What are the 7 Sacraments of the Catholic Church?
Due to the thwarting effects of sin in our world, God’s love for us is often hard to see or feel. But because God DOES love us, he instituted a way for his life and love to come to us and reside within us. God created the sacraments as physical signs of his love, using rituals and beautiful liturgies that humans can experience. However, the sacraments of the Catholic Church are not just symbolic, they are transformational in that they provide grace: God’s actual life and love within us.
There are three types of Sacraments, each serving its own purpose for our benefit:
- Sacraments of Initiation – Create and strengthen our relationship with God and his Church – and provide spiritual gifts to advance God’s will and Kingdom.
- Sacraments of Healing – Heal us spiritually and sometimes physically – drawing us closer to God when we drift away from him or rebel against him.
- Sacraments of Service – Provide specific strengths and help to live the vocations of marriage, raising children or as clergy in the Church.
The specific Sacraments of the Catholic Church are as follows:
- Baptism –Sacrament of Initiation
- Reconciliation – Sacrament of Healing
- Eucharist – Sacrament of Initiation
- Confirmation – Sacrament of Initiation
- Matrimony – Sacrament of Service
- Holy Orders – Sacrament of Service
- Anointing of the Sick – Sacrament of Healing
There is much to discuss about each of the 7 Sacraments of the Catholic Church. Each one provides God’s grace in its own way. But all the sacraments were instituted by Jesus during his time on earth, in accordance with the will of the Father and through the power of the Holy Spirit. In addition to prayer, the Sacraments are here to help us find God and know his love, and to experience peace and joy in our imperfect lives.
