Biblical. Historical. Liturgical.
Biblical. Historical. Liturgical.
We believe in the seven sacraments traditionally used in the church.
We believe that two sacraments (Dominical Sacraments) only are necessary for salvation: Baptism and Holy Communion. These two sacraments are ordained by Jesus Christ for all Christians.
The other five sacraments (Ecclesiastical Sacraments) are of benefit to many Christians at particular times in their lives. These are Confirmation, Penance and Absolution, Holy Unction or Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Holy Matrimony.
The sacraments are an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace from God.
For more information on the sacraments, visit our FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS page.
Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as children and makes us members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God.
Christian initiation is accomplished by three sacraments together: Baptism which is the beginning of new life; Confirmation which is its strengthening; and the Eucharist which nourishes the disciple with Christ's Body and Blood for his transformation in Christ.
Baptism is birth into the new life in Christ. In accordance with the Lord's will, it is necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself, which we enter by Baptism.
The essential rite of Baptism consists in immersing the candidate in water or pouring water on his head, while pronouncing the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The fruit of Baptism, or baptismal grace, is a rich reality that includes forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins, birth into the new life by which man becomes an adoptive son of the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. By this very fact the person baptized is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made a sharer in the priesthood of Christ.
Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, the character, which consecrates the baptized person for Christian worship.
Since the earliest times, Baptism has been administered to children, for it is a grace and a gift of God that does not presuppose any human merit; children are baptized in the faith of the Church. Entry into Christian life gives access to true freedom.
THEOLOGICAL REASONING
In his dialogue with Nicodemus, Jesus taught that Baptism was necessary for salvation. “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (Jn 3:5). After his Resurrection, Jesus met with the eleven Apostles and gave them the commission to preach the Gospel and baptize, telling them, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk 16:16).
The word baptism in its origins is Greek and means “immersion” and “bath.” Immersion in water is a sign of death and emersion out of the water means new life. To bathe in water is also to undergo cleansing. Saint Paul sums up this truth when he says, “You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead” (Col 2:12).
The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus. Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters. “He comes to sanctify the Jordan for our sake . . . to begin a new creation through the Spirit and water” (St. Gregory Nazianzen, Liturgy of the Hours, I, 634).
Jesus’ immersion in the water is a sign for all human beings of the need to die to themselves to do God’s will. Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin. However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father.
By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin—Original and actual—and begin to live a new life with God.
The Holy Eucharist is commanded by Christ for the continual remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection, until his coming again. Also called the Holy Mass, Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper
THEOLOGICAL REASONING
So rich is the mystery of the Eucharist that we have a number of terms to illumine its saving grace: the Breaking of the Bread; the Lord’s Supper; the Eucharistic Assembly; the Memorial of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection; the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Holy and Divine Liturgy; the Eucharistic Liturgy; Holy Communion; and Holy Mass.
The use of bread and wine in worship is already found in the early history of God’s people. In the Old Testament, bread and wine are seen as gifts from God, to whom praise and thanks are given in return for these blessings and for other manifestations of his care and grace. The story of the priest Melchizedek’s offering a sacrifice of bread and wine for Abraham’s victory is an example of this (Gn 14:18). The harvest of new lambs was also a time for the sacrifice of a lamb to show gratitude to God for the new flock and its contribution to the well-being of the family and tribe.
These ancient rituals were given historical meaning at the Exodus of God’s people. They were united into the Passover Meal as a sign of God’s delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, a pledge of his fidelity to his promises and eventually a sign of the coming of the Messiah and messianic times. Each family shared the lamb that had been sacrificed and the bread over which a blessing had been proclaimed. They also drank from a cup of wine over which a similar blessing had been proclaimed.
When Jesus instituted the Eucharist he gave a final meaning to the blessing of the bread and the wine and the sacrifice of the lamb. The Gospels narrate events that anticipated the Eucharist. The miracle of the loaves and fish, reported in all four Gospels, prefigured the unique abundance of the Eucharist. The miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana manifested the divine glory of Jesus and the heavenly wedding feast in which we share at every Eucharist.
