Have you ever joined a club, or become a member in an organization? Often, when new people join groups like that, there is a special ceremony that shows that they are part of the group. This is called

Initiation

People who want to become members of the Church show their desire to belong to the Body of Christ, and are welcomed into the faith community, through three very important sacraments. These three sacraments, sometimes called the sacraments of initiation, are Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist. Together, these three sacraments give Christians the foundation for living as completely as possible life as children of God.

In the Catholic Catechism, baptism is compared to a door or a great gateway that lets us in on the other sacraments. The grace of baptism gives us a new spiritual life.

Confirmation strengthens the new life we receive in baptism. We receive the Holy Spirit just as Mary and the Apostles did on the first Pentecost!

All of the sacraments, and especially the sacraments of initiation, are joined in a special way to the Holy Eucharist. Jesus himself brings us together and makes us complete and full members of his own Body—his Church!

In many Catholic churches of the Eastern rites, when a baby is baptized he or she receives all of the sacraments of initiation at once. Maybe you’ve received one or two of these important sacraments so far—or maybe you’ve received them all! But either way, belonging to the Body of Christ is an adventure that lasts your whole life!