Sacraments

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the sacraments as "efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. In other words, a sacrament is a sacred and visible sign that is instituted by Jesus to give us grace, an undeserved gift from God.

There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick.

The purpose of the sacraments is to make people holy, to build up the body of Christ, and finally, to give worship to God; but being signs, they also have a teaching function. They not only presuppose faith, but by words and object, they also nourish, strengthen, and express it; that is why they are called "sacraments of faith." The sacraments impart grace, but, in addition, the very act of celebrating them disposes the faithful most effectively to receive this grace in a fruitful manner, to worship God rightly, and to practice charity.

• Baptism

• Reconciliation

• First Holy Communion

• Confirmation

• Marriage

• Holy Orders

• Anointing of the Sick

“The Seven Sacraments.” Retrieved from www.stmichaelscathedral.com/sacraments/