The Sacraments – A Light for Beaufort

Sent by God

Linda Lathrop — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 23:37:45 +0000

Sent by God

The Sacrament of Holy Orders

Jesus sent his apostles to continue his ministry.

Before returning to heaven, Jesus commanded the apostles, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” He entrusts the apostles with his divine authority and sends them forth to continue his ministry, promising to be with them until the end of time. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Through these shepherds, Jesus continued to care for his flock.

Although the apostles were imperfect instruments, with sins and weaknesses, Jesus worked through them to build the early Church. They preached the Gospel, baptized thousands of new believers, healed many who were sick, and authoritatively taught in Christ’s name when doctrinal controversies threatened the Church’s unity.

The apostles passed on their authority to new leaders.

As Christianity spread, the apostles chose leaders to continue their ministry. These leaders were called bishops, meaning “overseer.” Through the laying on of hands, the apostles passed to these bishops the authority they had received from Jesus. The bishops, in turn, chose respected men in their communities to assist them as presbyters (later translated as priests), giving them authority for their roles through the laying on of hands. For example, Paul made Timothy a bishop through the laying on of hands (2 Tim 1:5) and directed Titus to appoint presbyters in the same manner. (Titus 1:5)

We now call this gift the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Through this sacrament, Jesus provides his flock with shepherds in each generation. Holy Orders is received in a ceremony called an ordination, where a bishop lays hands on each candidate’s head and asks God to bestow the Holy Spirit upon him. In this way, the bishop passes on the authority that he himself received through Holy Orders, in a succession stretching all the way back through the centuries to the apostles and Jesus himself.

Jesus still serves us through his shepherds today.

A priest is meant to be a spiritual father to his people, serving them with a heart like the Lord’s. This is a difficult calling, as he is a sinner in need of God’s mercy, like each of us. Through Holy Orders, Jesus offers each priest special graces to live out his calling faithfully, similar to the way he helps married couples live out their marital covenant through the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

Priests are meant to reflect the Lord’s love for us.

If priests live out their calling worthily and faithfully, Jesus can work through them in beautiful ways to continue his ministry in our midst, just as he did two thousand years ago. Through his shepherds, Jesus desires to wash us clean in Baptism, strengthen us with the Gospel, feed us with the Bread of Life, forgive our sins, give us healing, and lead us one day to heaven.

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Joined by God

Linda Lathrop — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 02:20:42 +0000

Joined by God

The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony

Imagine Jesus as a guest at your wedding!

At the start of his ministry, Jesus was invited to a wedding with his mother and disciples. It was there in the village of Cana that Jesus worked his first public miracle. At the wedding feast, the wine ran out, which would have been a great embarrassment for the couple and their families. Jesus discreetly told the servants to fill large jugs to the brim with water. After he prayed over the containers, the water became wine of the most excellent quality. (John 2:1-12)

Jesus shows how important marriage is in God’s plan.

God created us out of love, and he created us for love. Each of us will only be happy to the extent that we are making a sincere and total gift of ourselves in love. When God created Adam and Eve, our first parents, he joined them in a sacred union, calling them to lovingly care for one another and to bring forth new life. God intended for their faithful, unconditional love to be a visible sign in the world of his own love for us, freely given and without reserve.

For Christians, marriage is a call to become saints together.

Just as Jesus took ordinary water and made it into wine, he intended to take the seemingly “ordinary” married life and transform it into a supernatural calling. He expects husband and wife not only to care for one another in this life, but also to help each another become holy and reach heaven one day. They raise their children to be faith-filled disciples of Jesus. The home becomes like a miniature church, a community of love in which ordinary acts of caring and sacrifice become opportunities to give glory to God.

Jesus knew that such a high calling would need special graces.

Like Adam and Eve, all of us have been damaged by sin. We each struggle with selfishness and imperfection in many areas of our lives. It is not easy for Christian spouses to love selflessly as Jesus loves, and it is not easy to raise Christian children to be filled with love for the Lord. Knowing the difficulty of marital life, Jesus gave us a special gift to help Christian spouses to live out their calling.

This gift is the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

For his followers, Jesus made marriage into a sacrament, a visible sign through which Jesus gives spiritual gifts. This means that, when two baptized Christians are married, he offers them special graces each day of their marriage. He gives them strength to be faithful to their vows, to love and forgive each other, to bear one another’s burdens, to be holy parents, and help each other become saints.

Christian couples invite Jesus to their wedding, too!

When Catholics celebrate weddings, we usually celebrate them in a religious ceremony in church, with a priest leading the bride and groom through an exchange of vows. As they promise faithful, indissoluble, and fruitful love through their vows, God joins the two as one flesh. They exchange rings, symbolizing their new spiritual union, broken only by death. The spouses begin a new journey of faith, walking together with Jesus towards heaven.

