The document discusses the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It provides details on each individual sacrament such as their institution by Jesus, their essential elements, and who can receive them. The seven sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. Each was instituted by Christ and serves as an outward sign of an inward grace, imparting spiritual benefits upon those who receive them worthily.

1. THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS
1. BAPTISM
2. CONFIRMATION
3. EUCHARIST
4. PENANCE
5. ORDINATION
6. MARRIAGE
7. ANOINTING OF THE SICK

2. The sacraments are efficient signs of the
grace
• SIGNS. A sacraments is a “visible sign of an invisible reality”. For
example: in Baptism, the visible sign is the water, the invisible reality
is the coming of the Holy Spirit. “Sacrament” is the Latin translation
of the Greek word “mystery”.
• EFFICIENT. The seven sacraments are efficient signs, because they
make effective the invisible reality they represent. The Sacraments
are always valid, even if the minister is in the state of moral sin,
because it is Christ himself who administers them.

3. OF THE GRACE. The Sacraments are efficient signs of the grace,
because they transmit the grace of God. The sanctifying grace is the
friendship and communion with God. It is lost anytime we commit sin.
The Sacramental grace is the one given by each Sacrament, which helps
us fulfill our duties.
Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordination can be received once only,
because they impart the “character”. The character is a spiritual seal
which consecrates us to Christ. It cannot be erased, nor repeated.

4. • The seven sacraments were instituted by Christ himself. The Church
does not have the power to establish any sacrament, but only to
celebrate them in the name of Christ.
• Each sacrament has three essentials elements: minister, matter and
form. The minister is the one who administers the sacrament. The
matter is the visible object which is used in the sacrament. The form
is the wording used by the minister to administer the sacrament.

5. The Church uses four liturgical colors.
Green, during ordinary time. White, on the feasts of
Jesus Christ and of the Virgin Mary. Red, on the feasts of the apostles
and of the martyrs. Violet, during Advent, Lent, and funeral masses.
Aside from the seven sacraments there are the sacramental and the
popular religiosity. The sacramental are sacred signs which sanctify the
different circumstances of our life. The most common are: blessings,
exorcism, and religious professions . Popular religiosity are the different
prayers which help to incarnate the Gospel in the ordinary life of the
people and in the different cultures. The most common among them
are: the Holy Rosary, the carrying of medals and scapulars, the Way of
the Cross, the processions, and the pilgrimages.

6. BAPTISM
Jesus
Jesus instituted the sacrament of Baptism when he said to his apostles: Go,
therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28: 19).
We must be baptized in order to be saved. Jesus said: I tell you most solemnly,
unless a man is born through water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God (John 3: 5). However, there are three kinds of Baptism. The sacramental
Baptism, which is required by those who receive the sacrament of Baptism.
The Baptism of blood, which is received by the martyrs who died for Jesus
Christ before being baptized. The Baptism of desire, which is received by those
who followed the will of God, but did not have the opportunity to know the
Church and to be baptized.

7. THE FRUITS OF BAPTISM
• The original sin is forgiven. Baptism frees us from the guilt and the
eternal punishment of the original sin. However, our human nature
remains weak and inclined to sin.
• We become children of God. As Scripture says: The Spirit you
received is the Spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out: Abba, Father!
The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are
children of God ( Romans 8: 15-16).

8. • We become members of the Church. Scripture says: Your bodies are
members making up the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 6: 15). The
Protestant receive a valid Baptism, but they do not belong to the
Christian Catholic Church.
• We receive the character. The character is a spiritual and indelible
seal, which consecrates us to Christ for all eternity.

9. THE MINISTER
• The ordinary minister of Baptism is the Bishop, the priest, and the
deacon. The extraordinary minister, in emergency cases, is any person
who intends to baptize according to the intention of the Church, and
baptizes with water in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit.

