Sacraments Portal
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Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church
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What are the Sacraments
of the Catholic ChurcH?Christ instituted the sacraments of the New Law. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase the healing and mission of the Christian's life of faith. There is a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life.
A "Sacrament" is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace." as stated in the Baltimore Catechism. The Sacraments have the power of giving grace from the merits of Jesus Christ. Some of the Sacraments give sanctifying grace, and others increase it in our souls. Baptism and Reconciliation give sanctifying grace because they take away the stain of sin on our souls. Holy Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick increase sanctifying grace because those who receive them worthily are already living the life of grace. The Sacraments always give grace if we receive them with the right disposition.
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Sacraments of Christian Initiation
The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist - lay the foundations of every Christian life. The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity. (CCC: 1212)
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Sacraments of Healing
The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, Who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health, has willed that His Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, His work of healing and salvation, even among her own members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. (CCC 1421)
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Sacraments at the Service of Communion
Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God.
Through these sacraments those already consecrated by Baptism and Confirmation for the common priesthood of all the faithful can receive particular consecrations. Those who receive the sacrament of Holy Orders are consecrated in Christ's name "to feed the Church by the word and grace of God." On their part, "Christian spouses are fortified and, as it were, consecrated for the duties and dignity of their state by a special sacrament." (CCC 1534-1535)
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*Please Note That...
Our Mary, Queen of Saints Parish website may contain links to other websites. These links are provided to you only as a convenience. Such linked websites are not under the control of our parish grouping. Mary, Queen of Saints Parish is not responsible for the content of any linked website, or any link contained in a linked website. The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement of the website by our parish, and Mary, Queen of Saints Parish shall have no responsibility for information that is referenced by or linked to our maryqueenofsaints.org website.
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