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The Roman Catholic Church is one of the oldest and longest standing religions in the worlds and is the basis of all Christianity, being the root system from which all Protestant religions have sprung. The Roman Catholic Church is highly structured as befits such an old and august organization. The seven sacraments are one of the most important parts of Catholicism.
The word Sacrament comes from Greek and means “mystery.” This itself is curious to the modern mind, but consider that to the ancient mind, a mystery was something to be appreciated, not solved. Only the modern mind seeks to ferret out the meaning, cause and explanation for mysteries.
According to the New Roman Catholic Catechism, the definition of “sacrament” is “an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give inward grace.” Each sacrament has an outward sign, something that the recipient can see and touch. Though the Church has built rituals around each sacrament to increase reverence and to explain the sacramental effects, the sacrament, itself, was instituted by Christ, since only God has the ability to confer grace.
According to Dominick, a deacon of Immaculate Conception Church, Clarksville, TN, there are seven Catholic sacraments and they fall into three categories. There are the sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. Reconciliation, also called Penance, and the Anointing of the Sick (formerly known as Extreme Unction) are the sacraments of the sick. Finally, Marriage and Holy Orders are the sacraments of order.
The various sacraments are usually given in a particular order. Most commonly, an infant will be baptized within the first few weeks of birth. Baptism can be done at any time, but for adults (age seven and older) there is an education program which must be completed. First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are normally given within a few months of each other around age seven. Confirmation is normally given around age twelve or thirteen (seventh grade). For an adult, Baptism, First Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation may be done very close together. Anointing of the Sick is available at any time. Holy Orders and Marriage are available to adults.
The sacraments are not static, though. The Church’s understanding of the sacraments has grown and even changed over time. For example, the Anointing of the sick is now available to any sick Church member at any time. In the past, this sacrament was only given when the recipient was near death, to prepare them for the afterlife. In recent years, the understanding of this sacrament has changed with the understanding that the sick, as well as the dying are in need of the healing and grace this sacrament offers.
Reconciliation is another sacrament where the understanding of the purpose of the sacrament has changed. Most people over forty know the sacrament as “Penance” which means “punishment.” The Church, as it has grown in understanding, now chooses to emphasize the forgiving and reconciling aspects of the sacrament rather than the punishment aspect. Catholics do not go to confess our sins to be punished for them, but to be forgiven and brought back to the grace of being right with God.
And that is what the Sacraments are all about: being right with God.
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