10. WHO CAN RECEIVE THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
• Any person who believes in Christ, knows the Apostolic Creed, the
ten commandments, the seven sacraments and the Our Father, can
be baptized. The children, who cannot know all these things, are
baptized in the faith of the Church and of their parents and
godparents.
• Adult people, before receiving Baptism, must undertake the
catechumenate. Those who received Baptism when they were
children, must undertake a post-baptismal catechumenate. The
catechumenate is a period of preparation for the faith, the
commandments, the sacraments, the liturgy, and the community life
of the Church. It is divided into several steps, and sanctified by sacred
rites.
WHO CAN RECEIVE THE SACRA

11. We can receive Baptism only once. The Protestant, in order to enter
into Catholic Church, must be baptized again “under condition”, or
undertake the ‘’Rite of Incorporation to the Catholic Church”.
MATTER
The matter of baptism is water. The baptismal water,
by the power of the Holy Spirit, gives death to the old
man, who was corrupted by the original sin, and gives
life to the new one, who is born again in Jesus Christ.

12. CONFIRMATION
JESUS
Jesus instituted the sacrament of
confirmation when he breathed on his
disciples and said to them: As the Father
sent me, so I am sending you. Receive
the Holy Spirit (John 20: 21-22).

13. •The confirmation in the Spirit took
place for the first time on Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit, like tongues of fire,
came over the apostle and Mary
gathered in prayer in the Cenacle (Acts
2: 1-4).

14. •Thereafter, the Confirmation in the Spirit
took place any time the apostles laid their
hands over the disciples. As Scripture say:
They were baptized in the name of Lord
Jesus, and the moment Paul had laid hands
on them the Holy Spirit came down on them
(Acts 19: 6).

15. THE FRUITS OF CONFIRMATION
We receive the Holy Spirit. Together with the
Spirit we receive also his seven gifts: wisdom,
intellect, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and
fear of the Lord.
We become soldiers of Christ. We confirm our
faith, and become witnesses of Christ till death.

16. THE MINISTER
The minister of Confirmation is the
Bishop. The priest can administer the
Confirmation only in danger of death, or
in special cases.

17. WHO CAN RECEIVE CONFIRMATION
•Only the Christian Catholic can receive the
sacrament of Confirmation. Before receiving
Confirmation, we must prove that know the
Apostolic Creed, the ten commandments, the
seven sacraments, and the Our Father. We can
receive the Confirmation once only, because it
communicates the character.

18. •Confirmation should be given only to person
who have the use of reason. In danger of death,
it can be given also to children. Every one who
receives Confirmation must be accompanied by
two godparents. They should be the same of
Baptism. Before receiving Confirmation we must
receive the sacraments of Penance.

19. MATTER
The laying of hands. As Scripture say: Peter
and John laid hands on them, and they
receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8: 15. 17).

20. • The sacred chrism, which makes us prophets, kings, and
priests like Jesus Christ. The names Christ and Christians
come from the word “Chrism”, which means anointed. The
Sacred Chrism is olive oil mixed with perfume. It is
consecrated by the Bishop on Holy Thursday. The perfume
means that those receive the Confirmation must bring into
the world the sweet smell of Christ. Sometimes, the Bishop
slaps the cheek of the candidates, to signify that the soldiers
of Christ must endure bravely all kinds of trials.

21. EUCHARIST
JESUS
Jesus Instituted the sacraments of the Eucharist during the last
supper. As Jesus was eating with his apostles, he took some bread, and
when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. He said:
Take it, this is my body. Then he took a cup, and when he had returned
thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them:
this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out
for many (Mark 14: 22-24).

22. • The Eucharist is also called the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass, and the Memorial of Jesus’ Resurrection. The Lord’s
Supper, because any time we celebrate the Eucharist we remember
the last supper of Jesus. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, because in
every Eucharist it is repeated the passion and death on the Cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ. The Memorial of Jesus’ resurrection, because in
every Eucharist is made present the glorious resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Eucharist is a Greek word which means “thanksgiving”,
because in the Mass we give thanks to the Lord for all he has done for
us.

23. • The bread and wine, at the moment of the
consecration, become the real body and blood of
Christ. As Jesus said: This is my body, which is for you;
do this as a memorial of me. This cup is the new
covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this
as a memorial of me (1 Corinthians 11: 24-26).

