THESIS NO.17
The performance of
rituals is a means of being purified, obtaining social acceptance in a
community and fulfilling religious prescriptions. The seven sacraments are
christian rituals instituted by Jesus (ND 1311) conferring grace ex opere
operato (by the performance of the rite itself) (ND 1318).
PROBLEM
Here the problem is concerning the
sacraments, the character or nature and the source of their generation,their
function, the type or the kind of their effect, and finally their place in the
frame of comparative religions.
INTRODUCTION ACCORDING TO FR. EROLL
Revelation takes place in Jesus
christ and we have to respond to it in faith. Jesus christ is the ultimate part
of revelation in our world of meaning. It is not just at notional level, but
experience level too. This world of meaning is a experience. Sacrament contains
the world of meaning in christ for us. Sacrament symbolizes the christian world
of meaning. Symbol is as rich as its context. Symbols must have context. Context
is the life we live. Every symbol is to live a life of love. Our love for
community for brothers is the symbol of our love to God.
Rituals have three-fold functions.
Firstly, it is for purification. It purifies us from all obstacles. Secondly,
ritual gives social acceptance in community. One is identified with the
community. Thirdly, one accepts the values of that particular religion. The
person agrees to abide by the rules and norms of that particular community.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
We have different types of ritual.
Ritual challenges us to identify the values in the community. As there are
different jati/dharma, there are different rituals in India. Rituals explain
different meaning. Meaningfulness change according to different communities.
Rituals are also caste-bound; not all the rituals are same in all the Hindu
communities.
Celebrations are part and parcel of human
existence. A child that is conceived in the mother's womb gives rise to an
occasion for celebration. So the celebration started by birth continues till
the end. Celebration implies a community because it can not be thought in
isolation. These celebrations take forms in symbols of rituals created by the
community, according to its customs and culture (i.e., sociological construct).
So every human society has some form of celebration or the other, similarly in
all the religions like Christianity, Hinduism, Islam have their celebrations
according to different stages of human life. They are the expressions of life.
The tools used are the sacraments, rites, rituals & samskaras,through a
meaningful celebration.
Human society is characterized by
change (at individual and community
level). Evolving changes are like birth,
puberty, marriage, death etc; and these changes are seen from a point of
reference which are essential, central & efficacious in our lives at the
point of crisis, in order to cope up or living one's life.
Myth is a dramatic narrative that
interprets the reality. Often myths are
peculiar to each culture. Rituals is a gesture, action. As such it does not
have meaning, but absorbs meaning from the myth or words which are said during
that ritual. So ritual is the celebration of that myth in our lives. "It
is the stylized action of the dramatic myth" which brings out the meaningfulness
of the myth.
Ritual: Rituals are stylized actions in a community
which express its way of life. They are
culturally defined sets of behavior i.e., symbolic dimension of human behavior. Normally ritual is understood as religious
activity in which people engage when they worship. They strengthen the individual or community
at its commitment to the inner reality
symbolized by the external gestures eg.
smile, handshake etc. It also expresses the points at which the
transcendence of God is acknowledged in human life. Ritual is a basic human need for a kind of
self-expression, we cannot avoid them, we can only reject specific traditional
rituals by substituting new and different rituals for them. Ritual is a symbolic action. It
employs a certain number of fixed actions each of which transmits a single or less
definite meaning. It is made up of a
prescribed formula, structure and
material.
There are four
elements in ritual: Symbols, consecration, repetition, and remembrance.
Ritualism: When the meaning and meaningfulness of a particular rite has long been
divorced from the prescribed action or observance then a rite becomes
ritualism.
Functions of Rituals: Ritual inserts a person into a community with
instruction, also it gives social identity. Transcendent spirituality is also
present in some rituals ( e.g. Vedic marriage ). According to Panikkar the
reading from the Rg Veda during vedic marriage speaks of the firmness of
marriage and this is very similar to christian norm of indissolubility of
marriage. Another important aspect of ritual is that it always engages a
person's freedom ( except perhaps in "infant baptism" and it is
reasonable because through infant baptism a child does get a social identity
and later when grown up he/she is free to decide to follow any religion ). Given
in the community; gives identity to the individual; recognizes the personhood of the individual;
enables the individual to cope with the
different and varied situations; acts by producing a change in the pattern of relationship in a community.
