Sacraments
baptism
The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus. Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters. Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin. However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin - original and actual - and begin to live a new life with God.
In baptism, the Holy Spirit moves us to answer Christ's call to holiness. In Baptism, we are asked to walk by the light of Christ and to trust in his wisdom. We are invited to submit our hearts to Christ with ever deeper love.
The Catholic church baptizes infants. Born with a fallen nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called. Baptism shortly after birth confers to the child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God.
For adults, the Church follows the model of the early church in educating those who will be baptized. This is now called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Those working to be baptized are called catechumens, which means those who are being taught the principles of Christianity. OCIA outlines the steps for the formation of catechumens, bringing their conversion to the faith to a greater maturity. It helps them respond more deeply to God's gracious initiative in their lives and prepares them for union with the Church community. This process is meant to form them into the fullness of the Christian life and to become disciples of Jesus, their teacher.
For baptism of children, call to arrange a meeting with our Priest. Baptisms are normally clebrated after the 10:30am Mass on Sunday.
Adults who are interested in becoming Catholic, or would like to know more about the Catholic faith, should contact the office or email ocia@stpaulathens.org.
communion
As Catholics, when we receive holy communion we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist (Thanksgiving), established by Jesus at the last supper and celebrated by Catholics since the beginning of Christianity. Catholics believe fully that Jesus is present, body, blood, soul, and divinity in communion. While the bread and wine retain the appearance of bread and wine, the words of consecration during Mass transform it to the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus. It is a spiritual effect, and it feeds our soul. We treat communion with utmost reverence, and it is only open to Catholics who understand and have committed to respect the significance.
We are encouraged to receive holy communion devoutly and frequently. Holy Communion is reserved for Catholics in a state of grace. That means with no serious sin that has not been confessed and absolved. In order to be properly disposed to receive communion, participants should not be conscious of grave sin and should not eat or drink anything but water for one hour prior to communion.
If you are not Catholic, you may simply stay in your seat at communion or you may go forward for a blessing. Please cross your arms over your chest to signify that you are not Catholic and wish to have a blessing.
Confession
Not only does the Sacrament of Penance free us from our sins but it also challenges us to have the same kind of compassion and forgiveness for those who sin against us. We are liberated to be forgivers. We obtain new insight into the words of the Prayer of St. Francis: "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned."
Jesus entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the church. The sacrament of penance is God's gift to us so that any sin committed after Baptism can be forgiven. In confession we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God. It is a holy moment in which we place ourselves in his presence and honestly acknowledge our sins, especially mortal sins. With absolution, we are reconciled to God and the Church. The Sacrament helps us stay close to the truth that we cannot live without God. "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available for Catholics on Saturdays from 4:00PM to 4:30PM in the church. You may also schedule an appointment by contacting the office. Twice a year, during Advent and Lent, we have a penance service with multiple priests available for confession.
Confirmation
The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God's Spirit would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission. Their prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus the Messiah was conceived by the Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John. Jesus' entire mission occurred in communion with the Spirit. Before he died, Jesus promised that the Spirit would be given to the Apostles and to the entire Church. After his death, he was raised by the Father in the power of the Spirit.
Confirmation is a sacrament in which the Holy Spirit is given to those already baptized in order to make them strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ. It deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world. This is a particularly important time for those baptized as children, as they become full members of the church. We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.
Confirmation classes are open to 13-18 year olds through the Religious Education program. Adults are confirmed through the OCIA program.
Anointing of the sick
In the Church's Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.
The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient.
When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God's will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit's gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age.
Any priest can provide the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. To schedule anointing of the sick with St. Paul, contact the church office at (256) 232-4191. If possible call prior to hospitalization or surgery so that we will be available.
Matrimony
Sacred Scripture begins with the creation and union of man and woman and ends with "the wedding feast of the Lamb" (Rev 19:7, 9). Scripture often refers to marriage, its origin and purpose, the meaning God gave to it, and its renewal in the covenant made by Jesus with his Church. Man and woman were created for each other.
By their marriage, the couple witnesses Christ's spousal love for the Church. One of the Nuptial Blessings in the liturgical celebration of marriage refers to this in saying, "Father, you have made the union of man and wife so holy a mystery that it symbolizes the marriage of Christ and his Church."
The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant, which is more than a contract. Covenant always expresses a relationship between persons. The marriage covenant refers to the relationship between the husband and wife, a permanent union of persons capable of knowing and loving each other and God. The celebration of marriage is also a liturgical act, appropriately held in a public liturgy at church. Catholics are urged to celebrate their marriage within the Eucharistic Liturgy.
A wedding is a joyful occasion. As you plan your wedding, please remember that you must meet with a Priest at least 6 months prior to your wedding. Please call the office with any questions, and to schedule an appointment before you set your wedding date.
If you are Catholic and were not married in the church, you can reconcile it through convalidation. Contact the office to discuss the process.
Holy Orders
From the moment of Jesus' conception in the womb of Mary until his Resurrection, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. In biblical language, he was anointed by the Holy Spirit and thus established by God the Father as our high priest. As Risen Lord, he remains our high priest. While all the baptized share in Christ's priesthood, the ministerial priesthood shares this through the Sacrament of Holy Orders in a special way.
Ordination to the priesthood is always a call and a gift from God. Christ reminded his Apostles that they needed to ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest. Those who seek priesthood respond generously to God's call using the words of the prophet, "Here I am, send me" (Isaiah 6:8). This call from God can be recognized and understood from the daily signs that disclose his will to those in charge of discerning the vocation of the candidate.