Perhaps the best-kept secrets in the Catholic Church today are the principles of Sacramentality and Mediation. When the word Sacramentality is spoken often people have asked for a definition. One woman asked, “Is that how the grace of the Sacraments affect our lives?” My response was, “Not exactly.” Richard McBrien in his book, Catholicism, gives a very thorough and complete description of the principles of Sacramentality and Mediation.
McBrien points out among other things the principle of Sacramentality “sees” God in all things, events, objects, historical times, and especially in human beings. In this frame of reference all reality is sacred reality. God looked at everything God made and God found it very good” (Genesis 1:31).
God is indeed present to creation both in the transcendent and the immanent; all creatures are graced by God. McBrien says, “The world is essentially good though fallen, because it comes from the creative hand of God, is redeemed, sustained and nurtured by God.” The great redeemer and sacramental encounter with God and God with us is Jesus Christ.
“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
A corollary of Sacramentality is the principle of Mediation. Since the principle of Mediation is closely related to the principle of Sacramentality it should be defined also. According to McBrien the principle of Mediation is that God is intimately present and available to creation and is active in the world through secondary causal agents. These agents are places, events, objects, nature, and human beings. Mediation occurs especially in the humanity of Jesus Christ. While God is always present and acts on behalf of all, at some moments in time, God’s presence is specially focused (pages 9-12).
These definitions help one to understand the principles of Sacramentality and Mediation. When the definitions are explained, most Catholics agree with them. They intuitively know of the principles but are unfamiliar with the formal names. Another way to think of what Sacramentality means is to look at the word itself.
“Sacrament” can broadly be defined as a sign or symbol of something, which is sacred (precious and important) and mysterious (something not fully understood). In Latin, the word sacramentum, originally was a pledge of money (collateral) used to secure a legal contract.
Later sacramentum meant an oath of allegiance taken by Roman soldiers toward their commanding officers and the Roman gods. (Martos 4) “Mentality” means the mental capacity or intellectual character, the activity of the mind. Sacramentality is a sacred way of thinking.
The principles of Sacramentality and Mediation find a home in the concept of story. Bausch says that, “Stories introduce us to sacramental presence (195). A story is made up of things, places, times, movements, events and human beings that are, “The reflection of the Father’s glory” (Hebrews 1:4).
Some of the characteristics of story are:
| Stories promote healing | Stories promote tenderness |
| Stories provide hope and morality | Stories are powerful motivators |
| Stories are non-manipulative | Stories plant seeds |
| Stories are the best teachers | Every story is our story |
The principals of Sacramentality and Mediation are well illustrated in this story taken from William Bausch’s book, Storytelling -- Imagination and Faith:
“God, as everyone knows, created the heavens and the earth and everything in them. And, as we are now aware, he created them through the use of words, for words, of course, are power. ‘Let it be done’ God proclaimed, and it was done. And everything he made was good.
Well, God was especially proud and loving of the man and woman he made because he had breathed into them a part of himself, his spirit.
But, not surprisingly, the devil was jealous and angry. So one day when God was enjoying the man and woman, the devil causally happened to walk by. He sauntered up to God and asked him what he liked so much about these creatures. And when God opened his mouth to speak, the devil craftily put a bond upon his tongue so that he could not speak! And since God’s creative power was in his words, the devil had bound that power.
The devil laughed at God and quite has his way with the man and the woman. Well, as some eons went by, the devil came back to mock God. He scoffed at the silent deity and taunted this helpless God. God responded to all this by holding up one finger.
‘One?’ asked the devil. ‘Are you trying to tell me that you want to say just one word? Is that it?’
Yes, God nodded, pleading with his soft eyes and urgent hands.
The confident devil thought to himself, ‘I don’t suppose that even God could do very much harm with one word. ‘OK.’ So the devil removed the bond from God’s tongue.
And God spoke his one word, in a whisper. He spoke it for the man and the woman and it brought them great joy. It was a word that gathered up all the love, forgiveness, and creativity God had been storing in his heart during the time of his silence.
And the word he spoke was JESUS.” (page 116)
The principle of Sacramentality is the basis for our sacramental life in the Church. Unfortunately, some Catholics do not understand this premise. For many the seven sacraments are just rituals that are part of Catholicism. If only they would realize that the sacraments are stories come to life. As Andrew Greeley says, “But the origins and raw power of religion are found in the stories.” (Still Catholic, page 192).
Before the seven sacraments existed, the Jesus Story did. Jesus is the Primordial Story. Just as Jesus is the Primordial Sacrament -- the seven sacraments do not exist without Him (Osborne, page 75-78) so it is with the Story. Without the Jesus Story we have no reason to be the Church, no reason to celebrate the sacraments.
“Religion…then was experience, symbol, story (most symbols were inherently narrative), and community before it became creed, rite and institution.” (Catholic Myth, page 39)
"It took four centuries to make the doctrine reasonably precise, while the story was there at the beginning. Each requires the other, but it is the story that appeals to the total human. It is the beauty of the story that holds the Catholics to their heritage.” (Still Catholic, page 195).
This is why sacraments are stories come to life.
Our faith life is based on the stories we have been told. John Shea says,
“We tell the stories of God…Although these stories may start with long ago, the end with right now. There is an enduring world-creating ability to the stories of God. …Since we are inescapably related to Mystery, we inescapably talk about it…To tell a story of God is to create a world, adopt an attitude, to suggest a behavior. But stories are first; we are second. We are born into a community of stories and storytellers. In interpreting our traditional stories of God we find out who we are and what we must do. In telling the stories of God we ourselves are told.” (page 9).
