“And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.”
This lesson is part of the lesson “The Mute and Deaf Man (Sacramental Life)”
The Sacraments have effects. The impediment was removed and he spoke plainly. The Sacraments not only remove sin, but impart grace to help us think well, speak well, and do well. When we think well, speak well, and do well, it is a reflection on the one who enables us to think well, speak well, and do well. In the Gospel the people said, “He [Jesus] has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
What are the two major effects of the Sacraments?
Justifying Grace – Justifying Grace is “the grace by which a person is restored to God’s friendship, either for the first time, as in baptism, or after baptism, as in the sacrament of penance.” [1]
Sacramental Character – The Sacramental Character “is not common to all, but peculiar to three, Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders – it is the character which they impress on the soul.” [2] “The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or “seal” by which the Christian shares in Christ’s priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions. This configuration to Christ and to the Church, brought about by the Spirit, is indelible; it remains for ever in the Christian as a positive disposition for grace, a promise and guarantee of divine protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church. Therefore these sacraments can never be repeated.” [3]
Why is the Sacramental Character or indelible mark is called a “seal”? Saint Paul says, “But the one who gives us security with you in Christ and who anointed us in God; he has also put his seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.” [4] There are three Sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion. Baptism is the first installment or “down payment”. The reception of all three Sacraments therefore is payment in full. The Sacraments were originally received in the following order: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion. Baptism is the first installment. Confirmation is the second installment, which is “necessary for the completion of baptismal grace”. [5] The final payment, which was the payment of Christ on the Cross, is the Most Holy Eucharist, the crown of our Faith.
What do the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders do for us? They give us a positive disposition for grace. What does disposition mean? Disposition is similar to our attitude. Disposition is how open we are to something. Just said to the deaf and mute man in the Gospel, “Be opened”. The Sacraments are a grace that enable us to be opened to many other graces which God will offer. The Sacraments are a promise and guarantee of divine protection. Who doesn’t need protection? We pray in the Our Father, “deliver us from the evil one”. The Sacraments promise divine protection from the evil one. The Sacraments are a vocation [a call] to divine worship and to the service of the Church. The baptized Catholic is called to worship; this is why it is a precept of the Church to attend Mass on Sunday and on Holy Days. This is also why baptized Catholics, if they are called to marriage, are called to a Sacramental Marriage, in the Church, using the Rite of Marriage. It is also a precept of the Church to “help to provide for the needs of the Church.” This is a call to service, serving both the physically and spiritual needs of the souls that the Church serves.
If someone were to perform an autopsy on our soul, what would they find? For the confirmed Catholic, there would be two marks for sure upon the soul, one of Baptism, one of Confirmation. For the Priest or Deacon, there would be three, Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. We can think of the indelible marks or Sacramental character impressed upon our souls as marks of honor, similar to merit badges. The mark of Baptism, makes a person a citizen of heaven and of the Church. In the physical world it is like becoming a citizen of a country, having a social security number or passport. The mark of Confirmation makes a person a soldier, responsible for the protection and well-being of the baptized citizens. The mark of Holy Orders makes a person a general, responsible for leading the soldiers, who are the Church Militant. Together the generals and soldiers live out the words of Saint Paul to Saint Timothy “Fight the good fight for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.” [6] Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders are all noble confessions in the presence of many witnesses, and all three enable us to lay hold of eternal life and give us the strength to fight the good fight. Saint Augustine says of the marks, “Shall the Christian Sacraments accomplish less than the bodily mark impressed on the soldier? That mark is not stamped on his person anew as often as he resumes the military service which he had relinquished, but the old one is recognized and approved.” [7]
This character [seal or mark] has a twofold effect: it qualifies us to receive or perform something sacred, and distinguishes us by some mark one from another. In the character impressed by Baptism, both effects are exemplified. By it we are qualified to receive the other Sacraments, and the Christian is distinguished from those who do not profess the faith. The same illustration is afforded by the characters impressed by Confirmation and Holy Orders. By Confirmation we are armed and arrayed as soldiers of Christ, publicly to profess and defend His name, to fight against our internal enemy and against the spiritual powers of wickedness in the high places; and at the same time we are distinguished from those who, being recently baptized, are, as it were, newborn infants. Holy Orders confers the power of consecrating and administering the Sacraments, and also distinguishes those who are invested with this power from the rest of the faithful. The rule of the Catholic Church is, therefore, to be observed, which teaches that these three Sacraments impress a character and are never to be repeated. [8]
[1] Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.; Modern Catholic Dictionary
[2] Catechism of the Council of Trent – Effects of the Sacraments
[3] Catechism of the Catholic Church - 1121
[4] 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
[5] Catechism of the Catholic Church - 1285
[6] 1 Timothy 6:12
[7] Catechism of the Council of Trent – Effects of the Sacraments
[8] Catechism of the Council of Trent – Effects of the Sacraments