sacraments

n. (Christianity) religious ceremony or ritual believed to have been instituted by Jesus and viewed as a symbol of grace (such as baptism, matrimony, etc.); Holy Communion, holy bread

In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite, instituted by Christ, that mediates grace, constituting a sacred mystery. The root meaning of the Latin word sacramentum is to "make sacred". Views concerning both what rites are sacramental, and what it means for an act to be sacramental vary among Christian denominations and traditions.
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This article is an expansion of a section entitled Sacraments within the article: Roman Catholic Church. As understood by the Roman Catholic Church, "the sacraments, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, are efficacious signs of grace perceptible to the senses. Through them divine life is bestowed upon us." They assist individuals in their spiritual progress and growth in holiness. The sacraments contribute to the Church's growth in charity and in giving witness. Though not every individual receives every sacrament, the sacraments as a whole are seen as necessary means of salvation for the faithful, conferring each sacrament's particular grace, such as incorporation into Christ and the Church, forgiveness of sins, or consecration for a particular service.
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Noun
1. a formal religious act conferring a specific grace on those who receive it; the Protestant sacraments are baptism and the Lord's Supper; in the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church there are seven traditional rites accepted as instituted by Jesus: baptism and confirmation and Holy Eucharist and penance and holy orders and matrimony and extreme unction
(hypernym) religious ceremony, religious ritual
(hyponym) Holy Eucharist, Eucharist, sacrament of the Eucharist, Holy Sacrament, Liturgy, Eucharistic liturgy, Lord's Supper

SACRAMENTI