This page of
DeaconLaz touches upon the theology of all seven sacraments of the Church.
Sacraments,
in general, serve to sanctify men and women; they help to edify (construct) the
Body of Christ (which is the Church), and to give glory to God.
Through the sacraments, we are nourished and strengthened and receive the
grace of God.
The
grace of God, which is unseen and untouchable, becomes visible and present in
our lives in a specific way when we celebrate the sacraments.
All the sacraments are different because the grace that is given with
each one is specific. All the sacraments
are also the same in that they all come from God who is the only source of
grace. As a way of understanding this aspect of
the sacraments, imagine the following:
Imagine
that there is a well of water in your backyard. Now
imagine that you have been doing yard work and are very hot and sweaty.
You go to the well bring up some water and splash yourself with it and
the water refreshes you. If you were
thirsty, you would go to the well and drink and the water would quench your
thirst. If you wanted to do the laundry,
you would take water from the well to wash and the water would clean.
In this example, the water is the same because it comes from the same well. The effects of using the water are different in each case because we used it for a different purpose. The same is true of the grace of God. Let’s explore now each sacrament in a bit more detail.
Sacraments can be grouped in the following manner:
| Sacraments of Initiation | Sacraments of Commitment | Sacraments of Healing |
| Baptism | Confirmation | Reconciliation |
| Confirmation | Marriage | Anointing |
| Eucharist | Holy Orders |
Baptism
Baptism is the “Sacrament of Faith” because it identifies us with the basic values of the Gospel preached by Jesus. It is also the sacrament that incorporates (unites) us with the community that is the result of this faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism also unites us with Jesus, allowing us to share in his Spirit, living as he lived, loving as he loved, and forgiving as he forgave. Finally, baptism also makes us a new person, because we are reborn to a new life.
The Church sees in the story of Noah and the flood a rebirth and destruction of sin like that of Baptism (Gen 7:12-23), In the same way, through the waters of the Red Sea God set the people of Israel free and washed them clean creating a new beginning as through Baptism (Ex 14:1-22).
Finally,
Jesus
Christ tells us in the Gospel of John that unless we are reborn of water and
Spirit we can not enter the
Material: Water
Form: "I Baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"
| Minister |
Bishop, Priest or Deacon In case of emergency, any baptized person can baptize. |
| Blessing of the Water | We recall how God has acted in the lives of mankind from the moment of creation until our present time. |
| Profession of Faith and renouncing sin | We publicly reject Satan and all sin, and express our faith in God. |
| Infusion or immersion | Water is then poured (infusion) over the persons forehead or the person is immersed (put under water) in the water, while the minister says: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” |
| Anointing with Chrism | A special oil called Chrism Oil is poured over the head of the baptized person. This symbolizes the Holy Spirit coming down upon them. It also reminds us that we share in Jesus’ life as King, Prophet, and Priest. |
| Candle | A small candle is lit, which represents the light of Jesus Christ lighting our lives. |
| White Garment | The person wears white as a sign of purity or being cleansed from sin. |
In
Confirmation, we receive an infusion of the Holy Spirit, just as the Apostles
did on the day of Pentecost. Through
this infusion of the Holy Spirit we receive the gifts of the Spirit, are made
more perfect and are strengthened so we can give witness of Jesus Christ.
Material: Chrism Oil
Form: "be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit"
| Minister | Bishop |
| Renewal of Baptismal promises | We publicly reject Satan and all sin, and express our faith in God. |
| Laying of Hands | The Bishop asks God to send the Holy Spirit over those being confirmed, and to give them his gifts. |
| Chrismation (anointing) | The Bishop makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of those being confirmed with Chrism Oil. |
In
Confirmation we receive the "Seven Gifts" of the Spirit. These seven
gifts are the signs that the Messiah, the anointed one of God, (Christians
believe that Jesus is this Messiah) will be guided by the Spirit. The relation
of these gifts to the sacrament of Confirmation becomes clear when we remember
that the word "Messiah" (Christos in Greek) means
"anointed." Jesus was "anointed," filled with the Holy
Spirit at his baptism. At Confirmation we are anointed with the Holy Spirit.