Stories help make the principle of Sacramentality real in our lives.
Let us look at a story from the Gospel of Luke, the one about the Penitent Woman (Luke 7:36-50), to see the principles of Sacramentality and Mediation in action.
This is the story of Simon the Pharisee, who invites Jesus to dinner. While at dinner a woman who is known to be a great sinner, approaches Jesus. Her tears are so abundant; they cleanse the feet of Jesus. The woman then wipes the tears dry with her hair and she anoints the feet of Jesus with oil. Many of us may be familiar with this story and the very obvious reference to contrition and sorrow for sins. Many only see a sacramental tie in to Reconciliation (Penance).
But this story has other implicit sacramental meanings. First off the story is set at a dinner party. Jesus is invited to Simon’s house to share a meal. Our sacramental dinner party is the Eucharistic Liturgy. We all are the Penitential woman at the beginning of the celebration; we ask for the Lord’s forgiveness.
Later in the Liturgy, when water is poured over the presider's hands, the prayer said is, “Lord wash away my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin.” Water brings to mind the cleansing waters of Baptism, which frees us from sin. Not only does she provide water (tears) she dries the Lord’s feet with her hair. Her hair, a physical part of herself, is offered as a towel, a covering. This action is a sacramental blanket of love. Love is the fundamental reason for the Sacrament of Marriage. Maybe the woman is trying to spiritually “wed” herself to the Lord.
She also anoints Jesus’ feet with oil. Let’s see what other sacraments mention anointing with oil, - Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick and Holy Orders. This is really a sacramental story. It is Sacramental because it implicitly refers to the seven sacraments, (albeit a little obscurely). It is also sacramental because God is actively present in the story (and in the world) and in all things, especially in people and most importantly through the person of Jesus Christ.
The reasons for the telling of the Jesus Story in the first place were for comfort and contact. The early Christians did what bereaved families have done since the beginning of time: they sat around and asked those who had known Jesus to tell them once more the stories and deeds of Jesus.
The two disciples telling the Story to the “stranger” on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), Peter telling the Story to Cornelius and company (Acts 10:34-43) and Paul’s retelling of Jesus Story (Phil 2:6-11). The spirit of Jesus is rekindled, there is much to tell for Jesus was such a fascinating person. So the stories began and so did the faith (Bausch 22).
John Shea sums the reason for our sacramental faith life when he says, “Gather the folks. Break the bread. Tell the stories” (page 8).
This quote brings to mind the sacrament of Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper. Jesus gathered his friends around a table, to break bread, to celebrate Pesach (Passover). During the Seder Meal, the Haggadah -- story telling the Exodus Event, was (and is still) read. Ancient Jewish tradition was (and is still) built on telling and retelling of its historical stories.
In this manner, the stories stay alive and keep the reasons for the faith bright. All three synoptic Gospels recall the Passover Story equating the breaking of the bread to a way of remembrance, (Matthew 26:19-30, Mark 14:12-16 & 22-16, Luke 22:7-20). However John’s Gospel story of the Passover meal is about love and service (John 13:1-17). Our celebration of Eucharist is multifaceted but we should never forget the Jesus Story, remembrance and service which, are the foundations of the celebration. His Story brings the sacraments to life.
The idea that God is active in our lives (Sacramentality) and God acts upon us through others (Mediation) is very comforting. Although God is always present there are some moments in life where God is especially near. These moments of God’s tender attention have been the same throughout all time.
Many stories have been told to bring this sacred reality to life. Bausch tells us, “To celebrate the stories.” The story (word), celebration (festivity) and ritual (sacrament) all go together. One must never lose the connection to the story otherwise the ritual becomes boring, routine and meaningless. We must retell and remember the story (page 199). These stories of our faith then become our stories, too.
We rejoice in the story of God’s incredible mercy in Reconciliation as we hear the stories of the lost sheep and prodigal son (Luke 15:1-32). We announce our new birth in Baptism as we listen to Philip telling the Jesus Story to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39). In our joy we shout our affirmation of God’s call in Confirmation as we receive the Holy Spirit as did those in the upper room on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). We are fed at the banquet’s table in Eucharist, while so many stories about the breaking of the bread are told throughout the New Testament. We remember the story (Luke 13:10-16) of an ailing woman bent over, unable to stand erect; Jesus laid his hand upon her and she stood up straight. Laying on of hands and signing with oils in Anointing strengthens us, too. We hear the story of Jesus’ love and service to others (John 3:1-17) and pledge ourselves to bringing about the Kingdom by our life’s vocation – Marriage or Holy Orders. Our story is told in these events of life; Jesus story is retold. Story is a door to the sacred, a way to encounter the divine. Story makes Sacramentality a way of life.
REFERENCES
Bausch, William J. Storytelling – Imagination and Faith. Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 1984.
Greeley, Andrew M. The Catholic Myth. New York: Touchstone, 1990.
Greeley, Andrew M. “Why I Like Being Catholic.” Why I Am Still A Catholic. Ed.
Kevin and Marilyn Ryan. New York: Riverhead, 1998.
Martos, Joseph. Doors to the Sacred. Liguori, MO: Liguori, 2001.
McBrien, Richard P. Catholicism. New ed. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1994.
Osborne, Kenan B. Sacramental Theology, A General Introduction. New York: Paulist Press, 1988.
Senior, Donald, ed. The Catholic Study Bible – New American Bible. New York: Oxford, 1990.
Shea, John. Stories of God, An Unauthorized Biography. Chicago: Thomas More, 1978.
Image: "The Velveteen Rabbit," page 18 and 19 by Margery Williams in 1922