Liturgy and Sacraments

The original meaning of the word sacrament is quite broad, as it refers to any manifestation or revelation of the sacred (sacer). The Greek word "mysterion" which predates the Latin "sacramentum," also refers to the mystery, the hiddeness of that which is revealed in the sacrament.

The seven sacraments as they are known in the Roman Catholic Church since the twelfth century (Baptism; Eucharist; Reconciliation; Confirmation; Anointing of the Sick; Marriage; Holy Orders) are the seven principal liturgical rites of the church through which participants experience the love and power of God (Grace) that flows from Christ's Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

Baptism

In essence, the Sacrament of Baptism is the sacrament by which one becomes a Christian. The origin of the word is from the Greek "baptein," to dip, or immerse." According to Saint Paul, baptism comprises three element: Baptism establishes a vital union with Christ in the saving events of his life, his death and his resurrection; baptism involves the reception of the Holy Spirit; baptism establishes the body of Christ, the assembly of the Christians

Preparation for the reception of this sacrament
To be obtained from Faith Formation Office

Celebration of this sacrament
The New Testament does not provide a precise ritual for the celebration of Baptism. The only constant element is water (e.g. Acts 8:36-38)

The Christians gradually developed their baptismal rituals. At the end of the first century, baptism was performed in "living water,' i.e. streams or rivers. The preferred manner of baptizing was through immersion, although pouring was also accepted. By the late third and early fourth century, the ritual for baptizing was very much established. The great baptisteries of Northern Africa and Southern Europe are a testimony to the importance both of the rite and the Sacrament in the life of the Church. The ritual involved immersion in lots of water and anointing with oil.

The sixth and seventh century announced the decline in the ritual as it gradually became privatized and minimized. The baptism of children became the norm and the amount of water that was reduced to a minimum.

The second Vatican Council returned to the great Baptismal period of the church (3rd-4rth century) and reintroduced the traditional ritual for baptism with immersion. In addition, baptism of adults, again became the norm, after which infant baptism was modeled.

Eucharist

The Eucharist, from the Greek verb "to give thanks," is the sacramental celebration of the Paschal Mystery, i.e. of the life, death and resurrection of Christ. This celebration happens in a context of praise and thanks for all that God has done and continues to do. The traditional term, Mass, is taken from the Latin form of the dismissal rite: ite missa est.

Preparation for the reception of this sacrament
To be obtained from Faith Formation Office

Reconciliation

The Sacrament of reconciliation provides the sinner with a ritual of reconcilation with god and with the chuch.

Preparation for the reception of this sacrament
To be obtained from Faith Formation Office

Celebration of this sacrament
The sacrament is celebrated every Saturday between 9:00am and 10:00am in the reconciliation Chapel or by appointment. Twice a year, during Advent and Lent a communial reconciliation service is celebrated, followed by private confessions.

Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation is the second moment in Christian Initiation, the third being the participation in the Eucharist. Confirmation can either be celebrated in connection with baptism or at another point in life.

Preparation for the reception of this sacrament
To be obtained from Faith Formation Office

Celebration of this sacrament
Although the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian Initiation is clearly testified to in the Scriptures, there is no record of a particular rite of Confirmation. Similarly, the early Christians left no evidence about their specific understanding of a rite of Confirmation, although there is some testimony of an anointing by the bishop with the same oil, used for priestly ordination, as part of the initiation rites.

By the fifth century the connection was made between this anointing and the coming of the Holy Spirit. At that time, however, the anointing happened in conjunction with the water bath and the celebration of the Eucharist, the three rites of initiation.

As Christianity spread and there was a lack of bishops, these originally united rites of initiation were celebrated differently in different parts of the church. In general, the church in the West thought the connection between the bishop and the anointing more important than the sequence and connection between the sacraments of initiation. Thus separate rites of baptism with water, Confirmation and First Communion developed.

Anointing of the Sick

This sacrament is intended to strengthen those who are sick and dying.

Preparation for the reception of this sacrament
To be obtained from Faith Formation Office

Marriage

Marriage has been considered among the seven sacraments since the thirteenth century. The Code of Canon law describes this sacrament as a "covenant by which a man and a women establish between themselves a partnership of their whole life and which of its own very nature is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children." (Canon 1055)

Preparation for the reception of this sacrament
To be obtained from Wedding Office

Celebration of this sacrament
As an assembly of believers we focus our lives on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By seeking the Sacrament of Marriage you indicate that you intend Jesus' message to be the guiding factor of your life together. We, the community, in turn commit ourselves to support you in this pursuit.

The celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage, which is rooted in the Sunday Assembly, is not a private family function, nor is it merely a social affair or a personal expression of your love for one another. Rather, it is an action of the entire church in whose presence you commit yourselves to one another. Because the Sacrament of Marriage is worship it is, above all, congregational. And because it is congregational, every effort should be made to enable the assembly to participate in a full and active manner. The liturgy is neither a show nor a performance and it is not enhanced by the presence of passive observers. Everyone present should be able to hear, see, speak, sing and pray, along with everyone else.