All the effort of purgation and remediation discussed in
this book is made so that the sacraments may be more efficacious. It is the sacraments offered by Christ that bring us to union with him; sanctifying grace is offered, but its effects are limited by any selfishness in our soul. We cannot become Christ if we remain self.
90 The Medjugorje Marian apparitions are stil under evaluation by the Church. The Virgin Mary has reportedly been appearing to several visionaries of Medjugorje, Bosnia, since 1981. The brief messages are one of prayer and conversion in these decisive and possibly last times. The Catholic Church continues evaluation, but the latest official statement is favorable; in 2017, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Henryk Hoser as special envoy to Medjugorje, who stated, “Dioceses and other institutions can organize official pilgrimages [to the apparition site of Medjugorje].”
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The reader is likely familiar with the sacraments, and the major points in this chapter are:
1. The sacraments are effective, but their action is limited by any existing selfishness.
2. Confirmation is the sacrament of spiritual
advancement, and adult evening classes are available.
3. Those sacraments tracing a lineage to the apostles, such as found in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches
are most effective.91
Sacraments make a real difference, by them we participate
in specific ideals of Christ. Perfect forms of Christian life (baptism), Christian
marriage, Christian participation
(Eucharist), priestly ministry, or in the case of confirmation the perfection of spiritual advancement is made available to us.
The sacraments are intended to bring full divine union with Christ in this life. Christ is not limited to the sacraments, but he did leave them behind as the intended means for our inclusion into himself. The Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church and the Coptic all have an unbroken line of sacramental authority and there is much evidence of the profound efficacy of their sacraments, when fully cultivated by the student.92
Miracles are generally considered evidence of
participation in the divine union, and these churches contain perhaps 99% of substantiated miracles. Jesus Christ himself 91 Any act of goodwill is helpful in spiritual advancement, but valid sacraments are in a different league. Validity of non Catholic sacraments varies considerably. An excellent sacraments guide may be found at: https://www.insidethewalls.org/documents/2014/8/Sacramental_Val idity_Guide-1.pdf.
92 The autocephalous and autonomous Orthodox churches are those churches (i.e. jurisdictions) which have self-government. These jurisdictions are united in doctrine and worship, they recognize each other as canonical, and are in full communion, and together constitute the Orthodox Church. There are fourteen such autocephalous Churches, and more that are not recognized by all other Orthodox churches.
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spoke of supernatural acts being evidence of divine participation, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me — or at least believe on account of the works themselves..”, (Jn 14:11).
The next verse has Jesus teaching that such divine union
and its fruits is the intended norm, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”, (Jn 14:12). Note the last phrase,
“…because I am going to the Father.”, after the ascension of Jesus, the faithful are to be the ongoing Christ on earth.
The most demanding vocation is marriage of course, and
that is all the more reason to obtain a sacramental marriage if it does not yet exist.
The sacrament of penance, or confession is a practical necessity for sustained spiritual growth. Our venial sins are forgiven during the Mass. Mortal sins must be forgiven in the sacrament of penance. In the end, a mortal sin is a despair driven abandonment of God; but God does not abandon his commitment to us, even in the face of severe sin, so long as we keep our commitment to him.
The sacrament of penance is unique in that once it has been obtained, it may be had again with a new and full effect each time. It has certainly happened that a person is innocently baptized twice, or confirmed twice, or married, while still being married. At best, this repetition would add some actual grace to one’s soul.
Sacramental penance wipes our soul free of sin, and the
next time it is received it wipes out any newly made sin, with nothing resembling repetition.
Sacramental penance absolves sin, but the habitual effects of sin in our will and virtues, may only be reformed by our own moral effort. We know that if we are forgiven the sin of impatience, we are not turned into a perfectly patient person.
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Such perfection must be made by us, but not alone; we ask for the help of the entire body of Christ. Nevertheless, the sin that is reformed by the sacrament of penance is of real value, and we make regular use of this sacrament.
The Eucharist is an all purpose sacrament for the receipt
of actual graces.93 Greater effectiveness of the Eucharist is not so much had by more reception, but by allowing this sacrament to do its job. This means eradicating sin, vice and imperfections from our will.
Any sacrament is effective only to the degree or
disposition of our soul. If more frequent reception of the 93 Eucharist was the original intended means to our divine inclusion.
Jesus Christ came to make divine inclusion of each individual into his own person, sin was just an obstacle which had to be overcome prior to his main mission which was divine inclusion, (salvation). Jesus came in spite of sin, not because of sin. In a sinless world, this divine inclusion would have been made to following generations via the Eucharist. With the onset of sin, baptism became the primary sacrament of divine inclusion, which also provides the forgiveness of sin.
Eucharist is now considered an actual grace, and no longer a sanctifying grace, but Eucharist’s original sanctifying nature is spoken of by Jesus in John 6:51-58, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he wil live forever. And this bread, which I wil give for the life of the world, is my flesh…I tel you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I wil raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me wil live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your forefathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
The Eucharist is a non-human member of the body of Christ. Christ is no longer only the Son of God, or Jesus Christ, but now all that constitutes the body of Christ: humans, angels, bread, wine, and in its final formation even the lion that lies down with the lamb in Heaven. Ultimately Christ will make communion with all of creation (general judgment or communion) so that “God will be all in all”, (1Cor 15:28).
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sacrament of confirmation provided for exponential spiritual growth, perhaps it would be offered each week; in fact the graces of confirmation or marriage for that matter fully exist, simply waiting for the student of spiritual advancement to allow them their proper place in our crowded soul.
“Make as many spiritual communions as possible to
supply for the Sacramental Communions which are not
made. One every quarter of an hour is not enough.
Make them shorter, but more numerous.” — Jesus to
Sr. Benigna Consolata
“Lord Jesus Christ, I desire spiritual communion;
forgive my sins and perfect my soul.”
Judgment, Purgatory, Heaven, Hell
What we call judgment is simply Christ’s originally planned divine communion with each individual, but with the onset of sin, Purgatory or Hell (partial communion or non communion), are possibilities. 94
The original plan, had God creating persons (angelic and
human) from his own person. These persons were to venture 94 This life was always intended as training for divine union with Christ.
Catholic folklore has humanity as living as Adam, Eve, and family in their human nature forever; Catholic theology has Jesus Christ scheduled from the beginning to incarnate and make divine union with humanity. This life was always intended to on loan to us for the purpose of spiritual advancement.
Therefore, let us cast off every selfish interest, large or small, and make deeper union with Christ, who we will be for eternity. Acts of love are the most efficient means of deep union with Christ. God is love (commitment (to good)), and unconditionally so. Let us never cease from prayer and generosity of opinion and action.
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into creation and live new and original dimensions of God’s love. Once these creatures had attained perfection of love, they would reunite with God, bringing their unique virtues of spiritual advancement, and again become dimensions of God.95