Throughout
the Gospels we see how these seven gifts form Jesus' personality. They are
characteristic of his activity. Consider the wisdom expressed in
his parables; his understanding of the poor and the sick; his right
judgment when tested by the Pharisees; his courage to
continue the journey to Jerusalem where he knew the fate that awaited him; his knowledge
of God's will; his reverence for his heavenly Father; his awe
before the wonders of creation—the lilies of the field, the birds of the
air....The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are the manifestation of the Divine
Power active in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
In
Baptism, our sins are washed away and we come up from the water bath to be
clothed in a new garment. Putting on the baptismal garment is a visible symbol
of the invisible reality of "putting on Christ." When we are anointed
with oil in Confirmation, it is a visible symbol of the invisible reality of
being anointed with the Spirit, being "Christ-ed" or "messiah-ed."
We put on Christ, and the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit become our gifts. We
pray that the qualities of the Messiah take root in us and become our qualities
so that we may become signs of God's presence in the world.
At the actual anointing during Confirmation we hear the words: "be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit." Here the gift referred to is the Holy Spirit himself. We are sealed with the gift of (that is, the gift which is) the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God's "first gift to those who believe" (Eucharistic Prayer IV). So, how do we describe each of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
| Wisdom | The Gift in which the Advocate (Spirit) “enables man to understand more deeply the truths of faith and to discover their intimate meaning, their hidden treasures and sublime harmonies.” With Wisdom, we can comprehend that there is no contradiction be between rational truths and the divine mysteries. |
| Understanding | "The Holy Spirit enables us to understand created things in their relation to God.” Therefore, we can appreciate that each human person is made in the Lord’s likeness, that even irrational creatures contain a “trace” of the Creator, that human events can purify us and lead us to a more perfect union with God and that sin is a terrible evil that damages the human person. |
| Good Counsel | Suggests what we should do or not do in a specific situation. Hence, uncertainties arising from a particular situation are dismissed. |
| Fortitude | The Gift by which “the Holy Spirit gives to man’s will the energy enabling him to undertake without hesitation, and to carry on their ultimate ends, the most arduous tasks for God’s glory and the good of souls, and also to bear gladly, even for many years, the most severe sufferings.” This Gift is especially evident in the lives of the martyrs (those who have died for their belief in Christ). |
| Knowledge | Gives us a superior knowledge of God as a lovable Being, and a proper appreciation of all created things in God. This “superior knowledge” is superior and more perfect than knowledge obtained through the use of faith and reason. By way of this Gift, God gives our soul a sense of nearness to Him as a life-giving Principle and a Being Who is extremely amiable and infinitely superior to everything else. |
| Piety | Provides the occasion for the Counselor (Spirit) to cause in our will a superhuman filial love toward God as our Father, and sentiments of fraternal love toward our neighbor, including those who may have wronged us. This charity brings about in our soul a total dedication to God’s glory and the good of souls. |
| Fear of the Lord | Gives our soul a filial respect, that is, a reverent fear of Divine Majesty, a fear which does not interfere with an intimate union with God, our Father, but which keeps us away from anything which might offend God. This Gift also inspires us to reject all unwarranted affections and discipline our senses. |
While
the Gifts do not remain dormant in the soul, they are not equally active in
everyone. People may dispose themselves to receive with greater frequency the
special motions of the Holy Spirit by thinking often of God, by mortifying the
love of self and the inclination to pleasure, by never deliberately resisting
divine inspirations, even when the sacrifices required appear difficult, by
asking with humility and confidence the special motions of the Holy Spirit.
Eucharist
The Eucharist is the center of all Christian life. All of the other sacraments should lead us to the Eucharist. This great sacrament contains all of the spiritual treasure of the Church. In other words, in this sacrament we have Christ himself. At the Last Supper, Christ instituted the Eucharist (Paschal Sacrifice) by which the sacrifice of the cross is continually made present in the Church.
At the institution of the Eucharist, Christ took the bread and the chalice and gave thanks; he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take, eat, and drink: this is my Body; this is the cup of my Blood. Do this in memory of me." Accordingly, the Church has arranged the entire celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist in parts corresponding to precisely these words and actions of Christ:
| Part 1 | At the Preparation of the Gifts, the bread and the wine with water are brought to the altar, the same elements that Christ took into his hands. |
| Part 2 | In the Eucharistic Prayer, thanks is given to God for the whole work of salvation, and the offerings become the Body and Blood of Christ. |
| Part 3 | Through the fraction and through Communion, the faithful, though they are many, receive from the one bread the Lord’s Body and from the one chalice the Lord’s Blood in the same way the Apostles received them from Christ’s own hands. |
The Eucharist is always celebrated within the Mass, but those who are sick and cannot attend Mass can have the Eucharist brought to them.
Parts of the Sacrament:
Material: Unleavened Bread and Wine
Form: Words of Consecration
|
Signs |
Bread and Wine that will change into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. (transubstantiation) |
| Tabernacle | Place where the Eucharist is kept. |
| Transubstantiation | Term given to explain what happens when the bread and wine change into the body and blood of Jesus. |
| Consecration | The moment during the Mass when the priest invokes God (epiclesis) to send the Holy Spirit and change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. |
Penance
or Reconciliation
In
this sacrament, God calls each and every one of us to turn away from sin, and
offers us his forgiveness. Because
we all continue to sin after we are baptized, Jesus gave the Church the power to
forgive our sins and to reconcile us with God.
Parts of the Sacrament:
Material: Sins
Form:
Absolution
| Minister | Bishop or Priest |
| Greeting | The priest greets us with warm welcoming words. |
| Prayer of Sorrow | If it is customary, the person prays a short prayer of sorrow also called an act of contrition. |
| Confession | The person tells the priest the sins they have committed. |
| Prayer | The priest invites the person to express their sorrow with a prayer. |
|
Laying of hands & Absolution |
The priest extends his hands over the person and asks God to forgive the sins. |
Holy
Orders
For
the good of all the Church, Jesus instituted different ministries to serve and
watch over all its members. There
are three distinct levels in the sacrament of Holy Orders:
Parts of the Sacrament:
Material: Laying of Hands
Form:
| Deacons | Serve in the ministry of liturgy, ministry of the word, and ministry of charity. Deacons can be married men, although if they become widowers they are not allowed to re-marry. |
| Presbyters | Also known as priests participate in the authority of Christ to govern, edify and sanctify the Church. |
| Bishops | Have the “fullness” of the sacrament of Orders. |
Marriage
In
the sacrament of Marriage, a man and a woman celebrate God’s Love.
It’s a time when they give themselves entirely and exclusively to each
other in fidelity for as long as both live.
Parts of the Sacrament:
Material: Bride & Groom - Wedding Rings
Form: Wedding Vows
| Minister | Bishop, Priest or Deacon |
| Scrutiny | The bride and groom are asked questions regarding their liberty to marry, fidelity to each other and educating their children. |
| Consent | The bride and groom publicly profess their consent to marry. |
| Rings | The ring symbolizes unending love. |
| Nuptial Blessing | The minister extends his hands over the bride and groom and blesses their union. |
Those
who are married by the Church cannot marry again if they divorce unless the
sacrament of Marriage is declared “NULL”.
If one of the married persons dies, the other can re-marry.
This sacrament is received by those who are gravely ill, close to death, or anytime that may seem appropriate according to the person’s state of health. It can also be received before entering surgery. Through anointing, we ask God to give us strength of body that we may be healed, and to strengthen our soul.
Parts of the Sacrament:
Material: Oil of the Sick
Form:
Prayer of healing and absolution
| Form of the Sacrament | The hands and forehead of the person are anointed with oil while the minister prays that they be healed, and that their sins be forgiven. |
| Minister | Bishop or Priest |
| Oil of the Sick | Used to anoint the forehead and hands |
Important
Note
Baptism,
Confirmation and Holy Orders cannot be repeated.