Symbol or Sacrament​

Sacraments are God's gift to the Church. They both symbolise God acting in the lives of people and they bring about what they symbolise. One way to think about how symbolic action has a real impact is to think of an embrace between husband and wife or between close friends. To those looking on, the embrace is a sign of the closeness of the relationship between the people. For the people themselves the embrace brings them closer together and enables them to feel more strongly bonded to each other. Sacraments are a little like that.

When a person is baptised, those observing the symbolic action - either immersion in or pouring of water - may think of many things that water brings to mind.

Examples include water that cleanses, rain that refreshes parched land, and the sea, lakes and rivers teeming with life. For the person who is baptised the experience of symbolic drowning and cleansing has an impact on their inner, spiritual life. Through God’s grace received in this first sacrament, a Christian’s life takes on a new meaning and their relationship with God and the Christian community becomes deeper and richer.

All of the sacraments involve people making use of material things acting in symbolic ways. God’s grace works in the body, mind and spirit of a person as they participate in sacramental action. Sacraments have a real effect on the life of those who accept them as gifts from God. In, and through sacraments, people are invited to reflect upon the meaning and significance of their relationship with God, with others and all of creation.

‍NIHIL OBSTAT

‍Rev. Dr Paul Connell, 8 November 2021

‍IMPRIMATUR

‍Bishop Shane Mackinlay, Bishop of Sandhurst, 8 November 2021

‍Reviewed

‍8 November 2021