The Seven Sacraments: Christ’s Saving
Grace and Action
- We use object, gestures, and actions as
symbols
- These symbols express what we think
or feel and give importance to what we
say
- Sometimes they are used to call
attention to something that is not
obvious or to express more than one
meaning.
“Love one another as I loved you, this is how
all will know that you are My disciples….”
Symbols - point to a deeper reality that evokes
Sacred Scripture: John 13:34-35
a response from each of us
- In the Gospels, Jesus has shown God’s
love for people through His words and
concrete actions.
- This secular world in which we live
seems to have lowered the moral
standards of previous generations
regarding honesty, diligence in work,
conscientiousness, and morality.
- In our country where we see corruption,
immorality, selfishness, materialism and
pornography prevail
How do we denounce this?
It reflects us how does different actions,
gestures and object were used as symbols.
These let us express what we feel, think and
give importance of what we are saying. In the
Gospel, God’s love for the people were shown
through His words and concrete actions., Today,
the Risen Jesus continues to show us God’s
love through symbols
“You are the salt of the earth… You are the
light of the world… Let your light shine before
men in such way that may see your good
works and glorify your Father who is in
heaven.” Sacred Scripture: Matthew.
5:13-16
- In the first scripture. Jesus exhorts his
disciples to be his sign which is to
become the SALT and LIGHT
- Meaning a follower of Christ must be a
person who must stand for honesty in
speech, conduct and thought
- No one can depart himself from the
standards of honesty or lower his moral
standards or using deceiving words and
actions.
St. James wrote:
Keep themselves “unstained from the world..”
- If the disciples are to be the salt of the
earth, they must posses a definite,
positive and liberating influence to
others.
- There are some people whose company
is easy to be good but others is easy for
standards to be taken for granted and
disregard.
- Disciples must be persons who defeats
corruption and makes them to be good
● In the world full of anxiety, they should
remain serene
● In a depressed world, they should
remain full of joy of love
- They must be the carriers of love and
joy, as Jesus said:
- Our following of Christ must be visible in
our daily life..
❖ On how we treat others
❖ On how we do our task
❖ On how we play fair and following
rules
❖ On how we speak or read
- He said: “You are the light of the world”
- There are many people who don’t have
enough moral courage to take a stand
- It is a duty that a follower to support one
another and give examples to the less
courage and give loving service.
- His followers are called to draw attention
to God, not themselves.
- They never think of what they have
done or having praise, thanksgiving or
prestige.
- But God enabled them to do and follow
him without counting cost or expecting
return.
- Yes, it is not easy to do but we are
enabled by God to do like Jesus loving
us unconditionally.
- He is the true Love and Light who
enlightens all.
- It is when the message of Jesus echoes
our lives, we became the salt and light
and authentically love one another and
become more effective witness.
- Therefore we became more prayerful
and discerning so that we may able to
follow them.
- His followers are called to draw attention
to God, not themselves.
- The Incarnation of Son of God is the
revelation of God’s saving love.
- His words, deeds draws all the
reconciles humanity with God and one
another..
- His word-made-flesh became the visible
sign, the sacrament of God..
- The Church, with her visible institutional
structure is for us sacrament of Christ,
representing and offered to all persons.
- Having relationship with Jesus us
essential for Christian life, where we
encounter Christ in all the sacraments
and more closely to Him.
- The seven sacrament are Jesus’
dynamic living, loving and abiding
presence in our lives for he instituted it
in life, death and resurrection, the
 Primordial sacrament of His father loving
and saving presence.

“Sacraments are saving symbolic acts or

visible sign arising from the Ministry of Christ
and continued in, by and for the Church,
which, when received in faith, fashion us into
likeness to Christ in His Paschal Mysteries,
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Church
Teaching: CFC 1454
- It is through these the divine life and
The sacraments communicate us love is communicated in the
through... Sacraments, thus it cannot be repeated
● Touch (anointing, imposing hands, - Not every Christian has the power to
washing, embracing) preach the word and administer all of
● Gestures (standing, bowing, sitting, these sacraments
kneeling)
● Words (proclaimed, listened to, spoken
and responded to)

- It is through these the divine life and

love is communicated in the Sacraments
- Each Sacraments celebrated in love by
the Church makes present certain acts
of own public ministry
- It is rooted in Christ and it is Christ
himself acts with the Spirit as the
Sacraments are celebrated.
