What are the Sacraments?

A Sacrament has traditionally been defined as "an outward sign, instituted by Christ, designed to give grace." But what does this definition mean? How does this definition get expressed in our day to day faith life.  Let us look at the various parts of each definition.

First, let us examine the phrase, "an outward sign". Primarily, a sign represents another reality.   It points to something else. For instance, a stop sign points to power of the law which it represents. In an of itself, a sign has not power. But, when the reality it represents is given to it, it takes on powerful meaning. When the stop sign is given the reality of the force of law, traffic stops. So to, when the sacraments are given the reality of Christ, they take on new meaning.

This is the greatness of the sacraments. We believe that ordinary things, when changed by Christ, are given new meaning.  For instance, water, essential for life, when given meaning by Christ in Baptism, becomes the very stuff of eternal life.

We call it outward, because the sacraments are celebrated in the context of the Christian Community. The sacraments are public, visible celebrations of the community.

The next part of the definition, "instituted by Christ", indicates we believe the sacraments to be given to the Church by Christ himself. For instance, in the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 28, verse 19, Jesus talks about baptism in the Church when he tells the disciples, "Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." And in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to the sacrament of the Eucharist when he calls himself as the "bread of life", and that whoever eats this bread will live forever.   "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.   Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." Further in the Acts of the Apostles, the "laying on of hands" was the act of commissioning and sending forth. It is obvious that Christ gave to the Church outward signs of His ongoing presence in the Church.

Lastly, "designed to give grace." We define grace as the help and presence of God, the free gift to us by God of Himself. While there are many ways we receive the gift and presence of God, the sacraments represent a significant and most excellent way for believers to experience the ongoing presence of God, for we believe that in the sacraments we encounter Christ himself.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us: "Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law.  There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian's life of faith. There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life." (Paragraph 1210)

The sacraments are customarily placed into groups: The sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation are referred to as the Sacraments of Initiation, because they lay the foundations of the Christian life. The sacraments of Penance (Confession) and Anointing of the Sick are referred to as the Sacraments of Healing, because they help heal us -- body and soul. The sacraments of Matrimony (Marriage) and Holy Orders are referred to as the sacraments of service, because they represent the way the faithful serve the Church.