In his dialogue with the people at Capernaum, Christ used his miracle of multiplying the loaves of bread as the occasion to describe himself as the Bread of Life: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop, usually during the Easter Season.
For children who have been baptized, confirmation takes place when the child is in the eighth grade or above. Christian Education class must be attended while in the seventh and eighth grade.
THEOLOGICAL REASONING
Confirmation, together with Baptism and Eucharist, form the Sacraments of Initiation that are all intimately connected. In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized person is “sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” and is strengthened for service to the Body of Christ.
The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God’s Spirit would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission. Their prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus the Messiah was conceived by the Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John.
Jesus’ entire mission occurred in communion with the Spirit. Before he died, Jesus promised that the Spirit would be given to the Apostles and to the entire Church. After his death, he was raised by the Father in the power of the Spirit.
Those who believed in the Apostles’ preaching were baptized and received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. The Apostles baptized believers in water and the Spirit. Then they imparted the special gift of the Spirit through the laying on of hands.
By the second century, Confirmation was also conferred by anointing with holy oil, which came to be called sacred Chrism.
Reconciliation of a Penitent, or Penance, is the rite in which those who repent of their sins may confess them to God in the presence of a priest, or bishop and receive the assurance of pardon and the grace of absolution. Have you ever wanted to know for sure that you were forgiven for a stupid or unkind thing that you’ve done, which still nags at your conscience? Have you ever wanted to discuss the recurring problems of the spiritual life with a priest? Have you ever wanted to have a companion or guide to help you deal with the ups and downs of being a Christian and battling against sin? The sacrament of Confession is given to us as a remedy for all these concerns. When we make a confession to a priest, we tell him the things we have done wrong. We are given advice and counsel, and the priest then pronounces absolution. Absolution is when a priest declares we are forgiven our sins in the name of Jesus himself. Absolution lets us know for sure that that those things on our conscience are put away forever, and that God forgives us. It is clear from the New Testament this practice took place in apostolic times, and many find it today a freeing gift and wonderful source of strength. The clergy at St. Francis is always available to hear confessions either before or after each celebration of the Mass. Please contact us if you would like to find another time more convenient or want to make an appointment for spiritual direction. The clergy are always happy to talk beforehand about how to make a good confession with anyone who has never used this sacrament before.
THEOLOGICAL REASONING
The Sacrament of Penance must be seen within the context of conversion from sin and a turn to God. Peter wept bitterly over his denial of Christ but received the grace of conversion and expressed it with a confession of love for Jesus (Lk 22:54-62; Jn 21:15-19). Paul was converted from persecuting Christians to becoming one of the greatest disciples of Christ who ever lived (Acts 9:1-31). These moments of conversion were only the beginning of their lifelong commitment to living in fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sin harms our relationship with God and damages our communion with the Church. Conversion of heart is the beginning of our journey back to God. Liturgically this happens in the Sacrament of Penance. In the history of the Church, this Sacrament has been celebrated in different ways. Beneath the changes, there have always been two essentials: the acts of the penitent and the acts of Christ through the ministry of the Church. Both go hand in hand. Conversion must involve a change of heart as well as a change of actions. Neither is possible without God’s grace.
Sometimes called "Unction of the Sick". Unction is the rite of anointing the sick with oil, or the laying on of hands, by which God’s grace is given for the healing of spirit, mind, and body.
Due to federal privacy laws, hospitals cannot contact churches when a parishioner enters the hospital. Please call our office when you or a member of your family enters – or plans to enter – the hospital. Arrangements for the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick can be made when a person is homebound, in advance of scheduled surgery or when a person is admitted to the hospital.
In addition, arrangements can be made to bring Holy Communion to a person who is unable to come to Mass.
