The seven sacraments of the Church

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The seven sacraments of the Church
WEYDEN, Rogier van der Seven Sacraments
Altarpiece 1445-50 Oil on oak panel Koninklijk
Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp

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Compendium of the Catechism

• 224. What are the sacraments and which are they?
• 1113-1131
• The sacraments, instituted by Christ and
  entrusted to the Church, are efficacious signs of
  grace perceptible to the senses . Through them
  divine life is bestowed upon us. There are seven
  sacraments Baptism, Confirmation, Holy
  Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy
  Orders, and Matrimony.

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Introduction

• God instituted the physical signs that we call
  sacraments, in order to express the supernatural
  realities of grace
• we are born to supernatural life through Baptism,
• we are strengthened by Confirmation,
• we are sustained by the food of the Eucharist,
• we recover the supernatural life lost by sin
  through Penance,
• and we make ready for the journey that will end
  up in heaven through the Anointing of the Sick.
• Holy Orders provide ministers for the Church,
• and Matrimony, from which children are born to
  perpetuate human society and, when regenerated by
  baptism, make the Church grow.

DOLCI, Carlo Christ Blessing the
Sacraments Bridgeman Art Library Corsham Court,
Wiltshire
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Main ideas
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1. What are the sacraments?

• The sacraments are physical and efficacious signs
  of grace instituted by Jesus Christ and entrusted
  to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed
  to us.
• A physical sign is something apparent which
  reveals something hidden if I see smoke, I
  discover that there is a fire.
• But we also say efficacious sign, because the
  sacrament not only signifies but also produces
  grace (smoke only points to the existence of fire
  but does not produce fire).

CARPACCIO, Vittore (1450-1525) The Baptism of the
Selenites Tempera on canvas, 1502-1507 (141 x 285
cm) Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, Venice
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2. Why were the sacraments instituted?

• Christ wanted to adapt Himself to our nature,
  bestowing divine gifts on us through the material
  things we use, so that it would be easier for us
  to receive those gifts.
• The humanity of Christ is the instrument united
  to His divinity used to carry out the redemption
  of mankind. In the same way, the sacraments are
  the instruments separated from His divinity
  through which God sanctifies us, adapting Himself
  to our nature and understanding.

POUSSIN, Nicolas The Sacrament of
Ordination 1636-40 Oil on canvas Collection of
the Duke of Rutland, Belvoir Castle
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3. Jesus Christ instituted the seven sacraments

• All the sacraments have been instituted by Jesus
  Christ who is the author of grace and can
  communicate it through physical signs. There are
  seven sacraments Baptism, Confirmation,
  Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy
  Orders and Matrimony. The seven sacraments meet
  all the needs of the spiritual life of
  Christians.

POUSSIN, Nicolas The Seven Sacraments
Marriage 1647-48 Oil on canvas, 117 x 178
cm National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
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4. The sacraments of the Church

• Christ entrusted the sacraments to His Church and
  we can say that they are of the Church in a
  double sense
• the Church makes or administers or celebrates the
  sacraments,
• the sacraments make the Church (for example,
  baptism generates new faithful for the Church).
• Sacraments therefore are dispensed by the Church
  and for the Church.

POUSSIN, Nicolas The Seven Sacraments
Eucharist 1647 Oil on canvas National Gallery of
Scotland, Edinburgh
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5. The sacraments of faith

• The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify men,
  to build up the Body of Christ, that is, the
  Church and, finally, to worship God.
• In so far as they are signs, they also have a
  teaching dimension. They not only presuppose
  faith, but also strengthen it, nourish it and
  express it through words and actions. That is why
  they are called the sacraments of faith.

CARRENO DE MIRANDA, Don Juan The Miracle of the
Holy Sacrament 1423 The Bowes Museum, Barnard
Castle, County Durham UK
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6. Effects of the sacraments

• The sacraments, if received with the required
  dispositions, produce the following effects
• Sanctifying grace The sacraments confer or
  increase sanctifying grace.
• Sacramental grace As Christians, we have the
  right to receive from God at the appropriate time
  the necessary help to fulfil the duties upon
  receiving that sacrament.
• Character. Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders
  also confer character, which is a spiritual and
  indelible seal that brings about a particular
  sharing in the priesthood of Christ.

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7. What does a sacrament consist of?

• A sacrament consists of matter, form and the
  minister who performs it with the intention of
  doing what the Church does.
• Matter is the physical reality or action, such as
  natural water in baptism or the acts of the
  penitent in the sacrament of penance (contrition,
  confession and atonement).
• Form consists of the words uttered in order to
  perform the sacrament.
• Minister is the person who performs or
  administers the sacrament.

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8. Diversity of sacraments

• Sacraments can be divided into three groups
• Sacraments of Christian initiation Baptism,
  Confirmation and Eucharist.
• Sacraments of healing Penance and Anointing of
  the Sick.
• Sacraments for the service of the community Holy
  Orders and Matrimony.

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9. The sacraments are necessary for salvation

• If we are to live a Christian life, the
  sacraments are not only important but also
  necessary.
• The sacraments invariably confer grace if they
  are received with the appropriate dispositions.
  If we dont receive more grace, we should not
  blame the sacrament for it, but our lack of
  proper preparation.
• Christians should endeavour to receive the
  sacraments with the best attitude they can, so as
  to receive grace abundantly.

SASSETTA The Miracle of the Holy
Sacrament 1423 The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle,
County Durham, UK
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Resolutions for Christian life
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Resolutions to move forward

• Thank Our Lord for the institution of the seven
  sacraments and show that we appreciate it by
  preparing very well to receive them.
• Receive often the sacraments of Penance and the
  Eucharist.