Sacrament

Catholics have a sacramental view of the world.  Our understanding of sacrament shapes our identity.  There is always more to anything than meets the eye.

Our understanding of sacrament begins with our belief that God is everywhere; present in and through all of creation.  There is nothing, and no experience, from which God is absent.

Like all Christians, Catholics believe that Jesus is the sacrament of God.  In Jesus we see, hear and experience God perfectly.  There are no gaps.  This is why Jesus is our way, our truth and our life.

We also believe that the Church – in Christ – is a sacrament.  By ‘in Christ’ we mean that we believe that the Church is a sacrament because it draws its life from Christ and is constantly being shaped by Christ.  We say the Church has a sacramental nature; that it reveals the face and love of God in and through its communal life, liturgy and mission. 

In and through the liturgy, as individuals and a community, we become a sacramental people; people who live like Jesus -  loving, forgiving, challenging, healing, inviting others to be the best people they can be.

A sacramental Church then names seven key liturgical actions as SACRAMENTS because they both express and shape our Catholic identity for the sake of mission:

• Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist - sacraments of initiation into the Catholic faith community 
• Penance (formerly called Confession) and Anointing of the Sick (formerly called Extreme Unction) - sacraments of forgiveness and healing
• Holy Orders and Marriage: sacraments of loving service.

Together these seven sacraments both mark key moments in our lives and sustain us throughout life’s journey. They shape the Church to be a sacrament and us to be a sacramental people.