Category: Sacraments

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Sacraments

RCIA: The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

The fact that the Catholic Church has been in existence for almost two thousand years tells us that she possesses tried and true wisdom about how people live as disciples. RCIA, or The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is the process by which adults learn about Catholicism and how to live out that discipleship.

The Four Dynamics of Christian Formation:

Serving Christ is always a challenge and Pope Saint John Paul II called it the “noble adventure.” Since the Apostles, the Church provides four different dynamics that contribute to formation, or religious training, for the people who want to follow Christ.

As a community of disciples and the People of God, the Church provides us with ongoing opportunities to:

● Understand the truths of the faith

● Live in a community of faith

● Actively worship through prayer and Sacraments

● Reach out to others through works of service and mission

Formation is not very complete without all four of these dimensions offered by the Church. One, two, or even three of them will not make a complete picture, but when we access all four dimensions, we benefit from the full formational experience of the Church.

These four dimensions of formation are as old as the Church itself. They came to light as early as New Testament times. For that reason, they are sometimes tagged by their Greek names—words found in the New Testament. These Greek terms name important realities in the lives of the first disciples and the early Church. They are:

● Kerygma —the essential teachings about Jesus

● Koinonia—fellowship within the Christian community

● Leiturgia—liturgical prayer and celebration of the Sacraments

● Diakonia—works of service that put the Good News into practice

Those entering the Church do not always do so as infants. When those at the age of reason wish to join the Church through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion, they experience each of these four dimensions of formation in The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

This usually take place at the Easter Vigil after one or two years of study. The initiation of adults is the model by which the Church understands the process of formation for everyone, including those baptized as infants.

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The Sacraments in the Bible

One important element to our Catholic identity is the relationship with God we share in and celebrate in the Seven Sacraments—effective signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is shared with us through the work of the Holy Spirit.

In the Sacraments, Jesus continues his saving work. During his life, Jesus welcomed, fed, healed, and forgave people. Through the Sacraments, he continues to share God’s life and love with his Church. Grace is our participation in the life of God.

As a result of decisions made at the Second Vatican Council, the role of Scripture has been revitalized in how we celebrate each Sacrament.

The Second Vatican Council…

● Examined how the Sacraments, as practiced at that time, reflected the original intention of the Apostolic Church

● Ensured that each Sacrament expressed its connection to Scripture

● Put a stronger emphasis on the communal dimension of each Sacrament

Evidence of the Sacraments in the Bible:

Hearing the Word of God proclaimed during the liturgy, especially at Sunday Eucharist, is particularly important. Dei Verbum’s message, which calls for increased emphasis on Scripture, is embodied in the way the Church celebrates the Sacraments.

Jesus tells us, “‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them’” (Matthew 18:20).

In the Mass, when we read from Scripture, the Living Word of God, Christ is present, as he is in the community gathered together in prayer, the priest celebrant, and most especially in his Body and Blood. 

Celebrations of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, for example, call for reading from Scripture whether celebrated communally or individually. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA, is the process by which adults are initiated into the Church.

The RCIA represents a renewal of an initiation process from the earliest days of the Church, known as the catechumenate, that had not been used for some time before Vatican Council II.

Much as we would in a journey, the community travels with those coming into the Church, as they participate in some parts of the liturgy and then break open the Word, that is the Sunday reading, in order to learn more about Jesus, the Church’s teachings, and Catholic practices and beliefs. 

No Sacrament after Vatican II showed a greater renewed emphasis on Scripture than the Eucharist, or Mass. In celebrating the sacrifice of the Mass, the council said: “The treasures of the bible are to be opened up more lavishly so that a richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God’s word” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 51).

The readings in the Liturgy of the Word prior to the council were fewer, but now there are three readings, as Scripture is used in a more significant way at Mass. Psalms are sung or recited between readings, and homilists are urged to break open those Sunday readings in their preaching.

The Catechism calls Scripture “extremely important” in the celebration of Mass. “It is from the Scriptures that the prayers, collects, and hymns draw their inspiration and their force, and that actions and signs derive their meaning”49 (CCC, 1100).