Hindu samskaras are purificatory
rites/ceremonies to incorporate a person in a community. Firstly they are
performed to ward off evil influences or to pacify certain superhuman forces
(deities). Secondly the effects of it, is for material benefits (like get
children, prosperous life,etc.) or for removal of ritual impurities/evil (
after child birth and so on) or for social benefits. More about samskaras I
will refer when I compare them with sacrament in the last paragraph.
A Bird's Eye-view Of Hindu Rituals
(1) Naming ceremony
- inserts a person into a community also give social acceptance. (2) Feeding
ceremony - gives social acceptance. (3) Echomimia - is in view of attaining
spiritual realization also it gives social status to a person of a particular
caste. (4) Marriage - to attain social acceptance, also gains spiritual
significance. (5) Funeral ceremony -
gives social acceptance. Ritual Bath - taking bath in Ganges purifies and
washes a person's sins. Forty days fast and pilgrimage to Sabarimala (or to any
Holy place) is to purify one's sins, to gain spiritual realization thus it
attains religious significance.
Ritual Celebrated In Christian Economy: Sacrament simply
does not bring about holiness unless there is also an acceptance on the part of
the recipient. In christianity, it is always communion event, stress is on
social realization. whereas samskaras stress self- realization ( except
Grahasta, the other three - Brahmacharya, Vanaprastha, sanyasa - stress the
true identity of a person not in a community but in loneliness ). This remains
a mystery. In christianity, sacrament of the sick, for example, shows the
communitarian inclusiveness, yet supported by the community. The whole
community is in solidarity with the sick person.
Every religion is the expression of
the experience of God. It talks always in religious rituals. A ritual is the
link between the person, the community and the absolute.
Religious Significance Of Rituals
People in India use many types of
rituals in order to purify their lives of evil influence (e.g., Hindus taking bath in river Ganges) to obtain social acceptance
within classes \ caste (e.g., pilgrimage).
The rites of a particular religion
enable its adherents to express their conscious identity as members belonging
to a particular religious affiliation.
But the identity of religious community is preserved in its founding and
foundational myths. Therefore it is correct to speak of rites as
constituting prescribed actions or ceremonies through which the myths of the community are embraced by the individual
members.
By fully participating in a ritual,
the members of the group affirm the community of 'their existence' and at the
same time identify the life of their group with that of the antecedent group,
from whom the ritual has descended to them. Every ritual act of a group is to
this extent a reconciliation with the group and re-establishment of continuity
with its own history as a group. Therefore we can say that a myth is a dramatic
narrative which interprets the world of a believing community and a rite as a
stylized action which celebrates the myth in the lives of the members of a
community.
SACRAMENTS
Any object, any person, anything
that is somehow brought to God and people in contact, could be called a
sacrament.
Def: "Sacrament is a symbolic celebration
of the revelation which has been accumulated, experienced, assimilated, shared
and lived by a community; in order to affirm, deepen & invite others to
participate in the revelation."
Sacrament is that
reality through which the divine is perceived to be disclosed and communicated
and through which our human response to the divine assumes some measure of form
& structure.
In Christianity we understand
sacraments as symbolic rites which manifest God's grace in man and in the
world. They are the means through which man encounters God. They are the
privileged means by which the mystery of the salvation becomes for every age a
tangible and living reality. Through them the Christ event becomes effective
and real. Therefore sacraments are symbols of the presence of God in the midst
of man and in the world. They are the means through which man can appropriate
the grace of God. (ND 359).
They are rites of incorporation into
the church, in which Christ is drawing men and women, more fully under the
influence of his redeeming grace and his saving mission. Jesus becomes the
sacrament of the Father. Since he is no more the visible manifestation of God,
after his ascension, the church continues the mission of Jesus and makes
present the risen Lord, to the people today, through the sacraments. Sacraments
are moments of grace made visible and concrete in a sacramental ritual, as
man's response to God's revelation. To receive sacraments, one should grasp the
meaning of God's grace existentially and in such a way, that receiving it, is
believable. Therefore mere reception of sacraments existential participation is
meaningless.
Why 7 Sacraments?
