The old Baltimore Catechism, with which a number of of us grew up, gave this definition: a sacrament is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace.

The words spring to mind effortlessly, for the reason that kids in Catholic schools, for approximately the very first 3-quarters of the twentieth century, committed to memory quite a few questions and answers related to their faith Sadly, (in my judgement) that is no longer so The Catholic Church has seven sacraments Every 1 gives the recipient an chance to encounter Christ at a pivotal stage of life and to obtain unique graces or gifts from God to support him navigate that segment of his earthly journey successfully.Every sacrament has an outward sign, some thing which can be perceived by means of the physical senses, which signifies a spiritual reality The sign helps our limited human intelligence grasp how God is working in the soul via that specific sacrament.Every sacrament has its origin in the life of Christ on earth He either commanded it specifically or via implication.Every sacrament bestows unique aid for the next stage of the Christian life.Here are sacraments recognized by the Catholic Church:1 Baptism frees the recipient from sin, and bestows membership in God’s family The sign is the pouring of water, (cleansing) and the words of the priest or the minister of the sacrament : I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.Jesus mandated Baptism with the words of the Superb Commission: Consequently go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Matt 28:192 Confirmation confers the fullness of the Holy Spirit to strengthen the recipient as he begins to assume the responsibilities of an adult Christian It is commonly received around age 13, when the young individual is about to enter high school The sign is an anointing with oil and the laying on of hands by a bishop Confirmation was prefigured by the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles on Pentecost to strengthen them for ministry Acts 2: 1-4three Holy Eucharist is the sacrament by which bread and wine are changed into Jesus’ body and blood throughout Mass The faithful consume the elements and welcome the Lord, every time, into their hearts and lives Kids obtain Initial Communion about age 7, or whenever they attain the age of reason The signs are bread and wine, and the words of consecration by the priest.At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and wine and changed them into his body and blood He commanded the Apostles to continue the practice Luke 22: 17-20.4 Reconciliation or Penance is the sacrament whereby sins committed after Baptism are forgiven The words of absolution by the priest are the sign.The day after Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to the Apostles and said, Obtain the Holy Spirit If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained John 20: 21-235 The Anointing of the Sick is the sacrament which gives strength to the soul and occasionally to the body, if it is God’s will It could possibly be received by anybody who is ill, or in danger of death from sickness, accident or old age, or prior to surgery The sign is the anointing with oil Jesus healed several sick men and women We also have the exhortation of James, whom tradition identifies as James the Just, the very first bishop of Jerusalem.Are any among you sick They need to call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord The prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise them up; and anybody who has committed sins will be forgiven James 5: 14-156 Marriage unites a man and woman for life The signs are the exchange of vows by the couple and the blessing by the priest in the name of the Christian community.Jesus sanctified marriage by his presence at the wedding at Cana, the assist he gave the bridal couple, and by the performance of his initial miracle there John 2:1-117 Holy Orders is the sacrament by which a man consecrates his life to the service of God and God’s persons The signs are the imposition of hands over the candidate by a bishop and the words of the prayer of consecration St Paul expressed the priest’s calling thus: Believe of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries 1 Cor 4:1These then are the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church Via them, the spiritual life will proceed in a close parallel to the natural life: infancy, childhood, adolescence, selecting a state in life, proper up to end of life concerns The sacraments are invaluable gifts supplied to aid us manoeuvre successfully around the pitfalls on the path of our journey by way of life and to safely reach our heavenly house May well we never cease to make use of them as sometimes as feasible and to express our gratitude to the loving God who supplies them .