The Latin word sacramentum means “a sign of the sacred.” The seven sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Catholics. They are sacred occasions for experiencing God’s saving presence. That’s what theologians mean when they say that sacraments are at the same time signs and instruments of God’s grace.
BAPTISM
For Catholics, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. Whether we are baptized as infants or adults, Baptism is the Church’s way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God. Baptism is a serious step—a step we spend much time getting ready for. We get new clothes, we get a candle to light the way, water to help us grow, oil for strength, even companions for the journey. But that is only the beginning of a much longer journey, a lifetime journey of commitment and discipleship. Our journey begins with an invitation, a call from God through the Christian community to live the gospel as committed Disciples of Christ. When we accept the invitation, that call and response are ritualized and made visual and “real” for us in the celebration of Baptism.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church has a wonderful program in place to assist parents of newborn children as well as a program for others that have chosen to become one in spirit through the sacrament of Baptism. Please contact the parish office to receive more details on this first step in your or your loved one’s lifelong faith journey.
RECONCILIATION
The Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as the Sacrament of Penance, or Penance and Reconciliation) has three elements: conversion, confession and celebration. In it we find God’s unconditional forgiveness, and as a result we are called to forgive others. The current law of the Church states that a person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess (Canon 916).
Reconciliation is a sacrament—a corporate act of worship which builds up the Body of Christ. The Church affirmed this understanding in the first document of Vatican II, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy: “Liturgical services are not private functions, but are celebrations belonging to the Church” (#26), and “Whenever rites, according to their specific nature, make provision for communal celebration involving the presence and active participation of the faithful, it is to be stressed that this way of celebrating them is to be preferred, as far as possible, to a celebration that is individual and, so to speak, private” (#27).
Our Lady of Mount Carmel encourages each and every Catholic to actively participate in celebrating God’s forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Please contact the church office for a current schedule for reconciliation or refer to the weekly church bulletin.
EUCHARIST
As Catholics, we believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacrifice and a meal. We believe in the real presence of Jesus, who died for our sins. As we receive Christ’s Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God. According to Pope John Paul II’s Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia, “Eucharist; Heart Of The Church”, the Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith, but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the Church. In a variety of ways she joyfully experiences the constant fulfillment of the promise: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20), but in the Holy Eucharist, through the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord, she rejoices in this presence with unique intensity.
The Eucharist is celebrated at all of the masses here at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Remember we are always the Body of Christ, always in communion with one another. We encourage you to look at the liturgy as a remote preparation for your week. Listening to God’s word on Sunday morning is preparation for the listening we do for God’s word in our lives all week. The thanks we proclaim at the Eucharistic prayer is a preparation for thanks over all tables and all meals. The common table of Holy Communion is a preparation for looking at the whole world. If you, a loved one, neighbor or a friend is in need of receiving the Holy Eucharist, please contact the parish office to arrange for a Eucharistic Minister to personally visit and experience this truly blessed sacrament.
CONFIRMATION
The Catechism describes Confirmation as a deepening of baptismal gifts. It says that the sacrament roots us more deeply in our identity as God’s children; unites us more firmly with Christ; increases in us the gifts of the Holy Spirit; binds us more closely to the Church; and gives us special strength to bear witness to our faith (see #1303).
With Baptism and Eucharist, Confirmation shapes us as Catholics. Each of these sacraments focuses on a different aspect of our life as believers: birth, breath and nourishment. Preparation for Confirmation includes learning to articulate what it means to be a Catholic: the faith we express in Creed and lifestyle.
The sacrament of Confirmation at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is celebrated every year with our children’s religious instructions. Preparation for Confirmation begins in the fall of the school year. Parents should register their children for Confirmation with the Director of Religious Education. Adults who have not yet received the sacrament of Confirmation prepare for the sacrament within the RCIA program. Adults should contact the parish RCIA coordinator to register for Confirmation classes. For more information, please contact the church office or Director of religious Education.
MARRIAGE
For Catholics, the Sacrament of Marriage, or Holy Matrimony, is a public sign that one gives oneself totally to this other person. It is also a public statement about God: the loving union of husband and wife speaks of family values and also God’s values.
In the Scriptures the relationship between God and God’s people is often described in terms of a marriage. The early Christians, reflecting on Christ’s love for us, also used this image. Christ and the Church embrace in mutual love and self-giving, even as do husband and wife (see, for example, Ephesians 5:21-33). “‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:31-32).
As with the other seven sacraments, this too is an important stepping stone in the life of a Catholic and as such, is not to be taken lightly. It is important that there be sufficient time to carry out all preparations for your Marriage. Therefore, about 6 months before your date of the wedding or sooner, please contact the Pastor for an appointment to begin preparations. Baptismal certificates must be obtained and presented to the Pastor (a certificate of Catholic party must be a new and recently acquired certificate) A pre-marriage investigation form is completed by each individual under the supervision of the Pastor. This represents the couple’s request to be married in this parish and assures their freedom to marry. Completion of an approved diocesan marriage course is also required.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
The Catholic sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, formerly known as Last Rites or Extreme Unction, is a ritual of healing appropriate not only for physical but also for mental and spiritual sickness.
The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is based on the scripture admonition that when one is sick, the Priest should be called, and the sick person anointed and prayed over. The parish encourages all those who become ill, either suddenly or chronically, at home or hospitalized, to receive the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. When anyone receives the sacrament of the Sick, it is strongly suggested that as many family members and friends as possible be present, whether the sacrament is administered in the home or hospital. Each year Our Lady of Mount Carmel celebrates a Mass of the Anointing of the Sick. Parishioners who are ill or elderly present themselves for anointing.
In the letter of James in the Bible, he writes, “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters [those who have authority] of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (5:14-15).
The words St. James wrote are still true today. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is our way of continuing the healing work Jesus began 2,000 years ago. Please contact the church office for more information.
HOLY ORDERS
The Sacrament of Holy Orders is the continuation of Christ’s priesthood, which He bestowed upon His Apostles; thus, the Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the Sacrament of Holy Orders as “the sacrament of apostolic ministry.”
“Ordination” comes from the Latin word ordinatio, which means to incorporate someone into an order. In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is incorporated into the priesthood of Christ, at one of three levels: the episcopate, the priesthood, or the diaconate.
There is only one Sacrament of Holy Orders, but there are three levels. The first is that which Christ Himself bestowed upon His Apostles: the episcopate. A bishop is a man who is ordained to the episcopate by another bishop (in practice, by several bishops). He stands in a direct, unbroken line from the Apostles, a condition known as “apostolic succession.”
The second level of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is the priesthood. No bishop can minister to all of the faithful in his diocese, so priests act, in the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as “co-workers of the bishops.” They exercise their powers lawfully only in communion with their bishop, and so they promise obedience to their bishop at the time of their ordination. The chief duties of the priesthood are the preaching of the Gospel and the offering of the Eucharist.
The third level of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is the diaconate. Deacons assist priests and bishops in the preaching of the Gospel and sacramental functions.
The Sacrament of Holy Orders can be validly conferred only on baptized men, following the example set by Christ and His Apostles, who chose only men as their successors and collaborators. A man cannot demand ordination; the Church has the authority to determine eligibility for the sacrament. If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about pursuing a religious vocation through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, please contact the Pastor, Deacon, or church office for more details.