I am a Roman Catholic, and I have this question that I need answered by the end of today (AEST). 'Sacraments are described as a gift and a call'. Can somebody out there explain that statement?
2007-05-20 14:06:53 · 11 answers · asked by Matt R 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Sacraments are a grace or a gift from God that we do not earn ,but must cooperate with and they are a call from God by grace tol ive the virtuous life of faith by depending on God's mercy in all situations and by sharing the grace and faith,hope and love with others. Sacraments are a gift (freely and lovingly given in the Holy Spirit))and a call to grow in grace,God's life or energy that He imparts to us through the infinite merits of Christ
2007-05-20 14:18:39 · answer #1 · answered by James O 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the first answerer has it the best. I thought like the last answerer that God gives us the sacrament and the call was Holy Orders, but I don't think the question is being that specific. I guess we are called to receive the sacraments. Interesting! I'd never thought of it that way before.
2007-05-20 14:14:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, this will need a lot of fleshing out, but what that statement is saying is that there are, from this point of view, two components to sacraments - gift and call.
The gift part is that all the sacraments are expressions of God's love freely given by God. Yes, the church has requirements for us to prepare for them, but we don't "do" anything special to deserve them; God gives us these expressions of love because we are God's creation.
At the same time, there is a side of the sacraments which asks something of us. We receive them, and because of what we have received, God requests us to do/be better. We are to live out our lives as reflections of this gift of love.
2007-05-20 14:13:08 · answer #3 · answered by Church Music Girl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Sacraments are a gift from God because we cannot get them ourselves and perhaps they mean the Sacrament of Holy Orders when they talk about a calling?
2007-05-20 14:11:47 · answer #4 · answered by Midge 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Through the sacraments God imparts his grace---however, grace requires a response to be most effective. While the sacraments are efficacious signs (doing what they signify) our response and change of heart is important.
In other words----recieving communion and then walking out to the parkinglot and gossiping....would not be living the CALL part of the sacrament.
2007-05-20 14:16:46 · answer #5 · answered by Michelle A 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I grew up in the Episcopal church...Catholic without the Pope...and without the guilt.
What I was taught is that a sacrament is "the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace".
Not only does that statement have a cool ring to it when you say it a few times, but it makes perfect sense.
2007-05-20 14:12:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sacraments truly dispense grace, which is always a free gift of God.
Sacramental grace empowers us to more fully cooperate with the will of God, which is a true calling.
Called and gifted.
2007-05-20 17:44:59 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
while something is defined as a "secret" all it extremely capacity is that it is a "God ingredient" - that he's doing something we don't in all risk understand - that we gained't extremely understand. In Catholicism (in view which you look asking approximately that, and that i will alert you, i'm no longer a Catholic) one good occasion may be transubstantiation. How does something that seems to stay bread and wine become the physique and blood of Christ, to no longer point out take on the capacity and characteristic the effect that it supposedly does. Baptism, and it is outcomes are yet another ingredient many times defined as a secret. A key's the place we style of hit the theological "i've got self belief" button. it is no longer frequently something with loads of knowledge, the two for or against - something we could make good situations for or against. greater something we don't in all risk understand, and basically leave to God to understand. carry out a little searches for some good Catholic theology web pages. they are going to circulate into genuine good element approximately those style of issues.
2016-11-25 20:12:54 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm a Lutheran, but I'll give it a go. The Sacraments are a gift in that they are given us by God. They are a call in that we are invited to a) receive their benefits, and b) use the benefits in service to others (Love one another as I have loved you). How's that?
2007-05-20 14:15:11 · answer #9 · answered by Caesar 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the gift is the grace bestowed by receiving the sacrament
the calling is the choice you are given to receive them, you can always decline
2007-05-20 14:09:14 · answer #10 · answered by jamesmom 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