- It is Him who baptized, confirms,
forgives and reconciles, heals and offers
himself as sacrifice binds in faithful love
and consecrates for service.
- He challenges us to a response of love
but effectively empowers us through the
Spirit.
- He initiated the saving encounter with us
and continues the activity of His initiative
through His Spirit in the ministry of the
Church.
- Its richness is unfolded in the fullness of
mature Christian life.
The Seven Sacraments are classified - In all of the Sacraments, we are united
into 3 groups: with Jesus, drawn from one’s unstable
Sacrament of Initiation situation into His loving and abiding
● Baptism presence.
● Confirmation
● Eucharist The Seven Sacraments are always
Jesus’ saving symbolic acts in and
Sacrament of Healing
● Anointing of the Sick through...
● Reconciliation ● Administering the Sacraments.
● The washing of the feet of the Apostles
Sacrament of Vocation or Service at the Last Supper.
● Matrimony ● Institution of the Eucharist.
● Holy Orders ● Authorization to proclaiming the Gospel
and baptizing into the new gathering of
-> They have their special graces since they the people.
manifest in different ways in which Christ comes ● Sending the Spirit to the Pentecost.
to each of us, meets us at all decisive and
ordinary moments in our lives. These acts in which He instituted by
performing the signs which brought the
- It begins with BAPTISM and just Church into being.
structured by other sacraments in
different ways. - He is present in each sacrament,
although invisible, His actions were
manifested through His ministers as he
was there.
- He continues to act, not divinely but
humanly through the ministers
administering these sacraments.
- We really meet the Incarnate Word in a
real, human and loving communion with
God...

- The Sacraments engage everyone as
conscious participant not only in the
benefits of Jesus human-divine
redemptive act but in the act itself.
- Through its bishops and priests who
shared in the episcopal office, Jesus
Himself preaches and administers the
sacraments.
- They just not enacting in the name of
Jesus but in the very person of Jesus.
The ordained priest offers sacrifice and
forgives sins by Jesus redemptive act.
- The Sacrament also are supreme part of
the Church’s activity where she offers
her worship in union of our Lord, to the
Father.
- By them, she confers upon her children
Christ’s redemptive live effective through
the same Lord Jesus in the ministry to
carry out the performance of the
sacramental acts.
- The Seven Sacraments are effective
whenever they are properly and lovingly
carried out and worthy received.
- The grace received in the Sacraments
certainly gift of God and Christ acts in
the Sacraments whenever and wherever
they are properly and lovingly
celebrated and confer the grace that
signify.
- However, we should bear in mind that
the grace symbolized in the Sacraments
is not automatic but dependent,
especially on one’s faith in God
- Faith is not sufficient to obtain grace, but
the sacramental rite itself, when properly
and lovingly performed and received,
confers specific graces and makes them
effective.
Baptism: A celebration of God’s
Adoptive Love
- Consequently, the real meaning of
Baptism is still vague to us because we
see it as Church Membership.
- And as we grew old, we became
worried, stressed and feel alone..
- We tend to look that baptism we are
claimed as His own, His adopted
children and became God’s beloved..
- The reception of the Sacrament of
Baptism is one of the beautiful events in
our life..
- To be baptized in Catholic Church
means more than sprinkling water in our
foreheads and received our Christian
Names.
- But it is the first step in our lifelong
journey of commitment and discipleship
whether we are baptized as an infant or
an adult.
- Baptism is the Church way to celebrate
and enacting the embrace of the love of
God.
- Baptism is part of Sacrament of Initiation
in which it is the first step and as a
requisite before receiving any other
sacrament.
Early understanding that Baptism is like
“removal of the Original Sin.”
In present understanding of Baptism has move
away from original where it does not only
washes our sins but also:
● To initiate our relation with the Triune
God (CFC 1615)
● Became His adoptive children (Gal.
4:4-7)
● Became a member of the Church (CFC
1605)
- With Baptism, one begins to grow as a
follower of the Risen Christ where He
gives everyone a new life with the Spirit
that enables us to share His loving,
empowering and abiding presence .
