Sacraments
“The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify [men] people, to
build up the body of Christ, and finally, to give worship to God. Because
they are signs they also instruct. They not only presuppose faith, but
by words and objects they also nourish, strengthen, and express it;
that is why they are called “sacraments of faith.” They
do indeed impart grace, but, in addition, the very act of celebrating
them disposes the faithful most effectively to receive this grace in
a fruitful manner, to worship God duly, and to practice charity.
It is therefore of capital importance that the faithful easily understand
the sacramental signs, and with great eagerness have frequent recourse
to those sacraments which were instituted to nourish the Christian life.”
SacrosanctumConcilium – Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy ( §59
)
St. John the Baptist Catholic Community places a special emphasis on the full understanding of the sacramental signs and on the congregation’s full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations. Therefore we require proper preparation for each sacrament on every age level and we encourage their communal celebration within the Eucharist. Our sacramental preparation programs are parallel and in addition to the ongoing religious formation and they aim to involve the entire family.