The Seven Sacraments in the Bible:

Sacraments of Initiation: Three Sacraments together complete initiation into the Church: Baptism, which begins new life in Christ; Confirmation, which strengthens that life; and Eucharist, which nourishes that life and transforms the recipient to become more Christ-like (see CCC, 1275).

BaptismJohn 3:5
Matthew 28:19-20
Romans 6:3-11
Acts 19:1-7
ConfirmationActs 8:14-17, 9:17-19, 19:5
Titus 3:4-8
EucharistJohn 6:1-15, 25-71
Matthew 26:26-28
Mark 14:22-25
Luke 22:7-20

Sacraments of Healing: In these Sacraments, God’s forgiveness of sins and healing are given to those suffering physical and spiritual sickness.

Penance and ReconciliationJohn 20:19, 22-23
Mark 1:15, 2:5, 10
Luke 7:48, 15:18
Anointing of the SickMark 6:12-13, 16:17-18
Matthew 10:8
James 5:14-15

Sacraments at the Service of Communion: In these Sacraments, certain Catholics receive the grace to commit to and serve God and the community.

Holy OrdersJohn 10:36
Acts 1:8, 2:4
1 Timothy 4:14
2 Timothy 1:6-7
MatrimonyMatthew 19:6
John 2:1-11
1 Corinthians 7:39
Ephesians 5:31‑32
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Examination of Conscience

What is an Examination of Conscience?

Conscience is the act of judging based on one’s knowledge of right and wrong, of what is morally good and morally bad. In order to use
our conscience, we have to form it so that it’s an informed conscience.

Our conscience is formed in many ways. The Word of God is a light for our path, enlightening our conscience. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit help us form our conscience:

● We read about Jesus and learn about his words and deeds. 

● We develop the habit of prayer and study Church teaching on morality. 

● We seek advice from good moral people whom we trust. 

● We use our conscience and put what we’ve learned into practice.

● We also form our conscience by examining it. 

In all of these efforts, the teaching of the Church guides us to develop our conscience and helps us become more informed moral decision makers. An important part of preparing for the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is an examination of conscience.

But that’s not the only time we benefit from reflecting on our actions, thoughts, and words. Make a prayerful examination of conscience part of your regular routine.

An Examination of Conscience:

How have I put my faith in God? When have I failed to trust in his ways? In what ways have I shown gratitude and praise for all his gifts? When should I have done so?

How have I spoken God’s name? Have I shown proper reverence for the name of others? Have I resorted to cursing and inappropriate language? In what ways have I kept, or not kept, Sunday as a holy day? Have I actively participated in Mass?

How have I shown respect and obedience to my parents and others in authority? In what ways have I failed to do so? How can I change that When have I respected and protected life? When should I have done so?

How have I been faithful and loyal? Have I practiced the virtue of chastity? Have I respected what belongs to others, avoided stealing, and shared with those in need? How have I been honest and truthful, and when I have failed to be so? Have I avoided bragging and speaking negatively of others?

Have I practiced modesty in my thoughts, words, dress, and actions? When have I been jealous of others’ possessions and good fortune? How have I been genuinely happy for others and their success?

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The Call of Baptism

Baptism calls us to live as children of God, walk in love, and imitate Christ. Sometimes it is not easy for us to persist in the way of discipleship. Baptism and the other Sacraments give us the grace to continually turn back to the way of Christ whenever we go the wrong way. We must remember that the first Christians were called People of the Way.

The Holy Spirit prompts us to ongoing conversion of our attitudes, behaviors, and priorities. Conversion, big and small, is a lifelong task for all the baptized. It requires each of us to honestly evaluate the moral decisions we make and the way we live as children of God and People of the Way. There is never a point in our lives when God gives up on us. Nor should we give up on him.

Reminders of Baptism are used throughout the Church’s liturgy. When new members are welcomed into the Church through Baptism, all those present also renew their baptismal promises. At the Easter Vigil, we are sprinkled with the water as another reminder and to relive our own Baptism. Throughout the Easter Season, the Sprinkling Rite is part of every Sunday Mass, as we continue to celebrate with the neophytes.

