The Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred." The sacraments are visible signs that the Lord Jesus has given to us to enable us to realize his loving presence within us. That's what theologians mean when they say that sacraments are at the same time signs and instruments of God's grace.  They are the signs of Christ's work, and instruments giving the grace each signifies. 

• The sacraments are personal – through the sacraments we come in to personal and intimate contact with Jesus.
• The sacraments are powerful - The power of Christ lives in the sacraments, independent of the worthiness of the minister.
• The sacraments are material - Matter is created by God and is good. God willed to give us His grace under the symbol of some material sign; water, oil, bread, wine. A person receives baptism through water, a visible sign, to realize the cleansing of sin and the new life that we receive through the Lord Jesus. At communion, under the signs of bread and wine, we are nourished truly with the very presence of the Lord Jesus coming to us. 
• The sacraments are real - We cannot treat them mere mechanical rituals. There is a need for faith and obedience on our part. We must be open to receive the outpouring of grace and power of Christ through the sacraments.
• The seven sacraments are a sign of the full redemptive work of Christ.  The number 7 actually comes from the sum of 4 and 3…4 to represent the natural elements (earth,wind,fire,water) of the created world and 3 to represent the divine persons of the trinity – thus in the 7 sacraments we have the reconciling union of heaven and earth.

Think of the woman in the Gospel story who touched Christ's garment in the jostling crowd. Jesus recognized that His healing power flowed from him because she touched Him with faith. So too, let us reach out and touch our Lord who is ever present with us through the sacraments and be filled with the grace, love and communion of the Holy Trinity.

The seven sacraments are:

1.      Baptism

2.      Reconciliation

3.      Eucharist

4.      Confirmation

5.      Marriage

6.      Holy Orders

7.      Anointing of the Sick