The Seven Sacraments

The Sacraments of Christ

Three definitions of Sacrament
 St. Paul – sacramentum = mysterion
God’s hidden plan to fulfill all things in
Christ.

Jesus is the original

sacrament because in His humanity,
Jesus is the Sacrament or Visible Sign of
God's saving love for all.(CFC 1524)
Three definitions of Sacrament
 St. Paul – sacramentum = mysterion
God’s hidden plan to fulfill all things in
Christ.
 St. Augustine stressed sign and symbol
(something concrete that points to
something else.)
 St. Thomas Aquinas added that
sacraments are efficacious signs or
symbols of grace. They effect, cause, and
are what they signify.
Sacraments ARE what they symbolize

 To be a sacrament, a sign or symbol must

do the following:
 Lead us to God
 Come from God
 Be an action of God

The best example

of a sacrament is
Jesus Christ himself.
The Primordial Sacrament
 Jesus is the
starting point of all
sacraments.
 Jesus is the perfect
sign of God’s great
love for us.
 The fundamental
nature of a
sacrament is
revealed in Jesus.
Sign, Symbol, Sacrament
 St. Thomas  We are born: Baptism
We grow: Confirmation
Aquinas taught 
 We are fed: Eucharist
that human  We are healed:
development is Penance
marked by seven  We recover: Anointing
stages which of the Sick
We need and form
parallel the seven 
family: Matrimony
sacraments.  We need and respond
to leaders: Holy Orders
Council of Florence
 Proper matter – the prescribed
materials.

 Correct words or form – the

prescribed words and gestures.

 Designated minister – the

prescribed minister.
The Seven Sacraments
 The Sacraments of Initiation –
Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist.

 The Sacraments of Healing –

Reconciliation (Penance), Anointing of
the Sick.

 The Sacraments at the Service

of Communion – Matrimony,
Holy Orders.
Sacraments of Initiation

 Baptism – brings new

life in Christ.

 Confirmation –
strengthens our new
life with the gifts of
the Holy Spirit.

 Eucharist – nourishes
us with the Body and
Blood of Christ.
Baptism Rites
 Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults
(RCIA) - A process for
adults culminating in the
celebration of all three
sacraments of initiation at
the Easter Vigil.

 Rite of Baptism of
Children - People did not
want their children to wait
until adulthood to be re-
born in Christ’s life…infant
baptism became prevalent.
 Four Steps of RCIA
 Evangelization – a person hears the word of
God and responds to it. It is followed by a rite
of acceptance
 Catechumenate – over the course of a year,
catechumens study the faith in special parish
classes, are mentored by a sponsor, do service,
and participate in the Liturgy of the Word at
Mass. On the first Sunday of Lent, candidates
are enrolled in the Book of the Elect by the
bishop.
 Four Steps of RCIA
 Purification and Enlightenment – During Lent,
catechumens scrutinize their lives and do penance.
They receive the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed on
which to center their lives. At the end of this
period they receive the three sacraments of
initiation at the Easter Vigil Mass.
 Mystagogia – The newly baptized neophytes
continue to meet with one another after Easter
until Pentecost, gradually taking their place in the
Church.
 “Cradle Catholics”
 Most Catholics are initiated into the
Church as infants through the Rite of
Baptism of Children.
 The child’s parents and godparents
speak in the name of the child.
 Catechesis takes place after baptism.
 Formation is gradual as the child grows
 The other sacraments of initiation are
received at a later time.
The Essential Rite of Baptism
 Proper matter: Water

 Correct words or form:

Triple pouring of or
immersion in water
with the words, “I
baptize you in the
name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit.”

 Designated minister:
bishop, priest, or
deacon
 Effects of Baptism
 Washes away original sin and any
other sins and the punishment due.
 Makes us children of God and temples
of the Holy Spirit.
 Welcomes us as members of the
Church, the Body of Christ.
 Marks us forever as sharers in the
common priesthood of all believers,
and in Christ’s mission of justice and
peace.
Celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism
Requirements for Reception of the
Sacrament of Confirmation

 Be prepared to
profess the faith.
 Be in the state of
grace.
 Intend to receive
the sacrament.
 Be prepared to
witness to Jesus
Christ.
The Essential Rite of Confirmation
 Proper matter: Chrism
 Correct words or form:
Laying on of hands and
anointing with chrism
on the forehead with
the words: "(Name), be
sealed with the gift of
the Holy Spirit."
 Designated minister:
Bishop
Development of the Eucharist

