The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of the Catholic Church. It encompasses the strength of the Seven Sacraments that are unique and special only in the Catholic Church. These sacraments were instituted by Christ himself as the new law.
These Sacraments brings healing and mission to the Christian way of life. There are certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life.
The Beauty of these sacraments is that it takes care of the organic and holistic aspects of a human being. It expounds the sacrament of Christian Initiation, the sacrament of healing and the sacrament of service of communion and the mission of the faithful. The most important of this is the Holy Eucharist.
This is the combination of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist which is the foundation of the Christian life.
These sacraments are only found in the Catholic Church. It is the gateway to all other sacraments.
Baptism is basis of the whole Christian life. The passage of life in the Spirit and is the door which gives access to the other sacraments. It is an immersion into water which is the washing of original sin and the enlightenment of the son of light, which is Jesus. It is a gift that is from God as we bring nothing of our own. It is also a grace from God. The Baptized have ‘put on Christ’ Through the Holy Spirit, baptism is a bath that purifies, justifies and sanctifies.
Baptism is for infants, adults who seek entrance into the faith and those who desire the Lord on their death bed.
Parents are the first catechist in their child’s faith formation. Your child hears and see how faith is lived.
Those 18yrs and above are to join the RCIA program. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) It is a 11 month program that normally begins in July and runs through to Pentecost. Baptism is given during the Easter celebration. The form for RCIA can be downloaded here.
If the person is desirous of being a catholic and has followed the faith during his/her life time, albeit not being baptized, may be baptized with the priest prior approval.
Christ promised the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a promise which he fulfilled first on Easter Sunday and then more strikingly at Pentecost. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles began to proclaim the ‘mighty works of God’ It is an anointing with oil. Confirmation brings and increase and deepening of baptismal grace. Every baptized person not yet confirmed can and should receive the sacrament of Confirmation.
Preparation for Confirmation should aim us at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit, his actions, his gifts and his biddings. You must be in the state of grace to receive Confirmation. Confirmation is conferred through anointing with chrism and the laying of the hands.
The Eucharist completes the Christian Initiation. At the Last Supper on the night he was betrayed, our Saviour instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood. The Blessed Eucharist contains the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself.
The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of the communion in the divine life and that of the unity of the People of God.
Finally the Eucharistic celebration unites ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipates eternal life, when God will be all in all. It is an action of thanksgiving to God.
It is an invitation to partake of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. This is the first initiation into the fullness of the church.
For Catholics, the greatest form of the worship is the Mass. The Mass is a sacrament, because the Eucharist is received within each Mass. The Mass is also known as a sacrifice, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross which is made present and true each time the Eucharist is celebrated. For Catholics the Mass must be an important aspect in their lives as they journey in their believe in the catholic faith.
This Sacrament involves two Sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation and the Anointing of the sick.
It says ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained (John 20;19, 22-23)
To return to communion with God after having lost it through sin, is a process born of the grace of God who is rich in mercy and solicitous for the salvation of men. One must ask this for this precious gift for oneself and for others.
Many times, illness provokes a search for God and a return to him. He comes to heal the whole man, soul and body. This sacrament can be availed only to Catholics. A person may receive this at an interval of six months if in dire need.
These two sacraments, the sacrament of Holy Orders and Matrimony are directed towards the salvation of others. They contribute as well to personal salvation and also through service to others. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the people of God.
Those who receive the sacrament of holy Orders are consecrated in Christ’s name to feed the Church, with the Word and Grace of God. Though through Baptism all the faithful share in the Priesthood of Christ. The ministerial priesthood differs in essence from the common priesthood of the faithful because it confers a sacred power for the service of the faithful.
To seek an appointment with a priest to share and discern the call, kindly contact the parish office to set an appointment at 603-92849973
The Matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a women 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.
