What is a Sacrament?
The classic definition is that a Sacrament is “an outward sign, instituted by Christ to give grace.”
Grace – sanctifying grace – is nothing other than the life of Jesus Christ Himself. It is His Divine Life, His Risen Life that is given to us, to dwell in us and make us like Him. It is through the Sacraments that Christ has chosen to make Himself accessible to us, and to share His Life with us. This is why the Sacraments are so important to Catholics.
We describe the Sacraments as “outward signs” because they are visible actions, in and through which the unseen grace of Christ is given. The Sacraments use humble material elements (water, bread, wine, oil), which Jesus Christ has willed to be the means through which He would remain with us and work in us in this world.
Jesus instituted each of the seven Sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance [or Reconciliation], Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Holy Matrimony) by His word and example.
By opening the page for any of the Sacraments listed here, you can (1) learn what a Catholic believes about that Sacrament (as it is explained in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church), (2) find how to receive that Sacrament at the Cathedral Parish, and (3) get other useful information about that Sacrament (such as “frequently asked questions”).
The two pages entitled “Becoming Catholic” and “RCIA” describe how to prepare for the Sacraments by which an adult enters the Catholic Church.
“Is God calling you?” includes information discerning a vocation (a call) to Holy Orders or to life in a Religious Order.
Sacraments
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