Simply Catholic and Welcoming You
Sacraments of the Catholic Church
There are seven sacraments of the Catholic Church: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance or Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.
Sacraments are signs and instruments of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, through which Divine life is given.
The Sacraments are classified as Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist), Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick), and Sacraments of Commitment (Matrimony and Holy Orders). The Eucharist occupies a unique place as the Sacrament of Sacraments and all the other Sacraments are tied to it so as to bring us each to worthily receiving the Eucharist.
Home altarThe Sacraments Touch Our Natural and Spiritual Lives
The seven sacraments are intended to touch all the stages of Christian life from birth and baptism through to death itself. Aligning our natural lives and our spiritual lives.
The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify the faithful, to build up the body of Christ and to give worship to God.
The seven sacraments are God's gift to each of us. They allow us to grow closer to Him and to deepen our faith and commitment to Christ.
BaptismA Wonderful Explanation of the Sacraments
I loved the explanation of the sacraments and sacramentals given by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops when they referred to the sacraments as having a visible and invisible reality. They then used the example of a parent hugging their child. We see the hug (visible reality). We can't see the love the hug conveys (invisible reality).
With the sacraments we see the form and expression as they are given and received. We cannot see the grace, the absolute Love of God. Through faith we respond with our love to God and Christ. This in itself is further grace allowing us to become more Christlike in our lives.
What a simple and beautiful way of making the ‘mystery’ of the sacraments readily understandable. Of course this is my take away in my words and not nearly as well said as they did but this I remember the rest I'd have to look up ;)
In order to treat each of the sacraments with the respect and detail they each deserve, I will write a separate page for each of them and link those pages to this page. I ask for your patience as I can only write so much on any given day.
