State of the Parish Address
Part III – Sanctification

By Fr. Dan McKean
St. Patrick Parish, Brighton

A quick review of past articles would remind us that the pastor and the entire parish have responsibility for the three primary functions of a parish – teaching, sanctifying and governing. Last week we talked about our responsibility to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all generations. This week we discuss the topic of a sanctifying church.

Let’s begin with the admission that neither you, nor I have the power to sanctify another individual. Sanctification, or salvation, comes from God through Jesus Christ. While it is the work of God, and can happen in any way that God so chooses, it is the primary function of the Church. As the "mystical Body of Jesus Christ" Christ has established our Catholic Church for the work of salvation. We share this role with all Christian Churches. As Catholics we uniquely fulfill this function primarily through our liturgical celebrations and the celebrations of the Sacraments. Our belief in Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist and God’s actions through the sacraments makes us who we are.

While we are primarily a Church of worship and sacraments, too many of us are at a loss to understand what a sacrament is. In simple terms, a sacrament is the work of God celebrated by a minister and a faith community through signs instituted by Jesus Himself. Baptism is not just a minister pouring water in the name of the Most Holy Trinity. It is also a community of people accepting this new Christian life and primarily the unbreakable bond formed by God and the new Christian.

The fact that we are a Church based on sacraments is one of the aspects of Catholicism misunderstood by non-Catholics. For almost all of Christian history baptism has been the sacrament that initiates us as children of God. This relatively new concept of making an "altar call" where you stand up and proclaim Jesus as your personal savior is simply evidence that you are living out your baptism. The fact that some would ignore the Christian identity of a person who has been baptized, received holy Eucharist and been confirmed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, is not only a most grievous error; it is also the peak of Christian snobbery. I like to say that every time a Catholic comes forward to offer their "Amen" to Jesus in the Eucharist, they are making a profound personal proclamation of their personal relationship with Christ.

Every Mass is a sanctifying work of God! Every sacrament celebrated is the sanctifying work of God. While we could never quantify the "amount" of sanctification that goes on in our parish, we do have sacramental statistics of how many people have received certain sacraments at our parish. No records are kept on the number of those receiving the annointing of the sick or celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation. We also do not know the mystery of how God brings salvation in non-sacramental ways.

People’s journey to Jesus Christ comes in mysterious and various ways. It is our great privilege and responsibility to cooperate with God in this great work of redemption. We are humble servants of a gracious and abundantly loving God.