The Eucharist, commonly called the Mass, is the sacrament of God's presence with His people and their continual participation in His sacrifice. On the cross, Christ offered Himself to His Father for us; in the Holy Eucharist, the Church continues to hold up before God that same offering. The body and blood of Christ, the fullness of His humanity united to His divinity, are sacramentally present in the transfigured bread and wine of the Holy Eucharist. The Mass is the continual offering of Christ's one sacrifice and we participate most fully in this sacrifice when we receive the body and blood of Christ in Holy Communion.

The sacrament of Penance, commonly called Confession, is one of Christ's greatest gifts to His Church. Though it, we receive complete forgiveness of our sins, and the gifts of grace to help us grown more deeply in our spiritual lives. Breathing His Spirit on His apostles, Christ said, "Receive the Holy Ghost; whatsoever sins you forgive, they are forgiven." This power he left to His Priests.

The sacrament of Holy Matrimony is given by God as the basis for the Christian family. In the sacrament, God joins a man and a woman as "one flesh," and from their loving union a family is born. Marriage is intended as a lifelong, indissoluble bond and, with this in mind, the Church requires that her children enter into the sacrament "reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God."

The sacrament of holy unction is the sacrament of God's healing presence and power among us when we are sick or dying. Any baptized person may receive it. An illness serious enough to cause us to stay home in bed and miss Mass on Sunday or take time off from work is serious enough to summon a priest and request holy unction.

"It is evident unto all men, diligently reading Holy Scripture and ancient authors," begins the preface to the ordinal at the back of the Book of Common Prayer, "that from the Apostles' time there have been these orders of ministers in Christ's Church: bishops, priests, and deacons." Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders the priesthood of Christ is present and active in His Church.