Sacraments

St Augustine of Hippo defined sacrament as an “outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace.” What does this phrase mean? Sacraments are tangible symbols of the unseen grace of God. For instance, the water poured at Baptism is an external sign that we experience directly. Therefore, a sacrament is a symbolic rite in which a person can make a personal connection with God through the ordinary things that our senses can perceive. The priests use words and actions, along with physical objects (such as water, holy oil, or bread and wine), to represent the spiritual aspect of each sacrament.