The Sacraments

 'Original Sin' refers to humanity's original condition, versus God's ultimate design for humanity; in other words, humanity in its original condition is adrift from God's design. Humanity is now given the opportunity to escape this condition—to become part of the 'new creation'—by way of what we call the Redemption. The first visible stage of this escape is through the sacrament of Baptism.  Baptism is the first of the three sacraments of Christian initiation. It is the sacrament whereby we  put original sin behind us, where we pass through the gateway to Life in the fullest sense of the word—the Life that is incomparably beyond our ephemeral biological life; the Life that is the whole reason for our being. The act of Baptism is expressed by applying water to the new Christian, either by complete immersion or, more often, by pouring on the forehead. To 'baptize', from the Greek βαπτίζειν (baptizein), means 'to plunge' or 'to immerse'. This refers to the new Christian's immersion, or burial with Christ, and their subsequent rising with him to new Life, as a new creature. As Jesus instructed, Baptism is given "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Gospel of Matthew 28:19). Jesus instituted the sacrament of Baptism for the whole Church when, at his own insistence, he was baptized by the Jewish prophet we now know as John the Baptist. That was despite John's protestation at the time, that Jesus could not possibly be in actual need of Baptism.

Baptism is valid regardless of the age or maturity of the person receiving it, and its authenticity does not depend on the will of the recipient or the spiritual condition of their family or guardians. Baptism is given freely, through a priest wherever possible, but in an emergency it can be given by any Christian.

Confirmation is the second of the three sacraments of Christian initiation. The Old Testament prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the forthcoming Messiah (the Son of God, the deliverer of God's people—he whom we now know to be Jesus). This prophecy was fulfilled at the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, when the Holy Spirit visibly descended on Jesus. As the prophets also foretold, this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is extended to the whole of the messianic people—the followers or disciples of Jesus, extending to the present day. In our Church today, this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the sacrament of Confirmation. Essentially, it completes the grace of Baptism, but it is given to a baptized Christian who has at least reached the age where they are able to reason. This is because it has to be desired by the person receiving it. Confirmation includes the anointing with oil of catechumens, along with the bishop's (or priest's) laying-on of hands and their words of confirmation which invoke the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Ordinarily, the confirmation of adults is immediately followed by the Eucharist.

The word: Eucharist is from the Greek ευχαριστία (Eucharistia) meaning thanksgiving. Although this sacrament is referred to as the third of the three rites of Christian initiation, Catholics are expected to participate in this sacrament repeatedly and regularly, usually following their Confirmation.

God brought about a new creation, a new relationship between himself and humanity by giving himself in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. As taught by Jesus himself, this giving was actually the sacrifice of his own Body and Blood through his Crucifixion. This sacrifice redeemed humanity from its incomplete and inadequate relationship with God (the state known as 'original sin'). On the night that he was to be turned over to the Roman authorities for crucifixion, at his 'Last Supper' with the initial group of disciples, Jesus instituted the Eucharist with his words: "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying: "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And similarly, the cup [of wine] after supper, saying: "This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood." Jesus' imminent crucifixion was to be a once-and-for-all sacrifice for humanity; nevertheless, Jesus was insistent that his sacrifice be made ever-present and real; that it should not become merely a recorded event in history, or even a symbolic gesture.  That is why we continue to celebrate the Eucharist with utmost solemnity today. Every celebration of the Eucharist includes the repetition of the words and acts of Jesus at his Last Supper. Also, each Christian present at a Eucharistic celebration who is in a sufficient state of grace, receives the Body and Blood of Jesus under the form of bread and wine. The celebration of the Eucharist is the pinnacle of the life of the Church: each participation in the Eucharist, more than mere human symbolism, is the real and substantial participation in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ's body and blood for humankind. Accepting this fact requires humility and love. Today, as at the time of Jesus' earthly life, this sacrament in particular remains an intellectual stumbling block for many.

