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The Sacraments

The seven channels of grace instituted by Christ for the sanctification of souls.

The dome of the Baptistery of Neon (c. 458), Ravenna — whose central medallion is The Baptism of Christ

What a sacrament is

A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace. The seven were entrusted to His Church and are the ordinary means by which God communicates grace to the souls of the faithful.

How each one is set out below

Each sacrament is laid out as the schoolmen taught it: its matter (the thing used), its form (the words spoken) and its ordinary minister, followed by its principal effects and the Scripture it rests on. The small swatch beside each name is the colour of the stole its minister ordinarily wears. All quotations are Douay-Rheims.

Sacraments of Initiation

Baptism, Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist lay the foundations of the whole Christian life.

Three of the seven
The Sacrament of Baptism — a priest baptizes an infant with water in the name of the Holy Trinity
The priest pours water from a shell over the infant’s head at the font, the mother holding the child and the father beside her.

Initiation · The first of seven

Baptism

Baptismus

Baptism is the first sacrament of the New Law, instituted by Christ to regenerate us in water and the Holy Ghost, cleansing us from original sin and all actual sins committed before its reception, and making us children of God and members of His Church.

Stole · White Imprints a character · received once

Principal Effects

Baptism remits original sin and all actual sins, together with all punishment due to them. It infuses sanctifying grace, the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost. It imprints an indelible spiritual character on the soul, making the baptized a member of the Body of Christ and an heir to the kingdom of Heaven.

Matter
Natural water poured upon the head of the person to be baptized.
Form
"I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
Ordinary Minister
A bishop, priest, or deacon. In case of necessity, any person having the use of reason may baptize.

Scripture

"Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

S. John 3:5

"Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

S. Matthew 28:19

"Do penance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

Acts 2:38
The Sacrament of Confirmation — a bishop anoints the forehead of the confirmed with sacred chrism
The bishop, vested in red, lays his hand on the kneeling candidate and holds the vessel of chrism; a server bears the crozier behind.

Initiation · The second of seven

Confirmation

Confirmatio

Confirmation is the sacrament by which those who have been baptized receive the Holy Ghost, that they may be strengthened in faith and enabled to profess it boldly before the world. It completes baptismal grace and binds the Christian more perfectly to the Church.

Stole · Red Imprints a character · received once

Principal Effects

Confirmation increases sanctifying grace, confers a special strength of the Holy Ghost to spread and defend the Faith, and imprints an indelible character on the soul. It bestows the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost in their fullness: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

Matter
The imposition of hands together with the anointing of the forehead with sacred chrism (olive oil mixed with balsam, consecrated by a bishop).
Form
In the Ordinary Form: "N., be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit." In the Traditional Latin Rite: "I sign thee with the sign of the Cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
Ordinary Minister
A bishop. A priest may confirm with special delegation from the Holy See or by law.

Scripture

"Now when the apostles, who were in Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. Who, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. … Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost."

Acts 8:14–17

"But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you."

S. John 14:26

"But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me … even to the uttermost part of the earth."

Acts 1:8
The Holy Eucharist — the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ present under the appearances of bread and wine
The elevation at the consecration: the priest raises the Host above the altar, the chalice and paten before him.

Initiation · The third of seven

The Holy Eucharist

Sanctissima Eucharistia

The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament which contains the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine. It is at once a sacrament, a sacrifice, and the abiding presence of God among His people — the source and summit of the Christian life.

Vestments · Colour of the Mass

Principal Effects

The Holy Eucharist increases sanctifying grace, nourishes the soul with the Body and Blood of Christ, unites the communicant more closely to Our Lord and to His Mystical Body, diminishes concupiscence, preserves from mortal sin, and is a pledge of future glory and bodily resurrection. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the one sacrifice of Calvary is made present in an unbloody manner for the adoration of God, thanksgiving, the remission of sins, and the obtaining of all graces.

