The seven sacraments are the activity of the Church.  Therefore, they always involve the community and its life together.  They provide us with an identity as a Church: our participation in the Body of Christ.  In a different way, each sacrament affirms the life Christ has invited us to share with Him, a life He shares with the Father and the Spirit, united in perfect love. Each of them affirms the work of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection in our life as a community, and they help us to see that pattern in our own lives and faith journey. Therefore, they require our full participation in living them out.

As they are so important to our life together, the Code of Canon Law requires that we see to it that people who receive them understand them, and that they are given the opportunity to help that understanding to grow.  

Canon 843 states: “A] Sacred ministers may not deny the sacraments to those who opportunely ask for them, are properly disposed and are not prohibited by law (canon law) from receiving them.  B] According to their respective offices in the Church, both pastors of souls (priests primarily) and all other members of Christ’s faithful have a duty to ensure that those who ask for the sacraments are prepared for their reception.  This should be done through proper evangelization and catechetical instruction, in accordance with the norms laid down by the competent authority.”

Sacraments are celebrations of the community.  The Church encourages us to celebrate them in the context of the community with whom we worship.