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SACRAMENTS

I. Baptism
a. Biblical Foundations
i. Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River.
ii. (In Mat. 28) Also Jesus commissioned the disciples to baptize, exorcise, preach,
and heal. (Mat. 28:18-19)
iii. In (Mark 10)Jesus speaks “…you will be baptized the way I am baptized”
b. Historical Highlights of its development
i. Development of the Baptismal Fonts
1. Roman House – (1st – 3rd Century) Had an enclosed pool area in the house
a. For adult baptism which has to be completely naked
2. Sarcophagus – (4th Century)
a. highlights that baptism is sharing in the death of Christ
b. Designed with stairs going down and going up
3. Octagonal – (late 4th Century)
a. Symbolizes the 8th day or the new creation and the newness
of the person being baptized
4. Hexagonal – (5th Century)
a. Signifies the 6th day, Friday, the day of the death of Christ.
Also symbolizes sharing his death
5. Cruciform – (6 Century)
th

a. Signifies the Cross and symbolizes the cross of Christ

(same explanation)
6. Quatrilobe – (7th – 9th Centuries)
a. A Cross within a circle.
b. Expresses the life that comes from the cross. The life after
death. Cross is death. Circle is life.
7. Separate Baptismal Font for Infant Baptism (10th – 16th Centuries)
a. Due to the development of infant baptism, the Church
developed a baptismal font for infants.
8. Baptismal font with cover (17th – 20th Centuries)
a. Practical reasons: To prevent witches and sorcerers from
stealing of Holy Water which they will use for witchcraft
and sorceries.
c. Vat II’s Renewal of the sacrament
i. Infant baptism – now, the Baptism will be separated from Christian initiation
ii. Purification – forgiveness of sins (original sin)
iii. Baptism will now be separated from the Paschal Celebration
iv. Form – Before: dialogue (do you believe…I do)
Now: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

by RJ Demol
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II. Penance
a. Biblical Foundations
i. Mk 5: 20 – Jesus forgave sins
ii. John 20:23 – Jesus’ instituted the disciples to forgive sins
b. Historical Highlights of its development
i. Public Penance
ii. Order of Public Penitents
1. Flentes – they remained outside the Church wearing sackcloth and
they beg for prayers. They cry, they shed tears in begging for
prayers.
2. Audientes – They can hear the word of God but after it they are
dismissed and they cannot join the prayers of the faithful which is
exercised of the priestly office of the people.
3. Substranti – The penitents who can join completely or entirely the
celebration of the mass but are prostrated in the whole duration of
the mass.
4. Consistentes – the penitents are standing in the whole duration of
the mass but still they can’t receive communion.
iii. General Confession “I confess to almighty God…”
1. Emphasizes the social and communal aspect of the sacrament.
2. Signifies the social aspect of sin or that sin alienates us from the
community and nature. “…and to you my brothers and sisters”
3. Expresses that repentance and conversion as a communal effort.
iv. Private Confession
1. This is the ordinary way
2. This emerged due to the unpopularity of public penance.
3. However, due to pastoral reasons, there is a difficulty in catering
individual confessions like the mass number of people, time,
availability of the priest, etc.
c. Vat II’s Renewal of the sacrament
i. True Nature of the sacrament having an “Ecclesial Dimension” which means the
sacrament is to rejoin to the community of the Church. It emphasizes that the
sacrament as a way to conversion.
ii. Going back to the traditional form of ‘private penance’
iii. General Absolution – as the creativity of Vatican II
III. Confirmation
a. Biblical Foundations
i. In Acts 8: 14-17 & Acts 19: 1-7 we can see that the Holy Spirit descended on
the followers
ii. Baptism of Jesus – we can see here the anointing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit
when the Spirit came and the Father’s recognition (This is my beloved son…)
iii. Pentecost – they were given the baptism and anointing of the Spirit when it
descended to them in the form of fire then their conviction and faith were
strengthened and they did not fear anymore.
iv. Having received needs to be strengthened. This is the meaning of confirmation,
strengthening what has been received.

