sacraments

Sacraments are sacred rituals in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. They are known as Mysteries in the Orthodox Churches.

Sacraments are efficacious signs, instituted by Christ to give grace. Simply put, the sacraments do what they represent. In other words, baptism not only symbolizes washing, it actually washes away sin.

There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. In the Orthodox Churches, Confirmation is known as Chrismation. The Catholic Church sees in the Eucharist "the Source and Summit" of the faith.

You can find much written about the sacraments online. There are blogs dedicated to catechesis, apologetics, and evangelization. Other sites highlight the liturgical celebrations of the church calendar.

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Latest blogosphere posts tagged “sacraments”

• How the Orthodox view the Anglican Communion

  
  Adiaphora - a prologue to things indifferent. — Authority: 422
  Christ’s invitation into communion is not answered when the only thing that’s mutual is our suspicion. Thus, I am deeply grateful for the work that Metropolitan Jonah is undertaking on behalf of all Orthodox Christians in re-establishing trustworthy common ground with those of us who walked the way of Orthodoxy ...
  16 hours ago

• Applied Liturgical Linguistics

  
  haligweorc — Authority: 119
  Ok—we’ve got enough accomplished Latinists who read this site and who fall on different points of the theological/liturgical spectrum that this should lead to an interesting conversation… (And non-Latinists are quite welcome to play along too, of course!) Here’s the question. Given this as a base text: ...
  1 day ago

• Bad Day for Church Councils

  
  Adiaphora - a prologue to things indifferent. — Authority: 422
  On this day, in 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council (the 12th "ecumenical council" for the West) began meeting. Canons presented to the Council included: Canon 1. Exposition of the faith; of the dogma of the Trinity, and of Transubstantiation That meant that for the first time there was an official, scientific ...
  1 day ago

• Adoption and Baptism: A Real-Life Illustration

  
  Taking Thoughts Captive... — Authority: 113
  Last night, my son and I were enjoying our nightly ritual of reading books and bible stories before bedtime.  The bible story we were reading was the birth of Jesus–yes, he’s in the Christmas spirit early–and we paused at the end on a picture of baby Jesus lying in a manger, surrounded by animals, Joseph and ...
  2 days ago

• On Michael Cerularius

  
  Eirenikon — Authority: 110
  I am proud to feature this interesting article by Catholic friend of the blog and frequent commenter, Michaël de Verteuil – Of the two Patriarchs of Constantinople most closely associated with the East-West schism, Michael Cerularius (Keroularios) is clearly the lesser figure in Orthodoxy. Unlike Photius, Michael ...
  3 days ago

• Church Online, CNN, and No Excuses

  
  ChurchCrunch — Authority: 505
  A great news piece by CNN about how people can “go to church right from your computer.” They talked with LifeChurch.tv and their pastor Craig Groeschel. I thought it was great that the reporter brought up the question of the sacraments which is still, for many people, a difficult thing to wrap their minds ...
  3 days ago

• The Nerve!

  
  Jesus Goes to Disney World — Authority: 126
  How dare he! Elijah, in the First Reading, comes to another place, finds a poor widow who is obviously suffering in that time of drought and scarcity – she is busy with her own tough labor – and the prophet has the gall to ask for some water from her! More than that: after she does this kind and generous ...
  3 days ago

• The gospel is an event, not a formula

  
  Confessing Evangelical — Authority: 121
  Much discussion at the Boar’s Head Tavern recently on the question of “What is the gospel?” The question arose in a discussion with Joe Carter (ringmaster at Evangel , who is guest-posting at the BHT), and people responded by posting a variety of formulas summarising the gospel . One point which Joe ...
  5 days ago

• Surprise: Priest hunts free of moral conflict

  
  Stella Borealis Catholic Roundtable — Authority: 133
  . When Christopher Wenthe was an electrical engineer and single, living in the Twin Cities, he had lots of time to hunt and fish. The deer opener, like the duck and pheasant openers, wasnt something he squeezed in between meetings. Or homilies. Now that he is a Catholic priest with 850 families to tend to, time ...
  6 days ago

