The sacraments of Christian initiation Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist lay the foundations of every Christian life. "The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity.

When the Church speaks of the sacraments it refers to seven specific moments in Catholic life that were established out of the example and ministry of Jesus as sign of God’s presence: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony, and Holy Orders. These Sacraments are visible, concrete signs of God’s loving relationship with us and God’s desire to transform our lives. In these seven moments, the Church tries to capture the fact that all of life is sacramental, because all of life points to the glory of God and the unity of people.

Within the context of the seven sacraments established by the church, we celebrate three key elements of our lives of faith: initiation, healing, and relating. The sacraments of initiation are Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Through these three sacraments a person is reborn in the image of the risen Christ (Baptism), confirmed in Christ’s mission as a light to the nations (Confirmation), and joined more closely to the community through table fellowship in Jesus’ name (Eucharist.) These are the sacraments received at the Easter Vigil for those entering the Catholic faith.

The sacraments of healing are Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick. In the sacrament of Reconciliation there are actually two healings that take place. First the person who has sinned is restored to wholeness as a child of God. But a healing also takes place between the person and the community that has been wounded by the person’s sin. Sin is not just something that affects an individual. It also makes us less than the community Jesus wants us to be.
When we experience sickness, we know how debilitating it can be. The longer the sickness lasts, the more it seems to rob us of our spirit. In those times, the church celebrates the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick so that we can be strengthened in our faith and reminded of the community of believers that is praying with us and for us. This sacrament keeps us from being alone in our sickness.

The sacraments of relating are Holy Orders and Matrimony. These two sacraments indicate the way God is present to us: as head and shepherd of the community (Holy Orders) and as unconditional, selfless love (Matrimony). As head and shepherd, Jesus calls us together as one. So, too do bishops, priests, and deacons call the community together around the lord’s table and ensure we stay together through their ministry of leadership and service. Through the sacrament of Matrimony, a man and a woman become a sign to the whole community of the love God has for us.