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The second pillar of faith in the Catholic religion is the seven sacraments — or in more general terms, divine worship of God as celebrated in the sacred liturgy (the topic of Part 2 of this book). The ceremonies, rituals, and rites performed for the past 2,000+ years were developed by the Church to render worship of the Almighty, to teach the faith to the believers, and to give moral guidance on how to live that faith. The seven sacraments are the most sacred and ancient Catholic rites. They mark the seven major stages of spiritual development:

 Baptism: You are born.

 Holy Eucharist: You are fed.

 Confirmation: You grow.

 Penance: You need healing.

 Anointing of the Sick: You recover.

 Matrimony: You need family.

 Holy Orders: You need leaders.

Because humans have five senses and can’t physically see what’s happening in the spiritual realm, the seven sacraments involve physical, tangible symbols (such as the water used in Baptism, the oil for anointing, and unleavened bread and wine). Symbols help connect us to the invisible spiritual reality, the divine grace (God’s gift of unconditional love) given in each sacrament. (For more on the seven sacraments, see Chapters 8 and 9.) Catholics belong to their own churches, called parishes, which are local places of worship. The Holy Mass, the Catholic daily and weekly church service, is a reenactment of Holy Thursday (when Jesus celebrated the Last Supper) and Good Friday (when He died to purchase the rewards of eternal life in heaven for humankind). In Chapter 10, we explain the Mass in detail.

Sunday attendance at a parish isn’t just expected; it’s a moral obligation. Not going to Sunday Mass without a worthy excuse, such as illness or bad weather, is considered a grave sin. (Note that many Christians attend church services on Sunday, but Catholics can also attend Mass on Saturday evening instead to fulfill the Sunday requirement, as we explain in Chapter 10.)