Sacraments

The Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments as channels of divine grace instituted by Christ. These sacraments are essential for the spiritual life and growth of the believer. They are divided into three categories: Sacraments of Initiation, Sacraments of Healing, and Sacraments of Service.

1. Sacraments of Initiation

• Baptism: The first sacrament of Christian initiation, which cleanses original sin and welcomes the individual into the Church. It involves the use of water and the Trinitarian formula ("I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"). 
  • Matthew 28:19: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
  • John 3:5: "Jesus answered, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.'"
  • Acts 2:38: "Peter [said] to them, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"
  • Romans 6:3-4: "Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life."
  • Acts 22:16: "And now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name."
  • 1 Peter 3:20-21: "In the days of Noah, ... eight persons were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
  • Galatians 3:27: "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."
  • Titus 3:5: "He saved us, not because of any righteous deeds we had done, but because of his mercy, through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
  • 1 Corinthians 12:13: "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit."
  • Mark 16:16: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned."
  • CCC 1265: "Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte (newly baptized) 'a new creature,' an adopted son of God, who has become a 'partaker of the divine nature,' member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit."
  • The Church Fathers were unanimous in their understanding that Baptism was not merely an outward sign of an inward conversion but, rather, literally confers the grace it signifies. Per the Nicene Creed, it is "for the forgiveness of sins" and is received once in the believer's life.

• Confirmation: Strengthens the grace of Baptism, conferring the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The sacrament is typically performed by a bishop, who anoints the confirmand with chrism oil and lays hands upon them, signifying the sealing of the Holy Spirit.
  • Acts 2:1-4: "When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim."
  • Acts 8:14-17: "Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit."
  • Acts 19:5-6: "When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied."
  • John 14:16-17: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you."
  • Ephesians 1:13: "In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit."
  • 2 Timothy 1:6-7: "For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control."
  • 1 John 2:20, 27: "But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge... As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, so that you do not need anyone to teach you."
  • CCC 1316: "Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds."

• Eucharist: Also known as Holy Communion, the Eucharist is the reception of Christ's Body and Blood under the appearances of bread and wine. It is considered the source and summit of Christian life, providing spiritual nourishment.
  • Matthew 26:26-28: "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, 'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.'" [similar accounts in Mark 14:22-24 and Luke 22:19-20]
  • John 6:53-56: "Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.'"
  • Luke 24:30-31, 35: "And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight... Then the two recounted... how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread."
  • 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: "For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, 'This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes."
  • 1 Corinthians 10:16-17: "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf."
  • Exodus 12:1-28: The Passover meal, where the Israelites ate the lamb and marked their homes with its blood, prefigures Christ, the "Lamb of God," whose body and blood are consumed in the Eucharist.
  • Exodus 16:4-15: The manna in the wilderness, provided by God to sustain the Israelites, is seen as a foreshadowing of the Eucharist, the "bread from heaven" that gives spiritual nourishment.
  • Genesis 14:18: Melchizedek, a priest-king, offers bread and wine, prefiguring the Eucharistic elements used by Christ.
  • Matthew 28:20: "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
  • CCC 1374: "The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as 'the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend.' In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist 'the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.'"
  • CCC 1376: "The Council of Trent summarizes the Catholic faith by declaring: 'Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God... that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation.'"
  • CCC 1391: "Holy Communion augments our union with Christ. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Lord said: 'He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.'"

2. Sacraments of Healing

• Reconciliation (Confession or Penance): Offers forgiveness for sins committed after Baptism through the ministry of a priest. The penitent expresses sorrow, confesses sins, and receives absolution.
  • James 5:16: "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful."
  • John 20:21-23: "Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.'"
  • Matthew 16:19: "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
  • Matthew 18:18: "Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
  • Mark 1:15: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."
  • CCC 1422: "Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion."
  • CCC 1441: "Only God forgives sins. Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, 'The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins' and exercises this divine power: 'Your sins are forgiven.' Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name." 
  • CCC 1468: "The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God's grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship. Reconciliation with God is thus the purpose and effect of this sacrament. For those who receive the sacrament of Penance with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation.
  • CCC 1465: "When he celebrates the sacrament of Penance, the priest is fulfilling the ministry of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, of the Good Samaritan who binds up wounds, of the Father who awaits the prodigal son and welcomes him on his return, and of the just and impartial judge whose judgment is both just and merciful."

