Sacraments

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Congratulations, God chose you to receive His grace! Thank you for making St. Thomas the Apostle Church a part of your faith journey. We pray for your fruitful journey with us and your loved ones, whether you are just starting your journey or continuing to deepen your Catholic faith. 

What are Sacraments and Sacramentals?

We recognize that the Sacraments have a visible and invisible reality, a reality open to all the human senses but grasped in its God-given depths with the eyes of faith. When parents hug their children, for example, the visible reality we see is the hug. The invisible reality the hug conveys is love. We cannot “see” the love the hug expresses, though sometimes we can see its nurturing effect in the child.

The visible reality we see in the Sacraments is their outward expression, the form they take, and the way in which they are administered and received. The invisible reality we cannot “see” is God’s grace, his gracious initiative in redeeming us through the death and Resurrection of his Son. His initiative is called grace because it is the free and loving gift by which he offers people a share in his life, and shows us his favor and will for our salvation. Our response to the grace of God’s initiative is itself a grace or gift from God by which we can imitate Christ in our daily lives.

The saving words and deeds of Jesus Christ are the foundation of what he would communicate in the Sacraments through the ministers of the Church. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church recognizes the existence of Seven Sacraments instituted by the Lord. They are the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist), the Sacraments of Healing (Penance and the Anointing of the Sick), and the Sacraments at the Service of Communion (Marriage and Holy Orders). Through the Sacraments, God shares his holiness with us so that we, in turn, can make the world holier.

(Source: https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals)

The Seven Sacraments

Sacrament of Baptism Icon
Sacrament of Reconciliation Icon at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Riverside
Sacrament of matrimony icon at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Riverside
Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Riverside
Sacrament of the Holy Orders Icon

Sacraments of Initiation

  • Baptism –

    the incorporation of a new member into Christ and into his body which is the Church.

  • Confirmation – 

    the perfection of the baptismal character and strengthening of ecclesial belonging and of apostolic maturity.

  • Eucharist –

    source and culmination
    of the Christian life, enables our parishes to be Eucharistic communities that sacra- mentally live the encounter with Christ the Savior.

    Source: usccb.org

Sacraments of Healing

  • Penance and Reconciliation –

    the con- version that we all need to turn away from sin, and to embrace our baptismal commitments.

  • Anointing of the Sick –

    the evangelical sense of community members who are seriously ill or in danger of death.

    Source: usccb.org

Sacraments of Service

  • Matrimony –

    love of spouses which
    as God’s grace germinates and grows to maturity making effective in daily life the complete self-giving that they made mutually in marrying.

  • Holy Orders –

    the gift of the apostolic ministry which continues to be exercised in the Church for the pas- toral care of all the faithful.

    Source: usccb.org

Please click on the following links to learn more about the Sacraments:

USCCB on Sacraments and Sacramentals

Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism | Confirmation | Eucharist

Sacraments of Healing: Penance and Reconciliation  |  Anointing of the Sick

SACRAMENTS OF SERVICE:  Matrimony  |  Holy Orders