Catholic Church Essay Questions

The Catholic Church is part of the mystical body of Christ. Through revelation, one comes to know the truth and understand her mysteries; especially those concerning the sacraments. This essay will examine various questions concerning the sacraments and their validity. The first question one will examine is whether a priest in mortal sin, indeed even without faith, administer a valid sacrament? Furthermore, Why do people flock to holy priests such as Padre Pio, the Cure D’Ars, St. Pope John Paul II? Would one get ‘more’ out of a devoutly-performed sacrament such as Mass or Confession administered by a holy priest? Once the prior questions are answered one wonders what this says about how he should take part in the sacraments. One must understand what a sacrament is and look to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and

The Catechism talks about how one should prepare himself, “to encounter its Lord”(CCC 1098). To do this one must become and to become ‘well disposed’ because, “the preparation of hearts is the joint work of the Holy Spirit and the assembly, especially of its ministers” (CCC 1098). When the sacraments are celebrated in the most perfect way possible; the more graces one will receive. The Catechism elaborates on this point saying, “The Father always hears the prayer of his Son's Church which, in the epiclesis of each sacrament, expresses her faith in the power of the Spirit. As fire transforms into itself everything it touches, so the Holy Spirit transforms into the divine life whatever is subjected to his power” (CCC 1127). This goes back to the phrase, “ex opere operantis” which translates into “from the work of the worker”. The worker spoken about is the recipient of the sacrament (man). Therefore, because a sacrament’s validity depends mainly on that of the recipient it is important for him to prepare himself in the most perfect way