October 30, 2009
The Bishop's Forum
The other sacraments and the family
by Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger
First of a series
Prologue: In early fall of 2008, I wrote a series on the first of the Social Sacraments, that of Holy Matrimony. Last week, I concluded a series on the second social sacrament, that of Holy Orders, specifically that of the priesthood, acknowledging that priests are sons of families.
Marriage is the source of all vocations. It is from family life that vocations spring up. Priesthood, like marriage, is not only for the individual but for the community of the faithful. The other sacraments are uniquely personal yet they impact the family for the simple and obvious reason that the recipients are members of families.
The Sacraments of Initiation into the Life of Christ
Preface: The opening scene in the epic novel, “Roots,” by Alex Hailey is most memorable. It poignantly describes the entrance of a baby boy into the human family while acknowledging both the source of his life, a Supreme Being, and the dignity that his name bears.
Shortly after his birth, the shaman, the tribal priest, takes the baby boy away from the camp into the darkness of night lit only by the stars of the sky. Then, holding the baby boy facing the heavens whispers into his ear: “Kunta Kinte, behold the only one greater than you.” So the baby boy is given his unique name reminding him that his dignity resides in his god-given name.
Clearly, we all know that our parents are the source of our human life. We as Catholic Christians believe and acknowledge that the gift of life is a cooperative effort of God and our parents.
In our faith tradition, Catholicism, we hold that Adam and Eve committed a sin that broke the relationship between the Creator and themselves. They were powerless of their own to repair that broken relationship. Yet, God did not abandon them but promised them a redeemer, one both God and man capable of restoring the broken relationship.
Because of their sin, we, their heirs in the human family, arrived in this world with something missing, something we once had a right to and was lost. We needed to have the broken relationship restored.
Jesus is the God-man who, by his life among us, his suffering, his death and resurrection, paid the price to restore that broken relationship. He loved us so much that he made it possible for us to be adopted by him as brothers and sisters.
Next week: Baptism, the first sacrament of initiation.