Every time we enter or leave a Catholic church, we have another opportunity to recall our Baptism. Holy water fonts or the baptismal font or pool are located near the entrance. When we bless ourselves with holy water, the water, gesture, and words all remind us of Baptism.

At Catholic funerals, the casket is covered with a white cloth, yet another reminder of Baptism. In our Christian hope, we trust that the person who has died will rise in Christ. The Paschal Candle is lit, and the casket is blessed with holy water, still more reminders of Baptism.

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Baptism of Blood and Baptism of Desire

The Sacrament of Baptism is necessary for salvation. However, the Church recognizes that sometimes there are circumstances when, even without the water rite of the Sacrament, a person can be saved by God’s grace—as long as there is a relationship with Christ in faith, however implied it might be.

Two Alternatives: Baptism of Blood and Baptism of Desire

There is Baptism of blood and Baptism of desire. The early Church used the first expression during the time of persecutions to refer to the martyrs—many of them still unbaptized catechumens—who were killed because of their belief in Jesus Christ. Their baptism was in their own blood, and no one doubted that Jesus saved them from their sins.

The second expression, Baptism of desire, applies to people who die before receiving Baptism. If they explicitly desire Baptism, are sorry for their sins, and practice acts of justice, their desire to be baptized and their good actions enable them to be saved. God is not far from anyone who seeks to know him, even those who have not yet received the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience.17 Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with His grace strive to live a good life.

—Lumen Gentium, 16

Then who are in danger of not being saved? The Church cautions those who come to know that Baptism, Christ, and his Church are necessary for salvation, but refuse to follow that which they know. Some others are baptized, but do not persevere in holiness until the end of their lives.

‘Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery.’18 Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.

—CCC, 1260

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The Celebration of Confirmation

How does one know he or she is ready to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation? One way to look at readiness is to ask what is required for a person to take part in the liturgy of Confirmation with “full, conscious and active participation.”

How To Celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation:

What does the liturgy of Confirmation—its ritual actions, its symbols, its prayers, and Scripture texts—require of a person who grasps their real meaning and makes a commitment to live out those meanings in a deliberate manner as a disciple of Jesus Christ?

The accompanying chart is designed to help you understand the Rite of Confirmation and its claim on those who are confirmed. To show its connection to the other Sacraments of Initiation, the celebration of Confirmation normally occurs within a Mass. And certainly, for those participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, the entire initiation celebration takes place in one liturgy, usually at the Easter Vigil.

Preparation for the Soul

How candidates for Confirmation prepare for the Sacrament is determined by each diocese and, to some extent, each parish. For high school and junior high youth, the process usually includes prayer, study, and service.

Recall the example of the Virgin Mary. She could do nothing on her own to accomplish the miracle of the Incarnation, yet she was prepared by the Holy Spirit for the gift she was to receive—there was an irreplaceable consent on her part. Without Mary’s willingness to allow God’s action in her life, the Incarnation would not have taken place in her.

Surely, Mary had been preparing over her lifetime to receive the grace of God by choosing to live humbly, prayerfully, and in service of others. She exercised her human powers to grow in virtue in order to be ready to accept the gift of God. Ultimately, however, Mary allowed herself to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that God’s divine plan for her would be fulfilled.

East and West

In the Eastern Catholic Church, the unity of the Sacraments of Initiation meant that priests usually celebrated these Sacraments. In other words, where it was not possible for a bishop to preside, priests baptized and confirmed new members (Chrismation), including infants, and gave them Communion in one ceremony. Infants received a drop or so of the precious Blood of Jesus after Baptism and Chrismation. Today, initiation is still celebrated in that manner. 

The Western Church, over time, put a greater emphasis on the unity of the Church community under the authority of its bishops. However, as more people sought Baptism for their infants, distance prevented bishops from being present for the three Sacraments of Initiation at a reasonable time for the children. Hence, the separation of the Sacraments of Initiation developed.

Priests baptized infants, and this Baptism included an anointing. Later, when a bishop was able to visit, he confirmed Church members by praying for the Gift of the Holy Spirit, laying his hands on each person, and anointing them with Chrism (fragrant oil). Later, both Confirmation and Eucharist were received after the age of reason.

