Hello, and welcome to the
Tiber River Café. My name is Dean
Humphreys, and today’s two minute topic is the Sacraments of the Catholic
Church.
Basically a Sacrament is “a visible sign, instituted by
Christ, to give grace.” Sacraments
represent our tradition as Christians, our past and future, as well as our
hope. The Catholic Church recognizes
seven Sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders,
Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation.
We believe that there is a sacred reality to each of the Sacraments and
that each Sacrament points us towards Jesus.
Catholics believe that each of the Sacraments was instituted by Jesus himself,
pointing to Biblical events in the life and ministry, as well as the stories
and teachings, of Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord and Savior.
The Sacraments are our celebration of our Catholic faith, a
celebration of our Christian lives, because the Sacraments are those special
moments in our lives when we experience God’s presence in our lives. And to fully understand and appreciate our
Sacraments is to fully participate in the life of the Church.
Each of the Sacraments also points to the Christian life, as
we participate as a faith community, in the celebration of the Sacraments. The Sacraments are signs and a means to
God’s graces, the graces that are needed to live a truly Christian life. The Church teaches that we cannot earn grace,
for God’s grace is a free gift of Himself as the controlling influence in our
lives. Sacraments are the life of the
Church for they help to make us more holy people, they help to build up the
Body of Christ, and they point us towards God.
When the Sacrament is administered in the way Jesus
established, and with the proper intention, then the Sacrament gives freely the
grace it signifies. The Sacraments are
not dependent upon the worthiness of the person, but are rather completely
dependent upon the power of Jesus. The
power of our Lord and Savior lives in the Sacraments.
Well, thanks again for stopping by the Tiber River Café,
where there is always plenty of room at the banquet table. I hope to see you next time. Peace be with you.
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