Review article

Trinitarian Emphases in the Sacraments

Anton Tamarut ; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

It is the author's view, that an understanding and celebration of the sacraments are increasingly exposed to a theological and spiritual impoverishment, that is, a superficial and basically horizontally anthropological and social explanation. Concerning the emptying of theological and spiritual content of the sacraments, the author in this article begins by trying to, firstly, positively demonstrate the theological and spiritual depth and richness of God's encounter with man in the celebration of the sacraments. The author particularly emphasizes the relational and transformational dimension, and the encounter in the sacramental celebration, and furthermore, in this context, directs attention to the sacramental experience of the sacred. It is the author's intention to limit his discussion to the Trinitarian source of the sacraments, their theophanic character, associated with the dynamic and relational nature of sacramental grace.
It can be said, in the light of the history of salvation, that God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit »continues« in the sacraments to reveal himself to man and to work for him in a friendly and salvific manner. The term »continued revelation«, does not imply a new content, having accepted that Revelation in Jesus Christ has reached its fulfilment and completion, but rather a sacramental presence and effective actualization of what the Father, once and for all, by the Holy Spirit fulfilled in the Son. Sacraments are namely, primarily works of God's merciful love that are actualized in the individual and real, visible and experiential, liturgical rite, composed of forms of ecclesiastical life.
Christ Glorified, who through the Holy Spirit reveals himself bestowing the Father's love is the main author of the sacramental event. Of course, with him in the liturgical celebration, with his Head, is the Church at work, Christ's Body. At the same time, when in unison with Christ the Head, the Church as a co-worker, in relation to the sacraments is above all, the addressee and witness to the gifts, or in other words, the love with which the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit loves. They »reveal and are directed towards her«.
The theophanic character of the sacraments reveals itself primarily through the proclaimed dimension of the sacraments, in which belongs not only the word, but the elements, in other words, the works, or as Augustine calls it »the visible word« (verbum visible«). The general validity of revelation, in its own specific way, a mutatis mutandis, can be applied to the celebrations of the sacraments where the »interventions«, or symbolic works and words are also interconnected. Here work (»action«) demonstrates and supports the teaching which the words signify, and accordingly, words proclaim works and enlighten the mystery contained within them.
Experience of the sacred is closely related to the theophanic dimension of the sacraments. In this sense, every celebration of the sacraments should be view as »sacred ground« (cf. Ex 3:2-5), as a place of the Spirit, a »place« of God's powerful presence where it is necessary to »remove the sandals from your feet«, and approach with a »contrite and humble« heart (Ps 51:19). Considering the important differences that follow every comparison, it can nevertheless be said that every celebration of the sacraments is akin to Mose's experience in encountering the Present One in the »blazing but unconsumed bush«, and called to follow a path, mission, and enthusiasm for real action. Such a path and action does not leave man unto himself, for the God of love and friendship remains man's faithful ally and co-traveller. He remains the first and main instigator of the works upon which he calls us. Hence, »sacramental grace« can be viewed as the grace of friendship, as God's fatherly closeness and love that makes everything new (cf. Rev 21:5), the sonship and friendly relationship with God realised by the Spirit in Jesus Christ, the new Adam; a relation upon which rests the »new heaven and new earth« (Rev (21:1).

Keywords

The Holy Trinity; revelation; Church; sacrament; encounter; sacramental grace; experience of the sacred

Hrčak ID:

25600

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/25600

Publication date:

11.1.2005.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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