Reflection on September 18, 1982

https://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/jp2tb92.htm

The main chunk of this reflection is SJPII debating or arguing about whether the Church is a Sacrament itself. This is from the language that it is a “great mystery”, language that have been translated into the same basic meaning as Sacrament. But, SJPII doesn’t conclude that it is a Sacrament, but “it is like a Sacrament” because it is “a sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of the unity of the whole human race”. He also explains the importance of the Church being like a sacrament because of the fact that all the Sacraments are bestowed on us through the Church.

I thought it was interesting that SJPII brought up that the author uses this analogy with marriage because he wants to point to the oldest Sacrament to illustrate that this relationship with Christ and the Church and its spousal nature was the plan from the beginning. Marriage was given, at the dawn of human life, to prepare us for the relationship we would have with God through Christ and the Church. First, when you hear that marriage is the oldest Sacrament, it really makes you sick to think about those trying to change its definition.

Second, it made me think if the analogy of Christ and the Church and that relationship could be used with other Sacraments. At first, I thought it should, but as I tried to come up with examples or lay it out, I thought of some issues. First, the Sacraments of Healing are not needed. As we discussed, the Church, not its members but the Church, is Holy and Immaculate. It does not need healing. Baptism, perhaps, and it talks about that in Ephesians, about the washing clean of the bride, but the other Sacrament of initiation would not be needed because, as stated early, the Church is Holy and Immaculate. The “baptism” of the Church was enough and it remains clean. Eucharist is there as Christ feeding the Church, and that is mentioned. Holy Orders might be able to be used, but would basically be repeating many of the “fully giving” ideas that are in the marriage analogy. Obviously the Sacraments of Marriage, Eucharist, and Baptism can help to form analogies that help our understanding of the relationship between Christ and the Church.