The sacraments are sacred signs in which Christ acts in the Church. Through them, God communicates his grace, strengthens the Christian life and accompanies the faithful in the essential moments of the journey of faith.
According to the Catholic faith, the seven sacraments were instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church. They accompany the life of the Christian from birth to new life in Christ, they pass through spiritual growth and healing, and they also arrive at the mission, to the service and edification of the people of God.
Each sacrament has its own place in the journey of faith. Together, they form a path of grace, conversion, communion and service.
Baptism is the first sacrament of Christian initiation. Through it, the person is inserted in Christ, he is born to new life, becomes a member of the Church and participates in the dignity of the Church. of the children of God.
Confirmation strengthens baptismal grace. It is the sacrament of growth, of Christian maturity and witness, in which the believer is confirmed by the gift of of the Holy Spirit to live and proclaim the faith.
The Eucharist occupies a central place in Christian life. In it, the Church celebrates the memorial of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ, receives the Bread of life and is more united deeply to the Lord.
Also called Confession, this sacrament manifests God's mercy. Through him, the repentant believer receives the forgiveness of sins and is reconciled to God and with the Church.
The Anointing of the Sick is the sacrament by which the Church entrusts the sick to the Lord. Christ continues his work of comfort, healing, spiritual strength and salvation with those who suffer.
The sacrament of Holy Orders transmits the apostolic ministry entrusted by Christ to the Church. Through it, bishops, priests and deacons are consecrated to serve the people of God by the Word, by grace and by pastoral charity.
Marriage unites a man and a woman in a covenant of love and fidelity. Among the baptized, it becomes the sacrament of Christ's covenant with the Church. Spouses are called to live holiness in conjugal love, in the family, in openness to life and in service.
The Catechism presents the sacraments as an organic path, in which each sacrament it has its place in the spiritual life of the Christian.
It is the sacraments that introduce and strengthen the Christian life, giving birth to the faithful, grow and be nourished in the grace of Christ.
They are the sacraments in which Christ, physician of souls and bodies, continues His work of mercy, forgiveness, consolation and salvation.
They are the sacraments directed to the service of others, to the edification of the Church, to the communion and mission of the People of God.
The Christian life is nourished by the sacraments. In them, Christ makes himself present, he communicates his grace and leads the Church on the path of holiness.
For this reason, the sacraments are not just isolated moments, but are part of the of the journey of faith of every Christian, from Baptism to the mission of serving.
This content has been prepared in pastoral language from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, published on the official Vatican website.
Through sacramental life, the Church celebrates the living presence of Jesus, nourishes faith of his children and sends out every Christian to live holiness, communion and mission.