Why is sacrament important

My appreciation for how the Church upholds and protects the seven sacraments has been vividly reawakened as I watch my brother prepare for the priesthood. Living a sacramental life is the great gift and calling of every Catholic, and we sometimes forget just how powerful and healing that is.

Learning the history of how a particular sacrament developed is a useful way to reignite our respect for its practice. For example, the rite of ordination has developed over centuries, but from apostolic times, we believe the prayers of consecration combine with the laying on of hands to effect the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Here, when the bishop calls upon the Holy Spirit, an indelible spiritual mark impresses upon the soul of a man and he becomes typos tou Patros , the living image of God the Father. Here, he is graced for the duties of his ministry.

Here, he becomes a priest forever. The Savior instituted the sacrament … to help us remember Him and the Atonement He made for all mankind. The purpose of partaking of the sacrament is, of course, to renew the covenants we have made with the Lord.

When we partake of the sacrament worthily, … we take upon ourselves the name of our Savior and promise to always remember Him and to keep His commandments. The sacrament is one of the most sacred ordinances in the Church. Partaking of the sacrament worthily gives us an opportunity for spiritual growth.

Attend sacrament meeting with a spirit of reverence and with gratitude for the opportunity of partaking of the sacred emblems. July A Friend in Kindergarten Tahlia G. Sacraments are outward signs that Christ instituted to give grace. Grace is a totally free, unmerited gift from God, the sharing in the divine - God's help to us.

There are seven sacraments: Baptism, Penance also called Reconciliation , Holy Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick These Catholic rites marking the seven major stages of spiritual development are based on the premise of union of body and soul, matter and spirit, physical and spiritual. The sacraments involve a physical, tangible symbol, such as the water used in Baptism and the oil when anointing, to represent the invisible spiritual reality, the supernatural grace given in each sacrament.