The Nature of the Sacraments (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A) : Revision Note

Meaning & Significance of 'Sacrament'

• A sacrament is defined in Catholic Christianity as ‘an outward sign of inward grace, ordained by God, by which grace is given to the soul’

• The Catholic Church teaches that grace:

  • is the free gift of God’s love to all people

  • is the love that unites the three persons of the Trinity

  • gives life to all things

  • fills people’s hearts and leads them to a deeper love of God

  • gives people the awareness of what God wants them to do

  • gives believers strength to follow God’s ways

• Sacraments are the outward sign of God’s grace, meaning that they are the outward signs that these blessings, or signs of God’s love, enter into a person’s life

• Catholics believe that there are seven particular rites and rituals through which God communicates his grace or love directly to people’s lives

• These are known as the seven sacraments:

  • Baptism

  • Eucharist

  • Confirmation

  • Reconciliation

  • Anointing of the sick

  • Marriage

  • Holy orders

• Each of these rituals can 

  • teach believers more about their faith

  • strengthen their faith

  • strengthen their connection with God

  • demonstrate God’s presence in their lives

  • make them more holy

• The Catechism teaches about the importance of the seven sacraments: 

Image: The Seven Sacraments

Importance of the Sacramental Nature of Reality

• Because a sacrament is ‘an outward sign of inward grace’, sacraments are not just confined to the seven sacraments in the Church

• Many Catholics see everything in reality as a sign of God’s love, since God created everything

• Therefore the whole of reality can be seen as a sacrament

• This is what is meant by the sacramental nature of reality

  • The world and everything in it is a sign of God’s love

  • God’s presence can be felt throughout nature 

  • It can also be seen in people’s love for one another

  • It was seen in a very special way through the Incarnation, when Jesus was the sacrament, or sign, of God’s presence on earth

    • Before the incarnation, people understood the transcendental nature of God, but did not necessarily understand the idea of God as a living presence in the world

    • Jesus made it possible for Christians to see that God is present amongst them