Ms. Pedalino
Religion 9
The Symbolic Power of the 7 Christian Sacraments
Many religious traditions believe that we are created in the image of God,
which means that we are energy duplicates of a Divine Power. Eastern religions
teach that the human body contains seven energy centers. Each of these energy
centers contain a universal spiritual life-lesson that we must learn as we evolve
into maturity and higher consciousness. The components of the Christian
sacraments parallel the idea of seven stages for life lessons and the receiving of
grace. Our life’s purpose is to understand and develop the power of our spirit,
power that is vital to our mental and physical well-being. What fuels our spirit
fuels our bodies, what drains our spirit drains our bodies. We are biological
creations of Divine design.
Our seven sacred sacraments provide symbolic tasks for growth into spiritual
maturity. Each sacrament represents a stage of maturity that invites God directly
into our lives. They empower us with peace, physical and emotional health in our
thoughts and actions. In combining the wisdom of Eastern philosophy’s Chakra
system and the sacred power in the Christian sacraments, we understand how
matter and spirit interact. Each sacrament holds the power of one single sacred
truth.
Sacrament of Baptism: The power of this first stage is that We are One. We are
all part of one Divine family, beginning with the bond to our biological family.
Your family makes the commitment to create a strong foundation of faith for your
healthy formation of identity. Through this sacrament we realize that we are
responsible to honor our family by living respectfully within the human
community. You live your Baptismal vows when you respect all life.
Sacrament of Communion: The power of this second stage is to Honor One
Another. Through this sacrament we receive the power to form relationships.
Communion symbolizes the bonds we choose to form with people and with God.
When we ‘come to the table’, we acknowledge a physical and spiritual union with
those we love and with God. As we enter into social relationships, we are made
aware that we have the power to create the quality of loving connections most
favored by God. You live your Communion vows when you respect others.
Sacrament of Confirmation: The power of this third stage is to Honor Oneself.
Through this sacrament we accept responsibility for the quality of person we are
becoming. Part of becoming conscious of ourselves is an ‘initiation’ experience,
and a ‘coming of age’ ceremony. It is the maturation from childhood into physical
adulthood and spiritual growth, to develop a personal code of honor and a
healthy sense of self. One way to empower our personal strength is to accept our
lives as they are, rather than complaining about what’s missing. Developing an
attitude of appreciation and gratitude promotes physical health and spiritual
healing. Releasing anger and fear strengthens our connection with Divine power.
You live your confirmation vows when you respect yourself.
Sacrament of Marriage: The power of this fourth stage is that Love is Divine
Power. Our physical bodies require love to survive and thrive. Love is the only
authentic power. When we harbor negative emotions toward others or refuse to
forgive, we poison our own physical and spiritual systems. The sacrament of
marriage brings into our lives the need and responsibility to explore love, yet our
first marriage must be a symbolic one--first we must love ourselves. If we do not
learn to love ourselves, we bring a toxic energy into an actual marriage and all
other relationships. You live your marital vows when you love with your whole
heart.
Sacrament of Confession: The power of this fifth stage is to Surrender Personal
Will to Divine Will. This surrender is the greatest act we can perform to bring
spiritual stability into our lives. Our spirit and bodies require honesty and
integrity in order to thrive, therefore we need to rid ourselves of all distortions we
have created. Confession is a symbolic purging of all that is not honorable within
us. It heals the damage we create by the misuse of our will power. We are meant
to confess so that we can redirect our energy into positive actions and behavior,
and release ourselves from the burden of negative and guilt-inducing emotions.
You live your vow of confession when you surrender to a power greater than
yourself.
Sacrament of Ordination: The power of this sixth stage is to Become Servants. As
we progress in physical and spiritual maturity, we evaluate our beliefs and
attitudes. Ordained energy inspires us to let go of irrational perceptions and
misguided societal values. We achieve a sense of peace in releasing our need to
understand spiritual mysteries with human reasoning and embrace Divine
reasoning. This sacrament in the literal sense is the rite of becoming a priest, who
officially takes on the task of channeling the sacred. Yet, no matter what our life’s
task, we can become vessels of service to God. We attain ordination when those
around us recognize that the contributions and acts of faith we have made are
beneficial to their personal and spiritual growth. Those who volunteer, minister,
heal, or those who strive to be supportive, compassionate, or nonjudgmental are
recognized as possessing ordained energy. You live the vows of those ordained
when you seek peace and act in service to others.
Sacrament of Extreme Unction/Last Rites: The power of this seventh and final
stage is to Live in the Present Moment. As we believe that our spirits are eternal,
we are much more than physical bodies. This truth comforts us during the many
closures of life that are part of the human experience. When we live this
sacramental energy we receive the internal guidance to release our past
experiences and to finish unfinished business in order move forward.
Symbolically, this stage is not limited to the end of life. Biologically and spiritually,
we need to bring all things to closure and we call on this energy to do so. When
we keep the past more alive than the present, we interfere with the flow of our
life force. This last stage is directly aligned to seek an intimate relationship with
God through prayer and meditation, offering spiritual insight, awareness of the
present moment, and intuition that are beyond human consciousness. You live
the vows of this last sacrament by appreciating the present moment.