What is a reasonable way to understand the Sacraments?
The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church are easily appreciated under three headings: Sacraments of Initiation, Sacraments of Healing, and Sacraments at the Service of Communion. SACRAMENTS OF INITATION (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) • “The Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist – lay the foundations of every Christian life.” – Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1212 • Sacrament of Baptism • Christian Initiation of Adults – RCIA • The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) involves preparation for and the celebration of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, which manifest the intimate relationship of these sacraments to one another. The process usually takes place within the context of a parish community or an intentional Catholic worshipping community, i.e. at a college or University. The dual foci of the RCIA for unbaptized adults are: the deepening conversion to Christ and full communion with the Church. The Rite also provides for the initiat
