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”

• Patrick Kennedy Communion Controversy For Dummies

  
  Opinionated Catholic — Authority: 446
  This story , largely through the miscommunication of Kennedy himself, got misreported from the start. There are two Canons of Canon Laws at play here. Canon 915 deals with an actual ban on Holy Communion. This is administered by an authority. Canon 916 instructs certain people not to present ...
  1 day ago

• Seeing It All Over Again

  
  Jesus Goes to Disney World — Authority: 126
  Years ago, I recall seeing an episode of the original Star Trek in which the Enterprise encounters a planet with a peculiar Roman civilization. An old Starfleet captain had taken over, and there was a slave uprising against him. I am no trekkie , but for those who are (as if I need to tell you!), the episode ...
  2 days ago

• Rep. Patrick Kennedy Banned Fom Receiving Kennedy In His Diocese

  
  Opinionated Catholic — Authority: 446
  This I guess is just breaking a tad. This will get interesting. Creative Minority Report has Bp. Tobin Bans Kennedy From Communion Unless I am totally out to lunch on this I dont think this affects Kennedy in other Dioceses. I always thought that needed to be changed but that is the state of affairs under the law. ...
  3 days ago

• 22,000 Youth March With Blessed Sacrament In Kansas City

  
  Opinionated Catholic — Authority: 446
  Wow. More pics here at Pics - 22,000 Youth in Eucharistic Procession through Kansas City at NCYC
  3 days ago

• Sunday before Advent

  
  The Continuum — Authority: 429
  Jeremiah 23:5-8 John 6:11-14 It may seem bold to say this: Miracles look perfectly natural to the eye, even though the rational mind perceives the impossibility of what is happening. When I saw the miracles of a deformed shoulder straightened instantly, and of my mothers spine healed within seconds, these miracles ...
  3 days ago

• Q & A on Apostolic Succession

  
  The Continuum — Authority: 429
  I was sent a behind the scenes email with questions about Apostolic Succession. Upon considering my answers, I thought it may be helpful for some if I post here a summary of the questions, and my answers. This may be read in connection with an essay about Apostolic Succession and Scripture posted back on August 8, ...
  5 days ago

• This Eucharistic PEZ machine Is Just Sacrilegious

  
  Opinionated Catholic — Authority: 446
  Oh Lord. Father Z has Ohhhhhh… no. That’s just… wrong! . I love what this comment said: A sterile “dispenser” for a sterile faith. Hopefully this will never appear in a Catholic Parish.
  5 days ago

• Soaked, Scrubbed, & Washed in Christ’s Blood

  
  Lutheran Kantor — Authority: 107
  When your pastor says “Amen” at the close of his sermon, are you soaked in Christ’s blood? Rev. Steven Cholak wrote a blog post for Concordia TheoBLOGical Seminary in April 2008 about pastors soaking their flock with Christ’s blood as they preach Christ and the forgiveness of sins.  It is a short essay I ...
  6 days ago

• Assurance is Found at the Table

  
  caf de soire — Authority: 460
  When talking about the assurance of salvation, we often look to Scripture for the promises of Gods faithfulness, such as we find in Romans 10:9, or we point to the work of the Holy Spirit in assuring us of our faith (see Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 21 ). Yet, especially in Reformed circles, we seldom mention the ...
  6 days ago

• Abp. John Nienstedt: Changes in the language of the liturgy

  
  Stella Borealis Catholic Roundtable — Authority: 136
  . 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

• The Last Supper?

  
  Good Jesuit, Bad Jesuit — Authority: 141
  "Let us go now to the table to share bread and wine and the dangerous memory of Jesus" Link (here) to Catholic San Francisco and read the rest of Jesuit Fr. Steven Privettes homily from todays Mass . Father is the President of the University of San Francisco from his homily that was a reflection on those ...
  1 week ago

• Bishops pass marriage pastoral

  
  The Deacon's Bench — Authority: 591
  This just in , from Charm City: Despite the concern voiced by some bishops about the documents pastoral tone and content, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a pastoral letter on marriage Nov. 17. Nearly 100 changes in two rounds of amendments preceded the 180-45 vote in favor of "Marriage: Love and ...
  1 week ago

• Why not consecrate beer and pizza?

  
  Vox Nova — Authority: 507
  “John Macquarrie indicates something of the wealth of meaning in the Eucharist as a symbol:The Eucharist sums up in itself Christian worship, experience and theology in an amazing richness.  It seems to include everything. . . .   It combines Word and Sacrament; its appeal is to spirit and to sense; it brings ...
  1 week ago

• Cokie Roberts: "I couldnt give up Jesus"

  
  The Deacon's Bench — Authority: 591
  The Washington Posts often-interesting On Faith section is looking at the subject of interfaith marriage. As authors Sally Quinn and Ellen McCarthy note: The holidays can be a minefield for interfaith couples, unearthing disparities that lay mercifully buried throughout the rest of the year. Because the tree isnt ...
  1 week ago

• Living in a Covenant Community

  
  Ponderings on a Faith Journey — Authority: 478
  In the Disciples we speak of the relationship between congregation and the regional and general manifestations of church (we use the term general instead of national since we have a small Canadian presence in the North American expression of our denomination) in terms of covenant. We know that covenant language has ...
  1 week ago

• The Extraordinary Form of Confirmation

  
  Musings of a Pertinacious Papist — Authority: 421
  Tridentine Community News (November 15, 2009): In two weeks, on Sunday, November 29, Archbishop Allen Vigneron will administer the Sacrament of Confirmation according to the Extraordinary Form at St. Josaphat Church following the 9:30 AM Mass. This will be the first time in approximately 40 years that Confirmation ...
  1 week ago

• Church to celebrate feast of first modern medical doctor ever canonized

  
  Stupidica — Authority: 173
  CNA STAFF, Nov 15, 2009 / 04:45 am (CNA).- On November 16, the Church will celebrate the feast of St. Joseph Moscati, the first modern medical doctor to be canonized. Born on July 25, 1880 in Benevento, Italy, he lived out the Gospel through his position as a teacher and physician. There are a number of stories of Dr. ...
  1 week ago

• Wheres the water?

  
  On the Wittenberg Trail — Authority: 115
  Yesterday I finished reading John MacArthurs book The Fulfilled Family: Gods Design for Your Home (Nelson Books, 2005). Im not crazy about the title, but the book isnt half bad. Dr. MacArthur leads the reader through an exposition of many Scripture passages related to family, hearth and home. When he came to ...
  1 week ago

• Lutheranism in a nutshell

  
  Confessing Evangelical — Authority: 121
  E and I were talking about the difficulties of explaining to non-Lutheran friends (whether Christians or otherwise) why we’re Lutherans and what is different about Lutheranism – while avoiding the opposite extremes of (a) plunging into a half-hour theological discourse or (b) mumbling something defensive about ...
  1 week ago

• Daily Bible Readings Friday November 13 2009 Memorial of St Francis Xavier Cabrini

  
  A Catholic Site — Authority: 130
  November 13 2009 Friday Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin Saint of the Day – St. Frances Xavier Cabrini 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 ...
  1 week ago

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