Celebrating the Sacrament

Rite of ConfirmationKey Symbol(s), Action(s), or TextsToward a Deeper Understanding
LITURGY OF THE WORD 
Proclamation of Scripture from the Lectionary• God speaks to his people about the Holy Spirit and the transformed life of those in whom the Spirit dwells

• Candidates more fully participate by listening with hearts and minds open to God’s call, willing to learn how to live as fully initiated disciples—transformed by God’s grace.

• They realize that God’s word has an impact on them individually and on the community.  
CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENT
Presentation of the CandidatesA representative of the community testifies to the readiness of the candidates.Each candidate is called by name (optional).• This action points to the obligation of the candidates to come to the Sacrament with proper dispositions.

• In the biblical tradition, being called by name symbolizes being chosen or elected by God.

• Candidates present themselves before the bishop as a sign of their willingness to accept God’s call and to live a life of deeper faith and discipleship.
Homily or InstructionThe bishop speaks about the effects of the sacrament and the responsibilities the candidates undertake with their Confirmation.• This liturgical instruction is a sign that the Church gives a mandate to those being confirmed.

• The Church expects them to live up to their responsibilities as fully initiated disciples.

• Candidates will be familiar with these responsibilities from their preparation and from seeing how others live them out.

• They must pay attention and try to understand the gift they are receiving and what is expected of them.
Renewal of Baptismal PromisesThe bishop asks the candidates the same questions that are posed to those seeking to be baptized.• This echoes the baptismal liturgy and is a reminder that Confirmation is the completion of Baptism and a Sacrament of Initiation (see CCC, 1298).

• The candidates respond “I do” to the questions and to the preceding instruction of the bishop; it is also their personal reaffirmation of the commitment to discipleship initiated at their Baptism.

• They commit themselves to reject evil and to profess and live the Christian faith as members of the Catholic Church.
Laying on of HandsThe bishop invites the community to join him in prayer for the Gift of the Holy Spirit to come upon the candidates. Silent prayer follows.The bishop extends his hands and prays, recalling the candidates’ Baptism and asking for the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit.• This is a reminder that the bishop’s prayer is part of the prayer of the whole Church.

• This evokes the apostolic gesture described in the New Testament for the conferral of the Holy Spirit.

• The presence of the bishop broadens the candidates’ vision to the diocesan Church and the universal Church.

• The baptized faithful exercise their common priesthood by joining their prayers to those of the bishop.

• Candidates prayerfully open themselves to receive from God an increase in the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Anointing with Chrism(the essential rite of the Sacrament of Confirmation)The bishop anoints each candidate with Chrism, which is done by the laying on of the hand and marking the Cross on the forehead of each candidate while saying the sacramental formula, “N., be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.”The bishop offers the exchange of peace that Saint Paul called a “holy kiss.”• The words of the formula spoken by the bishop recall Paul’s text in Ephesians 1:13 that describe our sealing with the Spirit as a pledge of our future inheritance.

• The sign of peace was a traditional gesture in the ancient Church that prepared for the Eucharist.

• Candidates remain prayerfully open to receive an increase in the grace of the Holy Spirit.

• The response of the newly confirmed to the bishop is highly suggestive: the first words from their mouths after being confirmed are words of peace.
General IntercessionsThe General Intercessions follow the format of the Prayer of the Faithful.• This is a reminder that the Church gathered in this community offers support for those confirmed, not only that day, but in the future.

• The newly confirmed join with the assembly in this exercise of their common priesthood in the General Intercessions.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST 
Bread and wine are consecrated.The Body of Christ is broken and shared. The Blood of Christ is poured out and shared.• The rite encourages Communion under both kinds as an expression of the fuller share in divine life that the newly confirmed experience.

• They join the assembly in praying the Lord’s Prayer. The Holy Spirit prays in us and through us, allowing us to address God as “Abba, Father.”

• The newly confirmed participate in the Eucharist, recognizing that this is the culmination of their initiation into life in Christ and his Church.
BlessingA special blessing is prayed over the people• This is a response of gratitude to God and acceptance of the mission of the Gospel.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit is received in Baptism. Confirmation completes the grace of the Sacrament of Baptism. This is why we often speak of the conferring of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation in terms of the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit—a deepening of that gift first experienced in Baptism.

