Meaning of sacrament (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Sacramento:

A sacrament is a sensible and effective sign by which divine grace is evoked and manifested. It comes from the Latin sacramentum , a term made up of the expressions sacrare , which means 'to make holy', and the suffix mentum , which means 'means to'. In this sense, a sacrament is a means for the sanctification of the person.

In Christianity there is a long sacramental tradition. Although each Christian denomination has different sacraments, they all have at least two of them in common: baptism and the celebration of the Lord's Supper.

Baptism is the sacrament through which the person opens himself to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, with which, in turn, he becomes part of the body of believers in the church.

The Lord's Supper is the memorial of the last supper of Jesus Christ before his passion and death, in which the Word is preached and the bread and wine are shared. Bread and wine symbolize the sacrifice of Jesus, and its consumption expresses the new covenant for eternal life. This sacrament receives different names according to the denomination of Christianity: Holy Mass or Eucharist, Holy Office, Lord's Supper, worship, etc.

Sacraments of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches

In the case of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, seven sacraments are conceived in total: baptism, the Lord's Supper (mass), reconciliation or confession, confirmation, marriage, the anointing of the sick and the priestly order.

The Baptism is the initiation ritual of Christianity, whose main symbol is the water that cleans and renews life.

The Lord's Supper, Communion or Eucharist is the memorial of the life, passion and death of Jesus, in which the Last Supper and the institution of the commandment of love are especially remembered.

The reconciliation, formerly called confession, is the release of sins through his admission and confession to a priest, who forgives in the name of God.

The confirmation is the renewal of baptismal promises, among which track the gospel and commitment to the community of believers.

The marriage is the sanctification of marriage between man and woman before God. The Catholic Church still does not accept equal marriage.

The anointing of the sick, formerly called extreme anointing, consists of the blessing of sick or disabled persons, which is why they cannot go to receive communion, but must be visited by the priest or the minister of the Eucharist.

Finally, the priestly order, a sacrament through which man consecrates himself as a priest or priest through the vows of celibacy, poverty and obedience. Catholicism and the Orthodox Church do not yet admit the female priesthood.

See also:

• Baptism, Mass, Holy Communion, Confession, Confirmation, Marriage.