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
“ Sacred Scripture: Matthew. 28:19
- In becoming an adopted child of God in
Baptism through Jesus, a person is
initiated in the communion or sharing
with the members of the family of God,
the Church..
- Thus, the baptized person is intiated into
the identity and value as disciple of
Christ which we shared a committed
Christian Discipline and shares in Spirit
by which the Christian Community lives
a and united in faith, Hope and Love.
“for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God
through faith. As many of you as were
baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves
with Christ. You are one in Christ Jesus.... “
Sacred Scripture: Galatians 3:26-29
“As proof that you are children, God sent the
spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out,
“Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave
but a child, and if a child then also an heir,
through God.. “ Sacred Scripture: Galatians
4:5-7
- St Paul wrote in his letter that Baptism,
one is UNITED with all baptized person,
regardless of his race, color of skin,
language for all are one with Jesus.
- This union means following Him and
rejecting all things that keeping one from
doing so.
- It is a lifetime journey with someone who
assist us and with the Holy Spirit who
dwells in us , strengthens in our failures
and rise up when we fall.
- In infant Baptism, our parents and
godparents has the duty to mold us and
guides us in our maturity in our faith.
- It is a lifelong process of personal
understanding and acceptance of the
meaning of the baptismal liturgy and
grasping and understanding of Gospel
so that the transformation of Christ
would happen.
- It is a public commitment to an ongoing
conversion that will lead us to adult faith.
- It is also an act of election which is
sacra mentalized in the community’s act.
- The Sacrament of Baptism includes
several signs of Jesus’ loving, saving
presence. These made us understand
the meaning of this sacrament
- It begins with the SIGN OF THE CROSS
 IN THE FOREHEAD OF THE
BAPTIZED, being “claimed for Christ”
- Followed SCRUTINY and EXORCISM,
- The liturgy of the word is intended to
clarify the significance of the sacrament
and renunciation of the values
contradicts is expressed by godparents.
- The PROFESSION OF FAITH is being
spoke by the godparents,
- The godparents states their beliefs in
Jesus as Christ, His Father and the
Spirit. They also gave pledge of future
believing
- Then, WATER which all living things are
needed, is poured at the forehead of the
child
- Pouring water in the baptized us a sign
of new life with God that comes to us.
- As the Priest baptized with water, he
recites this:
(Name of the Child), I baptize you in the name
of the Father, and of the Son and the Holy
Spirit…
- Then, CHRISM where priests anoints
the newly baptized person with chrism,
perfumed oil blessed by bishops
- This gives special mission as a follower
of Christ and a “sealing” by the Spirit.
- Then, a WHITE GARMENT is worn to
the baptized person
- Symbolizes his/her dignity as a follower
of Christ and expected to live according
to the teachings of Christ.
- Lastly, a CANDLE is lighted by the
parents, godparents and other family
members present in the rite from the
Paschal Candle
- Symbolizes that Christ, being the light of
the world, asks his follwers to let His
light shines upon to see and set free
from darkness and He will serve as a
guide throughout their light.
“Incorporated in the Church through Baptism,
the faithful are destined by the baptismal
character for the worship of the Christian
religion, reborn as the sons of God they must
confess before men the faith which they have
received from God through the Church”
Church Teaching: Vactican II, Lumen
Gentium 11
The Church recognized 3 types of
Baptism:
● Baptism by Water
● Baptism by Blood (Martydom) - is
similar to the desire but it refers to the
martyrdom of the those believers who
killed by their faith before they have
chance to become baptized
● Baptism by Desire - applies both to the
wishing to be baptized died before
receiving this sacrament
-> When the life of the unbaptized person is in
danger, any baptized person CAN BAPTIZE for
as long as it performs the TRINITARIAN
FORMULA and intend to do what the Church
does.
TRINITARIAN FORMULA
(Name of the Child), I baptize you in the name
of the Father, and of the Son and the Holy
Spirit…
Effects of Baptism:
● Removal of the guilt of both Original Sin
(First sin that we inherit from Adam and
Eve) and Personal (sins that we
committed)
● Remission of all the punishment due to
sin, both temporal (in this world and in
Purgatory) and eternal (punishment that
would suffer in hell)
● Infusion of Grace in the form of
sanctifying grace
● Becoming a part of Christ
● Becoming part of the Church
● Enabling participation of the other
Sacraments
- As baptized Christians, everyone has a
special call to live as members of
Christ’s Body, the Church, the
community of the people of God.
