The Sacraments

Level II/III students talked about the Sacraments as spiritual markers in our journey of faith.  In the Episcopal Church, we take part in certain regular acts of prayer and worship. These are called Sacraments and are a participation in Christ’s ministries on earth. God's activity and presence are not limited to these rites, but the church recognizes them as ways in which God uses material things to reach out to us. The Sacraments are intended to sustain our present hope and anticipate its future fulfillment. The Book of Common Prayer understands the sacraments as "outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace".

The Episcopal Church recognizes seven sacraments. The two "great sacraments of the Gospel" are Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. The other sacraments are Confirmation, Reconciliation, Holy Matrimony, Ordination and the Sacrament of Healing.

After briefly reviewing all seven, we took a close look at Holy Baptism and the Eucharist. We paid special attention to the Pascal Candle and learned about the special meaning of this beautiful symbol of the Risen Christ. We look forward to learning more about the Eucharist in the coming week.