Sacraments

Definition and Importance of Sacraments

  • A sacrament is a religious rite or ceremony instituted by Jesus, that Christians believe imparts divine grace.
  • Sacraments are considered an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. This means they use physical elements to represent spiritual blessings.
  • They are essential to Christianity as they serve as primary channels of God’s grace and are integral to a believer’s relationship with God.

Number of Sacraments

  • Protestants traditionally recognize two sacraments - Baptism and the Eucharist or Communion - which are directly instituted by Jesus.
  • Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians include these two and also recognize five others: Confirmation, Reconciliation (Penance), Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Holy Orders.

Baptism

  • Baptism symbolizes purification or cleansing from sin and admission to the Christian Church.
  • It involves application of water and is typically performed by a priest or minister.
  • In some Christian denominations, baptism can be infant baptism where parents make promises on behalf of the child, and in others it is believer’s baptism performed when the individual is old enough to express their own faith.

The Eucharist (Communion)

  • The Eucharist, also known as Communion or the Lord’s Supper, is a remembrance of Jesus’ Last Supper before His crucifixion.
  • Bread represents Jesus’ body and wine represents his blood.
  • Different churches interpret the nature of Eucharist differently. Some (like Catholic Church) believe in transubstantiation – the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ – while others (like Protestant churches) see it as a symbolic act.

Other Sacraments

  • Confirmation is an affirmation of baptismal promises and the receiving of the Holy Spirit.
  • Reconciliation, also known as ‘Confession’, provides forgiveness of sins.
  • Anointing of the Sick offers physical and spiritual healing.
  • Marriage is the union of a couple before God.
  • Holy Orders is the ordination of a person to priestly ministry.

Practice of Sacraments

  • Sacraments take place in a church setting usually during worship, but they can happen outside, for instance, weddings, baptisms in a river, etc.
  • The person administering the sacrament is usually an ordained minister, but in some situations (especially in emergency baptisms), anyone can administer the sacraments.

Remember, understandings and practices of sacraments can vary significantly across different Christian denominations.