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The Purpose of Baptism

What is the purpose of Baptism? Like all Sacraments, Baptism has implications, the first of which is that we become members of the Church. “From the baptismal fonts is born the one People of God of the New Covenant, which transcends all the natural or human limits of nations, cultures, races, and sexes: ‘For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body’”19 (CCC, 1267).

An important part of the ritual of Baptism occurs immediately following the prayer and invocation over the water, just before the minister anoints the newly baptized infant with Sacred Chrism. He says to the child:

The God of power and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin and brought you to new life through water and the Holy Spirit. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation, so that united with his people, you may remain for ever a member of Christ who is Priest, Prophet, and King.

—RCIA 228

What exactly does this implication mean to be given a share in Christ’s three-fold ministry as priest, prophet, and king?

Priest

By Baptism into Christ, we now share in the priesthood of the faithful or the priesthood of all believers. This priesthood is different from the ministerial priesthood of the ordained. But, through Baptism, all Christians share in the saving work of Christ, who is our supreme High Priest.

We are members of the “priestly people,” and we have a right and a responsibility to join with Christ in offering worship to God the Father, to join in the liturgy with “full, conscious and active participation” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 14).

The term priest is rooted in the Latin word pontifex, which means, “one who builds a bridge.” As priestly people, we are expected to:

  • help people reconcile with each other, connect with each other, and take care of each other.
  • live out the prayer Jesus made to the Father.
  • contribute to the worship of God in the liturgy. Our presence, our prayers, and our offerings at Mass matter. We are called to offer ourselves to God, and to offer up all the good and bad things that have happened since the last time we gathered.

Our anointing with Chrism at Baptism symbolizes the call of holiness. God the Father calls each baptized person to become more like his Son and more like the people God created us to be. This is how we live up to the gift of new life given to us in Baptism. This is what Jesus was trying to tell Nicodemus.

Our baptismal calling brings new life, eternal life. It also brings responsibilities. And it brings us the grace that helps us pray. Because of baptismal grace, we have the ability to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer and the Christian life are inseparable (see CCC, 2757).

Prophet

In addition to helping us reflect on our priestly identity, the words that accompany our baptismal anointing remind us that we share in the mission of Christ the prophet. Being a prophet means doing two things: listening to God’s Word and speaking his Word. The idea of being a prophetic person can be frightening. Stories of people like Blessed Mother Teresa or Archbishop Oscar Romero inspire us, but also intimidate us. The real breakthrough, however, comes when we realize that the heart of the prophetic vocation is within our reach.

The baptismal call asks us to listen to God’s Word, read and pray Scripture, and apply it to our lives. These are challenging but achievable steps toward claiming our role as God’s prophets. These are essential steps for those seeking to walk the path of discipleship.

Once we have heard his Word, the second element of the prophetic vocation is to proclaim it to others. This, too, can seem intimidating until we recognize how we can proclaim God’s Word in very ordinary ways. Saint Francis of Assisi used to tell his friars: “Preach the Gospel at all times . . . when necessary, use words.”

All we have to do is try to live every day the best we can and pray to God to help us move beyond our usual comfort zones. We can be God’s prophets and preach the Gospel by giving a good example to others. If we want to make a big difference, we need to find a big problem and start by taking a bite out of it one piece at a time. Like the tiny mountain streams, put them all together and they turn into an ocean.

At certain times, we can also profess our faith among our peers by talking about God, offering to pray with them, and giving our reasons why we live a moral life and avoid situations and people who can lead us into sin.

King

The prayers of the baptismal rite explicitly connect the newly baptized with Christ—Priest, Prophet, and King. This latter title, King, is a paradoxical one.

In Jesus’ time, as now, the term king implied power and prestige. Jesus’ kingship is not of this kind. He kept pointing out that his Kingdom is not of this world. Our baptismal function as king is simply to be an active part of this Kingdom of God, and to remember that this is a noble cause that brings us dignity. It is a kingship of service. We further God’s Kingdom by living the Gospel, worshipping the Triune God, and serving the least of God’s People.

