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The Young Rite wishes to be a channel for the benificent influence
of Christ. We believe that the Christ power dwells in everything and in all the peoples of
the earth. Irrespective the seeming differences between human beings, each and every one
is endowed with the possibility to become a creator, to fulfil their own lives, to follow
their own unique, yet valid path to spiritual unfoldment. The seven traditional Christian
sacraments are meant as an aid along the way: They are neither essential nor necessary
requirements. The sacraments are given freely to all who in reverence ask for them.
A sacrament may be seen as an outward sign of an internal grace. However, a sacrament
is something that is experienced by the person undergoing it. It is this experience, which
is personal and different for everyone, that provides the reason for a group to get
together and share a ritual. The ritual provides an environment in which personal
experience may occur and may be shared with fellow seekers. In our view a church was never
meant to place an intermediary between the human being and his or her Divine Origin -call
it God, if you wish- but rather to help each human being create and maintain the link with
this Divine Origin. In this sense a priest's primary task is to make himself or herself
redundant. To assist the seeker to find truth by own, inner experience, the Young Rite
follows the traditional church in offering the following seven sacraments:
 | Baptism
Strengthens the connection between the personality and soul. Generally conferred by a
priest at any time of day.
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| Confirmation
Strengthens the resolve to work towards spiritual unfoldment. Conferred by a bishop,
generally during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
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| Absolution
Helps to accept things done imperfectly so that these no longer impede further progress.
Conferred by a priest during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, a Healing Service or
at any other occasion. Confession is not required and regular confession is even actively
discouraged. However, if a person has weighty things on their mind that they do wish to
confess, the possibility to do this is provided. Our view on sin is best worded in our Confiteor.
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| Communion
Reconnect with the highest divine principle within oneself and with the Divine Origin.
Communion is symbolised by consuming of the Body and Blood of our Lord Christ. This should
not be taken literally, but should be seen as the privilege of incarnation (Body) imbued
with the Christ life (Blood). The Holy Eucharist is the service during which the offerings
("...here do we offer unto thee our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a holy and
continual sacrifice unto thee...") are consecrated into the Body and Blood of our
Lord Christ. The word "Eucharist" means "thanks" or
"thanksgiving" and may be regarded as a guided meditation in which one may
experience this communion. As such, the Holy Eucharist is the workhorse of the Young Rite.
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| Nuptual
Strengthen the bond between any two people who wish to share each others' lives as
partners. The two people confer this sacrament on each other by exchanging vows and rings.
Often the Nuptual service is followed with a Nuptual Eucharist.
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| Healing
Reconnect with the own, unique, assignment in the current stage of earthly life. Often
illness, whether physical or psychological, is a symptom of inner disharmony. The healing
service, during which the person is anointed with specially consecrated oils, assists to
harmonise and provide impetus to seek the path that meets the inner desire. In the final
stages of earthly life, the anointing may also be used to loosen the bonds with the earth
so as to assist the process of passing away.
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| Holy Orders
Provides a spiritual pathway to activate the priesthood already embedded in each and every
human being. Holy orders are conferred by a bishop in an ordination service. In the Young
Rite, ordinations are always conferred during the traditional celebration (that is, not
during an experimental celebration) of the Holy Eucharist. Persons requesting ordination
need to meet certain requirements. |
The above is necessarily an extremely
brief summary of the sacraments. |
 
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