As the name implies, the Sacraments are sacred rites instituted in the Church by Jesus. Properly speaking, there are seven Sacraments in the Catholic faith: ບັບຕິສະມາ, ການຢືນຢັນ, ໄດ້ Eucharist, ສາລະພາບ, ການແຕ່ງງານ, Orders, and the ການເຈີມຄົນເຈັບ.
Through the Sacraments believers receive God’s grace through material things like water, bread, wine and oil.
The Sacraments may be understood as outward signs that convey the grace they signify. Water, for example, signifies cleanliness and life. By the grace of God, the waters of Baptism actually cleanse the soul of sin and fill it with divine life (ເບິ່ງ ພຣະກິດຕິຄຸນຂອງໂຢຮັນ, 3:5, and the ກິດຈະການຂອງອັກຄະສາວົກ, 2:38). The Sacraments are patterned after the Incarnation, in which God, a spiritual being, took on human flesh–and the invisible one became visible.
The idea of grace being transferred through material things is a Biblical concept.
In the New Testament alone, we see water used in this way (ອີກເທື່ອຫນຶ່ງ, ເບິ່ງ ຈອນ 3:5; 9:7; ກິດຈະການຂອງອັກຄະສາວົກ, 8:37; ໂປໂລ Letter to Titus 3:5; or Peter’s First Letter 3:20 – 21); as well as oil (see the ພຣະກິດຕິຄຸນຂອງ Mark 6:13, or the ຈົດໝາຍຂອງຢາໂກໂບ 5:14); clay (ເບິ່ງ ຈອນ 9:6); garments (ມາກ 5:25 ຫຼື ລູກາ 8:43); and even handkerchiefs (see the ກິດຈະການຂອງອັກຄະສາວົກ 19:11-12).
God’s grace is transmitted through other sensible things, ຄືກັນ, such as Mary’s voice and Peter’s shadow (see the ພຣະກິດຕິຄຸນຂອງລູກາ 1:41, 44, and the ກິດຈະການຂອງອັກຄະສາວົກ 5:15, respectively).