Sacraments

Sacraments

The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments.

Sacraments of Initiation

About Baptism (from the Catechism of the Catholic Church):

Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: 'Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.'

This sacrament is called Baptism, after the central rite by which it is carried out: to baptize means to 'plunge' or 'immerse'; the 'plunge' into the water symbolizes the catechumen's burial into Christ's death, from which he rises up by resurrection with him, as 'a new creature.'

This sacrament is also called 'the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit,' for it signifies and actually brings about the birth of water and the Spirit without which no one 'can enter the kingdom of God.'

About Confirmation (from the Catechism of the Catholic Church):

The reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For 'by the sacrament of Confirmation, (the baptized) are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.'

Confirmation is typically received during the teenage years, but can be administered later in life through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.

About the Eucharist (from the Catechism of the Catholic Church):

"The Eucharist is 'the source and summit of the Christian life. The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."

"The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist. "

The Eucharist is:

• thanksgiving and praise to the Father;
• the sacrificial memorial of Christ and his Body;
• the presence of Christ by the power of his word and of his Spirit.

Bread and wine, by the power of the Holy Spirit, truly become the real presence of Jesus Christ.

Sacraments of Healing

About Reconciliation (from the Catechism of the Catholic Church):

"The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health, has willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick."

"Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace."

Reconcilation is offered every Saturday before 4:30 p.m. Mass, or by appointment.

About Annointing of the Sick (from the Catechism of the Catholic Church):

By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. And indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ.'

"Heal the sick!" (Matthew, 10:8) The Church has received this charge from the Lord and strives to carry it out by taking care of the sick as well as by accompanying them with her prayer of intercession. She believes in the life-giving presence of Christ, the physician of souls and bodies. This presence is particularly active through the sacraments, and in an altogether special way through the Eucharist, the bread that gives eternal life and that St. Paul suggests is connected with bodily health.

Please call the parish office at (501) 666-5073 to inquire about annointing of the sick. If it is urgent and you are unable to speak with someone, emergency phone numbers are listed on the voice mail.

Sacraments of Service 

About Holy Orders (from the Catechism of the Catholic Church):

Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate.

Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests, the presence of Christ as head of the Church is made visible in the midst of the community of believers.

About the Sacrament of Matrimony:

The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament. (CCC 1601)

For a Catholic, the preparation for marriage involves even more than understanding the civil laws regarding marriage, applying for a license, and having a medical examination. Marriage is also a sacred covenant between the couple themselves and between the couple and God. A covenant is initiated by God. In the marriage covenant, the couple agrees to love each other until death.

The Church, in order to give its blessing, typically requires the couple to participate in a several-month preparation period before marriage, typically called "pre-Cana."