Sacraments are not inventions but the
conclusions from what was found in Church's tradition and scripture. Number 7
was set down in the 12th c. It was the result of theological reflection. Number
7 is the symbol of perfection in the biblical understanding and also in Jewish
background. Seven sacraments are seven
particular stages of human growth. The 7 sacraments flow from Jesus who is the
first sat of our encounter with God and from the Church which is the sat of
Jesus.The 7 sacrament are:
Baptism
which is the celebration of faith and hope in the community of salvation in
Christ who enables us to suffer with him and share the mission to bring the
good news to all.
Confirmation
is to strengthen the individual for the apostolate of the word.
Eucharist
nourishing the community by the word and what is symbolized by this meal of
eating and drinking.
Penance
the church and the individual christian are in constant need of purification
and conversion, and be real transformative instruments.
Matrimony
sign of God's love for us.
Priesthood
ministry of service to the people of God.
Anointing
giving strength in difficult situations.
Sacraments Are Instituted By Jesus Christ (ND 1311)
Historical
background of the problem
The council of Trent (1547), devoted
its 7th session to the doctrine of sacraments
because Luther came with doctrine of merit. He attacked the church for
simony act and using sacrament for money making. So it was a felt need at that
time to officially elaborate the sacraments. The cannons are mostly directed
against the errors of Luther who reduced their number to three and later to two
( Eucharist & Baptism). The cannons affirm that seven sacraments are
instituted by Christ excluding the possibility of mediate institution.
Sacraments may give indications as
regards Baptism (Mt.28:18), Eucharist (Mt.26:26; Mk.14:22; Lk.22:19) and
penance (Jn.20:23) as intended by Christ. `Orders' may have been implied in the
command to perpetuate Eucharist. For the rest we have only a general
justification in Sacraments which state that all powers of sanctification is
from Xt. The apostles considered themselves as ambassadors and dispensers of
salvation (2Cor. 5:20). Church has claimed the rights to change the rite of
sacraments, but never claimed to have been instituted by Christ. To oppose them
Trent asserted that all seven sacraments are instituted by Christ. However it
says nothing of the immediacy of the institution. The teaching of Trent can be
upheld by saying that the `substance' of specific grace of sacraments was
immediately established by Christ. The matter and form of the rites is left to
the church to determine in accordance with the pastoral needs. Rahner says:
Christ founded the Church with the sacramental nature and the sacraments are
not anything external to her. They are not established separately and entrusted
to her administration, but are essential manifestations of her nature. From
experience and exercise the Church has found seven human situations in which
she needs to express her concern for the salvation of its members.
Present Understanding
The church explicitly affirms the
statements of Trent and says that all the sacraments are instituted by Christ
and they are seven neither more nor less(ND 1311). But Gospel may give
indications as regards Baptism (Mt;28;19), Eucharist (Mt;26,26, Mk;14:22,
Lk;22:19) and Penance (Jn;20:23) as intended by Christ.We shall answer this
question in ecclesiological context. Vat.II does not say anything about the
institution of the sacraments.
These cannons indicate the orthodox
position of the church. There are different cannons-dogmatic and disciplinary.
Numbering of sacraments is not dogmatic but it is disciplinary. It is not a
matter of faith.
The cannon indicates on the intimate
relationship between sacramental celebration and Jesus Christ. Today it is not
necessary to hold that Jesus himself consciously and deliberately instituted
each of the seven sacraments. We do not see juridical institution of all the
sacraments in the Gospels. Some theologians hold that it was the apostles who
correctly interpreting the mind of Jesus instituted some of the sacraments.
Rahner would say " In so far as God willed the church, he also willed the
sacraments."The church as the basic sacrament is the saving community
willed by God. So Jesus is directly responsible for the sacraments. It is
revealed through the church - the group of persons that continued to witness
Christ event in the world. The sacraments would then constitute the different
rituals/rites which the community celebrates in order to realize her identity
and carry out her mission of sanctifying and liberating men and women so that
they may be constituted into a community of justice, peace and fellowship.
Ex Opere Operato: Historical Background
The term literally means 'the work
that is done' or 'by the performance of rite'. It is a technical expression of
the dogma of the sacraments of the church.