As the section above (Baptism) explains, Baptism is the sacrament whereby we leave original sin behind us, and where we pass through the gateway to true life. Nevertheless, we as individuals can still make choices, by way of which we can still go astray from God's design: we can still fall into sin in thought, word or deed (this is known as personal sin). Jesus conferred on his apostles the power to forgive these sins, by saying to them: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (Gospel of John 20:22-23). This forgiveness of sins is realized in the sacrament of reconciliation; that is, reconciliation between God and sinner. A Christian participating in the sacrament of reconciliation is referred to as a penitent. The penitent must first examine their conscience and personally reflect on their specific sin or sins. At this point they must be truly regretful of their sins, deeply and sincerely resolved to avoid them in the future. The next stage of the sacrament is the actual confession, whereby the penitent, usually privately and as clearly as they can, confesses* their sin(s) to a priest. The priest may offer advice or reassurance, after which the penitent will recite some words of contrition (this is known as the act of contrition).* This is an outward expression before God and in the presence of the priest, of the penitent's regret, along with their resolve not to sin again. Provided the priest is assured of the penitent's sincerity, they will confer absolution on the penitent—this is the actual forgiveness referred to above in the words of Jesus.

The final stage of the sacrament is penance; it takes the form of one or more practical tasks, carried out by the penitent once they have left the priest's presence (these tasks are actually explained by the priest before the penitent makes the act of contrition). Each task is typically the recitation of a prayer, or an act of charity. These tasks are a personal, outward expression of repentance. True repentance is the turning away from sin, the final act of reconciliation with God, the ultimate healing of the human person.

*This is verbal where possible.

Anointing of the sick is an act whereby the priest calls God's grace upon an individual who is ill. Such grace is conferred by applying holy oil to the forehead. Serious illness can bring acute discomfort, challenges to our self-control and even to our faith; it can bring us to a point where we are even confronting our very mortality. So, anointing commends us into the 'hands' of God, even if we are not necessarily at the point of death. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, some Christians are able to cure the sick; however, anointing of the sick would not necessarily bring about a cure, unless that were necessary for the salvation of the individual. But anointing defends the afflicted in the face of darkness, frailty, depression, fear, temptation, regret and discouragement. Probably the best-known New Testament reference to the anointing of the sick is in the letter of James, 5:14-15, where the tone is more about forgiveness of sins and healing of the soul, than it is about physical cure.

Historically, marriage has existed in various forms, under various ground rules, beginning long before the time when Jesus taught on earth. But Jesus elevated marriage to the dignity of a sacrament—refer to the Gospel of Matthew, 19:1-12. Jesus taught that marriage is an exclusive union between one woman and one man. It is a sacred bond that surpasses any preexisting family bond between the parties and their respective mothers, fathers, brothers or sisters. It is a reflection of the relationship between Jesus and his Church, in that it is an unconditional mutual love. It is a state that exists for the greatest possible good of the married couple themselves, as well as for the children of the marriage. That is the teaching of Jesus; it is therefore the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Also in keeping with the teaching of Jesus is the fact that the Catholic church does not accept divorce as the termination of a validly contracted marriage. If it can be established under canon law that a marriage was invalidly contracted, the Church is able to grant an annulment, which reconfirms the couple's unmarried status. Given the solemnity of the matrimonial bond then, any couple asking for marriage in the Catholic Church are normally required to undergo a programme of preparation extending over a period of at least six months.

'Order' comes from the Roman (Latin) word ordo, which designates an organizational unit - particularly a governing body. The first Christian holy order was the body of apostles sent out by Jesus to teach the way of the Gospel, to forgive sins and heal, to cast out evil. In the early church, the incorporation into this apostolic body took the form of a rite of consecration, called ordination. Today Holy Orders refers to the sacrament whereby men are ordained. that is, incorporated specifically into the order of bishops, presbyters (priests) or deacons of the Church. These 'three degrees' of Holy Order form a more complex structure than the original order of apostles. This became necessary due to the demands of a much-expanded church. Bishops have the heaviest governing responsibility and therefore the highest rank. That is followed by the priests, who assist the bishops by taking responsibility for individual parishes. Then one or more deacons are typically appointed within parishes to assist the parish priests. Bishops and priests carry the responsibility not only for governance and for the pastoral and spiritual care of Christians, but also for ensuring Jesus' redeeming sacrifice of his body and blood remains ever present in the Church through the sacrament of the Eucharist (see the above section on the Eucharist). Deacons provide support to priests by, for example, assisting with the Eucharist, by proclaiming the Gospel, by preaching and by presiding over funerals. Deacons can be married men, but in our branch of the Church (the Latin rite), bishops and priests are normally celibate, dedicated entirely to the service of the Church due to the breadth of their responsibility.