Folia Theologica et Canonica 4. 26/18 (2015)
SACRA THEOLOGIA - Sebastian Walshe, O.Praem., A sacramental theology of the family: the unity and harmony of the sacramental order
1 16 SEBASTIAN WALSHE, O.PRAEM. the fact that marriage is a sacred sign of supernatural realities. This is because it makes us aware of and brings us into contact with the grace of Christ. Throughout the Scriptures, especially the writings of St. Paul, this sacramental aspect of marriage and family is primary. The supernatural significance of marriage and family is the primary principle from which St. Paul argues to defend the right order of marriage and family life.'1 This is not to say that children or fidelity are not important, it is simply to acknowledge that as good as these things are, the supernatural realities which the sacramental aspect of marriage signifies and causes are even better. Therefore, in this article I will focus primarily on the sacramental aspect of marriage and family. I. The Importance of Signs Before entering into a deeper understanding of the human family through the mysteries of our faith, we should briefly consider the need for signs and their importance in Theology. Much of what follows will argue that the human family and the relationships within it are intended by God to be signs of supernatural realities (such as the Trinity and the Incarnation). From this truth, I will argue to certain fundamental truths about the human family which come from divine revelation. The position that the family is a sign of supernatural realities is not something novel: it is something clearly found in the Scriptures and in the whole Tradition of the Church. But it may seem novel because the importance of this truth has been obscured in much recent discussion about the family. So a brief consideration of signs will be helpful as a preparation for what follows. Because man comes to know through his senses he must use sensible things as signs of spiritual realities. The importance of signs in the intellectual and moral life of man is not inconsiderable. A sign is that which strikes the senses and brings to mind something other than itself,3 4 and so is an essential tool for the rational animal whose knowledge begins in the senses and ends in the mind. Some signs are natural (for example, an animal footprint is a sign of the passing of that animal, or a baby’s cry is a sign that the baby is uncomfortable). Other signs are conventional: that is, they are made by human agreement (for example, traffic signs and advertisements are conventional signs). Human life is filled with both kinds of signs: some which are very obvious and others which are more subtle, like our body language which is a kind of non-verbal sign. The importance of conventional signs is most obvious from human language. Without 3 For example, see Eph 5:23-25 and 1 Cor 6:16-19. 4 Cf., Augustine, On Christian Doctrine, II. 1 : Patrologia completus. Series Latina, ed. I-P. Migne, I-CCXXI, Lutetiae Parisiorum 1844—1864 (Hereafter: PL) XXXIV. 35.