The sacrament cause grace by the
very act of ritual. This was against the view of Luther, who held that the
grace of the sacraments depend on the faith of the recipient (ex opere operantis) In this background
the Council of Trent promulgated the doctrine of Sacraments.
In spite of this rich import within
itself Ex opere operato led to various uses. Sacrament is reduced to
mechanical, magical ritualism. This gave rise to meticulous and scrupulous
observance of the rubrics.
Opere Operato ND 1318
In addition to the fiducial faith
(salvation by faith alone) another factor, i.e., over stress of the minister's
role, also forms the background for this. It was around the 13th c. when priest
were not leading so holy life, there was a tendency for the faithful to flock
to holy priests for the reception of a sat. This implied that its validity or
efficacy of grace depended on the worthiness of the minister.
In this two dimensional context of
faith danger, Trent by its doctrine of `Ex opere operato' affirms that faith
does not suffice without the sacraments and that the worthiness of the minister
does not matter for the validity or efficacy of the sacrament.
The code signifies that there must
be someone to signify to the person who receives. It is the community rite.
Communitarian aspect is stressed (according to Fr. Erol).
Theological Reasons The main reason is the understanding that the sacraments are primarily
works of God(opus Operatis). It is God through Jesus Christ and the Church that
has instituted the sacraments. Therefore the sacraments are acts of the Church.
Since the minister represents the Church his worthiness or holiness does not
matter as far as the grace of the sacraments is concerned.
The Role of the Minister The minister need not be holy. But he needs to have the
intention of doing the work of the Church. And he should celebrate a sacrament
according to the rite and prescription laid down by the Church (ND 1321).
By the performance of the act
itself, even though this phrase has over the years, acquired a sense of magic,
the intention behind it is sound. In fact there is no magical import in the
sacramental efficacy. It is true that the term implies that grace is
transmitted by the very celebration of the rite itself by the very work done.
This is meant only to preserve it intact.
Sacraments are Encounters with Christ
Sacraments represents symbolically
the meaningfulness of Jesus' proclamation in particular situation (proclamation
of the Word). In its celebration, the rite expresses the prophetic,
communitarian and saving aspects of Jesus' proclamation. At the same time, it
suggests and invites from the part of the recipient, acceptance, a deeper
commitment in faith and programme of ortho-praxis. In other words, the
recipient in the sacramental rite is asked to identify with the church's
celebration so that the sacramental moment of his/her life, the saving
significance of the Christ-event may be manifested.
How Do We Understand Today?
When we consider the holiness of the
minister and the significance of the sacraments it is good to view them from
two different angles: theologically And
Pastorally. When we argue theologically, the minister
of a sacrament need not be holy for the sacrament to be worthy and sacred,
because acts through him irrespective of his personal worthiness. But from the pastoral perspective it is also
necessary that the minister of the sacrament leads a holy life. Being a spiritual leader of the people it is
expected of him to live a life worthy of his position. However we should keep in mind the following
four points of the Church's stands in this regard.
Christ As The Original Sacrament: God revealed his love through Christ; so He is the
original sacrament. When the Jews put Christ to death, their deed was evil, but
his death was approved and willed by God. The death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ is the first instance where the rite
produces its effect. So Christ experience is the foundation of
sacraments.
The Role Of The Church: The church is the continuation of Christ. The church is
officially entrusted to witness Christ. So it is the duty of the church to
re-live the experience in a human situation. So the primary person is not the
individual but the Church through her rites symbolizes salvation to the
recipient.
The Role Of Recipient: The individual is assured that the grace of salvation is
present and available in and through this sign. The appropriation of
sacramental grace depends on "the dispositions of the recipient". A
fruitful reception always requires a conscious act of the will on the part of
recipient. The fruitfulness depend on the individual in the sense to what
extend he is ready to accept the community and lice out his responsibility.
The sacraments do not cause grace
magically. Magic is a mechanical action; there is no personal experience. God's
sovereignty and freedom are implicitly denied in magic. Magic is always in the
context of materialism. Where as sacraments are free acts of God, and they are
free act of yours. They work only to the extent that we bring faith and
devotion to them .
NOT
ASKED IN THE THESIS JUST FOR KNOWLEDGE SAKE
Are Sacraments Necessary For Christian Living (ND 1314)?
