It is central to a Catholic understanding of the sacraments that they bring about what they
signify. So, for instance, baptism with water "In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit" signifies both that the person is spiritually washed, or cleansed, of sin,
and also that by emerging from the water, she is spiritually reborn in Christ, receiving a
share by grace in his resurrected life. Baptism signifies and therefore really brings about this
spiritual cleansing and rebirth in her soul. In this episode, we'll focus on how this comes to be,
answering the question of how the sacraments cause grace.
Each sacrament involves three steps. Up to this point in Season 3 of Aquinas 101,
for simplicity’s sake, we’ve tended to focus on steps 1 and 3. But now,
we’ll see the full picture as we explore step 2.
Going up steps on a staircase is a good analogy to visualize the threefold or tripartite dimension
of each sacrament. The first step is the sacramental ritual, the liturgical rite,
the basic sacramental sign. This sacramental sign must be exteriorized, it must be physical,
and may also require interior action.
For instance, the sacrament of penance requires interior contrition for our sins. But in the
sacramental rite, the interior action needs to be rendered in an exterior fashion. So,
with the example of the sacrament of penance, the penitent must physically manifest contrition by
verbally confessing one’s sins to a priest. So, step #1 is the sacramental ritual.
In the old Latin terminology, it’s called the sacramentum tantum, the sign alone.
Now, from step 1, it is easy to skip directly to the final step, the grace received in the
sacrament. Each sacrament has a different grace. Basically, it’s a particular way
of participating in the divine life of the Trinity and the saving life of Jesus Christ.
For instance, the sacramental grace of baptism is birth into the life of the Christ who died
and rose from the dead. That baptismal participation in the paschal life of
Christ gives the forgiveness of sins and a whole host of other wonderful gifts.
Or take the Eucharist, the Eucharist’s sacramental grace is unity with Christ
and His Church in charity, unity with the Christ who offered His life in loving sacrifice on the
Cross. In the Latin terminology, we call this third step the res tantum: literally,
the thing alone. We mean by that, “the grace alone,” the final effect of the sacrament.
So you receive the sacrament, you get the grace. Simple, right? Well,
not quite. It is not so simple. According to St. Thomas Aquinas,
the sacramental rite brings about the final grace of a sacrament by means of an intermediate step,
which is signified by the sacramental rite, and which then brings about the final grace.
Why is it important to say that each sacrament has this intermediate,
second step? It is because the external rite really does bring about a new spiritual reality,
but sometimes, due to an obstacle in the recipient, it may not result in the person's
receiving the final sacramental grace. So there must be some important in between that really
does result from the sacramental rite but that is distinct from that final sacramental grace.
Suppose a bank robber goes to Mass right after committing his latest robbery. The priest says
the words of consecration over the bread and wine (the first step), and they become the Body
and Blood of Jesus Christ (the second step). At communion time, not having repented of his sin,
the robber walks up and receives the Eucharist. Did he receive a sacrament? Yes and no.
Yes, he ate the sacred host, which is really the Body of Christ truly present under the appearance
of bread. But because of his unrepented robbery, which has cut him off spiritually from God,
the robber could not be further united with Christ and his Church in charity,
and so he does not receive the final sacramental grace (step 3) of the
Eucharist. There is an intermediate step, then, in each sacrament between the rite
itself and the final grace received. This step 2 was gradually figured out by theologians and
pastors in the Church between the fifth and eleventh centuries as they contemplated how
the sacraments work and as they refuted various theological errors and sacramental malpractices.
A systematic grasp of the full mystery only began in the twelfth century. St.
Thomas in the thirteenth century helped immensely to explain and solve this puzzle.
Theologians and pastors saw that the sacramental rite, step 1,
has an immediate effect, step 2, that itself is a causative sign toward step 3, the final
step in the process. In Latin, we call this second step the res et sacramentum, literally, “the thing
and sacrament,” or “the effect and sign.” It’s an effected sign that effects another effect.
It’s a higher step that leads to a highest step. As we go through the Sacraments in detail in other
videos, the role of this second step, the res et sacramentum, will become clearer. You can
think of these three steps as springboards moving us higher toward union with God.
When a sacrament’s liturgical rite, step 1, the sacramentum tantum, is done,
there’s a springing to step 2, the res et sacramentum. Step 2 is an immediate
effect of the overall sacrament. And step 2 is an active sign that, together with step 1,
springs the sacramental recipient to step 3, the res tantum, the intended grace of the sacrament.
Formally speaking, when we’ve reached step 3, the sacrament has done its job.
But loosely speaking, even step 3 is a springboard because that sacramental grace leads us,
springs us, to higher union with God and higher acts of the Christian life.
And as for grace, God’s grace is operative in some way at each of
the three sacramental steps. But we reserve the word “sacramental grace” for step 3,
the res tantum, because that’s the final end of the sacrament.
All of these steps illustrate how Christ in the sacraments moves and perfects us in a dynamic
transformation in His life. The sacramental rite, the sacramentum tantum, signifies the
work of Christ, who instituted each sacrament and now gives grace and the virtues in the sacraments.
That step 1 springs us to step 2, which involves a configuration to Christ,
or indeed even the presence of Christ. Finally,
steps 1 and 2 jointly spring us to step 3, which is a particular grace, life in Christ.
So, keep all three steps in your sacramental spring.
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