When I enter in this seminary often times I heard or even used the word sacraments. With that I started to ask myself about the origin of this word. Finally my subject Sacramentology under Fr. Alex Clemente helps me to answer my questions regarding sacraments. Before, the word sacrament did not exist. It was only on the second millennium that the church started to give attention to this sacrament. The word sacrament comes from the Latin word sacramentum. It was the Roman soldiers who are using the word sacramentum before. They use it as a sign of an oath of allegiance or an act of conversion to their emperor and gods of Rome. Upon seeing Tertullian noticed that there are similarities between the sacramentum of the Roman armies and the rite of our baptism. Thus Tertullian called it sacrament. He was the first one who started to use the word sacrament.
However, there are many theologians and father of the church who contribute and gave an account on these sacraments that we are using. These sacraments also undergo problems, criticisms, and rejections. There are many Christian apologists trying to defend and give answers to the questions and criticism regarding the sacraments. One of these is St. Augustine of Hippo; he was a bishop, theologian and a well known philosopher. During his time, there was a discussion on the sacramental seal were the controversial issue on re-baptism and re-ordination happened. St. Augustine tries his best to give solution on this problem. According to him, it was Christ who baptizes; the church is only a depository and custodians of the sacraments. The important thing here is that, it is Christ who gives the sacraments not the state of the minister who baptizes. It is because it is not the minister that confer seal but the rite. He also said that the rite of baptism has to effects. First is the seal which is permanent and cannot be lost even if one sins. Second is the grace, it is not permanent and can be lost by committing sins. This is my first time to realize that the baptism has to effects. Suddenly it came to my realization that when I was baptized as a Christian I become Christian forever it cannot be change because of the seal that I received during my baptism. And through receiving sacraments I obtain graces from God. Maybe that is the reason why we need to receive these sacraments. Before, I thought that the important thing in receiving sacrament is the church. But I realized that the church has the role but the most important thing in receiving sacraments is the will of the minister to give it and the rites. Sometimes I am thinking of not confessing my sins to the priests or not receiving any sacraments. It is because I thought that maybe it is not valid because the priest is also a sinner like me. I preferred to confess my sins directly to God, rather than to the priests. Moreover I learned that they are also human being, they too are not perfect prone to commit mistakes, but God use them as an instrument in order for us to receive his grace. Anyway it is the rite and will which is important not the state of the minister.
Furthermore I learned the important of rites in receiving sacraments. Questions often times come to my mind such as; why do priest still have to use the sacramentary every now and then? Why they are using the same thing and the same rites in giving sacraments? Where in fact they could just recite a spontaneous prayer or make their own schema in giving sacraments? But finally it came to my mind that after such discussions in subject Sacramentology that such rite are really necessary. Even the priest has a bad intention or a sinner, it does not matter as long as they follow the proper rites for each sacrament, and it is still valid. Again it is because it is the rite that confers the seal and grace not the minister.
I also realized that the rites and gestures have their theological interpretations; that is why it is necessary to follow it. For example, in baptism, sins are forgiven and believers are born anew. The laying of hands especially after baptism meant the coming of the Holy Spirit on the newly baptized. In the Eucharist, we are united with Christ and we gain eternal life because of it. I also become aware that the anointing of the sick with oil can restore health, because before; I thought that when the priest anoints the sick: he, the sick person, will die immediately or will not prolong his suffering. Maybe that is the reason why I do not want my relatives to be anointed because I don’t want them to die immediately. But my subject Sacramentology helps me to understand much deeper the significance of each sacraments. I realized that, I really need to receive sacraments because through it, I can receive the grace coming from God.