Through anointing with Chrism at
Baptism one shares in the priesthood of
Jesus in His mission:
● Ministry of service and healing (kingly)
● Ministry of prayer and worship (priestly)
● Ministry of teaching (prophetic)
- In Baptism, we received the life of the
Holy Spirit who helps one imitate Jesus
in one words and actions.
- To be a Christian, therefore is to be a
disciple, to join the Risen Christ in the
continuing work of bringing the Kingdom
of God in our midst.
- But sharing in the mission is more than
just knowing it, it is an awareness for
accomplishing that Goal.
- Sharing the mission is the choice to
participate in the Christian community’s
activities in order to achieve the shared
mission of Jesus Christ
Confirmation A Celebration of God’s
Empowering Love
“Then there appeared to them tongues as of
fire, which parted and came to rest on each
one of them...” Sacred Scripture: Acts 2:
1-12
“To each individual the manifestation of the
Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is
given through the Spirit the expression of
wisdom; to another the expression of
knowledge according to the same Spirit; ...”
Sacred Scripture: 1 Cor. 12: 7-11
- As the Church received the Holy Spirit in
the Pentecost, We received the Holy
Spirit at Baptism and shared God’s own
life with us and make us Holy Spirit
- In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the
confirmand personally receives the
Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
- the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit helps
everyone grow in spiritual maturity as
Catholic Christians..
- Each gifts helps us live our friendship
with God and helps us know and choose
 the way God wants us to live..
The Seven Gifts of the Spirit which
complete the gifts given to us at Baptism
are:
Spirit of Wisdom
- The First and the Highest Gift of the
Holy Spirit because it is the perfection of
faith.
- It helps us evaluate our faith, fortifies
our hope, perfects our charity and
promotes our practice and virtue
- With this we see God at work in our lives
and in the world.
- For the wise person, everything that we
know, even our ups and downs of our
lives has deeper meaning.
Spirit of Understanding
- It helps us to see the connection
between knowing our faith and living it.
- It helps us grasps the deeper meaning
of life and enables us to overcome
ignorance and confusion
- We learn, understand and appreciate
and relish the truths
- We enable to see and accept others
despite of their imperfections in our life.
Spirit of Fortitude
- It gives us courage to face trials and
make decisions to live as God wants us
to be.
- It is a gift to overcome fear and carry out
what God wants us and willingly takes
risks as a follower of Jesus Christ even
at cost of sacrifice.
- It give us strength to be strong to our
beliefs as Christians.
- It is sometimes synonymous to the word
COURAGE goes beyond what we
normally think as courage
- This allows the martyrs to suffer death
rather to renounce their faith
Spirit of Knowledge
- It helps us to see all that God has made
known to us and enables us to
appreciate all the things from God.
- It unmasks people’s pretenses, reveals
their emptiness and points out only the
true purpose of people is to be
instruments and service of God.
- Like Counsel, it is aimed at our actions
in our life in a limited way.
- It allows us to see the circumstances of
our life as God sees them.
- It enables us to discern easily and
effectively between the impulses of
temptation and the inspiration of grace,
Spirit of Piety
- It inspires us to call God Abba, Father
with love and trust.
- It enables us to love God all over other
things, attunes us to God in prayer and
worship and frees us from the hardness
of heart.
- It inspires to love and respect for His
sake, persons and things consecrated to
Him.
- It takes the willingness beyond the
sense of duty so that we desire to
worship God and serve Him out of love.
- It is also known as reverence where we
have a deep sense of respect to God
and the Church.
Spirit of Fear of the Lord
- It helps us to revere, praise, thank and
bless God because He alone is God.
- It is not fear of a slave but a child who
honors and respect God above all.
- It frees us from self-centered pride and
makes us love God deeply and
genuinely.
- It is also helps us to be grateful to God
for the Gift of life and encourages us to
praise God.
- With it, we are aware of the glory and
majesty of God.
- It is the beginning of the wisdom
(Proverbs 1:7) because it puts our
minds in its correction with respect to
God, the all powerful, infinite Creator of
all.
