What is a Sacrament?

A sacrament is an action in which we, the faithful community, gather to celebrate our lived experience and call to mind our common story. This action is a symbol of God's care for us in Christ. Enacting the symbol brings us closer to one another in the Church and to the Lord who is there for us.

• The sacraments, therefore, are the signs which express our faith in the reality hidden underneath them.

• They are the signs through which we worship and encounter God intimately.

• They are the signs of the unity of the Church, because they express what the whole Church believes, not just our private devotions.

• They are the signs of Christ being present in his Body, the Church.

• They provide opportunities for celebrating the presence of God in the significant times of our life and in the life of the Church.

It is Christ who is encountered in the seven sacraments.

It is Christ who acts in the sacraments.

It is Christ's worship of the Father that is expressed in the sacraments.