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Healed by God

Linda Lathrop — Wed, 19 May 2021 22:17:34 +0000

Healed by God

Anointing of the Sick

During his ministry, Jesus had great compassion for the sick.

When he encountered people who suffered from serious illness or physical affliction, Jesus would take time to speak with them and give them comfort. He miraculously healed many who were on the brink of death, instantly taking away their illness. He gave sight to the blind, made the deaf hear, cleansed those with leprosy, and enabled the lame to walk. (Matthew 11:5)

Since he was God in our midst, Jesus healed with divine power.

At times, he worked these miracles with merely a word of command, but often his words of healing were accompanied by physical elements, such as when he made clay and placed it on the eyes of the man born blind. (John 9) These healings were signs pointing to the more important spiritual healing he had come to do, to free humanity from the eternal death caused by sin.

Jesus sent out the apostles to heal in his name.

During his ministry, Jesus sent his disciples to teach and heal in his name. “They went out and preached that men should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.” (Mark 6:12-13) And before he returned to heaven, Jesus commanded the apostles to continue this ministry, promising that in his name they will lay their hands on the sick, and the sick will recover. (Mark 16:18)

In the early Church, the apostles continued to heal.

In the New Testament, James writes, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well, and the Lord will raise them up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.” (James 5:14-15) The word “elders” is what later became translated as “priests.” The oil mentioned is olive oil, used in biblical times as a medicinal ointment.

We call this the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

The gift described by James has been passed down through the centuries, and it is now known as Anointing of the Sick. It is usually requested when a Catholic is sick with a serious illness or about to undergo a life-threatening surgery. The priest prays with the sick person, asks God’s healing through the laying on of hands, and anoints them on the forehead and hands with olive oil that has been specially blessed for this purpose.

Jesus continues his healing ministry among us today.

Sometimes Jesus works a miracle of physical healing through Anointing of the Sick, to the astonishment of the doctors and nurses! But more often, he gives strength to endure one’s sufferings with patience and love. If the sick persons are unconscious or otherwise unable to confess their sins, the Lord also forgives their sins and gives them spiritual healing. Through his family of faith, the Church, Jesus is still caring for the sick with great love and compassion.

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Forgiven by God

Linda Lathrop — Tue, 04 May 2021 20:45:28 +0000

Forgiven by God

Confession

Haven’t we all found ourselves in need of forgiveness?

Perhaps as a child we sent a baseball through a window, or broke one of mom’s favorite heirlooms. It wasn’t easy, but we had to own up to what we had done and say we were sorry. What a great feeling it was to hear them tell us that we were forgiven, and to know that we are loved no matter what we had done!

In the Gospels, Jesus forgave people’s sins.

To the paralyzed man, for example, he said, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5) This was astonishing to his Jewish listeners because they understood that sins are offenses against God. Only God can forgive sins; a mere man would have no such authority. And yet, Jesus does have authority to forgive sins, because he is not an ordinary man, but God standing in their midst.

Jesus sent the apostles to forgive sins in his name.

After rising from the dead, he greeted the apostles and told them, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Echoing the way that God breathed life into Adam, Jesus then breathed on the apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:21-23) Just as Jesus forgave sin during his ministry, he sent his apostles to act on his behalf, forgiving anyone who desired the grace of God’s forgiveness.

Jesus intended for all generations to experience this gift.

This experience of his mercy would be needed by all Christians, not just those who happened to live in the time of the apostles. People would always need to experience his mercy and unconditional love, just as they would always need to hear the Gospel proclaimed. This gift of forgiveness has been passed down through the centuries within the Church, the Lord’s family of faith, so that all Christians can experience his forgiveness in a concrete and tangible way. Catholics call this beautiful gift the Sacrament of Confession.

Through Confession, we encounter the Lord’s mercy.

Like all human beings, Catholics struggle with sin, damaging our relationship with God. When we need to seek the Lord’s mercy and spiritual healing, we meet anonymously with a priest. We speak our sins out loud and ask God’s forgiveness. The priest will often give some encouragement or advice, and then Jesus forgives us through the priest. The priest cannot share anything that he has heard in confession, because those sins are between that person and Jesus.

Confession is truly one of the joys of being Catholic.

Wouldn’t it be easier to confess our sins straight to God without a priest? Of course it would, but Jesus knew what he was doing. There is something powerful about speaking our sins out loud, taking ownership of them and bringing them into the light. It can be very helpful to receive spiritual guidance from a priest. And it is a great joy to hear Jesus say to us, through the priest, the beautiful words, “Your sins are forgiven, go in peace!”