Christ instituted the Eucharist during a Passover

meal held at the Last Supper as a memorial of his
Death and Resurrection.
At the Council of Trent (1545 – 1563) the doctrine
of transubstantiation was defined and the Roman
Missal was published by Pope Pius V.
 The Essential Rite of Eucharist
 Proper matter: unleavened bread and
wine
 Correct words or form: Changing bread
and wine into the Body and Blood of
Christ by the words: "Take this, all of you,
and eat it: this is my body which will be
given up for you . . . Take this, all of you,
and drink from it: this is the cup of my
blood of the new and everlasting
covenant. It will be shed for you and for
all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in
memory of me.“
 Designated minister: Bishop or priest
 Parts of the Eucharistic Liturgy
 Introductory Rites  Liturgy of the Eucharist
 Sign of the Cross  Preparation of the Altar
 Penitential Rite  Presentation of the Gifts
 Gloria  Eucharistic Prayer
 Opening Prayer  Great Amen
 Liturgy of the Word  Communion Rite
 First Reading  Our Father
 Psalm Response  Lamb of God
 Second Reading  Reception of Holy
Communion
 Gospel
 Prayer after
 Homily Communion
 Creed  Concluding Rite
 General Intercessions
Sacraments of Healing

Anointing of the Sick Penance / Reconciliation

Our new life in Christ can be weakened by

suffering, illness, death, and the effects of sin.
Penance – Reconciliation - Confession
 Penance renews, restores,
and strengthens our
relationship with God and
the community after it
has been damaged by sin.
 Penance shows that
God’s love is without
limits
Healing and Forgiveness
 Essential Elements of Penance
 The acts of the person
who undergoes conversion
 Contrition
 Confession
 Satisfaction
 The intervention of the
Church
 Absolution from the priest

 All Catholics are required to go to

confession at least once per year to
confess serious sins
 God Alone Forgives Sin
 Christian life is marked by
lifelong conversion

 Even though forgiveness is

expressed through the
Church and this
Sacrament, God alone
forgives sin
Anointing of the Sick
 The sacrament
encourages those who
are sick to overcome
the alienation caused
by illness

 Jesus continues to bring

healing through the
prayers of the Church,
and through the
sacraments, especially
the Eucharist and the
Anointing of the Sick
History of Anointing of the Sick

 In the Middle Ages the sacrament was

administered only to the dying and was
called Extreme Unction – “the Last
Anointing.”
 Viaticum – is the final reception of the
Eucharist.
 Since Vatican II, this sacrament is
celebrated for those suffering from
serious illness, for the elderly, for those
facing major surgery -- and for the dying.
 Essential Elements of
Anointing of the Sick

The priest or bishop

• lays his hands on the sick person
 prays for the person in the faith of the Church
 anoints the forehead and hands of the sick
person with oil previously blessed by a bishop
Sacraments at the
Service of Communion

 These
sacraments
Matrimony
are directed
toward the
salvation of
others, not
toward those
receiving the
sacraments. Holy Orders
Holy Orders

 The ministerial priesthood

 Sacramental ordination consecrates
certain baptized men to one of
three degrees of a sacred order:
 Episcopate – bishops
 Presbyterate – priests
 Diaconate – deacons
Essential Rite of Holy Orders
 A call by God to serve
the Church in a very
special way.
 Essential rite includes:
the laying on of hands
by the bishop
accompanied by a
special prayer of
consecration.
 An indelible spiritual
character is conferred
on the ordained man.
Matrimony

 Marriage is a
sacred covenant --
that is an
agreement
between the
husband and wife,
and between the
couple and God.
 Matrimony
 From the time of creation, marriage has
been an institution established by God,
not by man.
 Sacramental marriage was modeled on
the relationship between Christ and the
Church
 The goodness of Marriage includes:
 The procreation of children.
 The chastity of the spouses and their
fidelity to each other.
 The indissoluble union of marriage.
 The Essential Rite of Matrimony
 The essential element of Matrimony is
the mutual consent to marry.
 The words of consent must be freely
given.
 Catholics must marry in the presence
of a priest or a deacon, and in the
presence of two witnesses.
 The spouses themselves are the
ministers of the sacrament.
 Matrimony
 The family is called
“the domestic
Church.” The family is
a living witness and
testimony of eternal,
unbreakable, and
boundless love that
the couple (and their
children) give to one
another and to the
world.
The Seven Sacraments
 The sacraments celebrate Jesus as the Way, the Truth,
and the Life.
 The sacraments are a way for us to live life to the
fullest.
 The sacraments are the way to allow Jesus to touch our
lives.