Catholic and Loving it!

There are seven Sacraments and they can be grouped in to three categories:

The Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation

The Sacraments of Healing: Confession and Healing of the Sick

The Sacraments of Vocation: Holy Orders and Marriage

The Sacraments of initiation conform and direct the soul to God. These Sacraments bring us into and unite us to the family of the Church which is the body of Christ with Christ at the head. There are three Sacraments of initiation, Baptism which is often chosen by parents. This Sacrament removes the Original Sin which we are born with from our first parents fall, this re-establishes our relationship with God. The Sacrament of Holy Communion is next, we receive God into ourselves to nurture us and guide us to Him. We are fed by the everlasting bread of life, which is Christ, this nourishes us and gives us the graces we need to live out our lives fully. Finally the Sacrament of Confirmation, the opportunity for the participant to claim the faith for themselves, uniting themselves more firmly to Christ. Through receiving gifts from the Holy Spirit, they take responsibility for their own growth in the faith and duties as a member of the Church. Though a person may join the Church as an adult the Sacrament of Baptism is still required before that of Confirmation because it is through Baptism that Original Sin is removed, the relation between Baptism and Confirmation can be likened to that of Easter and Pentecost.

There are two Sacraments of healing, the first is Confession. Through Baptism Original Sin has been wiped away but in our fallen human nature we still sin and these sins also need to be forgiven that we may live pure and Holy lives in Christ, through the Sacrament of Confession we are absolved of these sins overcoming the division between man and God which is why it is good to try to go to Confession regularly. The Sacrament of the Sick also heals but is reserved for those who are dying or going into a dangerous operation it may not bring a physical recovery back to health but prepares the participant for a new eternal life with God in heaven.

There are two vocational Sacraments and they are often used by Jesus in his teaching ministry because they reflect the relationship between Christ and His Church. The first is Holy Orders, this vocation conforms the soul to Christ, the priest is the person of Christ during the mass. Christ is able to work through the priest making it possible for sins to be forgiven and Sacraments to be bestowed. He guides the people of his flock as Christ did. The second is Marriage which can also lead to family life. Though this Sacrament does not conform the soul (it is binding only until death) the unity of the two people in Christ is a symbol of Christ's Marriage to the Church. This is why the family is also known as the domestic Church. By witnessing these two vocations we can grow in understanding of the mysteries of Christ and His Church.