Let us also say that the validity of a sacrament does not depend on the moral purity of the priest – he can be the last fornicator, murderer, alcoholic, but as long as the church has not prohibited him from ministering (administering, performing the sacrament) all sacraments performed by him are valid. The Sacraments are performed by Christ!!! – V.A.).
Sacraments are not discrete, independent units – they are links in a single, continuous ‘chain’ of the sacrament of salvation. And they (the sacraments – V.A.) are for the forgiveness of sins only when they are interconnected with other sacraments, which is guaranteed, made possible by proper Eucharistic, church life. Taken on their own, as an end – they lead to judgment and condemnation. Therefore, confession for the forgiveness of sins (as a diagnosis – the degree of separation from God), organically leads to the Eucharist for the forgiveness of sins (receiving medicines, treatments, operations according to the established diagnosis). Eucharistic life again leads to confession – evaluation of treatment results, and a new examination: maybe other diseases have surfaced. A new diagnosis, and again – treatment procedures, etc., until the transition to another form of existence (what pagans call ‘death’) – there are other methods and means of treatment there. Repentance and eucharist (and baptism, and chrismation as the foundation of the house of salvation) – are the sacraments we must live by (as oxygen is necessary for biological existence, so much more so are eucharist and repentance). All other sacraments (Marriage, Priesthood, Monasticism, Unction, etc.) – are adaptations of the grace of the sacrament of baptism to specific functional and topological conditions in the body of the Church. Not everyone enters into marital relations with other members of the Body, not everyone is a monk, not everyone is a priest…, but all are ill to some degree (except for the head of the Body – Lord Jesus Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos, who has already resurrected, become deified, has become by grace what God is by nature – V.A.). If to use transplantation as a metaphor: establishing special connections with neighboring organs in the body. (We will not discuss what these connections are now, we will say something in the next part – V.A.). For an organ to heal (or simply live, be healthy), it must be in the Body, that is, be in proper, organic, integral, harmonious relations with neighboring organs and the Body (in the language of hypostatic being: be in communication with all), performing its function in the organism (\”Take, eat, this is My Body for the remission of sins\”) and living the life of the Body, ‘drinking’ the Blood, in which all ‘nutrients’ and everything necessary for life are delivered (\”Drink from it, all of you – this is My Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed [flows from the heart and pulses in the Body – V.A.] for you and for many for the remission of sins\”). All sacraments are organically involved in the sacrament of the forgiveness of sins! Focusing on one thing and neglecting others leads to a condition called ‘for judgment and condemnation’.
Sacraments are ‘means’ that can (and should – V.A.) ‘be used’. They are the scaffolding at a construction site, not the house, or part of the house (salvation), that we are building. The robber, who was the first to enter paradise, was not baptized (it is meant that the usual rite of baptism was not performed over him, but he definitely was baptized, clothed in Christ – V.A.), did not receive communion, was not married, was not anointed, was not a priest (referring to the formal rites of sacraments, which were not performed over him – V.A.), and was the first to enter paradise! One can participate in all sacraments (as much as canonically possible) and go to hell, that is, be alien to God. There are more than enough examples. Thus, whether sin is forgiven (whether our shell of self, egotism cracks a little, whether pride, with which we are all spoiled, dissipates) in the sacraments, whether sacraments contribute to my salvation – depends on me, solely on me, on proper spiritual life (detailed in the next part – V.A.).
God is Love!..”