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THE SACRAMENTS
The Celebration of the Christian Mystery
The Christian Faith is essentially a mystery, which we cannot fully understand of ourselves: rather, it is God who gradually increases our understanding. And even though we cannot fully understand this mystery, since we are limited human beings, nevertheless the fruits of this mystery (grace and salvation) are offered to each one of us. Therefore, each person is offered the chance of accepting God's offer to share his life and his love with us now, in this life, so that we can share that life forever in the happiness of Heaven or of rejecting that offer and choose to live without God, in this life, and forever in the next life.
The Church is instrumental not only in making the Christian Mystery known to the world, but also in making its fruits effective within us. This is done through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit and through the Liturgy of the Church - primarily through the seven sacraments which enable us to share in the Life and Love of God. In the liturgy and the sacraments we celebrate the Christian Mystery and participate in the work of our Redemption.
The Work of our Redemption is the work undertaken by Jesus Christ to free us from sin and enable us to share the life and love of God forever in the happiness of Heaven. This was accomplished by Jesus when he suffered and died on the Cross, offering his life for our Salvation. The Work of our Redemption is accomplished in the Liturgy through the seven Sacraments and especially through the Sacrifice of the Mass.
The Liturgy is the prayerful participation in the worship and service of God (the 'Work of God'). This enables us to share God's life and love and to enjoy the fruits of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection, given to us in the Sacraments, entrusted by Christ to his Church.
A Sacrament is an effective sign of grace, given by Christ and entrusted to his Church, by which the life and love of God is shared with us.
Grace is the gift of God's life and love which he freely offers to us to help us live our lives in accordance with the teachings of Christ so that we will be able to live forever in the happiness of Heaven.
There are seven Sacraments.
Three are life-giving Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist.
Two are healing Sacraments: Penance and the Anointing of the Sick.
Two are Sacraments of Service: Holy Orders and Matrimony.
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