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Sacraments as Therapy of Christ in the Church Fathers

Publication at Catholic Theological Faculty |
2014

Abstract

The paper presents the patristic vision of medicinal theology of the sacra-ments. Firstly, it presents the development of the concept of "Christ the Healer" (Christus medicus).

Secondly, it follows the patristic thought of this therapeutic action of Christ in the sacraments, highlighting this aspect in all the seven sac-raments of the Church. These sacraments are a manifestation of the physical and spiritual dimension of healing provided by God in the course of the history of salvation.

The author concludes that the therapeutic language in the theology of the sacraments can prove to be very vivid and efficient when speaking to the man of today, so preoccupied with his health. The healing in this sense is not a mere re-establishing of the health, but it involves the re-creation of the man to the "image and likeness of God" capable of divine life and of eternity.