In a baptismal passage found in the First Letter of Peter, the author uses the term royal in describing the dignity that his early Christian readers should feel because of their Baptism.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

—1 Peter 2:9

This passage likely astonished people who lived under oppressive governments. Baptism equalized people in significant ways. All of us together are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people” (1 Peter 2:9). Those in need are not “other”; they are part of the Body of Christ, as much as we are. We should no longer ignore the needs of another any more than we would ignore the needs of our own bodies. This is a central principle of the Kingdom of God.

It helps to remember the many passages in the Old Testament that describe God’s anointed as a shepherd king, entrusted with the care of the flock, so dedicated to their safety that he is willing to lay down his life to keep them safe. The Gospels show that Jesus understood his own ministry in these terms.

In simple terms, this means that every time we work toward a more just, peaceful, and compassionate world, we are fulfilling our baptismal call to share in Christ’s royal work. Every time we stand in solidarity with the poor, suffering, and marginalized, we are active agents of the loving Shepherd King. Every time we help preserve the environment for future generations, we cooperate in God’s ongoing work of creation.

In so doing, we anticipate the coming Day of the Lord, when all will become as God wants it to be, “on earth as it is in heaven.” By living out these teachings, we show our royal dignity in concrete ways. We exercise the gifts of our Baptism. We are part of that “royal nation” that carries on Jesus’ work until he comes again in glory.

Other implications of becoming a member of the Catholic Church through Baptism include:

  • We are given certain rights and take on certain duties. The baptized Catholic now belongs to Christ and his Church. We must serve others in the Body of Christ as well as “obey and submit” to leaders of the Church. “Just as Baptism is the source of responsibilities and duties, the baptized person also enjoys rights within the Church: to receive the sacraments, to be nourished with the Word of God and to be sustained by the other spiritual helps of the Church”20 (CCC, 1269).
  • We are called to participate in the Church’s mission to profess our faith and participate in the apostolic and missionary activity of the People of God (see CCC, 1270).
  • We are united with all Christians inside and outside of the Catholic Church (see CCC, 1271). There is an ecumenical aspect to Baptism, and we become members of the Communion of Saints.
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Impact of Confirmation

The first thing to note in the effects of Confirmation is that the Sacrament serves as the completion and perfection of the graces of Baptism (see CCC, 1285). The Church originally celebrated these two Sacraments together in a single ritual (as they still are in the Catholic Church in the East).

This was not just an accident of history, nor a casual connection. Confirmation completes baptismal grace by binding us more perfectly to the Church and enriching us with the strength of the Holy Spirit (see CCC, 1285).

The Father “has given us a new birth into . . . an inheritance that is imperishable” (1 Peter 1:3, 4), and that gift has made us temples of the Holy Spirit, sharers in the eternal life of God. The teaching that Confirmation completes the graces of Baptism is more than a statement about the sequence or order of celebrating the Sacraments. Indeed, it gives us a glimpse into one of the most mysterious truths of our faith—through the Sacraments we are inserted into the very life of God (see CCC, 1292).

Drawn into Christ and the Church

The next two effects of Confirmation—drawing us more definitely into Christ and making our bond with the Church stronger—are two sides of a single coin. Saint Paul, in his Letter to the community at Corinth, discusses their membership in the Body of Christ and emphasizes that the more deeply we embrace the life of Christ, the more deeply we connect to the Body of Christ, the Church.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit that we receive in Confirmation connects us more fully both to Christ and to the Church. In every liturgy, the Father sends the Holy Spirit so that we can be brought into communion with Christ, and in doing so become his Body. We are spiritually transformed into Christ’s image, forming with all other believers his Body on Earth.

Sent Forth to Evangelize

The last two effects of Confirmation—connecting us more closely with the Church’s missionary mandate and helping us give witness to the Christian faith, both in our words and by our deeds—are also two sides of a single coin.

‘We wish to confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church.’22 . . . Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize.

—Pope Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation on Evangelization in the Modern World, 14

From the very first generation of Christians, the Church has recognized the connection that exists between the Gift of the Holy Spirit and the disciple’s enthusiasm for spreading the Gospel to all nations. The Acts of the Apostles was written to show how the Holy Spirit is at work in the Church in order to bring the Good News to all people.

