Sacraments and Mass

The 7 Sacraments:
The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are the means by which Christ dispenses his salvific grace to the members of the Church.
~ The sacrament of Baptism is a sacrament of initiation into the Body of Christ (the Church) and infuses sanctifying grace into the soul of the baptized believer.

~ The sacrament of Confirmation occurs after Baptism and in it the confirmed receives the gift of the Holy Spirit to increase faith and grace. Confirmation is needed for the completion of baptismal grace (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1285).

~ The third sacrament is the central sacrament of the Church; Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist, which is blessed by a Catholic priest in the sacrifice of the Mass, becomes the Body and Blood of Christ. Those who partake of the Eucharist receive the grace needed to live a Christian life.

~ The next sacrament is Holy Matrimony, or marriage, and in it, two baptized Christians are bonded together unto death to live in holy marriage. The recipients of the sacrament receive the grace of God needed to live as loving spouses and parents.

~ The fifth sacrament is Holy Orders, and is the sacrament of grace by which a Christian becomes a Catholic deacon, priest or bishop.

~ The sixth sacrament is Reconciliation and is the sacrament of forgiveness, by which a person receives forgiveness for their sins.

~ The last sacrament is Anointing of the Sick and is given to the elderly and the sick to prepare them for death and the beginning of eternal life with Jesus.


The Sacrifice of the Mass and the Holy Eucharist
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat ; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it tothem, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins." --Matthew 26:26-28

The central sacrament of the Church is the gift of the Eucharist; the Body and Blood of Christ blessed from bread and wine. These gifts were first offered during Christ’s Last Supper and derived their blessing and the source of their grace from Christ’s crucifixion and death. The Eucharist is blessed and shared among the faithful during the Catholic Mass, a time when Catholic believers assemble to pray, glorify God and partake in the Eucharist. The Eucharist when blessed by a priest at the Mass, is both a living sacrifice as well as a communion meal. The blessing of the Eucharist is the high point of the mass, and derives its spiritual grace from the Sacrifice of Christ at Calvary. Thus the offering and blessing of the Eucharist serves as a living sacrifice in expiation of the believer’s sins. The sacrifice of the Mass is not a re-sacrificing of Christ, but rather an eternal spiritual commemoration and participation in the finished work of Christ: his redemptive death.
All Catholics are obliged and privileged to share in the Eucharist unless in the state of mortal sin (grievous sin). A Catholic in the state of mortal sin must receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before they can partake in the Eucharist again.