The Seven Sacraments of the Coptic Church

A sacrament is an invisible grace given under a material sign and administered by a canonical priest.  We believe in Seven Sacraments.  We call them the "Means of Salvation" or the "Means of  Grace".  They are actions through which the believer is made part of, and to grow on, the Lord.  We obtain salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Coming out of the holy baptismal water, we receive the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Confirmation or Chrismation and become "temples of the Holy Spirit" (I Corinthians 6.19).  This sacrament was originally officiated by the laying of the Bishops hands (Acts 19:2-7, Hebrews 6:2).  But now, our Church uses the holy oil.  This holy oil, called the Meyroun, was first made by the Apostles of the spices and ointments that were prepared by the women for the Holy Body of the Lord after His burial (Luke 23:56, 24:1).  Since then, new spices and ointments, with the same proportions, are added to the original Meyroun before it is depleted.  This is done by the Pope and many Bishops in a great ceremony with special prayers, and distributed to all the priests of the Coptic churches in Egypt and elsewhere.

Yet, the "New Life" as children of God requires constant nourishment and continuous growth.  It is not easy.  We are to "enter by the narrow gate" (Matthew 7:13-14). We are to guard against the old self and its natural vulnerability to sin (Romans 6: 19).  A Christian is susceptible to committing mistakes; so there must be a way available to him/her to be continuously cleansed and restored to full communion with Christ.  Like Peter, in the day of the Last Supper, a Christian has to offer his dirty feet to the Church, which it washes and dries.  If we refrain from doing this we lose our position with the Lord; just like Jesus told Peter in that same day, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me"  (John 13:8).  But, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). The Sacrament of Penance and Confession is diligently practiced by the Coptic people "with fear and trembling" (Philip 2:12).

Coupled with penance and confession, the Sacrament of the Eucharist or Communion is reverently and continuously practiced by us for the "remission of sins" (Matthew 26:26-28).  "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him" (John 6:56). The Church allows children to partake of the Holy Communion since baptism.  As members of the Body of Christ, children must continue to be nourished on the heavenly bread and can not be spiritually starved.

The Sacrament of the Unction of the Sick (James 5:14-15) has a clear place in the life of our Coptic Church.  Whenever a believer is sick, he may ask to be anointed. The Unction of the sick is not reserved only for those who are at the point of death.

Unlike the five sacraments explained above, the last two may not necessarily be practiced by all Christians, but are life-long covenants.  Those who are blessed with the Sacramcnt of Priesthood (Matthew 28:18-20) never retire from it.  The Sacrament of Marriage (Ephesians 5:31-32) is not a contractual agreement but rather an union in Christ  "What God has joined together let not man separate" (Matthew 19:6).