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SACRAMENTS
A Sacrament is an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us by the work of the Holy Spirit. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1131, 774
A sacrament is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace. A catechist can teach more about a sacrament than any textbook can offer by focusing first on that “outward sign.” What is so very unique about Catholic ritual life is that we actually are given the opportunity to touch, feel, smell and hear grace moving in our midst. Our Middle Eastern roots bring a tactile dimension to ritual and prayer that the Northern Hemisphere denominations do not replicate.
So, when we want to teach the Sacrament of Baptism, we should splash in water, drink water, look at the light of a candle in a dark room, touch a soft white garment and smell the holy oils. These wordless connections are the initial teachers of what Baptism is.
All the sacraments have their holy touchstones. When we put aside our heads and encounter sacraments through physical signs, we enter the world of mystical prayer, and God leads us on a sacred journey. In fact, that time-honored definition of my childhood never made sense until I touched, smelled, ate, saw, heard the outward sign.
Our seven sacraments are our most significant rituals, those that, through signs and symbols, "make actively present the salvation wrought by Christ, and prefigure and anticipate the glory of heaven" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1152). The Church uses the word efficacious, meaning "producing the intended effect," when it refers to the sacraments "because in them Christ himself is at work" (CCC, #1127).
The Holy Sacraments are living signs of Christ’s presence in the world and acts of Christ through the living Church. They deepen our relationship with God, and give guidance and strength to us on the path to salvation.
How are the Sacraments of the Church divided
The sacraments are divided into:
The sacraments of the Christian initiation:These sacraments bring a person into membership into the Church:
The sacraments of healing:These sacraments renew in us the resolve to make good and restore us back to our friendship with God.
The sacraments at the service of communion and mission: These sacraments are at the service of Communion refering to the Community of the Church. They are sacraments at the Service of Communion. They are primarily directed toward the salvation of others. If they benefit the personal salvation of the ordained or married person, it is through service to others that this happens. (Appendix A. Glossary, Unites States Catholic Catechism for Adults,, 2006.Pg. 527)
The sacraments touch all the important moments of the Christian life.
All the sacraments are ordered to the Holy Eucharist "as to their end"
(Saint Thomas Aquinas)
Compendium No. 250: Catechism of the Catholic Church
Sacramentals:
These are sacred signs instituted by the Church. These are sacred signs that bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects especially of a spiritual nature, that are obtained through the intercession of the Church. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1667)
They sanctify different circumstances of life. Blessings given to people on different occasions, for different tasks or accomplishments, in dedication of a place for prayer, house blessings, work places, blessings of tools, vehicles, pets and animals, etc. remind us of the need to sanctify our lives.
