The seven sacraments are the most sacred and ancient rites of Catholic worship through which God gives grace. They are visible signs that symbolize the invisible grace that makes people holy and enables Catholics to do good throughout their lifetimes.
Baptism is the first of the seven sacraments through which one enters the Catholic church. Once baptized, a person is washed away of all the guilt for their past sins, especially original sin. It creates the responsibility to the baptized to live a holy life. The “form” of baptism is washing some or all of the body with water while saying the words “I Baptize thee in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” It is normally administered to infants in the Church, but may be administered to any person who is not yet validly baptized.
The Eucharist (Communion), is the
unbloody sacrifice of Christ, marked by partaking in the
Body and Blood of Christ, which replace bread and wine
at consecration during the Mass (this change is called
"transubstantiation"). Of all the sacraments, the Holy
Eucharist is the most important to Catholicism because
of the belief that the bread and wine truly, and in reality,
become the body and blood of Christ.
Penance, also called Confession, involves admitting sins to a priest and receiving penance (a task to complete in order to achieve absolution or forgiveness from God). Through Penance, Christ provides Catholics with a means of healing spiritual wounds which, if untreated, could cause further spiritual harm and even kill a life of grace.
Confirmation is a sacrament received
by the baptized to give strength to be perfect Christians.
It is the completion of the initiation into Catholicism
and marks the growth process of young adults in the Catholic
faith by "confirming" and making that faith strong. The
form is the Bishop putting Chrism Oil on the forehead of
the person being confirmed. The age for the reception of
confirmation varies by country or even diocese.
Different from the legal requirements for marriage, the Sacrament of Matrimony means becoming husband and wife through a sacred covenant with God and each other. It is a calling from God – or vocation – in which the particpants are given special grace to accept the responsibilities of Christian marriage.
Holy Orders is the entering into the priesthood and involves a vow of celibacy. The sacrament of Holy Orders is only open to baptized males and is given in three degrees: that of the deacon, that of the priest, and that of the bishop. Only a bishop can be the minister of this sacrament.
Anointing of the Sick is also known
as extreme unction, or the last rites, and involves the
anointing the sick and dying with oil. Only a priest
or bishop can administer this sacrament. The Sacrament
is to give strength to the soul of a sick person with a
special grace that calms the spirit. It can also absolve
people of sins that have not been confessed through Penance.
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