THE ELEMENTS OF THE SACRAMENTS
BY MIA PARKER AND CATHERINE CAMERON
A VISIBLE SIGN
An action is performed by a minister (usually a priest). For example, when a baby is baptised in the church the priest pours water over its head and the same time says the words "I baptised you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." That is a visible sign.
INSTITUTED BY CHRIST
The Lord Jesus Christ instructed His church to offer the seven sacraments to His followers. For example, His directive to His disciples in Matthew's Gospel (28/19), "Go then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples; baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you."
TO GIVE GRACE
At the risk of over simplifying something that is very complex, we could describe grace as God's free gift of Himself as the controlling influence in our life and the decisions we make once we have committed ourselves to Him in faith.
SUMMARY
All of these sacraments have at least one thing in common. They all thank God for giving us life.