Lucerna Memoriae
The seven channels of grace instituted by Christ for the sanctification of souls.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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: "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." (Traditional Latin Rite)
Ordinary Minister: A bishop. A priest may confirm with special delegation from the Holy See or by law.
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.
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 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.
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."
Ordinary Minister: A validly ordained priest or bishop.
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.
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
From the Saints
"It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without the Holy Mass." — St. Padre Pio
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.
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: "I absolve thee from thy sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
Ordinary Minister: A priest or bishop having faculties (jurisdiction) to hear confessions.
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.
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 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.
Matter: Oil of the sick (olive oil blessed by a bishop), applied by anointing the forehead and hands of the sick person.
Form: "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."
Ordinary Minister: A priest or bishop.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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, Decree on the Sacraments.
Council of Trent, Decree on the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.
Council of Trent, Doctrine on the Sacrament of Penance and Doctrine on the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
Council of Trent, Doctrine on the Sacrament of Order.
Council of Trent, Doctrine on the Sacrament of Matrimony.
Douay-Rheims Bible.
Related Reading
Sacramentals — holy water, blessed salt, the rosary, scapulars, medals, relics, and other sacred signs instituted by the Church.
The Didache and the First Christians — how the earliest Church administered Baptism and the Eucharist.
The Lost Rhythm of Fast and Feast — the Eucharistic fast and the sacramental logic of bodily discipline.
Examination of Conscience — preparation for the Sacrament of Penance.
The Last Things — the soul's journey after death, for which the sacraments prepare us.
Collected for the faithful of The Layman's Lantern.
Drawn from Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the teaching authority of the Church.
