What is a sacrament and why are there exactly seven sacraments?
A sacrament is an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through visible rites. The Church recognizes seven sacraments corresponding to all the key stages and healing moments of human life: three Sacraments of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist), two Sacraments of Healing (Penance/Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick), and two Sacraments of Service/Vocation (Holy Orders and Matrimony). They work 'ex opere operato' by the power of Christ's paschal sacrifice.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1113-1131
- Matthew 28:19
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.