Thus, one of the effects of Confirmation is that we are helped to give witness to our faith, both by what we say and by what we do. Pope Paul VI underlined the significance of this form of evangelization. He said we must proclaim the Gospel through our witness. As an example, the Pope outlined what could happen when a handful of Christians live in a community. These Christian people demonstrate their understanding and acceptance of others and their solidarity with what is good.

Through this wordless witness these Christians stir up irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live: Why are they like this? Why do they live in this way? What or who is it that inspires them? Why are they in our midst? Such a witness is already a silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one.23

—Evangelii Nuntiandi, 21

Evangelizing by the witness of our lives is essential, as we have seen in the ecumenical movement to restore unity among all Christian denominations. But as the Holy Father also taught, evangelizing only by witness “remains insufficient . . . if it is not explained” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 22).

Interest must be acknowledged and an invitation extended to people to come and see for themselves what Jesus and the Church have to offer. In some traditionally Christian regions, we need a new evangelization—almost like a re-evangelization—to reinvigorate Christian populations.

Pope Benedict XVI talked about the new evangelization as “re-proposing” the Gospel for those who have, for whatever reason, not received it. The new evangelization calls for all of us to deepen our faith and to live the Gospel command to proclaim the Good News of Christ.

The new evangelization, the Pope said in a Homily on June 28, 2010, is for those regions “awaiting a first evangelization and . . . those regions where the roots of Christianity are deep but who have experienced a serious crisis of faith due to secularization.” Secularization refers to the disconnection between faith and the values and daily life of the culture.

Pope Benedict said this new evangelization is heavily influenced by the family—the domestic Church.

In our time, as in times past, the eclipse of God, the spread of ideologies contrary to the family and the degradation of sexual ethics are intertwined. And just as the eclipse of God and the crisis of the family are linked, so the new evangelization is inseparable from the Christian family.

—Pope Benedict XVI, Plenary Assembly of the Ponifical Council for the Family, 2010

The mission to evangelize is reflected in the conclusion of the Sacrament of Confirmation. The bishop prays a final blessing or prays the following Prayer over the People. This prayer echoes the commitment of all confirmed to give witness to Christ in all they say and do. As a prayer over all gathered, it calls forth an evangelizing spirit among the whole assembly gathered, not only the newly confirmed.

God our Father, complete the work you have begun and keep the gifts of your Holy Spirit active in the hearts of your people. Make them ready to live his Gospel and eager to do his will. May they never be ashamed to proclaim to all the world Christ crucified living and reigning for ever and ever.

—Rite of Confirmation, 33

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Sacraments

Catholic Rules After Baptism

It is not just those being baptized who can benefit from education and formation in the faith. Many sponsors and team members who journey with catechumens and candidates say that they learned much about their religion and grew in their faith, and that they deepened their relationship with the Lord and came to a greater appreciation of the Church Jesus has given us. Church members of all ages are encouraged to keep growing, to find new ways to deepen their faith, and to open themselves to the grace God freely gives on their journey of faith.

Baptism if a Sacrament of faith, but this faith needs community support. “It is only within the faith of the Church that each of the faithful can believe. The faith required for Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop” (CCC, 1253). For everyone who is baptized, their faith must grow after the Sacrament takes place. That is why we renew our baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil (see CCC, 1254).

Newly baptized Catholics have the following requirements called the Precepts of the Church (see CCC, 2042-2043). These are only the very minimum requirements:

  • Commemorate the Resurrection of Christ by attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and by resting from work.
  • To prepare for the Eucharist, Catholics must confess their sins at least once annually if they are in mortal sin. The Church strongly encourages frequent reception of the Sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation.
  • Receive the Sacrament of Eucharist at least during the Easter Season. Of course, we are encouraged to receive the Eucharist every time we participate in Mass, provided that we are in a state of grace, meaning free from mortal sin.
  • The Church has established days of fasting and abstinence from eating meat and Catholics shall observe those days.
  • Catholics must also provide for the needs of the Church, including the material needs as much as individually possible.
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Sacraments

The Seven Sacraments and the Paschal Mystery

Jesus is talking with his Apostles. He has foretold his Death and betrayal. He tells the Apostles not to be troubled, for he has prepared a place for them in Heaven. He has been with them for a while at this point and he says: “‘You know the way to the place where I am going.’” Thomas asks, “‘How can we know the way?’”

