One of the distinguishing marks of a “catholic” church is that it is a sacramental church, believing in the sacraments instituted by Christ, and administering them to the Body of Christ, his people. From the very beginning, Christians believed that the sacraments are not mere symbols, but that they actually do something. It is therefore an article of catholic faith that the sacraments, through the action of the Holy Spirit, impart the grace which they signify.
This belief was shared by the Protestant reformers, but has been abandoned over the years by many of the churches they founded. The protestant rejection of sacramentalism was an understandable reaction to abuses whereby the Roman Catholic Church in the middle ages used the granting or withholding of the sacraments as an instrument of power over the people. Yet it was an unfortunate reaction. The answer to the evil of withholding the sacraments from people seeking God’s grace is simple. Dispense the sacraments with generosity, as Jesus did. Yes, the church has the responsibility to make sure people are prepared for certain of the sacraments (Confirmation, Matrimony, and Holy Orders). And, at least for Holy Orders, the church can be downright selective. St. Paul, after all, instructed Timothy that when selecting candidates for consecration as bishops, he should choose only those of good character with only one spouse. But even in these cases the church should act with wisdom and discernment, not legalism. What’s most important in preparation for Confirmation, Matrimony, and Holy Orders is not knowledge or even sanctity, but attitude. As for the rest of the sacraments (Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Anointing of the Sick), these are sacraments for sinners. They are specifically designed to impart God’s free gift of unmerited grace to sinners who believe and are humble enough to receive. To deny people these sacraments on technicalities or because of lifestyles or because their sin is more obvious than our own is an abuse of the power Jesus left his church.
It was Jesus who left us the sacraments. The gospels tell us that Jesus personally and directly instituted at least four of them — Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Holy Orders. And there is biblical support for the other three (Confirmation, Anointing, and Matrimony) as well.
Most sacramental churches believe in the seven sacraments discussed above. Yet the number “7” was not defined until the 12th century. The number “7” is a nonessential. It is not important how many we believe there are. What is important is that we acknowledge that they are instruments or channels of God’s grace, that they do what they signify.
I would now like to discuss some of the individual sacraments, beginning with Matrimony.
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