CHAPTER II.
The Sacraments.
1. What is a Sacrament?
A Sacrament is a visible, or sensible, sign, instituted by Jesus Christ, by which invisible grace and inward sanctification are communicated to our souls.
By sensible is meant something that can be perceived by some of the senses.
2. How many things are necessary to constitute a Sacrament?
These three: 1. A visible sign; 2. An invisible grace; and 3. The institution by Jesus Christ.
3. Why has Christ instituted visible signs for imparting his grace to us?
1. That we may have a visible pledge of the inward invisible grace; and 2. That by sharing in these visible means of grace, we may manifest our communion with the one Church of Christ.
Thus Christ himself sometimes made use of certain signs when He conferred spiritual and corporal blessings on people; for instance, when He breathed on His Disciples, and said: ' 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost' (John xx, 22); when 'He spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and spread the clay upon the eyes of the man born blind' (John ix. 6); when 'He put His fingers into the ears of the man deaf and dumb, and spitting, He touched his tongue, and looking up to Heaven, He groaned, and said to Him: Ephpheta, which is, Be thou opened' (Mark vii. 33, 34).
4. Do these signs only signify grace?
No; they also effect or produce the grace which they signify, unless we, on our part, put an obstacle in the way; therefore they are also called efficacious signs.
5. What grace do the Sacraments effect?
1. They communicate, or increase, sanctifying grace;
2. Each Sacrament communicates other special graces according to the end for which it has been instituted.
