Everything you need to know about the 7 Sacraments of the Church
Set by the Council of Trent, the sacraments instituted by Christ are seven in number. We can group them into three categories: the sacraments of Christian initiation with baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist; the sacraments of healing with the sacrament of penance and reconciliation (confession) and the anointing of the sick; and finally, the sacraments of the service of communion, the sacrament of orders, and matrimony. These seven sacraments are specifically addressed in the second section of the second part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), with a long article composed of several numbers, for each sacrament. Let us also add that sacraments are not to be confused with sacramentals, the latter essentially referring to Christian blessings and funerals.
So now let's go further in the discovery of these seven sacraments with Hozana.
The Sacraments of Christian Initiation
The sacraments of Christian initiation allow entry into the community of the Church: baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist.
These sacraments are covered in the first chapter of the second section of the second part of the Catechism of the Church Catholic, from number 1212 to 1419.
The Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism is the foundation of Christian life and “the door which gives access to the other sacraments” (No. 1213 of the CCC). In baptism, we are immersed in the death and resurrection of Christ. Free from sin, we are regenerated. We then become members of Christ and participants in his divine life.
This sacrament is addressed in the numbers 1213 to 1284 (Article 1 of the First Chapter on the Sacraments of Christian Initiation) of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
“This sacrament is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace,” Catechism number 1285 tells us. With the strength of the Holy Spirit, this sacrament strengthens the bond of the baptized with the Church. The number 1316 says “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”.
This sacrament is addressed in the numbers 1285 to 1321 (Article 2 of the First Chapter on the Sacraments of Christian Initiation) of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Sacrament of the Eucharist
The Eucharist “completes Christian initiation,” Catechism number 1322 tells us.
The Eucharist is the “source and summit of all Christian life” (No. 1325), the “sacrament of the sacraments” (No. 1211 of the CCC). The other sacraments are all related to the Eucharist, and ordered to it, the same number tells us.
More than the consecration of the bread and wine, and communion, the Eucharistic celebration also involves the proclamation of the word of God, the thanksgiving to God for its benefits (no. 1408).
This sacrament is addressed in the numbers 1322 to 1419 (Article 3 of the First Chapter on the Sacraments of Christian Initiation) of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Sacraments of Healing
The sacraments of healing are two, with the sacrament of penance and reconciliation (also called confession) and the anointing of the sick (or the sacrament of the sick). These sacraments are covered in the second chapter of the second section of the second part of the Catechism of the Church Catholic, from number 1420 to 1532.
The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation
The sacrament of penance and reconciliation has several names as the sacrament of conversion (No. 1423 of the CCC), the sacrament of confession (No. 1424), the sacrament of forgiveness (No. 1424). Through the sacramental absolution of the priest, God grants the penitent forgiveness and peace, Catechism number 1424 tells us. The call of Christ to the conversion of the baptized is a call that continues to resound. Having a hardened heart, this sacrament makes it possible to return to communion with God after having lost it through sin (No. 1489).
This sacrament is addressed in the numbers 1422 to 1498 (Article 4 of the First Chapter on the Sacraments of Christian Initiation) of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Learn more about the Sacrament of Penance
The Anointing of the Sick
The anointing of the sick, also called the sacrament of the sick (called extreme unction before the Second Vatican Council), confers a special grace on the Christian experiencing difficulties relating to a state of serious illness or old age, Catechism number 1527 tells us.
This sacrament is addressed in the numbers 1499 to 1532 (Article 5 of the First Chapter on the Sacraments of Christian Initiation) of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Sacrament of Service of Communion
The sacraments at the service of communion are also two, with the sacrament of orders and the sacrament of matrimony. These sacraments are covered in the third chapter of the second section of the second part of the Catechism of the Church Catholic, from number 1534 to 1666.
The Sacrament of the Orders
The sacrament of apostolic ministry, the sacrament of orders, has three degrees: the episcopate for bishops, the presbyterate for priests, and the diaconate for deacons. Like baptism and confirmation, this sacrament is granted once and for all. It is therefore indelible (No. 1582 of the CCC). Finally, it is the bishop who confers the sacrament of orders in the three degrees (No. 1600).
This sacrament is addressed in the numbers 1536 to 1600 (Article 6 of the First Chapter on the Sacraments of Christian Initiation) of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Sacrament of Marriage
The sacrament of marriage is based on the free consent of the contracting parties. Unity, indissolubility and openness to life are essential elements of marriage (No. 1664). The celebration of Christian marriage in the Latin rite normally takes place during the Holy Mass (No. 1621).
This sacrament is addressed in the numbers 1601 to 1666 (Article 7 of the First Chapter on the Sacraments of Christian Initiation) of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
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Why are the sacraments necessary for believers?
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation” (No. 1129).
In the sixteenth century, the Council of Trent even condemned the opposite statement: “If anyone says that the sacraments of the New Covenant are not necessary for salvation, but superfluous, and that, without them or without the desire for them, men obtain from God the grace of justification, being admitted that not all are necessary for each: let him be anathema” (decree on the sacraments).
But then what happens to those who do not attend the sacraments, not by refusal but by ignorance? The Second Vatican Council gives some answers in Lumen Gentium number 16: “Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience.”
What the Church means is that it would be inconsistent to ignore the sacraments knowingly, because by these signs, Christ unites us to his death and resurrection. Indeed, as the Catechism recalls in number 1115, “the words and actions of Jesus during his hidden life and his public ministry were already salvific. They anticipated the power of his paschal mystery. They announced and prepared what he would give to the Church when all was accomplished. The mysteries of Christ's life are the foundations of what, from now on, through the ministers of his Church, Christ dispenses in the sacraments, because "what was visible in our Savior has passed into his mysteries” (Saint Leo the Great, sermon 74.2). ” The sacraments are therefore privileged means by which Christ communicates to the members of his Body his paschal mystery, which bears the fruits of a new life according to his Spirit.
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) of the Second Vatican Council, number 59 adds, that the sacraments allow to “sanctify men and to build up the Body of Christ”. This same number also explains about the sacraments: “they confer grace, but, moreover, their celebration best disposes the faithful to fruitfully receive this grace, to render to God the just worship, and to exercise charity. It is therefore of the greatest importance that the faithful easily understand the signs of the sacraments and attend in the most assiduous way the sacraments that nourish Christian life.”
Thus, the sacraments are not only necessary for salvation in the manner of a rule to be respected, but, by uniting them vitally to Christ, they also contribute to helping the baptized to exercise the mission of priest, prophet and king that they received at their baptism.
With Hozana, let us strengthen ourselves in the practice of the sacraments!
With Hozana, let us develop our taste for the practice of the sacraments. The sacraments give us joy and help us participate in the divine life.
Also discover:
· In our guide to saints, links to biographies of Saints, which will also allow you to see how they have been nourished by the sacraments in their lives, including the Eucharist and reconciliation.
· Retreats which will allow you to strengthen your relationship with Christ, and which will give you even more desire for the sacraments.
· And many more offerings through our communities