by RJ Demol
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b. Historical Highlights of its development

i. Church in Africa – after baptism is the anointing wherein there is an imposition
of hands of the bishop.
ii. Church in Milan – washing of the feet and anointing as sealing of the Spirit.
iii. Churches in Spain – Sealing and imposition of hands by the bishop and
invocation of the Spirit.
iv. Because bishops cannot cater the baptism and sealing of the Spirit to all faithful
in far parishes, the faculty of baptism was given to the priests but the sealing
must still be done by the bishop. Because of this Baptism and confirmation
become separate celebrations because the bishop cannot be available all the time
and the people have to wait for the next visit of the bishop in their parish after
some years.
v. Why slapping? Since confirmation is strengthening being the soldiers of Christ
then they have to show their strength. Before soldiers were slapped to show
their strength and their incorporation of the military.
c. Vat II’s Renewal of the sacrament
i. Today what is emphasized in confirmation are:
1. Being witnesses of Christ – which a Christian who is baptized has a
power and that power comes from Christ.
2. Mission – that is entrusted to us. Given during Pentecost that made us
one with the Church in our mission.
3. The Church – strengthening of our membership in the Church. Done by
the bishop that clearly marks the unity of the Church.
IV. Anointing of the Sick
a. Biblical Foundations
i. In the gospels, we can see Jesus’ ministry to the sick. He heals them by touching
them and even raised the dead.
ii. In the book of James 5:14-16 we can see the following:
1. “Is anyone among you ill?” asthenei
2. “Let him call the elders” presbyteroi
a. Elders were the leaders of the early Christian community
b. They all work for healing
c. Not a charismatic healing but a cultic healing.
3. “Pray over them and anoint him with oil.”
a. Laying on of hands signifies the coming of the Holy Spirit
4. “In the name of the Lord”
a. The authority to heal comes from Jesus
5. “The prayer made in faith.”
a. The faith of the sick person and the faith of the minister
b. The prayer of faith is also a sacrament of faith.
6. “Will save the sick; the Lord will raise him.”
a. Not just bodily healing but also spiritual healing.
7. “Any sins he may have committed will be forgiven.”
a. Forgiveness of sins

by RJ Demol
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b. Historical Highlights of its development

i. Who were anointed?
1. There were 3 specifications (In medieval times)
a. The sick in general
b. Possessed by the evil spirit(s)
c. Everybody who can profit from it.
2. In the 10th century, the sacrament was overemphasized that the one
who is sick and who will receive the sacrament must be at the
point of death.
ii. Reasons for the unpopularity of the sacrament:
1. The ordained minister in front of the sick person becomes an
image of death (because of the notion of the ‘extreme unction’ and
extreme means ‘the last’), hence people opt to go to witches and
sorcerers because they promise healing and the priest promises life
after ‘death’ which is the effect of the sacrament. But it the
sacrament is actually a preparation for death.
2. The overemphasis on the plurality of ministers in James 5 (“Let
him call the presbyteroi”) in calling for many priests. And calling
for priests demands a great amount of money for stipend. Hence,
the priests became threats to people financially and the rather seek
help from sorcerers and witches because they are cheaper.
3. The rite is not friendly to the sick because it asks the sick to sit, lie,
kneel, or prostrate because of its penitential character and gestures.

c. Vat II’s Renewal of the sacrament

i. Councils (page 6)
1. Council of Florence – declared the matter & form
2. Council of Trent – declared the sacrament as a sacrament being
instituted by Christ
3. Vatican II – emphasizes the sacrament of the sick and not just a
sacrament for near death.
ii. The oil
1. There was a demand that the oil be blessed by the bishop
2. The oil is not an ordinary oil but a vehicle of the Holy Spirit to
comfort and heal the sick
3. In the past, only olive oil is used, otherwise no sacrament is done
because of the wrong matter. But after Vat II, due to unavailability
of olive oil other kinds of oil can be used as long as it is derived
from plants.

by RJ Demol