7  HUMAN  SACRAMENTS

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 6^th 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.

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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.