There’s nothing magical about the Sacraments – it’s all about faith. Msgr Michael de Verteuil made this point last Monday as he delivered the opening lecture at School of Liturgy 2012 at St Joseph’s Convent, St Joseph.

Msgr de Verteuil.

Question time at Liturgy School.

The theme this year was Moments of Grace – Year 1, Sacraments of Initiation and lectures during the week focused on aspects of Baptism and Confirmation.

More than 100 “students” attended the annual school, with almost every parish in the archdiocese represented. There was also one participant from Canada, and two from Grenada.

Msgr de Verteuil, chair of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission, spoke on “The Notion of Sacrament.” He explained that God sent Jesus Christ to restore the link with humanity that was broken through original sin. “Jesus revealed God to us. He came to make God present to the world.”

He added that although Christ was no longer physically present in the world, the Church was the body of Christ and must make Christ present in the world. He noted that in celebrating the Sacraments, the Church made the divine mystery present. “When we gather in liturgical assembly, we manifest the presence of God. Something of the divine mystery unfolds.”

Msgr de Verteuil said some people incorrectly believed there was something magical about the Sacraments but it didn’t work that way.
“Some believe it works like magic, that the power is in the action or doing, but the power is in the faith of those who participate… It pre-supposes faith. Without faith, it’s meaningless. It is an expression of faith. Only with faith, the act takes on meaning. So we have faith, we express faith, and our faith is strengthened and nourished.”

He explained that to celebrate the Sacraments, the Church developed rites, otherwise anybody could have done what they wanted. “Rites give a sense of certainty.”

The Marabella/Pointe-à-Pierre parish priest also spoke about the Principle of Sacramentality – that God could be present in anything because He created it. He lamented that, to some extent, the Church has lost that sense, adding that recognition of this principle would help the faithful celebrate and understand the Sacraments as God coming to them in the simple things, like water, wine, bread and oil. “It is a Catholic way of looking at life. The whole world is sacramental and God works in and through anything.”

Msgr de Verteuil also spoke of another principle, the Principle of Communion, saying the Church has come a long way from pre-Vatican Council II days when the priest did almost everything in the liturgy.

“Over the last 50 years, the Church has come a long way. The laity is more involved in every aspect of Church. More and more people see themselves participating in Church.”

Parents who had their babies baptised but who did not practise the faith afterwards and the phenomenon of newly confirmed teenagers leaving the Church were among the issues addressed during the week. Two other sessions of interest were Dr Everard Johnston’s examination of “Christian Initiation in other Christian Churches”, and “Theological Reflections on Folk Traditions” by Dr Rose Ann Walker.

Workshops on various aspects of liturgy followed the lunch break every day. – RS