INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “7 Human Sacraments.”
The Catholic Church has 7 Sacraments: whereas the Protestant Churches in their
attempts at reformation - narrowed down sacraments to 2: Baptism and the Lord’s
Supper.
Lutherans and Methodists do have other rites - like confession - but
they don’t see them as sacraments.
Baptism is the one sacrament that is closest in the
various Christian communities.
As I reflect upon Sacraments I begin with what I heard as
a kid from the Baltimore Catechism - Question 136: “A sacrament is an outward
sign instituted by Jesus Christ to give grace.”
Sacraments are sacred signs, ceremonies, rituals, which human
beings enter into and receive grace and blessings and spiritual help as a result.
SACRAMENTS ARE PUBLIC CEREMONIES
Take baptism and marriage for starters. They are public
ceremonies - which tell us a person is now identified as a Christian or as
married. Marriage - for a Catholic - as we know - can take place a second or more
times - if an earlier marriage ends by death or annulment.
Next take the sacraments of confirmation and priesthood.
They are public once in a lifetime ceremonies. Now we know this person is
confirmed - or ordained. They are now an adult Christian or priest. Presbyterian communities have a
ceremony called confirmation - which is sort of like Catholic confirmation in
that it’s connected to baptism.
That’s 4 of the 7 sacraments. The last 3 Catholic
sacraments can be repeated: Confession,
The Anointing, and the Mass.
Lutherans have two forms of confession: public
like we have at the beginning of the Lord’s Supper and private sometimes - but that's seen different than our sacrament of confession. It’s not a sacrament in
their tradition - but a ritual - and hopefully a help.
Our Catholic sacrament of Confession gives us a sign. In
confession, we are in the presence of the priest and we hear our voice and his
voice absolving us. We receive an
assurance that our sins are forgiven.
The sacrament of the anointing of the sick is visible as
well.
So to going to Mass - the sacred meal.
But the Meal, the Last Supper, is quite different for Catholics compared
to the Last Supper celebration for Protestants. For starters we believe in the
Real Presence. And that brings us also to the Sacrament of Ordination for
priests - which is not how Protestants see all this.
OKAY NOW TO MY MAIN HOPE FOR THIS HOMILY
What I just said is presented in broad strokes - and
could be confusing - as well as complicated because I am not familiar enough
with all the different ceremonies and theologies of Protestant Communities. Moreover, they differ
amongst themselves as well.
When I read today’s gospel, it’s from the 6th Chapter of John
- it’s referring to the Eucharist - I got the thought, why not look at natural
sacraments - human sacraments?
By doing that, my hope would be that we all can see our Catholic sacraments
that much better.
In doing this, I wondered if I could come up with 7 natural or human sacraments.
That’s where I put my homework for this homily for this Sabbath.
I asked: “What are basic human rituals we all do - that build up the human family - help the
members of the human race, etc., etc., etc? to grow in grace and strength.”
Obviously, after having done this, seeing what I come up with, I can revamp, re-write,
reconsider my results. Then in time hopefully I can make changes and come up with better
rituals or human practices.
A good book on
this is by Robert Fulghum, From Beginning
to End, the Rituals of Our Lives. And he is a Unitarian - who have no
sacraments. Yet they say they see life itself as a sacrament. Some Unitarian
communities have a dedication service for new children. They celebrate a young
person coming of age. They celebrate people joining in marriage and they
celebrate the death of a love one.
I read that book years ago and it got me thinking of
human rituals - plus courses I have taken on anthropology.
So here are my 7 human sacraments as of now.
NUMBER ONE HUMAN SACRAMENT: THE FAMILY MEAL
First of all would be the family meal.
One of my pet complaints - and I bring it into
sermons on a regular basis - is right here. Families are not celebrating family meals together,
enough.
Just as Catholic and Protestant Sunday Mass or Last
Supper numbers are down, so too the
number of people in America who eat together as family is down.
The natural priests - mom and dad - are not doing their
priestly duty to gather the family for food together.
You heard the old saying, “The family that prays together
stays together.” So too, “The family that eats together stays together.” I'd also add, “the family that plays together, stays together.”
However, I want to concentrate here on the family meal.
Put away the cellphones and the TV. See and hear and
share with one another. Break bread, share wine and water and milk and
blueberry pies with each other. It’s the sacrifice of the meal - which is paid
for by work and salary.
A meal is word and food and people - like the sacrament of the Mass.
When we can’t stomach each other, can’t stand each other,
we learn this at the family altar, the family table.
We’ve all heard mention of C and E Catholics: Christmas
and Easter Catholics.
What about T and E and C and B human beings: Thanksgiving
and Easter and Christmas and Birthday human beings - who come together to celebrate and eat together on those days.
So that’s the first human sacrament: the family meal.
The next 6 will be shorter, otherwise we’ll
kill this meal and mass. And this is a
first draft exploration to see if I can come up with 7 Human Sacraments.
NUMBER TWO: THE SACRAMENT OF FORGIVENESS
Each of us on a regular basis needs to look at hurts and
being hurt.
Maybe once a week a couple or a family needs to say the
Our Father together and stop at the
line, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against
us.”
As couples, as family, as friends, we cross boundaries
and trespass on the other’s vegetable garden and we need to say, “I’m sorry”
and “I forgive you.”
NUMBER THREE: THE SACRAMENT OF A COMPLIMENT
I don’t know how many times we need to administer and to
receive this sacrament: it’s the sacrament of a compliment.
For starters, how about once a week - and mark it down
somehow - that you gave key people in your life, a compliment.
NUMBER FOUR: THE SACRAMENT OF THE BAGEL OR THE BEER
There are a lot of people who receive and give this
sacrament a lot.
How about lunch? How about going out for a beer? How about Chick and
Ruth’s for breakfast? How about Naval Bagel or Eggcellence? How about slipping down to Ego Alley and get an ice cream at Storm Brothers?
Friendships call for phone calls - plus actual presence - getting together for a bite to eat and a piece of each other in communion.
NUMBER FIVE: WALKING TWO BY TWO
A couple told me that they have made a great move in
their lives. It's called, "Taking a walk!"
She got cancer. She has recovered after very serious surgery. Now
in their 50’s they have been walking, walking, walking together in the evening;
talking, talking, talking in the evening, and their marriage has become
fabulous.
They told their brothers and sisters and friends about
this and 5 other couples have taken up this practice - all 5 in various parts of
the country.
NUMBER SIX: VISITING AN OLD PERSON
Is there an old person on our street or in our neighborhood, all alone, with kids in various
other parts of the county, but not here. What would that be like to find a
home bound person, who would love a visit and a phone call and maybe we take them shopping or come or go to be with them for a meal - and surprise!
NUMBER SEVEN: SHARE YOUR IT PERSON
I made it to number seven. I’m not sure, but how about
sharing your IT person with those who have no clue about e-mails and computers
and all that stuff? If you have tech skills or you have a kid who has the skills, how about getting them to check out
those old neighbors who are technologically challenged - and help them keep
better in touch with family or friends via e-mail or what have you?
Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Painting on top:
To Prince Edward Island
by Alex Colville
Please realize this is
a first draft - and as
time moves along
I hope I come up
with a better list -
and newer insights
into the human condition.
