Why the Sacraments Were Instituted

From the Catechism of the Council of Trent.

QUESTION IX
Why Sacraments were instituted among Christians

But no means seems better adapted to teach the proper use of the sacraments than a diligent exposition of the reasons of their institution. Amongst these reasons, for many are assigned, the first is the imbecility of the human mind; for we see it so constituted by nature, that no one can aspire to matters of mental and intellectual knowledge, unless through the medium of those things that are perceived by some sense. To the end, therefore, that we might more easily understand the hidden effects of his divine power, the Sovereign Creator of the universe has most wisely, and of his tender kindness towards us, ordained that that same power be manifested to us through the intervention of certain sensible signs. For as St. Chrysostom nobly says: If man were not clothed with a material body, these good things would have been presented to him naked, and without the veil [of sensible forms]; but, as the soul is united to the body, the aid of sensible things was altogether necessary towards understanding them.n
Another reason is, because our mind yields a reluctant assent to promises; and hence, God, from the beginning of the world, was accustomed to indicate what he had resolved to do, very frequently indeed by words; but sometimes, when he designed the execution of some work, the magnitude of which might weaken a belief in his promise, he confirmed his words by other signs also, which, in some cases, bore the appearance of a miracle. When, for instance, God would send Moses to deliver the people of Israel; and Moses, although under the commission and protection of God, still hesitated, fearing lest the task imposed on him was heavier than he could bear, or that the people would lack faith in the divine oracles, the Almighty confirmed his promise by a variety of signs.o As then, in the Old Testament, God showed by signs the stability of some important promise; so, under the New Law, Christ our Saviour, when he promised us pardon of our sins, heavenly grace, the communication of the Holy Spirit, instituted certain signs visible to our eyes and senses, by which we might have him bound, as it were, by so many pledges, and might thus never be enabled to doubt his fidelity to his promises.
A third reason was that, as St. Ambrose says, the sacraments may be at hand as remedies, and as the healing medicines of the Samaritan in the Gospel, to recover or preserve the health of the soul;p for, through the sacraments as through a certain channel, should the efficacy of the passion of Christ flow into the soul, that is, the grace which he merited for us on the altar of the cross; otherwise no one could have any hope of salvation left. Hence, our most merciful Lord was pleased to bequeath to his Church, sacraments stamped with the sanction of his word and promise, through which, provided each of us piously and devoutly make use of these remedies, we should firmly believe that to us is really communicated the fruit of his passion.
But a fourth reason why the institution of the sacraments may seem necessary is, that there might be certain marks and symbols, by which to distinguish the faithful; particularly as, to use the words of St. Augustine, no society of men, professing a true or a false religion, can be knit as it were into one body, unless they be united and held together by some federal bond of visible signs.q Both these objects, then, the sacraments of the New Law furnish, distinguishing, as they do, the worshippers of the Christian faith from unbelievers, and connecting the faithful themselves by a sort of holy bond. Another very just cause for the institution of the sacraments may be deduced from these words of the apostle: With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation;r for by the sacraments, we seem to profess and make known our faith in the sight of men. Thus, when we approach baptism, we openly testify our belief that, by virtue of the water, with which we are washed in the sacrament, a spiritual cleansing of the soul takes place.
The sacraments have also great influence not only in exciting and exercising our faith, but also in inflaming that charity with which we should love one another; recollecting that, by the partaking of the sacred mysteries in common, we are united in the closest bonds, and are made members of one body.
Finally, a matter to be deemed of the greatest importance in the study of Christian piety, the sacraments subdue and repress the pride of the human heart, and exercise us in humility, we being obliged to subject ourselves to sensible elements in obedience to God, from whom we had before impiously revolted, to serve the elements of the world. These are the points which appeared to us chiefly necessary to be delivered to the faithful, touching the name, nature, and institution of a sacrament. When they shall have been accurately expounded by the pastor, he ought next to explain the things of which each sacrament consists, what are their parts, and also what rites and ceremonies have been added in their administration.

n Chrys. hom. 83, in Matt.

o Exod. 3:10, sqq.; 4:2.

p Amb. lib. 5, de Sacr. iv.

q D. Aug. lib. 19, contra Faust. ii.

r Rom. 10:10.