To the extent rites are integral of
human life, sacraments as symbolical rites, celebration of the self-expression
of the community and self-awareness, evocators towards a true celebration of
life in all its aspects and fullness, in them both the christological and
ecclesial dimensions are integrated. It can be said that sacrements are
necessary for christian living. But, whether or not seven and only seven are
necessary is a somewhat different question. But we cannot say that 7 sacraments
are absolutely necessary for Christian living (ND1314) because people live a
good christian life even without receiving all of them. For e.g. sat of
matrimony or priesthood is not taken by everybody yet people live good
Christian life. Perhaps, these 7 are necessary means of growth and maturation
in day to day Christian living.
(Sacraments Are
Efficacious Signs Of Grace (ND 1316)
Efficacious means producing the
desired effect e.g.- the grace in baptism would mean that we are cleansed from
sin. The efficacious sign of that grace would be ritual washing with water in
other words washing is an exterior sign which manifests an inner reality that
is sin is being removed. Sacrament are efficacious sign of grace. It is a
symbolic reinforcement of our process of self realization. Role of the
Church in the celebration of sacraments It is the Church which has been
entrusted with the official witnessing to the XT event in any specific and
particular areas of human existence. Hence it is not the individual recipient
who is the primary source of valid sacramental activity but the church who
through her rites symbolizes salvation to the recipient. Further, the church's
celebration of the sat is not flawed by the personal, moral disposition of the
minister.)
Rite, Rituals and Ritualism
A rite/ritual is a solemn ceremony
or observance which is present in the religions. By participating in it, a believer i able to identify with
his/her religion more deeply and also construct a more humanizing existence.
the rite denotes an action that is religious in its import. It symbolizes what
human life is called to expres8s in each of its different areas and at the same
time it affirms one's link with the transcending God through the symbolic
action.
Rites are the rule of conduct that
prescribe how of a person behaves in the presence of the sacred or sacred
objects. In other words rites symbolizes what human life is called to express
in each of its different areas(like birth, puberty, marriage death etc.). Rite
is a stylized action. It is approved by the community. Rites come to rescue in
the most privileged situation, eg.death. Every ritual is a stylized action. We have social, religious
political and civic rituals.
(Rite is set in a particular
anthropological context. Rite operates upon three elements: 1. Values - The
values present in the tradition are reconciled. The values are communicated
from Sacred Scriptures through readings/actions; 2. Relationship - relationship
in the community is defined. 3. Responsibility - It confers stable duties
constant with in a community, family responsibility, community expectations are
involved. When any rite or ritual disregards these three elements, it becomes
empty or meaningless).
Myth is a dramatic narrative which interprets a reality. It engages
its hearers and they are drawn into being participants in the action of a
mythic story. the narration is meant to affect the lives of the hearers. Today Myth would be defined as a dramatic
narrative which interprets a world of a believing community, and a rite as stylized action which
celebrates the myth in the lives of the members of a community. And Symbol is that which gathers life's
experience into a core; symbol is that to which we are drawn; symbol is that in
which we are involved; Symbol is that which brings our fullest identity,
realization and it leads to transformation. symbol always reveals an aspect of
reality it symbolizes. Sacrament os the symbolic rite of the church.
Sacraments and Samskaras
Samskaras signify action by the
which something is brought to a special degree of excellence. As such it
designates a certain number of Brahminic rites meant to purify and consecrate
the life of a hindu. So Samskara can be defined as consecratory rites which
sanctify the life of a Hindu at its various stages.
Similarities : Both are primarily religious symbolic celebration, have cultural
aspects of a community. Both have fixed forms and matter. Both give an identity
to an individual. Both effect transformation.
Differences:
Samskaras
Individual concerns
No event, only
principles
Priest is an
absolute necessity
Secular rites
(cultural) man and community
Sacraments
Community concern
Christ event
Minister is not
absolutely necessary
Religious: man and
God
Dialectic and
vertical
Samskaras come closer to the
sociological understanding of the smts. They are the celebrations of the Hindu
community. Perhaps samskaras may be understood more as secular rites with the
preponderant focus on the community and the society.
