Why Matter Matters: Philosophical and Scriptural Reflections on the Sacraments

by David P. Lang

Do the material parts of the Sacraments really make that much difference? Yes, they do. In this unique and fascinating book, you'll learn how God cares for our material being as well as our spiritual being.

Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Amicizia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each of the seven sacraments of the Church consists of two elements: FORM (the words and rituals by which the sacrament is celebrated and conferred) and MATTER (the tangible substance which is used in the celebration). In order for a sacrament to be valid, both the form and the matter have to be correct - e.g. in Baptism, one must use water and the Trinitarian formula ("I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit") in order for the baptism to be validly performed. In "Why Matter Matters", David P. Lang looks at each of the sacraments (with the exception of Reconciliation) and explains why the Church mandates the use of particular elements and ONLY those elements in their celebration. If you have ever wondered why the Church insists upon WHEAT bread for the Eucharist or OLIVE oil for confirmation, anointing, etc. this book offers the answers. Lang also addresses the more controversial questions about why the priesthood is restricted to men and why a the valid "matter" for a sacramental marriage is one MAN and one WOMAN. Overall, this is a good book, but I would add one significant reservation. Lang does not discuss the sacrament of Reconciliation because he states that the matter of this sacrament "is sin, which as moral evil is not a physical substance" (p.24). Here Lang sets himself against a host of theologians including St. Thomas Aquinas, who stated in the Summa that the "matter" of Reconciliation is the "acts of the penitent" - acts of contrition, confession, and satisfaction, not the SINFUL acts that led the penitent to the confessional. Apart from this rather glaring error, it is a useful book.