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Sacraments
Seven sacraments form the framework of Catholic spirituality. In a sacrament, Jesus himself acts in and through the ritual, offering new life, forgiving sins, giving his own body and blood, healing, uniting, consecrating. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the transforming grace of Christ’s actions is poured into the hearts of those participating. So a sacrament does more than just symbolize spiritual reality—it actually makes that spiritual reality present at the place and time the sacrament is celebrated. One term used to describe this reality is efficacious—the sacraments effect change in us and in the world because of God’s power, not our own.
Just participating in a sacrament doesn’t mean you will be changed. You must be prepared for an actively participate in the sacraments if the grace given by God in them is to have an effect in your life. This inner attitude and readiness on our part is called our disposition.
With this in mind, we can now understand the definition of sacraments provided by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1131):
The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and
entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The
visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make
present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those
who receive them with the required dispositions.
Grace is a word that is frequently associated with the sacraments. Grace is the religious name we give to the free and undeserved gifts we receive from God. Grace is the experience we have of being loved as a child of God. The love we receive, in all its various forms, empowers us to live lives of love ourselves, in service to God and others.
The seven sacraments are divided into three groups. The first group is sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. The second group is sacraments of service: Matrimony and Holy Orders. And finally, the third group is sacraments of healing: Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. These seven sacraments are the heart of the Catholic community.
Taken from The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth by Saint Mary’s Press
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| Baptism
Baptism is the most important of all the sacraments because it is "the door to life and to the kindgom of God, . . . the first sacrament of the New Law, which Christ offered to all that they might have eternal life" (Christian Initiation, General Introduction, 3). The word baptism comes from a Greek word meaning "to plunge," or "to immerse." In Baptism we are immersed into water. This symbolizes our burial into the death of Christ and our rising up to new life in Christ. From the very beginning of the Church, this has been the Church's belief about Baptism. St. Paul wrote:
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"Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life."
Romans 6:3-4
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For more information regarding preparation for Baptism, please contact Deb Wetzel at 308-395-8521.
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Eucharist
The Greek words eucharistein and eulogein mean "to bless" and "to give thanks." Both words "recall the Jewish blessings that proclaim--especially during a meal--God's works: creation, redemption, and sanctification" (CCC, 1328). At the Eucharist we are and form the one Body of Christ. We are made one with him and with one another. The expression "breaking of the bread" was used by the first Christians to profess that belief. Second graders receive First Communion. Adults receive First Communion as part of the R.C.I.A. process. For more information, please contact Deb Wetzel at 308-395-8521.
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| Penance & Reconciliation:
"Sin sets itself against God's love for us and turns our hearts away from it" (CCC, 1850). Sin is an offense against God that disrupts our communon with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and also our communion with the Church, the Body of Christ. The Church's sacrament of reconciliation celebrates and makes present among us the mystery of God's forgiving and reconciling love. First Reconciliation is experienced in the second grade and as part of the R.C.I.A. process. For more information, please contact Deb Wetzel at 308-395-8521. |
| Confirmation
Confirmation with Baptism and Eucharist is a sacrament of initiation. Confirmation is a deepening of baptismal gifts. Confirmation roots us more deeply in our identity as God's children, unites us more firmly with Christ, increases in us the gifts of the Holy Spirit, binds us more closely to the Church and gives us special strength to bear witness to our faith. High school seniors are confirmed by the Bishop after a period of preparation. Confirmation is celebrated at the Easter Vigil as part of the R.C.I.A. process. For more information, please contact Deb Wetzel at 308-395-8521. |
| Matrimony
The Sacrament of Matrimony is a covenant relationship in which a couple administers the sacrament to one another. This sacrament is intended to bring unity between the spouses and is open to new life. The couple commits themselves to each other until "death do us part." |
| Anointing of the Sick
The celebration of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick continues the healing ministry of Christ. The Anointing of the Sick is not just a sacrament for those who are at the point of death. It "is the proper sacrament for those Christians whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age" (Pastoral Care of the Sick, 97). Another appropriate time to receive this sacrament is just before a serious operation. (See CCC, 1515.) In the introduction to the Pastoral Care of the Sic, the bishops write:
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"Those who are seriously ill need the special help of God's grace in this time of anxiety, lest they be broken in spirit and, under the pressure of temptation, perhaps weakened in their faith. That is why, through the sacrament of anointing, Christ strengthens the faithful who are afflicted by illness providing them with the strongest means of support."
Pastoral Care of the Sick, 5
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The faithful who are seriously ill, therefore, should seek to celebrate this sacrament at the beginning of their illness and while they are able to actively participate in its celebration. For more information, please contact the Parish Office. |
Sacrament of Holy Orders
Holy Orders is the sacrament that consecrates (designates and makes holy) a man for three orders of ministry in the church: bishops, priests and deacons. In Holy Orders, a man commits his life to serve the faith community.
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