WHAT IS A SACRAMENT?
A Sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given
by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace. Grace is God's
favor towards us; unearned and undeserved; but it is by grace that God forgives
our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts, and strengthens our wills. The
two Sacraments of the Gospel are Holy Baptism and The Holy Eucharist. This brochure
will help you learn about these Sacraments and the other Sacramental rites of The
Episcopal Church.
HOLY BAPTISM
"Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ's Body
the Church. The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble." (BCP, p.
298) No other rite is required to complete becoming a Christian. The mark that God
makes on the baptized person's soul can never be removed - God will love the baptized
with a love that won't let us go.
St. Paul referred to baptism as: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives
in me." (Galatians 2:20)
In baptism we enter the Body of Christ as we are adopted as God's children in Christ.
We who were many become one Body in Christ. We become buried with Christ in his
death and share in his risen life.
Jesus himself was baptized as an example that all who come to him must be baptized
(Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). In the Great Commission (Matthew 26:16-20),
Jesus instructs his disciples to baptize others.
The outward and visible sign of Baptism is water and being baptized in the baptismal
formula Jesus commanded: "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit." The inward and spiritual grace of baptism is union with Christ in
his death and resurrection, birth into God's family the Church, forgiveness of sins,
and new life in the Holy Spirit.
As Baptism is full initiation into the life of the Body of Christ, the Church, all
Christians are called to participate in Holy Communion. Infant communion was practiced
in the Western Church from the earliest times until the 13th Century and has always
been the practice of the Eastern Church. The practice of receiving Communion for
all the baptized is being reclaimed in the Anglican/Episcopal tradition as this
practice is understood as the original intent of the union between Baptism and The
Eucharist.
THE HOLY EUCHARIST
The Holy Eucharist (The Mass, Holy Communion, The Lord's Supper, the Divine Liturgy,
the Great Offering) is the sacrament commanded by Christ for the continual remembrance
of his life, death, and resurrection, until his coming again. The Episcopal Church
teaches that participation in receiving Holy Communion is necessary to living the
Baptismal Covenant and therefore it is intended and necessary for all baptized Christians.
Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:20-29; Mark 14:17-25;
Luke 22:14-38) and the Eucharist has been celebrated by the Church since the very
beginning of Christianity.
The outward and visible signs of the Eucharist are bread and wine, given and received
according to Christ's command. The inward and spiritual grace in the Eucharist is
the Body and Blood of Christ. Jesus Christ's presence is revealed to us in The Holy
Eucharist as Jesus gives himself to us spiritually in consecrated (blessed) bread
and wine.
As we recall the earthly Body of Christ, now ascended and glorified, so too we receive
Christ's Body and Blood in Communion that we might become the Body of Christ for
God in the world today.
Holy Baptism and The Holy Eucharist are the two Sacraments that Christ gave as necessary
for all Christians. The Episcopal Church also celebrates five other Sacramental
Rites: Confirmation, Ordination, Holy Matrimony, Reconciliation of a Penitent, and
Unction.
Although these Sacramental Rites are means of grace, they are not necessary for
all Christians in the same way that Baptism and the Eucharist are.
Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ, and
receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands
by a bishop.
In the course of a Christian's journey, those baptized as infants or young children
are expected, when they are ready and have been duly prepared, to make a mature,
public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their
Baptism Covenant and to receive the laying on of hands by a bishop. Those baptized
as older children or as adults, unless baptized with the laying on of hands by a
bishop, are also expected to make a public affirmation of their faith and commitment
to the responsibilities of their Baptism in the presence of a bishop and to receive
the laying on of hands.
Those Confirmed in another church by a bishop in apostolic succession are Received
into the fellowship of the Episcopal Church by a bishop of The Episcopal Church.
Those Episcopalians who have been away from the Church for a long time - or have
found a deeper level of their faith - may formally Reaffirm their Baptismal Covenant.
HOLY MATRIMONY
Holy Matrimony is Christian marriage, in which the woman and man enter into a life-long
union, make their vows before God and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing
of God to help them fulfill their vows.
The bond and covenant of marriage is established by God in creation, and our Lord
Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by his presence and first miracle at the
wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between
Christ and his Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among people.
The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their
mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity;
and, when it is God's will, for the raising of children and their nurture in the
knowledge and love of the Lord.
ORDINATION
Ordination is the rite in which God gives authority and the grace of the Holy Spirit
to those being made bishops, priests, and deacons, through prayer and the laying
on of hands by bishops. Bishops carry on the apostolic work of leading, supervising,
and uniting the Church. Priests take part in the governance of the Church, in the
carrying out of its missionary and pastoral work, and in the preaching of the Word
of God and administering his holy Sacraments. Deacons assist bishops and priests
in all of this work. It is the special responsibility of deacons to minister in
Christ's name to the poor, the sick, the suffering, and the helpless.
Reconciliation of a Penitent, or Penance, is the rite in which those who repent
of their sins may confess them to God in the presence of a priest, and receive the
assurance of pardon and the grace of absolution. This is a very pastoral rite for
those who need to verbally confess their sins to God in the presence of one of Christ's
ordained ministers and find comfort in the absolution given by the priest. There
is an old Anglican saying about this rite: "Everyone may, none must, some should."
Unction is the rite of anointing the sick with oil, or the laying on of hands, by
which God's grace is given for the healing of spirit, mind, and body.