The theological virtue of hope which is a supernatural gift given by God through which one trusts that God will grant eternal life and the means to obtain it as long as one cooperates. Hope is composed of desire and expectation together with the recognition of the difficulty to be overcome to achieve eternal life. While hope is no longer necessary for those who have achieved salvation, and is no longer possible for those who have rejected the means of salvation, it remains necessary for those of us who are still working for our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). God does not arbitrarily remove the gift of hope from our souls, but we, through our actions, can destroy that gift. If we lose faith, we no longer have reason for hope (faith in "God's omnipotence, his goodness, and his faithfulness to what he has promised"). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Likewise, if we continue to believe in God, but come to doubt His goodness and/or faithfulness, then we have fallen into the sin of despair, which is the opposite of hope. If we do not repent of despair, then we reject hope and, through our own actions, destroy the possibility of salvation. Grace means offering forgiveness when it is not necessarily earned: we often see forgiveness as something someone else has to do. They MUST apologize to us, repent and admit their actions. They MUST show us five ways they will change and never do it again. They MUST buy us a Starbucks gift card and shower us with love for a week. However, we cannot expect people to act in a certain way, admitting you are at fault is a very damaging blow to your ego and sometimes an apology may never come. Grace is learning to find forgiveness within ourselves. As an enlightened individual, it is sometimes very frustrating to see people make disastrous decisions, mainly because you have learned those same lessons even the hard way, you know the pain and suffering involved, and you don't want to see those you care about experience the same feelings of pain and suffering. But, as we all know, sometimes we need to learn the hard way, and no matter how much we try to show these lessons to other people, our efforts will seem like failures. The most important thing about living with grace means that we can live with ourselves. When we lower our heads at the end of the day, the night is silent, the world is still, it is between us and God (or whatever being you believe in). We must answer this being: "Did I do what you did?" did you tell me to do today? Have I maintained moral character? Have I achieved my purpose?" Grace and hope are gifts from God that help us maintain our virtues. The seven sacraments are: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Marriage. The seven sacraments they touch all the stages and all the important moments of the Christian life. They give origin and growth, healing and mission to the Christian's life of faith. There is therefore a certain similarity between the stages of the natural life and the stages of the spiritual life Sacraments of Christian Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist – lay the foundations of every Christian life. The faithful are reborn from Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive the food of eternal life in the Eucharist. Christian initiation, they thus receive in an increasing measure the treasures of divine life and advance towards the perfection of charity. Holy Baptism is the foundation of all Christian life, the door to life in the Spirit and the door that gives access to the other sacraments. TheBaptism is the Sacrament through which we are initiated into the life of Christ and become members of the family of God. Baptism can take place at any age, following adequate catechetical instruction. The Catholic Church requires 2 Sponsors for Baptism, commonly called "Godparents". The Church asks that there be a male sponsor and a female sponsor. At least one of these must be Catholic, have received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist and be at least 16 years old. If the individual is married, he or she must have married in a Catholic ceremony recognized by the Catholic Church. If you choose a sponsor who is not Catholic, that person must be a Christian who has received the sacrament of Baptism. They are not strictly a sponsor or a godfather, but are defined as "Christian witnesses". Baptism, the Eucharist and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the "sacraments of Christian initiation", whose unity must be safeguarded. It is necessary to explain to the faithful that receiving the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the fulfillment of the grace of baptism. In fact «through the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly linked to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Therefore they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith in word and deed." Confirmation is a two-year catechetical program. It begins with the 7th grade and usually ends with freshman year. In preparation for the Sacrament the students receive catechetical instruction, carry out community service, attend spiritual exercises and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In the organic whole, the Eucharist occupies a unique place as the "Sacrament of Sacraments": they are ordained to it as regards the all the other sacraments are their purpose. The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life". The Eucharist contains all the spiritual good of the Church, that is, Christ himself second degree Children first receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, generally during the penitential season of Lent. It is celebrated on the Sunday following Easter in a Mass held in the afternoon. Every Catholic is encouraged to receive Communion weekly during Sunday Mass and is invited to make a frequent good confession, especially if in a state of mortal sin. Through the sacraments of Christian initiation, man receives the new life of Christ. This new life as a child of God can be weakened and even lost because of sin. The Lord Jesus Christ, doctor of our souls and our bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored his physical health, wanted his Church to continue its work of healing and salvation in the power of the Holy Spirit even among its own members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Penance is the confession and repentance of sins. With the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayers of the priests, the whole Church entrusts the sick to the suffering and glorified Lord, so that he can raise them up and save them. Reception of this sacrament is available to any Catholic who is in a serious state of physical, spiritual or mental illness. Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Marriage, are directed at the salvation of others; if they also contribute to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to edify the People of God. Keep in mind: This is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get an essay»..