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The Seven Sacraments
What are ‘Sacraments'?
Well, there are seven Sacraments - The two principal Sacraments are the: -
Mass or Eucharist, and Holy Baptism.
The other five Sacraments are: -
Unction or Healing
Ordination
Confession or Reconciliation
Confirmation
Marriage
The Church teaches that Christ gave the Sacraments either before His death on the cross, or in the case of Confession after his Resurrection. The only exception is the Sacrament of Confirmation. It began as part of the Sacrament of Baptism and became detached as infant baptism became the norm.The Two Sides
Any child will tell you that a coin has two sides, heads and tails.
A Sacrament is rather like that. Firstly there is the side facing you that you can see. Then there is the side that you cannot see. Even though you may not be able to see the other side of the coin you believe, even know, that it must be there. If you were able to cut the coin in half, across its length and then placed the two halves face up, you would not have two coins; you would not even have one coin, in spite of appearances!
A Sacrament is like a whole coin; there is the side one can readily see, and there is also the side that one cannot see, but must believe in. It is this side, the spiritual side, which gives the Sacrament its power. It must possess both sides, the physical side and the spiritual side, to be genuine, and the two sides are inseparable. How?
The physical side of a sacrament can be seen, heard, touched, tasted or smelled and acts like a pointer.
It points to the reality which cannot be sensed. Unlike a sign or symbol, though, what we see, hear etc. also helps to bring the hidden reality into our world. For example:
In Baptism the pouring of water accompanied by certain words does not simply show that a person has become a Christian, it makes him one.
In the Eucharist the words which the priest speaks, Christ’s own words, do not describe
something which has already happened or express some pious hope, but actually cause something to happen by the power of the Holy Spirit (the change of the bread into Christ’s Body and the wine into His Blood)!
In Unction the ‘laying-on of hands with prayer’, accompanied by anointing with Holy Oil, does not merely give emotional comfort, but always brings about healing of the body, mind or spirit in reality, and imparts the strength of the Holy Spirit.
It is all done by the power of the Holy Spirit. The priest stands in Christ’s own shoes and so his hands become in a mysterious way Christ’s hands, his voice becomes the voice of Christ, and the power which flows through him is the power of the Holy Spirit. The priest is God’s chosen instrument and is wielded by God as His tool.It is important to remember that a Sacrament ‘works’, even when the people present do not understand or believe, or in the case of a baby, are too young to believe. They even ‘work’ if the priest is ‘unworthy’ or a sinner, because it is God’s power behind them, and not magic! Why?
The purpose of the Sacraments is to provide for the entire spiritual needs of the Church and the world, and every possible need is provided for. This does not mean that God is confined to the Sacraments, or that His power can only be seen at work in the Church. It does mean that only in the Sacraments of the Church does He guarantee that his presence can be encountered directly.
Christ is present in each one of the Sacraments. The Incarnate and Risen Lord continues his work of Redemption, or saving the world and its people, each time one of the Sacraments is celebrated.Sacramentals
Sacramentals are things that are associated with a Sacrament, or arise from one. Often they bring out more clearly the meaning of a Sacrament but sometimes they can be used apart from the Sacrament which gave them birth.For example
Holy Water, which is sprinkled on a person or thing to bless it, reminds us of the cleansing power of Baptism and the new birth which it gives. When it is used in a Holy Water stoup to make the sign of the cross on entering a church, it reminds us of our own baptism.Another example is the blessed wedding ring, which reminds us of the unbreakable bond between two people which is created in the Sacrament of Marriage.
Again the Holy oil with which people are anointed at Confirmation reminds us of the anointing at Baptism and of the gift of the Holy Spirit which is given through the laying-on of hands.Some other examples of sacramentals are: Votive or Prayer candles, Signing with the cross at Baptism, and the Kiss of Peace.
Sacramentals are themselves channels of God’s Grace and power, just like the Sacraments of which they are extensions.
Effect
The Church is described as Christ’s body on earth, and so it is. Christians are part of that
body and need to be nurtured if they are to grow into the likeness of Christ and be perfected.
The body also has to be built-up and learn to work together as a unit with a common purpose.
The Sacraments have the effect of feeding Christians and also of uniting them in common worship and purpose.
The Eucharist Explained
Baptism
Confirmation
Confession/Reconciliation
Ordination/Holy Orders
Marriage
