The Sacraments of Initiation:
Introduction:
The sacraments of initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion—are the three primary sacraments, on which the rest of our life as a Christian depends.
The Sacrament of Baptism:
The Sacrament of Baptism, the first of the sacraments of initiation, is our entrance into the Church. Through Baptism, we are cleansed of Original Sin and receive sanctif
The sacraments of initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion—are the three primary sacraments, on which the rest of our life as a Christian depends.
The Sacrament of Baptism:
The Sacrament of Baptism, the first of the sacraments of initiation, is our entrance into the Church. Through Baptism, we are cleansed of Original Sin and receive sanctif
ying grace, the
life of God within our souls. That grace prepares us for the reception
of the other sacraments and helps us to live our lives as Christians—in
other words, to rise about the cardinal virtues, which can be practiced
by anyone, to the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, which
can only be practiced through the grace of God.
The Sacrament of Confirmation:
Traditionally, the Sacrament of Confirmation is the second of the sacraments of initiation, and the Eastern Church continues to confirm (or chrismate) infants immediately after Baptism. Even in the West, where Confirmation is routinely delayed until a person's teen years, several years after his First Communion, the Church has stressed the original order of the sacraments (most recently in Pope Benedict XVI's apostolic exhortation Sacramentum caritatis).
Confirmation is the perfection of Baptism, and it gives us the grace to live our life as a Christian boldly and without shame.
The Sacrament of Holy Communion:
The final sacrament of initiation is the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and it is the only one of the three that we can (and should) receive repeatedly—even daily, if possible. In Holy Communion, we consume the Body and Blood of Christ, which unites us more closely to Him and helps us to grow in grace by living a more Christian life.
In the East, Holy Communion is administered to infants, immediately after Baptism and Confirmation. In the West, Holy Communion is delayed until the child reaches the age of reason (around seven years old).
Baptism is the principal place for the first and fundamental conversion. It is by faith in the Gospel and by Baptism that one renounces evil and gains salvation, that is, the forgiveness of all sins and the gift of new life (CCC 1427). Christ’s call to conversion continues to resound in the lives of Christians. It is the movement of a ‘contrite heart’, drawn and moved by grace to respond to the merciful love of God who loved us first (CCC 1428).
By the sacrament of Confirmation, (the baptised) are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed (CCC 1285).
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch (CCC 1324)
The Sacrament of Confirmation:
Traditionally, the Sacrament of Confirmation is the second of the sacraments of initiation, and the Eastern Church continues to confirm (or chrismate) infants immediately after Baptism. Even in the West, where Confirmation is routinely delayed until a person's teen years, several years after his First Communion, the Church has stressed the original order of the sacraments (most recently in Pope Benedict XVI's apostolic exhortation Sacramentum caritatis).
Confirmation is the perfection of Baptism, and it gives us the grace to live our life as a Christian boldly and without shame.
The Sacrament of Holy Communion:
The final sacrament of initiation is the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and it is the only one of the three that we can (and should) receive repeatedly—even daily, if possible. In Holy Communion, we consume the Body and Blood of Christ, which unites us more closely to Him and helps us to grow in grace by living a more Christian life.
In the East, Holy Communion is administered to infants, immediately after Baptism and Confirmation. In the West, Holy Communion is delayed until the child reaches the age of reason (around seven years old).
Baptism is the principal place for the first and fundamental conversion. It is by faith in the Gospel and by Baptism that one renounces evil and gains salvation, that is, the forgiveness of all sins and the gift of new life (CCC 1427). Christ’s call to conversion continues to resound in the lives of Christians. It is the movement of a ‘contrite heart’, drawn and moved by grace to respond to the merciful love of God who loved us first (CCC 1428).
By the sacrament of Confirmation, (the baptised) are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed (CCC 1285).
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch (CCC 1324)
Thanks to: Fr. Michaelraj Selvam, via Face book.
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