Perfecting Sacramental Grace

 

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Year B

Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; Psalm 98:1-4; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17

“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?”
Acts 10:47

Tis the season!  No, not Christmas; First Communion!  We see the little girls in the pretty white dresses and veils and the little boys in their suits.  It’s a big deal.  This is a very special occasion.  Why?  Why do we make such a fuss about it?  The majority of those who identify as Catholics do not regularly attend Mass.  Yet, they are careful to be sure their children receive their sacraments.  I’m glad they feel that way.  But there’s a terrible inconsistency in celebrating something that they show by their own example is not very important to them. 

This same attitude carries over with other sacraments.  “Oh, we must have the child baptized; at least for grandma’s sake!”  “Of course, we want our children to receive Confirmation!”  But, again, I ask, “Why?”  Why do we make such a fuss over something that we ourselves are not practicing?  Why do we think it’s so important for the children when we don’t believe it’s important for us?

Now, I realize that are a great many people who are taking this seriously.  They are practicing the Faith and it is for that very reason that it’s so important to them for their children to do the same.  Thank God for every one who lives it out this way.  But they are, unfortunately, in the vast minority.

I propose that for the majority they have adopted a somewhat superstitious, almost pagan view of the sacraments.  They believe that merely to receive them is to place God in the position of being obligated to grant them access to heaven.  This is certainly not the case.  And that is what we are in need of remembering.

Let’s take a look at our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles.  There, we hear the story of St. Peter being the first to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.  This was huge!  First of all, we find from a few references in Scripture that Peter held a strong and fierce prejudice against Gentiles.  So for Peter to be convinced to go to a Gentile home and offer Baptism really took some doing.

It started with a series of visions in which Peter saw a great sheet lowered from heaven with all manner of unclean animals in it.  A voice from heaven commanded Peter to kill and eat the animals.  Peter refused as he had never done such a thing for these were unclean animals.  But the voice returned, “What God has cleansed you must not call common,” [Acts 10:15].  This happened three times.  Then immediately, three men were at the door asking for Peter.  They wanted him to come to a Gentile home where their master, Cornelius, a Roman centurion, wanted to know more about the Faith.  Peter could see the hand of God in it so he went. 

When he arrived he began to preach to them about Jesus.  Cornelius had called some of his friends and family members to join them.  When they heard Peter preach about Jesus they began to speak in other tongues.

Peter immediately recognized that this was the same phenomena that accompanied the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.  If the Holy Spirit had filled these people then they must have believed in Jesus and that means they needed to be baptized.  And so they were. 

Peter couldn’t have been convinced merely by a good argument, or even a dramatic display of emotion.  Peter saw the real deal and knew it was God at work.

We often use the same terminology but we do not always have the same experience.

We speak of Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and regeneration in Christ.  We speak of Confirmation in which we receive the Holy Spirit in power.  Sacramentally, these things are indeed happening when they are given.  But then what?

Without a firm intention to put into practice the grace we have received we are in danger of losing it; or at least losing its benefit.

God intends that we work out the grace He pours in when we receive the sacraments.  To merely receive a sacrament and experience no change; and worse, return to “normal living” as if nothing had occurred is to sin away the grace almost as soon as we have received it. 

Someone may have a natural gift for playing the piano.  But that alone won’t make him a concert pianist.  He must learn many skills and devote himself to many hours of practice.  Even after he attains concert pianist level he must continue to practice, perhaps even more than he ever did before.

This is how it works in the spiritual life.  God gives us grace in the sacraments.  But then we must practice.  We must learn how to work out this grace.  It needs to permeate our every thought and be expressed in our every word and action.  Even priests or religious are in need of this, perhaps in some cases even more so.

Baptism gives us new life in Christ.  Christ Himself stated that He came to give us “abundant life” [John 10:10].  Are we living life to the full?  Are we filled with the love, joy, and peace of Christ?  This, and so very much more, are what the Sacrament of Baptism brings us.

Confirmation brings us into the Spirit-filled life; a life of love, and power, and deep intimacy with God.  We are empowered to bear courageous witness for Christ.  Are we doing it?  Are we really living that way?

The Holy Eucharist is the very Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We receive Him into ourselves.  There’s no more intimate experience.  Our sins are forgiven and we are given the grace to live as Jesus.  In this way we bring Christ into the world.  How are we doing that? 

In each case there is the reception of the sacrament and the grace that is received.  Our lives are changed in the moment.  But as wonderful as that is, it cannot remain there.  We must put into practice the wonderful grace received in those sacraments. 

Today, take some time to reflect on the sacraments you have received.  You may not remember your Baptism, but you were made a child of God there.  Think about your First Holy Communion and your Confirmation.  Think about each time you receive the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, or receive forgiveness in Reconciliation.  Then thank God for His boundless love and mercy in bringing you into this life of Grace.  And finally, determine that with God’s help you will live this out to the glory of God and the service of all others around you!