THEOLOGICAL REASONING
The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient. The Sacrament may be repeated if the sick person recovers after the anointing but becomes ill once again, or if, during the same illness, the person’s condition becomes more serious. A person should be anointed before surgery when a dangerous illness is the reason for the intervention.
Moreover, elderly people may be anointed if they are in weak condition even though no dangerous illness is present. Sick children may be anointed if they have sufficient use of reason to be comforted by this sacrament. The faithful should be encouraged to ask for the anointing, and, as soon as the time for the anointing comes, to receive it with faith and devotion, not misusing the sacrament by putting it off.
Only bishops and priests may be ministers of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. A penitential rite followed by the Liturgy of the Word opens the celebration. Scripture awakens the faith of the sick and family members and friends to pray to Christ for the strength of his Holy Spirit. The priest lays his hands on the head of the sick person. He then proceeds to anoint, with the blessed Oil of the Sick, the forehead and hands of the sick person.
For those who are about to depart from this life, the Church offers the person Penance, Anointing of the Sick, and the Eucharist.
Holy Matrimony is Christian marriage, in which those coming to the church to seek this sacrament enter into a life-long union, make their vows before God and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their vows.
THEOLOGICAL REASONING
Sacred Scripture begins with the creation and union of man and woman and ends with “the wedding feast of the Lamb” (Rev 19:7, 9). Scripture often refers to marriage, its origin and purpose, the meaning God gave to it, and its renewal in the covenant made by Jesus with his Church.
God created mankind out of love and commanded them to imitate his love in their relations with each other. Woman and man are equal in human dignity. In Marriage, two souls united in an unbreakable bond.
Jesus brought to full awareness the divine plan for marriage. In John’s Gospel, Christ’s first miracle occurs at the wedding in Cana.
The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant, which is more than a contract. Covenant always expresses a relationship between persons. The marriage covenant refers to the relationship between the couple, a permanent union of persons capable of knowing and loving each other and God. For many the celebration of marriage is also a liturgical act, appropriately held in a public liturgy at church.
Anglicans, although not required, are urged to celebrate their marriage within the Eucharistic Liturgy.
Holy Orders is Ordination. Ordination is the rite in which God gives authority and the grace of the Holy Spirit to those being made bishops, priests, and deacons, through prayer and the laying on of hands by bishops in apostolic succession from Jesus Christ.
The steps below outline the process as practiced in this church.
Vocation
Vocation or a call to ordained life starts with a person hearing or sensing that God is calling him or her to seek a more intimate and deeper relationship with Him?
Discernment
Once a candidate has accepted that they have a vocation, a period, often referred to as Discernment, follows. This is a marked period of time in which the candidate evaluates several aspects of religious life under the guidance of a Spiritual Advisor. Should the candidate so choose, postulancy follows.
Postulancy
EVERY step is taken to ensure that a candidate is well paired with the community they intend to join. A Postulant is a person who has been accepted by the bishop as a candidate for ordination and is in the process of being trained.
Licensed Lay Reader
A licensed lay reader or lay minister is a person authorized by a bishop in the Anglican Communion to lead certain services of worship, to preach, and to carry out pastoral and teaching functions. They are formally trained and admitted to office, but they remain part of the laity, not of the clergy.
Transitional Diaconate
A category of clergy who are ordained deacon in preparation for being ordained priest. Clergy in the transitional diaconate tend to spend up to six months serving as deacons, after which ordination to the priesthood takes place following further review and inquiry.
Permanent Diaconate
A category of clergy who are ordained as deacons and intend to remain as deacons for the rest of their lives, without being further ordained to the priesthood. Such people recognize their vocation to be that of ministry and service, rather than presiding.
Priesthood
A person who is in the process of being ordained. Preparation is done, and the day of ordination has arrived. Before, during, and after the liturgy, the brand new, freshly robed priest is correctly called an “ordained”.
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