• Changes in the language of the liturgy

  
  Stella Borealis Catholic Roundtable — Authority: 133
  . One of the principal goals of the Second Vatican Council was to initiate a reform of the Sacred Liturgy. The goal of this reform was not a matter of simply revising texts. Even less was it a matter of abandoning the treasured traditions of the past. Rather, at its heart, the liturgical reform of the council was a ...
  6 days ago

• Daily Bible Readings Friday November 6 2009 31st Week in Ordinary Time

  
  A Catholic Site — Authority: 129
  November 6 2009 Friday Thirty First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day – St. Nicholas Tavelic and Companions About the sources used . The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of Roman Rite of the Catholic Church in the USA, but are from sources free from copyright. They are here to present ...
  1 week ago

• The Church in other universes

  
  KHdN - Kenneth Hynek (dot Net) — Authority: 434
  The notion of alternate universes (colloquially: “the multiverse”) is not a new one, though it has mostly been confined to the realm of speculative fiction…at least until recently. The multiverse concept has enjoyed more general recognition in the last few years, in its use by the New Atheists as an attempt to ...
  1 week ago

• Statement on behalf of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage concerning the Maine November 3rd vote on marriage

  
  Vivificat! — Authority: 474
  Yesterday on November 3rd, the people of Maine voted to uphold the true nature of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The voice of the people in this country has spoken once again on the side of justice, in favor of the truth about marriage. Marriage is an institution which precedes all others, whether ...
  1 week ago

• Addendum to My Last Blog

  
  Murrell's Musings — Authority: 110
  My last blog on the Lords Supper may have come across as a sledge hammer. That was not the intention. Of course there are times when it is not possible to us one loaf or one chalis, like in a large church setting. My point is- we should try to practice the Supper with the correct elements and with the correct actions, ...
  1 week ago

• Baptism and Christian Identity: Ecclesial Pedagogy and John Calvin

  
  Theology Forum — Authority: 486
  If you recall (I know it has been a while) that our last post on Gordon Mikoski’s volume Baptism and Christian Identity we looked at Gregory of Nyssa. Now we turn our attention to John Calvin. Mikoski offers justification for his rather odd pairing: Gregory of Nyssa and John Calvin shared enough similarities on ...
  1 week ago

• Children at the Lord’s Table?

  
  The Wittenberg Door — Authority: 424
  The April 2008 edition of New Horizons provides outstanding insight into the paedocommunion debate. Here are links to the relevant articles, along with a brief summary: Children at the Lord’s Table James T. Dennison, academic dean of Northwest Theological Seminary From at least the time of John Calvin, the ...
  1 week ago

• Practice of the Lords Supper: What Would Jesus Do?

  
  Murrell's Musings — Authority: 110
  I have been a Christian since age 15. The Lord saved me in a nondenominational charismatic church, He discipled me in the Reformed section of His church, I have pastored in a nondenominational church, several Presbyterian churches, a Christian Reformed church and an Anglican church. In addition, I have worshipped in ...
  1 week ago

• Daily Bible Readings Tuesday November 3 2009 31st Week in Ordinary Time

  
  A Catholic Site — Authority: 129
  November 3 2009 Tuesday Thirty First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day – St. Martin de Porres About the sources used . The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of Roman Rite of the Catholic Church in the USA, but are from sources free from copyright. They are here to present the comparable ...
  1 week ago

• What is the communion of saints?

  
  SCRIPTORIUM — Authority: 113
  The holiness of any one of us benefits all, and the sin of any one harms all, for we are joined to one another, as we are all joined to Christ… Every time we proclaim the Apostles’ Creed, that most ancient summary of the Christian Faith, we declare our belief in “the communion of saints”–the wonderful ...
  1 week ago

• Saints And Souls At The College Of The Holy Cross In 1898

  
  Good Jesuit, Bad Jesuit — Authority: 140
  All Saints Day was fittingly observed at the college. In the morning Solemn High Mass was celebrated, with Father Casey, S. J., officiating as celebrant, Father Keveney, S. J., as deacon, and Mr. Becker, S. J., as sub-deacon. During the Mass the choir discoursed beautiful music. In the evening Vespers were ...
  1 week ago

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