Life together simply means living out our Christian life in community. It is life lived within the Church, the Body of Christ, in which the Christian fulfills his or her vocation, talents, and calling. At St. Anne, we live life together around the sacraments of the Church. A sacrament is “an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace.”
We thank you, Father, for the water of Baptism. In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit.
The Sacrament of Holy Baptism—administered with water and “in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”—is initiation into Christ’s Body the Church. The grace of Baptism is union with Jesus Christ and his Church, forgiveness of sins, and new life in the Holy Spirit. We celebrate Holy Baptism on designated feast days and other scheduled Sundays (and a few Saturdays) throughout the year.
Renew in these your servants the covenant you made with them at their Baptism. Send them forth in the power of that Spirit to perform the service you set before them.
Confirmation is about strengthening the life of the baptized by the gifts of the Holy Spirit; it is the completion of the initiation begun in Baptism. The bishop of the diocese administers Confirmation by the laying on of hands (and often anointing with chrism), and an invocation of the Holy Spirit for strengthening and the gifts of grace. If Baptism is the beginning of life in Christ, Confirmation strengthens us by the Holy Spirit, by incorporating us more deeply into Christ and more closely into his Body the Church.
Holy Communion is the central sacrament of our life together. It has been wisely said that it is the source and summit of the Christian life. During Communion we participate in Jesus’ suffering, death, and glorious resurrection. Communion is a sacred and mysterious “meal” in which we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus. We receive his life and are transformed into his likeness.
Reconciliation is the sacrament that is both easy to understand and complex. On one hand, reconciliation is the Good News that Jesus has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He’s forgiven us our sins and given us a fresh start with God. On the other hand, understanding how forgiveness works itself out in our daily lives is a bit thorny. Reconciliation exists so that we can live into the power of God’s forgiveness for ourselves and for those we find it hard to forgive. Reconciliation, also called Confession, may be scheduled with Father David by contacting him directly (dmiller@stannedesoto.org).
Holy unction, or healing, is the sacrament whereby “the sick are anointed with oil, or the laying on of hands, by which God’s grace is given for the healing of spirit, mind, and body. This is the sacrament that gives us God’s grace to be continually renewed in body, mind, and spirit.
Holy Matrimony, or Christian marriage, is the sacrament “in which the woman and man enter a life-long union, make their promises before God and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their promises.”
The first question a couple must answer is whether or not they desire a Christian marriage or simply a place in which to be married.
There is a risk that the nature and purpose of Christian marriage can be lost when the church and the building are reduced to no more than a beautiful setting for a service. It is vital for couples planning to be married in the church to understand that Christian marriage assumes the centrality of Jesus Christ and our life of discipleship in his life and the life of his Church, both in the new relationship and throughout their life together. The marriage liturgy itself is the beginning of that remarkable journey.
If you are seriously considering the implications involved in a Christian marriage, are willing to reflect deeply on these matters prior to marriage, and have determined that these can and will form your common life, we look forward to working with you at Saint Anne
I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
From the beginning of the Church’s life, Christian burial has been an important and integral part of the life of the parish community. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ put an end to the power of death; thus followers of Jesus believe that death is but the entrance to new and eternal life with Him. We wait in joyful expectation for the resurrection of the dead. Accordingly, Christians show a proper reverence and respect for the body which awaits that resurrection.
Christian burial is marked by three characteristics. First and foremost, it is an act of worship wherein we glorify God for the gift of eternal life offered in Jesus Christ our Lord. Second, it is a commitment of the one we love to the mercies of God in the faith that He will preserve in peace those who have died in the faith of Christ. Third, it is a time when members of the Body of Christ gather in the context of worship to comfort one another and to offer mutual assurance of God’s abiding love. The liturgy is an offering in which joy and sorrow are mixed, for while we say an earthly farewell, we know that the dead live in Christ. The Holy Eucharist is most appropriate at the burial of a Christian, for in Holy Communion we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
1700 NORTH WESTMORELAND RD. DESOTO, TX 75115(972) 709-0691OFFICE@STANNEDESOTO.ORGSaint Anne Church is in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.