequences of sin when an individual uses such a prayer or engages in such an action. 1478 An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishments due for their sins. Thus the Church does not want simply to come to the aid of these Christians, but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity. 90 (981) Chapter 19 - Anointing of the Sick "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." James 5:14-15
There is hope for a physical healing but the grace of the Sacrament is in the spiritual healing and comfort offered. Confession, anointing, and Eucharist can be part of the Sacrament. The ordinary minister is a priest or bishop because forgiveness of sins is involved. Oil is placed on the forehead and the palms of the hands but any part of the body can be anointed if the forehead and hands are not available. Anointing is offered anytime a serious illness or danger of death is present. Old age is also often considered a serious reason. The priest can make the determination as to whether or not the sacrament is necessary, but one should always feel free to ask for Anointing if they feel the need. Infants and children are not anointed until they have reached the age of reason. Apostolic pardon : The Apostolic Pardon (or blessing) is an indulgence given in situations of danger of death, usually after the absolution of the sacrament of penance. The focus is on the remission of temporal punishment due to sin. The words of the prayer explain the meaning of the act: "Through the holy mysteries of our redemption may almighty God release you from all punishments in this life and in the life to come. May he open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy." Or "By the authority which the Apostolic See has given me, I grant you a full pardon and the remission of all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." The Handbook of Indulgences #28 states: "Priests who minister the sacraments to the Christian faithful who are in a life-and-death situation should not neglect to impart to them the apostolic blessing, with its attached indulgence. But if a priest cannot be present, holy mother Church lovingly grants such persons who are rightly disposed a plenary indulgence to be obtained in articulo mortis, at the approach of death, provided they regularly prayed in some way during their lifetime. The use of a crucifix or a cross is recommended in obtaining this plenary indulgence. In such a situation the three usual conditions required in order to gain a plenary indulgence are substituted for by the condition 'provided they regularly prayed in some way.' From EWTN - http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?number=520698