24. THE FRUITS OF THE EUCHARIST
• We receive the body and blood of Christ. Jesus is present in a real
and substantial way, with his person, body, soul, and divinity. As Jesus
said: He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live
in him (John 6:56).
• We repair for the sins of the living and the dead. The Eucharist has
the power to forgive the venial sins. We offer the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass also for the souls in Purgatory.
• We are in communion with the Church, and we receive eternal life.
Jesus said: I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day ( John 6: 51. 54).

25. THE MINISTER
The minister of the Eucharist is the Bishop and
the priest. They celebrate the Mass “In Person
Christ” , which means in the person of Christ. The
Bishops and the priest celebrate the Mass for
free. However, the faithful have duty to give their
offering in order to support their daily necessities.

26. WHO CAN RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION
Every Christian Catholic can receive Holy Communion if
he is in the state of grace. We commit a sacrilege if we
receive Holy Communion with a mortal sin in our soul.
Scripture say: Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the
cup of the Lord unworthy will be behaving unworthy
towards the body and blood of the Lord (1 Corinthians
11: 27). Before receiving Holy Communion we must
confess all our mortal sins.

27. The Church invites us to receive the Holy Communion
any time we attend to the Holy Mass. All the faithful
must attend to the Holy Mass every Sunday and all
feast of obligations, and receive the Holy Communion
at least once a year, on Easter time. Those who attend
to the Eucharist every day, will receive countless
materials and spiritual grace from the Lord.

28. Jesus is present in the bread alone, in the blood alone, and in the
body and blood together. The best thing is to receive Holy Communion
under the two species of bread and wine, because Jesus said: Take it
and eat, this is my body. Drink all of you from this, for this is my blood
(Matthew 26: 26-28). However, even if we receive the bread alone, we
receive the whole Jesus Christ, in his body, blood, soul, and divinity.
If we really love the Lord, we not only attend to the Holy Mass, but
we also visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament. We have to adore and
thank the Lord for all the grace he has given us.

29. THE MATTER
The matter of the Eucharist is the bread and wine.
Following the example of Jesus, the bread must be
wheat, and the wine of the vine. The mass is invalid if
we use any other matter, like the bread of corn, or the
wine of coconut.

30. PENANCE
JESUS
Jesus instituted the sacrament of Penance when he
said to the apostle: As the Father sent me, so I am
sending you. Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose
sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose
sins you retain, they are retained (John 20: 22-23).

31. All of us need the sacrament of Penance, because all of us are sinners.
Scripture says: If we say that we have no sin in us, we are deceiving
ourselves and refusing to admit the truth; but if acknowledge our sins,
then God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and purify us from
every thing is wrong (1 John 1: 8-9).
We cannot say that there is no need to confess our sins to the priest,
and that we can confess our sins straight to God. Jesus gave the power
to forgive sins to Peter, to the apostles and to their successors, when he
said: I will give you the key of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you
loose on earth shall be considered loose in heaven (Matthew 16: 19).

32. WHO CAN RECIVE THE SACRAMENT OF
PENANCE
Every Christian Catholic can receive the sacrament of Penance,
provided he regrets his sins, and promises not to sin again.
Those who are excommunicated, like those who commit abortion,
can be absolved only by the Pope, the Bishops, and those priests
appointed by them. A priest not delegated by the Bishop can absolve
from excommunication only in danger of death.
We must go to confession any time we commit a mortal sin. Every
faithful must go to confession at least once a year. It is a good rule to
confess once a month.

33. THE MATTER
The confession of sins. We must confess one by one all the mortal sins
we did not yet confess. We must not confess the same sins more than
once. However, if a past confession was incomplete and invalid, we
must confess them again. If we hide a mortal sin during confession, for
fear or shame, we commit sacrilege.
The absolution. The priest gives the absolution in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. If the penitent does not
show signs of repentance, the priest cannot give the absolution.

34. ORDINATION
Jesus
Jesus instituted the sacrament of Ordination during the Last Super.
He said to his apostles: This is my body which will be given for you. This
cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this