EDITORIAL | KAIROS GLOBAL | JUNE 2019

Author: Dr Chackochan Njavallil

Sacramental Life

Sacraments are the means which God uses to show His grace and help us achieve salvation. The word sacrament means ‘a sign of the sacred’; which is fitting as they are all outward signs from God to us. Not only are they signs, they are also celebrations of a continued journey and relationship with God, teaching to help live out His word and ceremonies to show devotion to Him.

The seven sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage and Holy Orders. They are divided in to three categories - Sacraments of Initiation, Sacraments of Healing and Sacrament of Holy Orders.

For the last several years, I am a regular participant in the daily morning Holy Mass. When I reflect about it, I myself wonder whether it is because of my genuine love for God or has it become a ritual for me. What difference is there in our lives because of our regular mass attendance – although it’s a question worth pondering, it’s one that cannot be easily answered. I am very much convinced that, it is the daily morning mass, the one important factor which sustains me spiritually with the added advantage that it brings in some discipline in my life.

Participating in the mass fervently is not an easy task for me. At various occasions, our minds can get distracted by stray thoughts. One of the ways to overcome this is to focus on every word of the prayers being said. Using the printed book is also helping on certain occasions. In other instances, I try to use the understanding that angels and saints and the entire Church is joining with me in the celebration of the Holy Mass. Over a period of time I am becoming more and more sympathetic towards those who fail to realize the richness of the sacrament of Eucharist, since only those who are having the gift of faith and conviction can really appreciate the value of that. 

The celebration of the sacrament of marriage is usually a happy occasion for all but it is an instance which results in some discomfort for me. The homily during the celebration, which usually tells about how an ideal family should be and the pledge taken by the couples reminds me about my failings and how far I should go and grow. But it is always a beautiful occasion which reminds me again and again to trust in God and in His Divine providence.

One of the blessings of the Great Catholic Church is the sacrament of Confession. The kind of consolation and relief one experience through it is tremendous.

Participating in the Baptism ceremony is always an uplifting experience. It is always an occasion to reflect about our precious Catholic faith and to renew it. In the case of most of the children, the day of their first communion would be one of the most memorable events of the childhood. The preparation before the first communion may be the best Catechesis which is happening in the life of a person.

We wish that this issue of Kairos Global may be an occasion for the readers to reflect about their own sacramental life and if needed, make amends to it.