Christian Articles & Holy Land Guides

Catholic Confession, also called the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance, is the sacrament through which sins committed after Baptism are forgiven. This guide explains what happens in Confession, the roles of contrition, confession and satisfaction, how priestly absolution works, the difference between mortal and venial sin, the sacramental seal, and how often Catholics should receive the sacrament.

Every time a Catholic approaches a priest for Confession, receives Communion at Mass, or calls a priest to a hospital room, that ministry stands within the Church's continuity with the apostolic mission. This guide explains the three degrees of Holy Orders, what happens at ordination, who can receive it, and what the sacrament permanently confers.

The Anointing of the Sick is a Catholic sacrament for those seriously affected by illness or the frailty of old age—not only for people approaching death. This guide explains who can receive it, how the rite is celebrated, what the Oil of the Sick is, the effects of the sacrament, its history as Extreme Unction, and how it differs from the Last Rites.

When a Catholic is seriously ill or approaching death, a family member may call the parish and ask for the Last Rites. But Last Rites is not the name of a single sacrament. Depending on the circumstances, the Church may offer Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Viaticum, the Apostolic Pardon, and prayers for the dying. This guide explains what each involves, how they relate to one another, and when a priest should be called.

A Catholic wedding centers on the couple's exchange of matrimonial consent, surrounded by Scripture, prayer, blessing and, often, the Eucharist. This guide explains the Catholic wedding ceremony step by step, including the vows, rings, Nuptial Blessing, weddings with and without Mass, mixed marriages, and the difference between Catholic liturgy and cultural wedding traditions.

OCIA is the Catholic Church's process for preparing adults for Baptism or full communion. Formerly known as RCIA in the United States, it includes formation, discernment, and liturgical rites leading to Christian initiation or reception into the Catholic Church. This guide explains how OCIA works, the difference between catechumens and candidates, and what to expect along the way.

First Holy Communion is a Catholic child's first reception of the Eucharist, the sacrament the Church calls the source and summit of Christian life. This guide explains Catholic belief in the Real Presence, how children prepare, what happens at a First Communion Mass, and how the practice differs between Western and Eastern Christianity.

What happens at Catholic Confirmation, and what does the sacrament actually mean? This guide explains sacred chrism, the laying on of hands, the role of the bishop and sponsor, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and how Confirmation strengthens the grace received at Baptism.

Baptism is Christianity’s rite of entry into new life in Christ, practiced with water and the Trinitarian formula. This guide explains its biblical foundations, Jesus’s Baptism in the Jordan, Catholic teaching on grace and original sin, infant and adult Baptism, validity, denominational differences, and why the sacrament is received only once.

The Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. This guide explains what makes them sacraments, how they accompany Christian life, who administers them, which can be repeated, and how they differ from sacramentals and rites such as First Communion and the Last Rites.

From Israel's crossing into the Promised Land to the baptism of Jesus, the Jordan River has marked moments of faith, renewal, and new beginnings. Learn its biblical history, Christian meaning, and why Jordan River holy water remains deeply significant to believers today.