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: Kolobetso, Netefatso, the Selallo, Boipolelo, Lenyalo, Orders, le ea Tlotso ya Bakulang.
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, ka mohlala, 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 (bona Evangeli ea Johanne, 3:5, le ea Liketso Tsa Baapostola, 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 (hape, bona Johanne 3:5; 9:7; Liketso Tsa Baapostola, 8:37; ea Pauluse Letter to Titus 3:5; or Peter’s First Letter 3:20 – 21); as well as oil (bona le Kosepele ea Mareka 6:13, or the Lengolo la Jakobo 5:14); clay (bona Johanne 9:6); garments (Tšoaea 5:25 kapa Luka 8:43); and even handkerchiefs (bona le Liketso Tsa Baapostola 19:11-12).
God’s grace is transmitted through other sensible things, hape, such as Mary’s voice and Peter’s shadow (bona le Kosepele ea Luka 1:41, 44, le ea Liketso Tsa Baapostola 5:15, respectively).