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are
enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3.
- They are present in the fullness of Jesus
Christ but are found in all Christians who
are in the life of God within us,
- When we received them are infused
with sanctifying grace, the life of God
within us when we receive the
Sacrament worthily.
- Infused with the Gifts, we respond to the
promptings of the Holy Spirit as if by
instinct, the way Christ would.
- Knowing the proper ordering of the
material and spiritual worlds through
Wisdom, we can easily bear the
burdens of this life and respond to our
fellow man with charity and patience .
“The Spirit empowers us to bear witness to
Christ”. Church Teaching: CFC 1309
“The laity derive the right and duty to the

apostolate from the union with Christ the and
incorporated into Christ’s Mystical body
through Baptism and strengthened bv the
power of the Holy Spirit through Confirmation.
Spirit empowers us to bear witness to Christ”.
Church Teaching: Vatican II, Apostolicam
Actuositatem I, 23
The Seven Gifts seals the confirmand and
confer spiritual strength to:
1. Witness for Jesus and His Church
2. Spread and defend the faith
3. Live an authentic Catholic Christian Life
- The Spirit lives in every person who
remains in the state of grace and
inspires all to know, love and serve God.
We need the Holy Spirit and His gifts so that
we may:
1. Connect on a deeper level with Jesus
2. Grow as the member of the Church
3. Become more involved with the
activities, ministries and mission of the
Church.
4. Strengthened to witness the Christian
Faith
- Through the empowering Gifts of the
Spirit, we are able to witness to Christ
by making best choices and living the
life that Christ teaches us.
- In many ways, they play an important
role in our spiritual maturing as
Christians and helps us live a faithful life
-The Fruits of the Holy Spirit are the
Results of the Gifts working in our lives.
- The Spirit as the “Soul” of the Church
lives in every person who remains in the
state of Grace and inspires men to
know, love and serve God.
Catholics who are faithful to the inspiration
of the Spirit always:
● Obey the Pope, bishops and all lawful
authority
● Love and appreciate the Eucharist and
other Sacraments
● Grow more and more to the likeness of
Christ.
- The Sacrament of Confirmation includes
signs of Jesus’ presence to us that
helps us to understand this sacrament
- ANOINTING WITH CHRISTM is a
special sacramental sign implies a
person is being set apart to the others
and given a special mission
- Through anointing in both Baptism and
Confirmation, we share a mission of
Jesus as we are called to become
“Jesus for others”
- As the bishop makes sign of the cross in
the forehead of the candidate, he said:
“(Name), be sealed with the Holy Spirit..”
And the confirmand will answer “AMEN”
- The use of oil or chrism signifies
healing, purification and strengthening:
- LAYING ON OF HANDS signifies the
confirmand is dedicated or consecrated
to God for a certain mission and that the
power of the Holy Spirit is given to
him/her
It also signifies that:
● Christians are claimed by God as His
own
● He/she is empowered by the Spirit to
spread the Gospel
● Build up the Christ’s Body, the Church.
● Christians share more fully in Christ’
three fold mission, (kingly, priestly and
prophetic)
- As this gesture is made on the
confirmand, the bishop prays:
“Send your Holy Spirit upon (Name) to be
his/her Helper and guide..”
- Confirmation is a Sacrament that
bestows a special seal or mark of the
Holy Spirit of the Confirmand, giving
them special spiritual energy to make
Jesus know in the words and to live the
way Jesus would like them to live.
- Through the Sacrament of Confirmation,
everyone is given more gifts by the Holy
Spirit so that one may be able to witness
to Christ more courageously to others at
all time
We became PUBLIC WITNESS of faith:
● Witness to the Kingdom of God and His
Power
● Witness of Jesus Christ as the unique
Savior of all
● Witness of freedom and slavery brought
by God’s presence, through Christ and
the Spirit.
● Witness of the love of the Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit by loving service
to others.
● Witness to Christ’s real presence in the
Christian community as the New People
of God, The Church
- Let us view the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as
a whole, divinely guiding us in our moral
life.
- Our walk with Christ is not a checklist
but abandoning ourselves completely to
Christ and His Mission.
- It is growing deeper into one’s personal
commitment to Risen Christ.