Why SEVEN sacraments?
If all of creation is potentially sacramental then why do Catholics identify only seven? The official identification of SEVEN Sacraments did not occur until the 13th century in the Council of Lyons and was again affirmed at The Council of Trent in 1545-1563 in response to the reformers claim that there were only two true Sacraments (Stoutzenberger 116). Jesus himself is really the Supreme Sacrament because it is in Jesus that the reality of God has been made most visible. Although Jesus did not create the Seven Sacraments they can all be said to flow from his actions and teachings. They are all based on the understanding of life and death that Jesus gave us: that all of life is sacred; that children are especially close to God’s heart; that God is present to us in and through our everyday lives; that eating together can be a sacred experience; that God does not send us physical suffering but wishes to help us through it; that death is not just an end but also a beginning. So, again, Wh
