What is the relationship between all the sacraments?

The answer

The Holy Spirit works in the life of the universal Church, as well as in the life of every member, by offering the believer suitable gifts especially through the Sacraments of the Church.

a. In the sacrament of baptism, the believer enjoys the spiritual birth, becoming a child

of God, and a fellow citizen of the house of God (Eph. 2:19). He speaks to God as a child saying, “Our Father who art in heaven” (Matt. 6:9) and thus he benefits from Christ’s gift to be a member of His body and awaits His second coming when He takes His bride to eternal glory.

b. After baptism, the person is anointed with the holy Myron, chrismation or the

sacrament of confirmation, where the Holy Spirit dwells in the person and guides

him for the rest of his life, granting him power, knowledge, and growth from glory to glory.

c. The sacrament of the eucharist (or of thanksgiving), where we partake of the body

of the crucified Christ who rose from the dead, and His blood as the spiritual food for our souls.

d. The sacrament of repentance and confession, where we enjoy healing from our

spiritual sicknesses such as sin, breaking the commandments, our negligence in our spiritual growth and in our spiritual struggle for the salvation of our souls and that of our brethren.

e. In the sacrament of matrimony, the priest or the bishop raises the eyes of the couple

and the congregation to the crowning of the saints by the heavenly Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. As for those who are physically and spiritually celibate, Origen says that celibacy is a spiritual royal path through which the soul delights in her unity with the heavenly Bridegroom, Christ Jesus. Henri Crouzel says, “Virginity makes the union of Christ and the soul more possible. It is thus a witness both to the first and the last things because it evokes the perfect marriage of Christ and Church which was present in the pre-existence and will be again at the Resurrection. The Church, Bride and Virgin, holds her virginity from the chastity of her members leading a life either of virginity or of chastity according to the state in which they find themselves. So chastity appropriate to the state of marriage is an element in the virginity of the Church.”¹²⁸⁵

f. In the sacrament of unction of the sick, the priest prays for healing from spiritual

infirmities as well as physical ones, according to what God sees suitable for the sick person’s spiritual growth and salvation.

g. In the sacrament of priesthood, the Holy Spirit supports those who are called to

priesthood to perform the heavenly sacraments through them and leads them to raise humble and successful leaders, even children, as St. Paul did when he ordained young bishops, like Timothy, Titus, and Onesimus the fugitive slave, as well as when he raised leaders from families like Aquila and Priscilla who showed Apollos the Lord’s way (Acts 18:26).

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty