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Sacraments

The Sacraments - Christ instituted the Sacraments of the new law. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. The seven Sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: They give birth and increase healing and grace in the Christian's life of faith.

Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist are the three Sacraments of Christian initiation. The Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick are the Sacraments of healing. Holy Orders and Matrimony are Sacraments directed towards the salvation of others.

 

Anointing of the Sick  

The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has as its purpose the conferral of a special grace on the Christian who has been badly injured, is gravely ill or of old age. After having received the Sacrament, it may be received again if the person's condition worsens. The celebration consists essentially in the anointing of the forehead and hands of the patient accompanied by the liturgical prayer of the celebrant asking for the special grace of this Sacrament. The actual anointing can take place in a family home, a hospital, care facility or church for a single person or a whole group of persons. It is fitting to celebrate this Sacrament along with the reception of the Eucharist.

The special grace of this Sacrament has certain effects: the uniting of the person to the passion of Christ, for the person's own good and that of the whole church; the strengthening, peace and courage to endure the sufferings involved in the person's condition; the forgiveness of sins if the person was not able to obtain it through the Sacrament of Penance; restoration of health if it is conducive to the salvation of the person's soul; the preparation for passing over to eternal life.

The Anointing of the Sick will rarely heal the anguish and damage of the body. The sacrament is intended to heal first any anguish and damage to the soul. 

If you, or a loved one, needs the sacrament of anointing, please contact the parish office at 928.634.2933.

 

Baptism                        

Special Baptism

Baptism is the first of all Sacraments - the first to be received and the most important and essential of all the Sacraments. Baptism can be received only once before any other Sacrament may be received and, what is most important, removes all sin, original sin and any other sins. Baptism makes us children of God and heirs to the kingdom of Heaven. The reception of Baptism is necessary for salvation to be possible. To begin baptism preparation, please contact the parish office at 928.634.2933.

 

Matrimony (Marriage)

The Sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church and gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church. The grace of the Sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity and sanctifies them.

The couple confer the Sacrament on one another, and the clerical minister is merely the Church's witness. The essential element of the Sacrament is not the specific words spoken but the  assent within each of their minds and hearts to take responsibility for the other person until one of them dies. The celebration of marriage between two Catholic faithful normally takes place during Holy Mass because of the connection of all the Sacraments with the Paschal mystery of Christ. It is fitting that the spouses should seal their consent to give themselves to each other through the offering of their own  lives by uniting it to the offering of Christ for his Church made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice and by receiving the Eucharist together.

In the Diocese of Phoenix Marriage Preparation classes are required. This is a nine month course. Please contact the Parish Office at 928-634-2933 at least ten months before setting a Wedding date.

 

Holy Orders 

Holy Orders is the Sacrament of Apostolic Ministry whereby men become bishops, priests and deacons. The three degrees of the Sacrament are: episcopate, presbyterate and diaconate.

The bishop receives the fullness of the Sacrament that integrates him into the episcopal college and makes him the visible head of a particular church or physical area. As successors of the apostles and members of the college, bishops share in the apostolic responsibility and mission of the whole church under the authority of the Pope, the successor of St. peter. Priests are united with the bishops in dignity and depend on them in the exercise of their pastoral functions and receive from bishops the charge of parish communities or some other ecclesial office. Priests are consecrated in order to preach the Gospel and shepherd the faithful as well as celebrate divine worship, hear confessions, witness vows, etc. Deacons are ministers ordained for tasks of service to the church including ministry of the word, pastoral governance and works of charity under the direction of their bishop.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by the bishop only on baptized men whose suitability for exercise of the ministry has been recognized. Ordination does not confer or guarantee any particular qualities or the spiritual condition of those ordained. What ordination does confer and guarantee is the effectiveness of all the Sacraments on receptive candidates.

 

The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance/Confession)    

Jesus instituted this sacrament when He said to His apostles: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." To the eyes of faith no evil is graver than sin, nothing has worse consequences for sinners themselves and for the Church. However, through the mercy of God, no sin is too great that it can't be forgiven. It is by the process of Confession, by confession our sins to the priest, that we are able to gain forgiveness for sins committed after Baptism and be reconciled with God and the Church.

God forgives, the priest being His representative and conduit. The Sacrament will not be valid and efficacious unless the penitent is totally honest with the intention of avoiding in the future what sins have just been confessed.

Confessions at Immaculate Conception are held on Thursdays after the 8:30am Mass; Friday at 8am; and Saturday at 4pm.

 

The Eucharist (Holy Communion)

The Eucharist is the very core of Catholicism, the heart and the summit of the Church's life. The Eucharist is the Most Holy Sacrament, the source of our communion with Christ and one another.

At the Last Supper, Christ instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice as He took bread and wine and offered them to his Apostles as his own Body and Blood, telling them "...do this in memory of me." Christ instituted the Eucharist as the memorial of his death and Resurrection. It is the firm belief of Catholics that as bread and wine are consecrated by a priest during Mass that they actually become through the process of transubstantiation the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Savior. Because Christ has said "...he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life..." it makes clear how important receiving the Eucharist is to our spiritual lives and progress. The Eucharist unites us to Christ and at the same time cleanses us from past sins and helps preserve us from future sins.

 

Confirmation

Confirmation is a Sacrament of the Holy Spirit. Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace as the Holy Spirit comes upon us to root us more deeply in the family of faith, incorporate us more firmly in Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words and deeds. Confirmation gives us added courage and conviction to face the challenges of living our Christian values in a sometimes hostile environment. Confirmation, like Baptism, imprints a spiritual mark or indelible character on a Christian's soul. For this reason a person can receive this Sacrament only once.