What are the 7 sacraments?

-- Emil (epeschke@golden.net), February 14, 2003

Answers

Response to 7 Sacriments

THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH

1210 Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life:1 they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian's life of faith. There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life.

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

Chrismation

What???

-- jake (jake1@pngusa.net), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

To answer Jake, I found this on EWTN.com:

The Sacrament of Confirmation has been known by many different names over the centuries:

A. Mystical Chrism. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 350 A.D.)

B. Sanctification by Chrism. (Pope St. Leo the Great, 440-461)

C. Laying on of the Hand. (Innocent III, 1198-1216)

D. The Anointing of the Forehead with Chrism.(Innocent IV, 1243-1254)

E. The Holy Chrism of Confirmation. (Council of Trent, 1545-1563)

F. Rite of Confirmation. (Vatican Council II, 1962-1965)

G. Rite of Chrismation. (Eastern Rite Churches)

H. Sacrament of Christian Maturity. (Modern Times)

"H" sounds like a pretty silly modernist name.

Enjoy,

Mateo

-- (MattElFeo@netscape.net), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

Huh. How about that?

-- jake (jake1@pngusa.net), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

On the other hand, "H" is the only listed name which, in and of itself, actually provides any clue as to what the sacrament is about. But I'll still stick with "Confirmation" personally.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

I never heard of the word Chrismation...I copied and pasted that post from a Catholic site...think it was Catholic.com,not sure...

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

"H. Sacrament of Christian Maturity. (Modern Times)"

See, they're trying to keep the sacrament out of everyone's reach. Conspiracy!

j/k

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

This is from the Catechism:

Paragraph 1289 - "Very early, the better to signify the gift of the Holy Spirit, an anointing with perfumed oil (chrism) was added to the laying on of hands. This anointing highlights the name "Christian," which means "anointed" and derives from that of Christ himself whom God "anointed with the Holy Spirit."100 This rite of anointing has continued ever since, in both East and West. For this reason the Eastern Churches call this sacrament Chrismation, anointing with chrism, or myron which means "chrism." In the West, the term Confirmation suggests that this sacrament both confirms baptism and strengthens baptismal grace.

Also, read paragraphs 1290-1292.

Enjoy,

Mateo (A mature Christian) :-)

-- (MattElFeo@netscape.net), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

Sacrament of Christian Maturity

Funny enough (not so funny, really), I remember being prepared (if you can call it that) to be confirmed. We were taught that receiving the Sacrament meant that we were adults in the eyes of the Church, and that, after having received it, could make up our own minds about whether or not to go to Mass on Sundays.

I've verified this with a few other people my age, who remember being told the same thing, or something similar.

-- jake (jake1@pngusa.net), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

Thanks for your answers!, they helped a lot!

-- Emil (epeschke@golden.net), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

I prefer the old, Extreme Unction. It seems to give more comfort, and assurance.

-- Ed Richards (loztra@yahoo.com), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

Jake,

That is correct. Once you are a Catholic adult, you must decide for yourself whether you will follow the teachings of the Church which God has given us, or not. "Because my parents sent me" is no longer an acceptable reason for going to church. As an adult, you have decide for yourself whether you are going to follow Christ or reject Him, obey Him or disobey Him. God doesn't have any grandchildren.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

Thanks for the thread, Mateo. I like threads that have some historical value.

The use of oil in the old testament was usually reserved for the high priest and the kings. In the letter of James, oil is mentioned as being used for those sick or in danger of dying.

Not all the sacraments are equal.I would rather divide the sacraments between general and specific. Baptism and confirmation are general. Everyone in the Church should be baptized and confirmed. Marriage and the priesthood are specific. Not everyone marries, not everyone is a priest.

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonzalez@srla.org), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

Elpidio,

You're welcome.

You wrote: "Not all the sacraments are equal.I would rather divide the sacraments between general and specific. Baptism and confirmation are general. Everyone in the Church should be baptized and confirmed. Marriage and the priesthood are specific. Not everyone marries, not everyone is a priest."

I think that the Eucharist is the sacrament that brings all of the other sacraments together. Obviously, baptism is a biggie, but it only happens once...

Regarding the division of the sacraments, the Catechism divides them similar to what you are saying. It divides them into three main categories:

1) Sacraments of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation/Charismation, and Eucharist)

2) The Sacraments of Healing (Confession/Penance/Reconciliation, Annointing of the Sick)

3) The Sacraments at the Service of Communion (Holy Orders, Matrimony)

In Christ,

Mateo

-- (MattElFeo@netscape.net), February 14, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

That is correct.

No. That is incorrect. There is a little more to the Sacrament than that.

-- jake (jake1@pngusa.net), February 15, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

"I think that the Eucharist is the sacrament that brings all of the other sacraments together."

I think there is something to that, in so far as the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is the act which makes salvation possible. Without it, nothing. Baptism is somehow attached to that act, but exactly how is beyond me. From His side flowed blood and water, and that seems deep but I don't understand it. It just seems deep.

Baptism happens only once, but without that "once", one cannot partake in the rest of anything. That one-time sacrament is profound. The Eucharist seems to be for sustainance's sake. I'm not sure if this is theologically accurate, but it seems like baptism addresses the orginal sin problem while the Eucharist addresses the actual sin problem.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), February 15, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

Of course there is more to a SACRAMENT that that! I wasn't even speaking about a sacrament. I was just speaking in general terms about an adult having to make a personal commitment to Christ and to His Church, no longer riding along on their parents' commitment.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), February 15, 2003.

Response to 7 Sacriments

I wasn't even speaking about a sacrament...

...but the people who were supposed to be preparing me for it were speaking about it (being a "spiritual adult") as if it were the REASON for and the SOLE BENEFIT of receiving the sacrament. That was my point.

-- jake (jake1@pngusa.net), February 15, 2003.