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Strengthened by God

Linda Lathrop — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 11:58:07 +0000

Strengthened by God

Confirmation

Something amazing happened to the apostles on Pentecost.

On the Jewish feast day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus rose from the dead, the apostles started acting like new men. Until this time, they had been hiding, afraid that they too would be arrested and put to death like Jesus. But now they began to walk among the crowds, courageously proclaiming his death and resurrection. What brought about such a dramatic change?

They received the Holy Spirit.

Before Jesus returned to heaven, he had instructed the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for a special gift. As they were gathered in prayer on the morning of Pentecost, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-13) From that moment on, they received strength to go and be witnesses for Jesus to the ends of the earth. With great joy, they were willing to be persecuted and risk their lives so that the good news of Jesus could be proclaimed throughout the world.

The apostles gave this gift of the Holy Spirit to others.

As new believers were baptized and began to follow Jesus, the apostles would lay hands on them in prayer, and they too would receive the Holy Spirit. For example, many people in Samaria began to believe in Jesus and were baptized. When Peter and John arrived, “they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit… Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:15-17) Likewise, new believers received the Holy Spirit after Paul laid hands on them. (Acts 19:5-6)

All Christians can receive this gift of the Holy Spirit.

This bestowal of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands came to be known as the Sacrament of Confirmation, which comes from a Latin word that means “strengthening.” In each century, Jesus has continued to strengthen his followers with the Holy Spirit through this wonderful sacrament. Just as he did with the apostles, Jesus strengthens us in the graces of our Baptism so that we can go out and be his witnesses in the world.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is received after baptism.

Those who grow up Catholic typically receive Confirmation in their early teenage years, strengthening them to better live their faith as they become adults. The local bishop is usually the minister for Confirmation, since he is a successor to the apostles. He lays hands on the head of each person, praying the words, “Be sealed with the Holy Spirit.” For those who become Catholic as adults, Confirmation usually occurs immediately after Baptism, at the same celebration in which they will receive Holy Communion for the first time.

The Holy Spirit is still at work today!

Even if we do not perceive miraculous signs like those that happened at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is still working powerfully in our midst. Like the apostles, Jesus is counting on us to courageously proclaim his good news, so that all may come to know and love him.

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Fed by God

Linda Lathrop — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 23:32:34 +0000

Fed by God

The Eucharist

In Scripture, God took pity on his people in their hunger.

As the Israelites journeyed through the desert, God fed them with manna from heaven. (Exodus 16) He fed Elijah with special bread that strengthened him to walk for forty days. (1 Kings 19:8) Twice, Jesus took pity on the great crowds who had gathered to hear him preach, and he miraculously fed them all from a few loaves of bread. He promised the crowds that he would give himself as the Bread of Life, giving his flesh as true food and his blood as true drink. (John 6:55)

As our bodies yearn for food, so our souls yearn for Jesus.

Without food, we grow weak and are unable to carry out our daily tasks. Without union with Jesus, we become spiritually weak and lack the strength to do all that he calls us to do. There are many ways that we can allow Jesus to nourish our soul, such as quiet times of prayer and reflection on his Word in Holy Scripture. But Jesus has also given us a very special gift, the Eucharist, by which we are nourished in both body and soul with Jesus himself.

Jesus gave us this gift of himself on the night before he died.

At the Last Supper, Jesus took a loaf of bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” He then took a cup of wine, gave thanks to God, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant.” (Matthew 26:26-29) In a mysterious way, through what looked like normal bread and wine, Jesus was uniting himself with his disciples, in a way that connected them in both body and soul.

Receiving Holy Communion, we become one with Jesus.

When Catholics gather for worship, we believe that Jesus works a miracle. The Eucharist is not merely a symbol or a reminder of Jesus, but truly Jesus himself, hidden under the appearance of bread and wine. When we receive the Eucharist in Holy Communion, we are becoming one with Jesus in our entire being, in body and soul. And he is giving himself entirely to us, physically and spiritually, in his humanity and in his divinity.

The Eucharist is our most precious treasure as Christians.

It is because we believe that the Eucharist is truly Jesus, and not a symbol, that reception of Holy Communion is limited to those who share our faith and are properly prepared. Catholic children, for example, are typically prepared for Holy Communion at about age seven, when they are old enough to begin to comprehend that they will be truly receiving Jesus himself and not ordinary bread.

Through Holy Communion, Jesus nourishes us on our journey.

Just as God nourished the Israelites as they journeyed towards the Promised Land, Jesus strengthens us in Holy Communion on our earthly journey towards heaven. What food does for the body, so the Eucharist does for the soul. Receiving Holy Communion with love, we are united intimately with Jesus, grow in our relationship with him, and receive grace to live a life of holiness and faith.