When we consider the place of
samskaras in Hinduism we need to make deliberate attempt to see Hinduism as a
communitarian religion though individual quest for salvation is emphasized
profusely. The individualistic quest which makes of religion a kind of
spiritual insurance company against punishment after death is not uncommon
among Xtians either. It is undeniable fact that the samskaras helped in the
refinement and purification of human life, facilitated the development of
personality, imparted sanctity and recognized the worth of human body, blessed
not only spiritual and material aspirations of man, and ultimately prepared
humans for exit from this world with fulfilment of having coped with this
worldly complexities with courage and determination. Among the chief functions
of the samskaras include the celebration of important life events, assurance of
community support, handing over of responsibility of an adult and removing evil
influences together with finding a place for oneself in the vast universe.
Today more and more people find
lesser and lesser reasons to celebrate samskaras and smts. The emphasis in
community celebrations give an added yoke on their backs. Why this phenomena
does arise? As the progress of time and civilizations occurred lack of a well
balanced instruction and motivating education must have kept us far away from
the ideal. In any case Hindu samskaras and Xtian smts have many sociological
and spiritual elements merging one upon another.
APPENDIX
Sacraments In The Theology Of The Fathers
Among the Church Fathers we have the following:
Tertulian: Who was the first to use the word
`sacramentum'.Sat is something visible,concrete and it is expressed in one's
commitment to Christ.
Augustine: Affirmed that smts are the action of Xt
and hence they are validly celebrated even though the minister is apostatized.
T. Aquinas: The symbolic aspect of smts
is highlighted through his understanding of causality. God is the principal
cause and the ceremonies and persons-the ministers of the smtal action are the
instrumental cause. Both these produce an effect by signifying grace.
C.of Florence: explains that the smts are made
up of matter and form (word used by the minister) and the minister. All three
elements constituting together the smtal action.
C. of Trent: Affirms that the 7 smts are
instituted by Xt, but without excluding the possibility of the `mediate
institution' as held by some Catholic theologians. Trent also affirms that
grace is conferred by the performance of the rite itself (Ex opere operato ND
1318).
Vat II: The smtal doctrine of Vat II is
deeply christocentric, while at the same time stressing the ecclesial dimension
of the smts. The smts draw their power from the paschal mystery (SC 61). The
Council purposely avoids the controversial phrase `Ex opere operato'. It is
replaced by the concept of Christ presence and action. Vat II insists on the
role of faith. On the part of Church, they are communal acts of worship. As to
the recipient of the sat it is necessary that the faithful come to it with
proper disposition that their minds should be attuned to their voices, and that
they should co-operate with divine grace lest they receive it in vain (SC 11).
The sat has validity and does not depend on the moral state of the minister.
Jesus - The First Sacrament
Jesus is the mystery of God's love
and kindness for mankind. He is the efficacious sign and symbol of God's self
-sacrificing love for us. His passion, death, resurrection and glorification,
point to the reality that sin and death have been conquered and that we have
access to the Father and eternal life. He is the first sat for the whole
world.In him the invisible God has been made visible in history and time, to
give himself fully to man. He is the incarnate and humanized salvation.
Church As A Sacrament
As Christ is the sat of God, so
Church is the sat of Christ. The Church makes present Christ to men who comes
later in time and continues the salvific work of Christ.Thus Church is a
visible and historical reality containing an invisible reality operating in it,
a mysterious and efficacious way. Church is the general sat as it is the sign
and means of all man's salvation. Church is the official witness of God's
presence. It is the basic sat for those baptized.
Sacrament And Sacramentals
Sacramentals are determined rites
established by the Church, which do not make up part of the 7 smts, but having
the similar structure. Church uses these rites to obtain spiritual effects and
material effects. They were established not by Christ but by the Church. They
are the signs of the Church's faith, for e.g., holy water, benediction etc.
Then we also have the popular
devotions which are composed and practised by the common people in the Church.
They seems to be quite appealing to a vast majority of the faithful and are
celebrated by the communities. These
popular devotions are the religious practices belonging to an innovative and
creative people on the march rather than to a static and rule-bound community.
It was especially after the Council of Trent which used signs and symbols
rubrically, that were not understandable to the majority of the faithful, and
that was not sensitive to the personal needs and cultural diversity of various
people, that the devotional practices grew enormous.
