A church sacrament is a holy ordinance through which the believer
receives an invisible grace under the form of an outward sign, visible
or audible.
There are seven sacraments
1. Baptism (Mistre Timket)
2. Confirmation (Mistre Meron)
3. Penance (Mistre Niseha)
4. Holy Communion (Mistre Qurban)
5. Unction of the Sick (Mistre Kendil)
6. Matrimony (Mistre Teklil), and
7. The Holy Orders (Mistre Kehenet).
The first four sacraments are necessary to every believer and although
the other three are not necessary for every believer, yet Matrimony
and Holy Orders are very necessary to the church, the first being
necessary for the preservation and growth of mankind, and the second
for consecrating the clergy required to perform the various church
services, because they can never be performed by the laity.
Certain prayers are set for each sacrament to ask for blessing
of the Holy Spirit.
Who has the right to perform Church Sacraments?
A bishop may perform any church sacraments, but there must be at
least three bishops for the consecration of a bishop in the sacrament
of Holy Orders; a priest cannot confer Holy Orders, but he can perform
the other six sacraments; a deacon can only help the bishop or the
priest in celebrating the seven sacraments.
1. The Sacraments of Baptism (Mistre Timket)
Baptism is the sacrament through which a person is born again and
accepted into the membership of the church after being dipped into
water three times in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit.
Baptism is the first of all the sacraments because it is considered
as the door through which the believer enters the church and the
kingdom of God according to what was said by the lord: "Except
a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God." (John 3:5) Therefore, believers must receive
Baptism before they can receive any other sacrament.
Our church teaches that those who have been validly baptized must
not be baptized again. This is what St. Paul affirmed: "One
Lord, one faith, one baptism." (Eph. 4:5)
The reasons why baptism must not be repeated are:
· Baptism is a rebirth, or regeneration. We cannot be spiritually
born more than once as a man is born bodily only once.
· Baptism is the partaking of Christ's death and resurrection
(Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12) And Christ died and arose only once.
Even when Christians reject the faith and come back again to the
church, they are not baptized again. In this case, it is sufficient
that they perform the two sacraments, Penance and Holy Communion.
Who has the right to baptize?
The right was primarily given to the Apostles by the Lord Himself.
"Go ye therefore, teach all nations baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matt.
28:9) Then it was given to bishops, and afterwards to the priests.
2. The Sacraments of Confirmation (Mistre Meron)
Confirmation is the sacrament through which the believer is granted
the gift of the Holy Spirit that alone can confirm him in the new
life given to him through Baptism. Like the Sacrament of Baptism,
this sacrament can never be repeated.
Time of Administration: Since the believer through this sacrament
is confirmed in the new life given to him after Baptism, it should
therefore be administrated directly after Baptism.
In the early days, the church used to celebrate this by laying
on hands. "Then they laid (Peter and John) their hands on them
and they received the Holy Spirit." (Acts 8:17)
The laying of hands was afterwards replaced by the unction of the
holy oil (mairoun). "But we have an unction from the Holy one,
and we know all things. The anointing which we have received of
Him abides in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as
the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and
is not lie, and even as it has thought you, ye shall abide in Him."
(John 2:20, 27)
Certain parts of the body have to be anointed with this oil after
saying certain prayers.
Through this sacrament the believer receives the gift of the Holy
Spirit which confirms him in the new life given to him in Baptism,
gives him the power of growing in that new life, enlightens and
teaches him all things (John 2:20, 21), and keeps him firm in the
way of truth.
The seven gifts of Holy Spirit - wisdom, understanding, counsel,
might, knowledge, godliness, and the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2)
- are given to the believers through this sacrament.
Who has the right to anoint?
This right was primarily confined to the Apostles. From them it
was conveyed to the bishops, their successors. But owing to the
difficulties of travel and the impossibility of the bishops being
able to confirm all over large dioceses, the custom arose of the
bishops blessing the oil, and then allowing the priests to anoint
with the oil, and so convey the blessing of the bishop.
3. The Sacrament of Penance (Mistre Niseha)
Although believers are reborn through the sacraments of Baptism
and receive the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of Confirmation,
yet this does not mean that they have got immunity against sin.
For this reason, the sacrament of Penance was instituted in order
that through it the sinner can return to God after confessing his
sins to the priest. According to the power given by Christ to His
ministers to absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe in
Him, the penitent receives, through the meditation of the priest,
forgiveness of sins when he comes to him repenting and confessing
them.
Because it is very necessary that every one should examine themselves
before accepting the Holy Communion, the sacrament of Penance is
administered generally before accepting the Holy Communion. "Let
a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread, and drink
of that cup. For that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and
drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."
(1 Cor. 11:28, 29)
Who has the right to administer this sacrament?
This right was primarily confined to the Apostles. Afterwards,
it was transferred to their successors, the bishops; then to the
priests who are in contact with the people.
4. Sacrament of the Holy Communion (Mistre Qurban)
This is the crowning service of the Christian Church, the culmination
of Christian worship, the summit of Christian experience where devout
believers hold intimate communion with their living Lord. The church
through the ages has regarded this sacrament as the supreme act
of communal worship.
Through this sacrament we eat the blessed flesh of our Lord, and
drink His precious blood in the form of bread and wine.
It is called:
· The Holy Communion;
· The Lord's Table;
· The flesh and blood of Christ;
· The Eucharist
Who has the right to celebrate this sacrament?
Our lord gave the right to the Apostles when He told them, "This
do in my remembrance." (Luke 22:19) And the Apostles gave it
to their successors, the bishops. But because Christianity was soon
spread, the bishops could not go to all towns and villages to celebrate
the sacrament. For this reason, they gave the right to the priests.
The deacons can only help the bishops and the priests. The laity
is strictly forbidden to celebrate.
5. The Sacrament of the Unction of the Sick (Mistre Kendil)
Unction of the sick is the sacrament through which the priest anoints
the body of the sick, asking for divine grace to care both body
and soul.
The difference between this sacrament and that of Penance is that
the latter is administered for all Christians and for healing spiritual
diseases; while the first is administered only for the sick and
for healing bodily and spiritual diseases.
Who has the Right to celebrate this Sacrament?
Although this right was given to priests, yet of course the bishops
can celebrate the sacrament if they like. But it was given to the
priests because they are in direct contact with the congregation.
6. The Sacrament of Matrimony (Mistre Teklil)
The Sacrament of Matrimony is the Holy service through which the
bridegroom and the bride are united together and given the divine
grace, which sanctifies their matrimonial union, makes it perfect
and spiritual like the unity of Christ and the church.
This sacrament is of a very great importance. In it not only the
lives of the two people, but the home, the state, the Church, the
kingdom of God are deeply involved. It is not a sacrament to be
regarded lightly or performed thoughtlessly and in discriminately.
Who has the Right to celebrate this Sacrament?
This right is given to priests. Bishops can also celebrate this
sacrament.
7. The Sacrament of the Holy Orders (Mistre Kehenet)
"Holy Orders" is the sacrament through which the clergy
are ordained to celebrate the various church services including
the sacraments.
There are degrees of the Holy Orders. The major orders are: the
episcopate, priesthood and deaconate. The minor ones include sub
deacons, deaconesses who assist in the baptism and confirmation
of females, anagnosts or masters of ceremony, singers, doorkeepers
and others.
Who has the Right to celebrate this Sacrament?
The episcopate, priesthood and deaconate were instituted by Jesus
Christ and delivered to us by the Apostles and their successors.
A man not ordained according to that institution cannot celebrate
the Eucharist or perform any office of a priest.