Jesus says he is the way, the truth, and the life, and he is the only way to the Father. “‘If you know me, you know him.’” Philip then asks Jesus to show the Apostles the way to the Father. Jesus rephrases what he’s been trying to tell them, “‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father’” (John 14:4-9).

In these passages, Jesus is revealing the truth that he is the living, ever-present Sacrament of God. He is present where two or three are gathered in his name. Jesus is present in the Word of God proclaimed at Mass, and in the celebrating priest as well. He is present most fully—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—in the Eucharist. “‘Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations’”7 (CCC, 1088).

It is through Jesus that we most fully encounter God, as he is the Son of God, the very Word of God. He came to us in a way that we could understand and embrace—true God and true man. He gave the Church, the Body of Christ, a missionary mandate to baptize disciples in all nations in the name of the Holy Trinity. He remains with us as he promised until the end of the age (see CCC, 849).

‘Having been divinely sent to the nations that she might be “the universal sacrament of salvation,” the Church, in obedience to the command of her founder and because it is demanded by her own essential universality, strives to preach the Gospel to all men’8

—CCC, 849

Through Jesus, God touches us in the center of our being. We can encounter Jesus in the Sacraments, which he established as a means for us to continue a relationship with the Trinity through the Church. Through Jesus, salvation has come into the world; humanity is reconciled with God. The sin that affects all humans and the world we inhabit lost its power through the redeeming Passion of Christ as well as his Death, Resurrection, and Ascension.

You may recall that Jesus’ Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension is called the Paschal Mystery. It is the mission of the Church to celebrate and live the Paschal Mystery through the ages until Jesus returns in glory at the end of time. It is the mission of the Church to do what Jesus did, to announce the Kingdom of God and to be a sign of that Kingdom until it is fulfilled. And so we pray with Jesus: “Your kingdom come.”

The Seven Sacraments each celebrate a special aspect of the Paschal Mystery. For example, in Baptism, we die to our old selves and are raised to new life. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we die to sinful actions and habits and experience a resurrection—a new beginning in a restored friendship with God. In the Eucharist, we share in Christ’s own suffering, Death, and Resurrection. The Sacraments are holy signs of God’s desire to share his life with us.

The Catechism describes the Church as “The universal sacrament of Salvation.” The bishops at the Second Vatican Council said, “the Church is in Christ like a Sacrament or as a sign and instrument” (Lumen Gentium, 1) meant to exist between God and humankind, as well as of the unity of the human race itself.

It is important to know that the bishops were drawing on the traditional theological understanding that a Sacrament helps to bring about that which it signifies. Thus, they were saying that the Church is God’s instrument to bring about that unity which the Church signifies—the unity between God and humanity, as well as among all people (see CCC, 775 and 780).

Understanding the Church as a Sacrament helps us to know that the Church has both a visible and an invisible reality.

  • She is a hierarchical, ordered society with a historical presence and tangible, human aspects.
  • She is also the Body of Christ, a spiritual reality that includes a divine aspect of her essential identity.
  • We have seen that Jesus Christ, who is divine and human, is the Sacrament of God who mediates the Father’s salvation to us.
  • Because the Church is the Body of Christ, it follows that she, too, is a Sacrament of God with both human and divine aspects to her fundamental nature.

The Church is a community of ordinary human beings. She is a place where people are connected to the larger mystery of God’s divine presence. When we say that the community of the Church is the presence or Sacrament of Christ on Earth, we point to the fact that this is a very specific way that Jesus still lives in our midst.

The Church is the way that Jesus continues to be present among us throughout time. One of the ways this is expressed is when the Church is called the Mystical Body of Christ, or more simply, the Body of Christ. The Church is the Sacrament of our communion with God, and, through the Holy Spirit, she links us to the divine. The Holy Spirit is the life’s breath of the Catholic Church, and the Church is the Sacrament of the Trinity’s communion with us.