What are Sacraments?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) defines sacraments as “efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us” (CCC 1131). 

• A sacrament, therefore, is a sacred and visible sign that is instituted by Jesus to give us grace; grace being an unmerited gift from God. (See also CCC 1084).  The CCC explains that “the seven sacraments touch all the stages and all important moments of the Christian life”
• It is fundamental to recognize that Jesus Christ was present at the inception of all of the sacraments he instituted 2,000 years ago.  He is present every time any sacrament is celebrated. In the Catholic faith, all of the seven sacraments instituted by Christ, are celebrated:
  1. Baptism: Foundational to the Christian faith, Baptism is rooted in Jesus’ own baptism (Matthew 3:16-17) and the Great Commission to baptize (Matthew 28:19).
  2. Confirmation: While not explicitly named as Confirmation, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the apostles at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) is seen as the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise and a confirmation of their faith.
  3. Eucharist: Instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-29), the Eucharist is the central sacrament of the Church, where bread and wine are consecrated as the body and blood of Christ.
  4. Reconciliation: Jesus’ ministry of forgiving sins and his post-resurrection bestowal of the Holy Spirit, including the authority to forgive sins (John 20:23), form the basis for this sacrament.,
  5. Anointing of the Sick: Found in James 5:14-15, where the elders are instructed to pray over the sick and anoint them with oil, this sacrament focuses on physical and spiritual healing.
  6. Holy Orders: The threefold division of sacred ministers (bishops, priests, and deacons) is prefigured in the Old Law and revealed in the New Testament (Acts 6:3-6; 1 Timothy 3:1, 8-9, 17-19); and
  7. Matrimony: Jesus refers to the indissolubility of marriage (Matthew 19:4-6), and St. Paul compares it to the mystery of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32), according to Catholic scripture sources.

Consider then that the Sacraments have a visible and invisible reality open to all the human senses but grasped in their God-given depths through the eyes of faith.

• The visible reality we see in the Sacraments is their outward expression, the form they take, and the way in which they are administered and received.
• The invisible reality we cannot “see” is God’s grace, his gracious initiative in redeeming us through the death and Resurrection of his Son. His initiative is called grace because it is the free and loving gift by which he offers us a share in his life, and shows us his favor and his will for our salvation.

The saving words and deeds of Jesus Christ are the foundation of what he would communicate in the Sacraments through the ministers of the Church. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church recognizes the existence of the following Seven Sacraments instituted by the Lord. They are grouped as

Sacraments of Initiation:

• Baptism
• Confirmation
• Eucharist

Sacraments of Healing:

• Reconciliation
• Anointing of the Sick

Sacraments of Communion and Mission:

• Marriage
• Holy Orders