Matter
Wheaten bread and grape wine (to which a small quantity of water is added).
Form
The words of consecration spoken by the priest: "This is my Body" and "This is the chalice of my Blood." These are the essential words only; the priest says them within the full narrative of institution. In the Ordinary Form: "Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body, which will be given up for you" and "Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me." In the Traditional Latin Rite: Hoc est enim Corpus meum and Hic est enim Calix Sanguinis mei, novi et aeterni testamenti: mysterium fidei: qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum.
Ordinary Minister
A validly ordained priest or bishop.

Scripture

"And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body. And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins."

S. Matthew 26:26–28

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world. … Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you."

S. John 6:51–54

"For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come."

1 Corinthians 11:26

Sacraments of Healing

Penance and the Anointing of the Sick restore what sin and sickness have wounded in the baptized soul.

Two of the seven
The Sacrament of Penance — a penitent confesses sins to a priest in the confessional
The priest, in a violet stole, raises his hand in absolution as the penitent kneels at the grille of the confessional.

Healing · The fourth of seven

Penance

Paenitentia · Confession

Penance is the sacrament by which sins committed after Baptism are forgiven through the absolution of the priest, to whom the penitent confesses his sins with true sorrow and a firm purpose of amendment. It is the ordinary means by which mortal sins are remitted and the soul restored to the state of grace.

Stole · Violet May be received as often as needed

Principal Effects

Penance restores or increases sanctifying grace, remits sins and the eternal punishment due to mortal sin, remits at least part of the temporal punishment due to sin, restores the merits of previous good works (if lost by mortal sin), and gives the soul strength to avoid sin in the future. It reconciles the sinner with God and with the Church.

Matter
The acts of the penitent: contrition (sorrow for sin), confession (the telling of one's sins to the priest), and satisfaction (the performance of the penance imposed).
Form
The words of absolution spoken by the priest. In the Ordinary Form: "God, the Father of mercies, through the Death and Resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and poured out the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God grant you pardon and peace. And I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." In the Traditional Latin Rite: "I absolve thee from thy sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The essential words in both are "I absolve you (thee) from your (thy) sins"; the prayer before them is not required for validity.
Ordinary Minister
A priest or bishop having faculties (jurisdiction) to hear confessions.

Scripture

"Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."

S. John 20:22–23

"Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven."

S. Matthew 18:18

"Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved."

S. James 5:16
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick — a priest anoints a gravely ill person with the oil of the sick
At the hospital bedside the priest anoints the forehead with the oil of the sick from a small oil stock, the family gathered in prayer.

Healing · The fifth of seven

Anointing of the Sick

Unctio Infirmorum · formerly Extreme Unction

The Anointing of the Sick (formerly called Extreme Unction) is the sacrament instituted by Christ for the spiritual and bodily comfort of the faithful who are gravely ill. It may be received whenever a person is in danger of death from sickness, old age, or infirmity.

Stole · Violet May be repeated in each grave illness

Principal Effects

The Anointing of the Sick strengthens the soul with grace and confidence in God's mercy, remits venial sins and, when the sick person is unable to receive Confession, mortal sins also (provided there is at least imperfect contrition), removes the remnants of sin, and may restore bodily health if it be conducive to the salvation of the soul. It unites the sufferings of the sick person to the Passion of Christ for the good of the whole Church and prepares the soul for entrance into eternal life.

Matter
Oil of the sick (olive oil blessed by a bishop), applied in the Ordinary Form by anointing the forehead and hands of the sick person. The Traditional Latin Rite anoints the five senses — eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, and hands — with the feet also anointed where customary.
Form
In the Ordinary Form, said once across the two anointings: "Through this holy anointing, may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up." In the Traditional Latin Rite, said at each of the senses in turn: "Through this holy unction and His most tender mercy, may the Lord pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed by sight" — and so on for hearing, smell, taste and speech, touch, and (where the feet are anointed) walking. Per istam sanctam Unctionem et suam piissimam misericordiam, indulgeat tibi Dominus quidquid per visum deliquisti.
Ordinary Minister
A priest or bishop.

Scripture

"Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him."

S. James 5:14–15

"And going out they preached that men should do penance: And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them."

S. Mark 6:12–13

Sacraments of Vocation

Matrimony and Holy Orders are directed to the salvation of others, and confer a particular mission in the Church.

