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Sacraments
But first, what is a
sacrament? The traditional definition of a sacrament is
this: "A sacrament is a visible sign, instituted by Christ,
to give grace." There are three statements here:
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A visible sign: An
action is performed by a minister (usually a priest). For
example, when a baby is baptized in the church the priest
pours water over its head and at the same time says the
words "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit." That is a visible sign.
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Instituted by Christ:
The Lord Jesus Christ instructed His church to offer the
seven sacraments to His followers. For example, His
directive to His disciples in Matthew's Gospel (28/19),
"Go then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my
disciples; baptize them in the name of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit and teach them to obey everything
I have commanded you."
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To give grace: At the
risk of over simplifying something that is very complex,
we could describe grace as God's free gift of Himself as
the controlling influence in our life and the decisions we
make once we have committed ourselves to Him in faith.
In summary we can say that a
sacrament is one of the means God has chosen to influence
our life in the direction of his purpose for giving us life.
The Sacrament
of Baptism
If we refer back to the first
paragraph and the analogy we make about "Womb to Tomb" we
can see this sacrament as the sacrament of spiritual birth.
It is not the belief of the Catholic church that children
are born as sinful people. Rather they are seen as being
born into a sinful state. Christian baptism is the means God
has chosen to help his children to tread through the rather
murky waters of a sinful, selfish and godless world.
St. Ambrose:
To have a child baptized at St.
Ambrose, at least one parent must be a practicing Catholic,
registered at this church for at least six months, and
regularly attending Mass and participating in the life of
the parish. Baptisms are administered Sundays at 1:00 pm.
To inquire about baptism and the baptismal preparation
session, please contact Religious Education Office at
330-225-3116.
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Confirmation
This sacrament (sign) is the
one that suggests to us the wonderful in pouring of the
strength of the Holy Spirit which enables us to walk with
strength and conviction through the murky waters of the
world that is not truly God-centered. This sacrament can be
seen as God's injection of spiritual vitamins for the
journey through life.
St. Ambrose: For
more information about Confirmation at St. Ambrose, please
contact Religious Education Office at 330-225-3116.
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The Sacrament
of Reconciliation
The sacrament of Reconciliation
(Confession, Penance) is the means and the sign that Christ
gave us to show His willingness to heal us when, through our
own human frailty, we turn in on ourselves and away from Him
and our neighbor. This is the sign God has given us that
through the words of His priest ("I now absolve you from
your sins") whatever harm we have done to our relationship
with our God is healed and we are restored to a state of
warm friendship with our Father in heaven.
St. Ambrose:
Confessions are heard every Saturday afternoon from 3:30 to
4:00, periodically in public Penance Services, and anytime
by appointment. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
gives a thorough treatment to this topic in sections
1422-1498. Please study those paragraphs carefully and
resolve to seek the mercy of God through the best means He
has given us for repentance, conversion, and reconciliation:
the confession and absolution of sins in the Sacrament of
Penance.
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Click Here For Your Confession Guide
Anointing of
the Sick
This sacrament used to be known
as the sacrament of Extreme Unction because it involved the
dying person and the priest in a rite of departure from this
life into the next life with God. It is again a sign. It is
the sign of a God who has sustained us through life now in
attendance for our transfer from this earthly life to the
eternal life with God.
St. Ambrose: If
you are a parishioner at St. Ambrose and desire to receive
the Sacrament of Anointing, please contact the rectory at
330-225-3116.
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The Sacrament
of Holy Orders
Without being too clever about
it, one could call the Catholic priesthood the civil service
of the Lord. The sacrament is that which guarantees the
on-going life of the church - the Body of Christ. Holy
Orders maintains that relationship with God that is the
right and privilege of His people.
The priesthood is the vehicle
that God, through His Son, chose to maintain the regular
flow of His grace and blessings through the sacraments. The
priest, through this sacrament of Holy Orders, offers
sacrifice to God (through the Mass); forgives sins (through
the sacrament of Reconciliation); heals the sick according
to the will of God (through the sacrament of Anointing);
welcomes new people into God's community the church (through
Baptism) and cements with the love of God the union of man
and woman in marriage (through the sacrament of Matrimony).
Additional information
concerning a vocation, please contact the rectory or check
out Church
Vocations or
A-Full-Life.
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The Sacrament
of Matrimony
Man and woman could wed and
through their union produce children without the
intervention of the priesthood. But the sacrament of
Matrimony is God's way of blessing a union He has already
created and sanctioned. To return to our original analogy
"From Womb to Tomb" God, through His sacraments, blesses all
the stages of our living and dying. The sacraments are the
sign that we can walk with God and that He most certainly
walks with us.
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St. Ambrose:
Marriage Guidelines and
Wedding Liturgy Planning Form (DOC)
The
Sacrament of Holy Eucharist
Just as we need food to sustain
us through the long hard climb that we know as life, so in
the climb to the spiritual goal we need sustentation. This
is the Eucharist, the Bread of Life, the Cup of Eternal
Salvation.
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