Reading Guide: Sacraments of the Church

Sacraments of the Church

Sacrament: 1. Eccl. Used as the common name for certain solemn ceremonies or religious acts belonging to the institutions of the Christian church.
Oxford English Dictionary

There are seven sacraments under the new law: that is to say, baptism, confirmation, the mass, penance, extreme unction, ordination, and matrimony. These differ essentially from the sacraments of the old law; for the latter do not confer grace, but only typify that grace which can be given by the passion of Christ alone. But these our sacraments both contain grace and confer it upon all who receive them worthily.
Pope Eugenius IV, Bull Exsultate Domine (1439)

Grace: 11. In scriptural and theological language. a. The free and unmerited favour of God as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowing of blessings. b. The divine influence which operates in men to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation. Often spoken of as the grace of God, of our Lord, of the Holy Spirit, or as imparted through the sacraments.
Oxford English Dictionary

Readings:

• Lynch, 273-302

• The Seven Sacraments

• Sermon stories on the Eucharist

• Sermon stories on Penance

• Joseph Dyer, "The Medieval Mass and Its Music" (Introduction through the Table 1)

Joos van Wassenhove
Institution of the Eucharist
c. 1474

This week we look at the sacramental practices of the medieval church, as they represent the formal point of contact between Christian community and the divine. Lynch provides you with excellent background on the variety of sacraments (seven of them) and the relative importance of each in the lives of believing Christians. You should feel very comfortable with the material in that chapter, and ask questions if you are not. The internet document on the sacraments provides a closer look at the material found in Lynch in a medieval voice. Pope Eugenius IV's Decree for the Armenians on the sacraments might seem too straightforward to react to at first reading, but don't make the mistake of thinking there is nothing to dig out through closer examination. Pay attention, for example, to the links made between scripture and practice, links that are often figurative rather than direct. Water is mixed into the wine for the eucharist not only because "it is believed that the Lord himself instituted this sacrament with wine mixed with water," or because "it corresponds with the accounts of our Lord's passion...since it is written that both blood and water flowed from Christ's side," but also because it "fitly signifies the efficacy of this sacrament, namely, the union of Christian people with Christ, for water signifies 'people,' and... 'in the wine is manifested the blood of Christ'." The transformative power of the eucharist is richly drawn out here, with layers of additional meaning building on the event itself.

Please note also the comment in section DS 1321 that "after the consecrated host and the consecrated wine have been divided, the whole Christ is present in any part of them." This is the justification for offering the laity the eucharist in one kind (bread) only. Not only was it theologically unnecessary to consume both bread and wine, but it suggested that there was some substantial difference between the two, which was impossible if the elements had been wholly transformed into the literal body of Christ. The Lollards and Hussites (heretical groups both) will challenge this position in the later Middle Ages, and consuming the eucharist in both kinds (bread and wine) will become an emotionally charged rallying cry.

DS 1324 on extreme unction describes the anointing of oil on the various body parts of the sick. It is not hard to understand why the various body parts are being invoked, but worth thinking about the very physical nature of this ritual of reconciliation.

The sermon stories are meant to get you thinking about how sacramental practice looked from the other end, from the perspective of recipients. Please take note of the comment by Jacques de Vitry to fellow preachers that "it is necessary to employ a great many proverbs, historical stories and anecdotes, especially when the audience is tired and begins to get sleepy."

Finally, Joseph Dyer provides a concise overview of the medieval Latin Mass. Feel free to read the entire piece, although it becomes a bit specialized after Table 1 and you are not required to do so.You can listen to an opening Psalm from the Mass on the fourth Sunday after Pentecost by going to the Course Documents page of our blackboard site.

Paper Topic: (For instructions on writing the short papers, click here.) Keeping in mind Jacques de Vitry's comment about the necessity of preaching with stories and anecdotes, how do the exempla you've read work to teach about sacramental theology? What is just good storytelling, and what is essential to the message that the preacher is trying to communicate to his audience? How does he manipulate the story to get the effect he wants? To what extent do these stories help the illiterate believer grasp the significance of sacramental practices as described in the pope's message to the Armenians? If the image of Christianity that emerges is not identical, how is it different?