Two of the seven
The Sacrament of Matrimony — a man and woman exchange vows before a priest at the altar
Bride and groom join right hands before the altar as the priest receives their consent; the witnesses stand behind.

Vocation · The sixth of seven

Matrimony

Matrimonium

Matrimony is the sacrament by which a baptized man and a baptized woman are joined in a lawful and indissoluble bond of marriage, receiving the grace to love one another faithfully, to bring up their children in the fear and love of God, and to sanctify one another until death. It signifies the union of Christ and His Church.

Stole · White A bond perpetual and exclusive

Principal Effects

Matrimony confers sanctifying grace and a special sacramental grace that perfects the natural love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life. It establishes between them a bond which by its very nature is perpetual and exclusive. It gives the spouses the grace to bear with one another's weaknesses, to forgive, to raise their children in the Catholic Faith, and to witness to Christ's love for the Church.

Matter
The mutual consent of the spouses, expressed in words (or equivalent signs) in the present tense.
Form
The exchange of consent — the words by which the spouses manifest their will to give themselves to each other: "I take thee … for my lawful wife/husband."
Ordinary Minister
The spouses themselves are the ministers of the sacrament; the priest (or deacon) receives their consent in the name of the Church and gives the nuptial blessing.

Scripture

"What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."

S. Matthew 19:6

"This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the church."

Ephesians 5:32

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it."

Ephesians 5:25

"And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone: let us make him a help like unto himself."

Genesis 2:18
The Sacrament of Holy Orders — a bishop lays hands upon the head of a man being ordained
The bishop lays hands on the first of three kneeling ordinands, each in alb and deacon’s stole.

Vocation · The seventh of seven

Holy Orders

Sacramentum Ordinis

Holy Orders is the sacrament by which bishops, priests, and deacons are ordained, receiving the power and grace to perform their sacred duties. Through this sacrament, the mission entrusted by Christ to His Apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time. It comprises three degrees: the episcopate, the presbyterate, and the diaconate.

Stole · White Imprints a character · received once

Principal Effects

Holy Orders confers sanctifying grace, an indelible spiritual character, and the specific powers proper to each degree: for bishops, the fullness of the priesthood with the power to ordain and to confirm; for priests, the power to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to forgive sins, and to administer the sacraments; for deacons, the power to baptize, preach, and assist at the altar. It configures the ordained man to Christ the Priest and gives him the grace to faithfully carry out his ministry.

Matter
The imposition of hands by the ordaining bishop upon the head of the one to be ordained.
Form
The consecratory prayer proper to each degree of ordination, by which the Holy Ghost and His gifts are invoked upon the candidate.
Ordinary Minister
A bishop.

Scripture

"Do this for a commemoration of me."

S. Luke 22:19

"For every high priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins."

Hebrews 5:1

"I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands."

2 Timothy 1:6

"For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee."

Titus 1:5

The seven sacraments were instituted by Our Lord Jesus Christ and entrusted to His Church. They are the ordinary means by which God communicates grace to the souls of the faithful. All Scripture quotations are from the Douay-Rheims translation.

Sources

  • Council of Trent, Session VII (3 March 1547), Decree on the Sacraments: canons on the sacraments in general 1–13, on Baptism 1–14, on Confirmation 1–3.
  • Council of Trent, Session XIII (11 October 1551), Decree on the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, chapters 1–8 and canons 1–11.
  • Council of Trent, Session XIV (25 November 1551), Doctrine on the Sacrament of Penance, chapters 1–9 and canons 1–15, and Doctrine on the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, chapters 1–3 and canons 1–4.
  • Council of Trent, Session XXIII (15 July 1563), Doctrine on the Sacrament of Order, chapters 1–4 and canons 1–8.
  • Council of Trent, Session XXIV (11 November 1563), Doctrine on the Sacrament of Matrimony and canons 1–12.
  • Douay-Rheims Bible.

Related Reading

Collected for the faithful of The Layman's Lantern.
Drawn from Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the teaching authority of the Church.