So we're really covering two topics in tonight's lecture class.

The character, what is sacramental character?

Aquinas' take on that?

And then the question of the institution of the sacraments.

Now, the whole idea of character is the idea that some, not all, but in fact, particularly

three sacraments, baptism, confirmation, and holy orders, imprints, let's say a mark or a change

on the spiritual soul in such a way that there's an irrepeatable and indelible

change that occurs to us or a mark that occurs to us that cannot be undone.

Now, historically there's a lot of inks built about when the theology of character arose.

You don't read about it in the New Testament.

There's nowhere you read about in the epistle of Paul saying, and baptism leaves an indelible mark on your soul.

And yet it's necessary to posit it, if any, if, due to anything because of its foundation in the historical, liturgical life and practice of the church.

That is to say, some sacraments are irrepeatable.

It would be nice to think we could go to confession once and for all and never repeat the

experience because we would be so affected by it that it would be changed.

The change would occur in us permanently.

But as we know, alas, that is not the case.

But that is the case for baptism.

So, for example, if you walked into the prior office tomorrow morning

and announced that you had been reading Das Kapital for your spiritual reading at night

and had embraced atheistic Marxism at the heart of your monastery

and that you were walking off the job and going to join the workers' cause, you know, out there in the world.

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