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Washed Clean

Linda Lathrop — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 11:49:14 +0000

Washed Clean

The Sacrament of Baptism

Have you ever been really filthy and in need of a wash?

Perhaps you just finished a grueling race, or a long camping trip, or splashing around in mud. You are so caked with dirt, sweat, and grime that you can hardly recognize yourself in the mirror. But once you are finally washed clean, you feel like a completely new person. Even though it was just a bit of water on your body, this washing has made a tremendous difference, inside and out.

In Baptism, God washes us clean in body and soul.

We are each born with original sin: a lack of God’s divine life within us and an inclination towards disobedience to God. Our sins, big and small, are like spiritual mud and grime that gradually accumulate on our souls. We cannot wash this off by ourselves; only God can wash us clean. Baptism is the way that God has chosen to give us this great gift. Though it looks like a mere washing with water, God is actually working a miracle in our souls.

When we are baptized, we are spiritually changed.

Jesus was referring to Baptism when he spoke of the need to be “born again by water and the Spirit.” (John 3:5) He also said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16) When we are baptized, Jesus allows us to share in his death and Resurrection, giving us new life. (Rom 6:4) This is why Peter told the crowds at Pentecost, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” (Acts 2:37-38)

Baptism is the first of the seven sacraments.

The sacraments are special spiritual gifts given to us by Jesus. As he commanded, we wash a person in water with the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) When this happens, God bestows his divine life on us, restoring what was lost due to original sin. He washes our souls clean from all of our past sins. He makes us his adopted children, and we become members of his family of faith, the Church.

Even small children can receive this gift from God!

Since the earliest centuries, Catholics have baptized their children. Because of our understanding of Baptism, this makes perfect sense to us. Just as we gave our children physical life, we ask God to give our children spiritual life. We teach them to love Jesus and have faith in him. As they grow up, God calls them to make this faith their own, repenting of their sins and daily choosing to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Baptism is the beginning of our journey of faith.

For adults who did not grow up as Christians, the faith journey happens in a different order. They are introduced to Jesus and begin to have faith in him. Recognizing that only Jesus can save them from their sins, they ask the Lord to wash them clean and give them new life through Baptism. After a time of prayerful learning and spiritual preparation, adults are usually baptized at Easter with great joy and celebration, sharing in the glorious victory of our Lord over death.

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Love Made Visible

Linda Lathrop — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 19:48:03 +0000

Love Made Visible

The Sacraments

When we love someone, we express it in tangible ways.

Parents hug their children and tell them, “I love you.” A young man gives flowers and chocolates to his sweetheart. A husband leaves a love note on the bathroom mirror for his wife. Whenever we seek to communicate spiritual realities, such as our love or care for another person, we necessarily use such words or actions.

Through the body, spiritual realities are communicated.

Like the angels, we are immortal spirits, with the ability to know and to love. Unlike the angels, God created us as embodied spirits: an immaterial spirit united with a material body. Since we are “body-persons,” we cannot communicate directly with each other in a spiritual manner, as the angels do. Instead, it is only through the body that we can make visible that which is invisible, communicating and interacting meaningfully with one another.

God reveals himself to humanity in physical ways, too.

Since God made us as body-persons, he always communicates spiritual realities through words and actions. Think of how he interacted with his people in the Old Testament: a voice from heaven, a burning bush, the parting of the Red Sea, a pillar of fire, manna in the desert, and many other signs and wonders. Whenever God wished to reveal himself or demonstrate his love for his people, it was in ways that they could perceive with their senses.

Jesus is the supreme example of God’s love made visible.

So deep was his desire to reveal himself fully to us and reunite humanity to himself, that God chose to become one of us, being born as Jesus of Nazareth. When Jesus walked among the people, God himself was walking in their midst and revealing his love in a personal, physical way. Since Jesus was ministering to body-persons, his gifts were almost always accompanied by words, touch, gestures, or other physical elements. For example, he healed the man born blind by spitting on the ground, making clay, and anointing the man’s eyes with the clay. (John 9:1-12)

Jesus still continues his ministry today in a visible way.

It was not just his generation of believers that he wished to give new life, nourish, strengthen, heal, and forgive. He intended to continue giving these spiritual gifts to his people through his family of faith, the Church, until the end of time. For this purpose, he gave the apostles seven spiritual gifts, which became known as the sacraments. Through the sacraments, Jesus continues to minister to us in a personal, visible way in each generation.

Through the sacraments, Jesus expresses his love for us.

The sacraments are visible signs through which Jesus freely gives his spiritual gifts. He communicates his love for us still, in ways that are both physical and spiritual, in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Confession, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony, and Holy Orders. In this message series, we will give an introduction to each sacrament and discuss how each is a gift by which Jesus continues to make his love visible for us today.

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