April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
SACRAMENTS: Seven Holy Encounters with One God
The last lesson is sometimes forgotten by adults, which is why The Evangelist is presenting this special eight-page section.
The seven sacraments -- Baptism, Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Matrimony and Anointing of the Sick -- are signs instituted by Christ to give us God's grace.
The word "sacrament" can be traced to the Latin "sacrare," meaning "to make sacred." The Second Vatican Council in the 1960s stated that the purpose of the sacraments is "to sanctify [people], to build up the body of Christ, and finally, to give worship to God."
Sources of grace
St. Thomas Aquinas, who called the sacraments "spiritual medicine," said that we need them to be saved from sin and to remind us not to focus just on material things, but also on the spiritual.Sacraments are also the main way we pursue friendship with God, according to Rev. John Hardon, SJ, executive editor of The Catholic Faith magazine.
"Christ instituted the sacraments to give us the grace we need to reach heaven," he writes.
Initiation
Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation are called "sacraments of initiation," because they welcome Catholics into the Church and prepare them to spread God's word:* Through Baptism, we're reborn as members of Christ's body, the Church;
* through the Eucharist (Communion), we're nourished with the spiritual food of Christ's body and blood; and
* through Confirmation, we become adults in the Church, ready to be witnesses of Christ to the world.
Beginnings
The concept of baptism was around before Christ, but He gave it new meaning, making it a symbol of our being cleansed of sins and united with Him.Most people are baptized as infants or children, by either having holy water poured over them or being immersed in it three times, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." They are also anointed with holy oil.
The first Eucharist took place when Christ blessed bread and wine at the Last Supper and gave it to the Apostles as His body and blood. Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist: The bread and wine are not symbols of Christ's body and blood but actually become them. Most Catholics start receiving the Eucharist at their First Communion as children.
Catholics often receive Confirmation as teenagers, choosing a new name and being anointed with holy oil, usually by the bishop of the diocese. This sacrament originated at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles like "tongues of fire"; they became able to speak in different languages, teach about God and even perform miracles. Confirmation symbolizes our ability to express our faith in a mature way.
Healing
The sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick are often grouped as "sacraments of healing." They are received when we have strayed into sin or are in need of spiritual comfort.Penance -- also called "Confession" or "Reconciliation" -- began when Christ told the Apostles on Easter Sunday that they had the power to forgive people's sins or withhold forgiveness.
Today, Catholics initially receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before their First Communion. After that, the Church recommends frequent confession as a means of spiritual guidance and renewal, but it requires that at least once a year, we confess serious sins and receive absolution.
The Anointing of the Sick, once known as the "last rites," is meant to comfort the sick (of mind or body) and to let them know that God and the Church are there for them in their suffering. It is no longer restricted to those who are dying.
Vocations
Holy Orders is the sacrament through which a man is ordained, as a deacon, priest or bishop. Christ started this sacrament at the Last Supper. After sharing His body and blood with the Apostles as bread and wine, He said, "Do this in memory of me."The different grades of ministers were developed by the early Church, which also teaches that the sacrament is not open to women because, among other reasons, Christ chose only men as His Apostles.
It wasn't until 1215 that Matrimony was formally called a sacrament. The purposes of marriage are procreation and fostering a couple's love for each another. While Christ didn't create marriage per se, He elevated it to the level of a sacrament by recognizing its ability to help couples assist the Church through their married lives and grow together in faith.
The Church teaches that a "valid, sacramental, consummated" marriage can't be dissolved except by death.
Not sacraments
"Sacramentals" aren't the same thing as sacraments. Sacramentals -- things like holy water, candles, rosaries and blessings -- help us prepare to receive God's grace, but don't actually give us God's grace as sacraments do.Another term, "Sacramentary," is also different. The Sacramentary is the book that includes the format of the Mass and other prayers and blessings; the priest reads from it at liturgy.
In the following seven pages, each sacrament is explored more fully to help Catholics recall and renew their understanding of how they encounter Christ.
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