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THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISMHoly Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua) , 4 and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word." 5 (CCC1213)
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THE SACRAMENT OF COMMUNIONThe Eucharist is the true body of Christ to the Catholic faithful. By the Eucharistic celebration, we unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life. The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church's life, for in it, our Lord Jesus Christ associates His Church and all Her members with His sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ increases our union with the Lord, forgives venial sins, and preserves us from grave sins. Since receiving this sacrament strengthens the bonds of charity between Christ and us it also reinforces the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ.
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THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATIONConfirmation strengthens the grace of Baptism and commits the baptized to become witnesses of Christ by word and deed and to spread and defend the faith. Christ himself declared that he was marked with his Father's seal. Christians are also marked with a seal: "It is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has commissioned us; he has put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." This seal of the Holy Spirit marks our total belonging to Christ, our enrollment in his service for ever, as well as the promise of divine protection in the great eschatological trial. (CCC 1296) Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the baptized continue on the path of initiation and are perfectly bond to the Church.
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THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONYThe matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament (ccc 1601). This covenant is made between a man and woman in front of God and lasts a lifetime. The love between married couples is as our Lord loves His Church. The ultimate goal of a married couple is to get their spouse, and children, to heaven.
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ANOINTING OF THE SICKThe Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. As soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, they should receive this sacrament. We have people request an Anointing of the Sick before a surgery in which the person will be put under full anesthesia or hospital stay.
When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it is God's will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit's gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age. Other effects are union with our Lord Jesus Christ, and preparation for the final journey. |