The seven sacraments are visible signs and seals of God’s grace. They are rites that allow people to feel the immaterial and invisible grace of God in a physical sense. While there are numerous ways to feel that divine love in an abstract sense, the Roman Catholic Church acknowledges seven sacraments: Baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist/Holy Communion, penance, holy orders, anointing of the sick, and matrimony.
Baptism was first used by John the Baptist. By pouring, sprinkling, or drenching someone in the water in the name of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—the ordained minister administering the baptism metaphorically washes their sins away. While baptism does not guarantee salvation, it is a visible sign of unity between that person and all Christians. Ideally, the Holy Spirit continues working in the person’s heart to sanctify them further. Thus, while baptism is a sign of membership in the Church, it is hardly the end of the Christian’s journey—it is just the beginning.
Confirmation is when a Christian confirms their faith, hence the name. Denominations that practice infant baptism will usually engage in a confirmation upon reaching adulthood. Through this sacrament, they acknowledge themselves as Christians by making a public profession of faith with their own words.
The Eucharist is also known as Holy Communion. It involves eating bread and wine that signify the blood and body of Christ. Before Jesus was betrayed by Judas, He broke bread and blessed it. Then Jesus poured wine and instructed His disciples to eat and drink in His memory.
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, ‘This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Mark 14:22-25 (NKJV)
The Christian’s “initiation” starts with baptism and ends with the Eucharist.
Penance is one of the two healing sacraments. Sinners earn eternal punishment for their sins. In Christianity, forgiveness is freely offered to everyone. However, they must repent of their sins. As stated in Proverbs, there are two steps to receiving forgiveness: 1 Confession and forsaking of sins. Whenever Jesus healed, He almost always said, “Sin no more.” That is a testament to how important it is. True repentance invokes a desire to please and obey God. The temptations are strong, and humans are sinners. They will stumble. But the Christian makes a proactive effort to stop wallowing in their sin, and through prayer and the grace of the Holy Spirit, they can earn liberation from Satan’s shackles. Roman Catholic penance involves confession, which is a necessary ingredient for forgiveness. That is accompanied by a physical punishment for sin. Catholics make the distinction between temporal and eternal punishments. Temporal punishments exist when someone commits a sin unknowingly. Those punishments are inflicted either on earth or in purgatory. They are only alleviated through indulgences. Protestants reject the doctrine of purgatory and indulgences, but Catholics acknowledge them. When someone commits a sin, knowing it was wrong, they earn an eternal punishment, i.e., hell. According to the Roman Catholic Church, people can inherit eternal life through penance (confession of sins, forsaking of them, and physical punishment).
Anointing the sick is the second healing sacrament. It is a Catholic rite bestowed on the sick to heal them. The sacrament is used to bless people on their deathbed. But it is also used to bless anyone who is sick.
Matrimony is the next sacrament. A man and a woman join each other to become one unit through marriage. It was used in Genesis when Adam met Eve and continued through the Old and New Testament. The nourishing love felt between a husband and his wife symbolizes Jesus’ love for the Church.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her…”
Ephesians 5:25
The final sacrament is holy orders. Those are used in ordaining church officers. It was always administered by other ordained officers, following the layman investiture crisis during the Middle Ages.
In conclusion, the Roman Catholic Church acknowledges seven sacraments: Baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, penance, matrimony, anointing the sick, and the holy orders. These sacraments were listed at the Council of Florence and confirmed by the Council of Trent. The sacraments are visible signs and seals to help Christians comprehend the invisible grace of God.
- Proverbs 28:13 ↩︎
Asher Sisneros 