The Seven Sacraments

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The Church Has Seven Sacraments,
Hymns and Songs for Catholic Children,
Catholic Publication Society, New York, 1870,
pp. 173174
Anonymous Ellacombe 8.6.8.6.D.
Gesangbuch der Herzogl, Wittenberg
The Church has seven Sacraments,
As we must all believe :
These means of grace we all must seek
To know or to receive.
(1st.) Baptism washes out the sin
Which Adam did commit.
(2nd.) The sins which we ourselves have done
True Penance will remit.
(3rd.) The Holy Eucharist is the
Body and Blood divine
Of Jesus Christ, both God and man,
In form of bread and wine.
(4th.) In Confirmation, we believe,
The Holy Ghost is given;
(5th.) In Extreme Unction we get grace,
To die in hope of heaven.
(6th.) In Holy Orders, the Bishops
And Priests get power and grace.
(7th.) And Matrimony blesses those
Who married life embrace.
All praise and thanks to Jesus be,
And to His Precious Blood,
By which we have the Sacraments,
The source of every good ! Amen.

Individuals may simply recite the verses to aid in memorization.
Instructional groups may intone the lesson to promote group cohesion and help monitor progress.

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The Seven Sacraments
Rev. Jeremiah Williams Cummings, 1824-1866 St. Columba (Irish)
The Church has seven sacraments,
The narrow road to salvation
The signs that show the heav’nly home
Of endless jubilation.
1. We are cleansed from sin original
In Baptism’s holy waters;
We’re chosen heirs of heaven, and made
God’s happy sons and daughters.
2. We are rendered perfect Christians when
We are signed in Confirmation,
And God the Holy Ghost gives strength
To conquer all temptation.
3. Christ present in the Eucharist
To worship we are bidden;
Beneath the forms of bread and wine
The Lord is truly hidden.
4. All sins that after Baptism
A man may have committed,
If he is sorry from his heart
By Penance are remitted.
5. The Last Anointing heals the flesh,
New life and strength imparting;
Or else insures a happy death
To souls from earth departing.
6. In Holy Orders Priests receive
Their heavenly commission,
With grace to worthily fulfill
The duties of their mission.
7. In Matrimony, Christians are
As man and wife united,
Receiving grace from God to keep
The faith which they’ve plighted.

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The Sacrament of Matrimony

WeddingCana

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John Ellerton (1876) Anonymous (1536). Michael Praetorius (1609).
1. O Father, all-creating,
Whose wisdom, love, and pow’r,
First bound two lives together,
In Eden’s primal hour,
Today to these Thy children,
Thine earliest gifts renew:
A home by Thee made happy,
A love by Thee kept true.
2. O Savior, Guest most bounteous,
Of old in Galilee,
Vouchsafe today Thy presence,
With those who call on Thee.
Their store of earthly gladness,
Transform to heav’nly wine,
And teach them, in the tasting,
To know the gift is Thine.
3. O Spirit of the Father,
Breathe on them from above,
So mighty in Thy purity,
So tender in Thy love;
That, guarded by Thy presence,
From sin and strife kept free,
Their lives may own Thy guidance,
Their hearts be ruled by Thee.
4. O Virgin, guest most gracious,
the couple’s last recourse,
unless thy help’s solicited,
they languish in remorse;
Thou bidst them do whatever He says,
His Word’s command Divine,
The type of His great gift of Self,
The water into wine.
5. Except Thou build it, Father,
The house is built in vain;
Except Thou, Saviour, bless it,
The joy will turn to pain;
But naught can break the marriage,
Of hearts in Thee made one;
And love Thy Spirit hallows,
Is endless love begun.
Amen.


Couples’, Widows’ & Widowers’
Prayer to Mary, Mother of Jesus and Spouse of Saint Joseph

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Dear Mother Mary, Mother of Jesus, and our Mother,

When waves of grief come over us,
Bring us into the comfort of your heart,
That knew so much grief at the loss of St. Joseph,
And of your Son in His difficult presence on earth.

Unlike you, we have guilt about conflicts,
And sometimes sins in our marriages.

Bring us to the Sacrament of Confession,
Or to prayers of contrition,
Even now, years afterwards,
So we may have healing.

Inspire us to pray often
To (for) the souls of our husbands (wives),
That if they are journeying through purgatory,
Their time may be shortened.

Intercede for us,
That the Holy Spirit may increase our faith,
And some day be reunited in perfect joy
With all those in our families who have gone before.

Amen.



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