Religion essay

Submitted By Felipe333
Words: 590
Pages: 3

What are the Sacraments? According to Google they are simply a list: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony, and Holy Orders. We know by reading this last chapter that that is not all their is to the seven Sacraments The traditional definition of the Seven Sacraments also does not serve it justice. The definition of the Seven Sacraments is the following "A visible sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace." The Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred." The Sacraments are a sign of Gods love and presence in our everyday lives. The rituals are instituted by Christ and handed down to us thought Scripture and Tradition. The words sign and symbol have helped us understand the Sacraments for centuries. The Sacraments are not a signs but rather commands or directions because they point us into a deeper reality. The Sacraments are very different from miracles because they point us into the direction that God is with us. Symbols and rituals play a huge part in helping us understand the Sacraments as well because we a are all symbol-makers and ritual-doers, but why are we are what do they mean? A symbol is a thing or actions that point us to another reality. It leads us to look beyond our senses in order to consider a deeper ministry. A ritual is the established form of the words and actions for a ceremony that is usually repeated often. The actions is a ritual most commonly have a symbolic meaning behind them. One of God's best way of communicating with us is through liturgical celebration, especially through the Seven Sacraments. The Sacraments originated in Christ. This does not mean that Christ created the particular words and gestures that are in the Seven Sacraments today but rather we see them in him. When we observe Christ we see all of the Seven Sacraments. We see Christ forgiving, healing and giving himself to us thought the Eucharist. Christ will and power has been entrusted to the Church through the Seven Sacraments. Christ works in his people through the Seven Sacraments. God communicates the with his people through "sacramental economy". The sacraments bear fruits in those who receive them with the required