A Journey Through the Catechism (The Church; the Sacraments in general)
Our Pastor Column series through the Baltimore Catechism continues with the tenth and eleventh articles: “On the Church” and “On the Sacraments in General.”
Q: Which are the means instituted by Our Lord to enable people at all times to share in the fruits of the Redemption?
A: The means instituted by Jesus Chris to enable people at all times to share in the fruits of His Redemption are the Church and the Sacraments.
Q: What is the Church?
A: The Church is the congregation of all those who profess the faith of Jesus Christ, partake of the same Sacraments, and are governed by their lawful pastors under one visible Head. (N.B. The English word “church” comes from the German kirche, which has the same general meaning of the Greek word ekklesia; ekklesia means “assembly of people,” the connotation originally being civic in nature but, after Christ, taking on a more religious bent. Think of it as a sort of combination of two freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment of the American Constitution: freedom of religious expression and freedom of assembly.)
Q: Who is the invisible Head of the Church?
A: Jesus Christ is thein visible Head of the Church.
Q: Who si the visible head of the Church?
A: The Pope (the Holy Father; the Bishop of Rome; the Vicar of Christ on Earth; the Servant of the Servants of God) is the visible head of the Church.
Q: Does the Church have any marks by which it may be known?
A: The Church has four marks by which it may be known, all professed in the Creed: the Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.
Q: In which Church are these four marks found?
A: These marks are found in the Roman Catholic Church alone.
Q: What is a Sacrament?
A: A Sacrament is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, that gives grace.
Q: How many Sacraments are there?
A: There are seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Matrimony, and Holy Orders.
Q: From whom do the Sacraments have the power of giving grace?
A: The Sacraments have the power of giving grace from the merits of Jesus Christ (His Sacrifice of Self on the Cross; His ultimate victory over sin and death).
Q: Do the Sacraments always give grace?
A: The Sacraments always give grace, if we receive them with the right dispositions.
Q: Can we receive the Sacraments more than once?
A: We can receive the Sacraments more than once, except for Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. (N.B. This might be confusing because marriage is supposed to be “until death do us part.” But remember that if one spouse dies, the other spouse is able then to marry again.)
~ Fr. Lewis