• Anointing of the Sick: Provides comfort and healing to those suffering from serious illness or the frailty of old age. The sacrament involves anointing with oil and prayers for physical and spiritual healing.
• James 5:14-15: "Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven."
• Mark 6:12-13: "So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them."
• CCC 1509: "The Church believes and confesses that among the seven sacraments there is one especially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness, the Anointing of the Sick. This sacred anointing of the sick was instituted by Christ our Lord as a true and proper sacrament of the New Testament. It is alluded to indeed by Mark, but is recommended to the faithful and promulgated by James the apostle and brother of the Lord." 
• CCC 1520: "The first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace, and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age. This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who renews trust and faith in God and strengthens against the temptations of the evil one, the temptation to discouragement and anguish in the face of death."
• CCC 1522: "Anointing of the Sick completes our conformity to the death and Resurrection of Christ, just as Baptism began it. It completes the holy anointings that mark the whole Christian life: that of Baptism which sealed the new life in us, and that of Confirmation which strengthened us for the combat of this life. This last anointing fortifies the end of our earthly life like a solid rampart for the final struggles before entering the Father's house."
• CCC 1514: "The Anointing of the Sick is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived."
• CCC 1516: "Only priests (bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick. It is the duty of pastors to instruct the faithful on the benefits of this sacrament."

3. Sacraments of Service

• Holy Orders: Confers the authority to perform sacred duties and administer the sacraments. It includes three degrees: deacon, priest, and bishop. This sacrament is reserved for men and represents a lifelong commitment to service in the Church.
  • Mark 3:13-14: "He went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve [whom he also named apostles] that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach."
  • Matthew 16:18-19: "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church... I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
  • Acts 6:3-6: "Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task... They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them."
  • Luke 22:19: "Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.'"
  • Acts 14:23: "They appointed presbyters for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith."
  • 1 Timothy 4:14: "Do not neglect the gift you have, which was conferred on you through the prophetic word with the imposition of hands by the presbyterate."
  • 2 Timothy 1:6: "For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands."
  • CCC 1536: "Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate."
  • CCC 1548: "In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth. This is what the Church means by saying that the priest, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona Christi Capitis ('in the person of Christ the Head')."

• Matrimony (Marriage): The sacrament in which a man and a woman enter a covenantal union. It signifies Christ's love for the Church and is oriented towards the mutual good of the spouses and the procreation and upbringing of children.
  • Genesis 2:24: "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh."
  • Genesis 1:27-28: "God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.'"
  • Matthew 19:4-6: "He said in reply, 'Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator "made them male and female" and said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh"? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.'"
  • Mark 10:9: "Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate."
  • Ephesians 5:25-32: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her... 'For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church."
  • Malachi 2:14-16: "'The Lord is witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.'"
  • 1 Corinthians 7:3-4: "The husband should fulfill his duty toward his wife, and likewise the wife toward her husband. A wife does not have authority over her own body, but rather her husband; and similarly a husband does not have authority over his own body, but rather his wife."
  • Revelation 19:7-9: "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready... Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!"
  • Hebrews 13:4: "Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers."
  • CCC 1601: "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament."
  • CCC 1604: "God who created man out of love also calls him to love—the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love. Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man."
  • CCC 1641: "By reason of their state in life and of their order, [Christian spouses] have their own special gifts in the People of God. This grace proper to the sacrament of Matrimony is intended to perfect the couple's love and to strengthen their indissoluble unity."

The sacraments serve as ongoing means of grace that deepen a Catholic's relationship with God and His Church.