Sacraments

Sacrament of Baptism

Baptism is the sacrament of admission to the faith, bringing sanctifying grace to the person being baptized. The baptism of infants is the most common form but unbaptized children or adults who wish to join the faith must also receive the sacrament. A person is to be baptized only once in their life and the Catholic Church recognizes baptisms done by most other Christian denominations as valid. In the rite of baptism holy water is usually sprinkled or poured on the head by a priest who simultaneously invokes the Trinity with the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The old self is said to die in the waters and a new self emerges, mirroring the death and resurrection of Christ.

How it's administered

Baptism is performed with water and the Trinitarian invocation, "I baptize you: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". The Christian churches' forms and rituals vary but the candidate may be wholly or partly immersed in water, water may be poured (affusion) over the head or a few drops may be sprinkled or placed (aspersion) on the head. Most of those baptized in the early church were adult converts. By the second century, infant baptism was a common practice and remained the accepted method in the Eastern and Western churches.

Sacrament of Eucharist

The Eucharist is Christ's true presence in the consecrated bread and wine. First Communion is typically received after proper catechesis.

The Eucharist or Holy Communion is the central rite of Catholic worship. During the mass the priest consecrates bread and wine, the elements of the Eucharist, which are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ. As a memorial of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and in a reflection of his Last Supper with his disciples, the congregation then shares in the sacred meal.

Why do we celebrate the eucharist?

We celebrate the Eucharist also known as the Lord’s Supper, as a central act of Christian worship in commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. The Eucharist enhances the communion of believers with Christ and each other through the partaking of bread and wine.

Instituted by Jesus during the Last Supper, the Eucharist is rooted in the Gospels, where Jesus blessed bread as his body and wine as his blood of the covenant shared with his disciples. The rite is a memorial of Christ's sacrifice, symbolizing Christian unity.

The Eucharist is regularly enacted as a repetition of the common meal with the addition of bread and cup signifying Jesus' presence. The Eucharist strengthens community, contact with Jesus, participation in his sacrifice and focuses attention on the ultimate goal, the return of Jesus Christ.

Sacrament of Confirmation

Confirmation strengthens the gifts of the Holy Spirit and deepens one's relationship with Christ and the Church.

Confirmation is the third sacrament of initiation and serves to “confirm” a baptized person in their faith. The rite of confirmation is performed immediately after baptism for adult converts. A bishop or priest normally performs the rite, which includes the laying on of hands in prayer and blessing and the anointing of the forehead with chrism (holy oil) with the words, “Be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” In so “sealing” that person as a member of the church, the outward rite of confirmation signifies the inner presence of the Holy Spirit who is believed to provide the strength to live out a life of faith. At confirmation a Catholic may symbolically take the name of a saint to be his or her patron.

How it's administered

• Usually administered by the bishop or delegated priest through the laying on of hands and anointing.
• Preparation programs for youth and adults precede the sacrament.

Confirmation perfects baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Reconciliation is the sacrament through which sins committed after Baptism are forgiven by God through the ministry of the Church.

The sacrament of Reconciliation is seen as an opportunity for renewal and can be done as often as needed. Some Catholics participate weekly before receiving the Eucharist whereas others may seek the sacrament only during the penitential seasons of Lent or Advent. Reconciliation is a means of obtaining pardon from God for sins for which the sinner is truly remorsefuL and brings the sinner back into communion with God and the Church. The sacrament is an opportunity for self reflection and requires that the person take full responsibility for his or her sins, both those in thought and in action. During the rite, sins are recounted privately to a priest, who is seen as a healer aiding the process and the priest commonly assigns acts of penance such as specific prayers or acts of restitution to complete in the following days. A prayer of contrition is offered at the end of the confession and the newly absolved Catholic is urged to refrain from repeating those sins.

How it's administered

• Penitent confesses sins to a priest, expresses contrition, receives absolution and performs a penance.
• Confessions offered regularly or by appointment.

Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

The Anointing of the Sick confers grace for healing and strength in times of serious illness, surgery or frailty of old age.

Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament that is administered to give strength and comfort to the ill and to mystically unite their suffering with that of Christ during his Passion and death. This sacrament can be given to those who are afflicted with serious illness or injury, those who are awaiting surgery, weakened older people or to ill children who are old enough to understand its significance. A person can receive the sacrament as many times as needed throughout their life. The rite can be performed in a home or hospital by a priest who prays over the person and anoints their head and hands with chrism (holy oil). The priest may also administer the sacrament of the Eucharist if the person has been unable to receive it and can hear a confession if so desired. If a person is at the point of death, the priest also administers a special Apostolic blessing in what is known as the Last Rites.

How it's administered

• Priest anoints the sick person with the oil of the sick and prays for healing and strength.
• Contact the parish for visits at home, in hospital or during emergencies.

Sacrament of Holy Matrimony

In the Sacrament of Matrimony, a man and a woman are united in such a way that they become one flesh, each belonging to one another. Matrimony is a celebration of a lifelong commitment of faithful love. Living together in marriage is not the only way in which people love one another but marriage is certainly the supreme example of human love. In the exchange of promises during the marriage ceremony, the couple administers the sacrament to each other. There must be an official Church witness present, either a priest or a deacon because Matrimony is an act of public worship and a community prayer bringing God’s blessing to the couple. Once the couple is married, their home becomes a domestic church, for the Church is whole and entire in a family built on the foundation of the Sacrament of Matrimony.

How it's administered

• Celebrated by the couple who exchange consent in the presence of a priest or deacon and two witnesses.
• Couples begin preparation with the parish at least six months before the wedding.

While Matrimony is part of the sacramental life that makes it possible for Christians to attain eternal salvation, the purpose of the sacrament is to help the partners in this life as they work to live in faithfulness to God. Their love for each other is a reflection of the enduring love between Christ and his Church and it provides them with a foretaste of the divine love that awaits them in paradise.

Sacrament of Holy Orders

Ordination or Holy Orders is a sacrament that is available only to men who are being ordained as deacons, priests or bishops. As with Baptism and Confirmation, the sacrament is said to convey a special indelible “character” on the soul of the recipient. During the rite, a prayer and blessing is offered as a bishop lays his hands on the head of the man being ordained. In the case of the ordination of priests and bishops, this act confers the sacramental power to ordain (for bishops), baptize, confirm, witness marriages, absolve sins and consecrate the Eucharist. Deacons can baptize, witness marriages, preach and assist during the mass but they cannot consecrate the Eucharist or hear confessions.

Ordination involves the laying on of hands by the bishop, along with a prayer of consecration. These constitute the visible signs of ordination.

The whole Church is a priestly people. Through Baptism all the faithful share in the priesthood of Christ. This participation is called the "common priesthood of the faithful." Based on this common priesthood and ordered to its service, there exists another participation in the mission of Christ: the ministry conferred by the sacrament of Holy Orders, where the task is to serve in the name and in the person of Christ the Head in the midst of the community.

The ministerial priesthood differs in essence from the common priesthood of the faithful because it confers a sacred power for the service of the faithful. The ordained ministers exercise their service for the People of God by teaching (munus docendi), divine worship (munus liturgicum) and pastoral governance (munus regendi).