People communicate with signs all the time: a hug, a handshake, a ring, a birthday cake. God uses signs too, but His signs do even more than point: they make something real happen.
The Church teaches that the sacraments are effective signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, through which God's own life is given to us. “Effective” means they truly do what they show.
Each sacrament has matter, the visible sign (water, oil, bread and wine, the laying on of hands), and form, the words that are spoken.
The sacraments work by the power of Christ, not by how holy the minister is. But how much they bear fruit in us depends on how open our hearts are.
The seven sacraments follow the stages of life:
- Initiation: Baptism (birth), Confirmation (growth), Eucharist (nourishment).
- Healing: Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick.
- Service of Communion: Holy Orders and Matrimony.
Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders can be received only once, because they leave a permanent spiritual mark called a character.