what is a sacrament?

Answer 1

It is a channel for God's grace.

The Church designated 7 of them: baptism, reconciliation (confession), confirmation, Holy Eucharist, marriage, Holy Orders (ordination of priests), and extreme unction (last rites). Wow, I'm surprised I remembered them all.

These are ways that Christians can clear their hearts and their lives to receive more of God's grace.

Answer 2

In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite, instituted by Christ, that mediates grace, constituting a sacred mystery. The root meaning of the Latin word sacramentum is to "make sacred". Views concerning both what rites are sacramental, and what it means for an act to be sacramental vary among Christian denominations and traditions.

The most conventional functional definition of a sacrament is that it is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, that conveys an inward, spiritual grace through Christ. The two most widely accepted sacraments are Baptism and the Eucharist; the majority of Christians recognize seven Sacraments or Divine Mysteries : Baptism, Confirmation (Chrismation in the Orthodox tradition), and the Eucharist, Holy Orders, Reconciliation of a Penitent (confession), Anointing of the Sick, and Matrimony. Taken together, these are the Seven Sacraments as recognised by churches in the High church tradition - notably Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Independent Catholic, Old Catholic and some Anglicans. Other denominations and traditions typically affirm only Baptism and Eucharist as sacraments.

Answer 3

By a Sacrament we mean a sacred act--
A. Instituted by God Himself;
B. In which there are certain visible means connected with His word; and
C. By which god offers, gives and seals into us the forgiveness of sins which Christ has earned for us.

In the Catholic Church there are 7. In our Lutheran Church we use the above definition, therefore we have 3, Baptism, The Eucharist, and Confession and Absolution, however we do retain the other 4, but call them Sacramentals or Sacramental acts, rather than Sacraments.

Mark

Answer 4

In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite, instituted by Christ, that mediates grace, constituting a sacred mystery. The root meaning of the Latin word sacramentum is to "make sacred". Views concerning both what rites are sacramental, and what it means for an act to be sacramental vary among Christian denominations and traditions.

Answer 5

Sacrament - a religious ceremony or act of the Christian Churches regarded as an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace.

Applied by the Eastern, pre-Reformation Western, and Roman Catholic Churches to:
Seven Rites - baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, ordination, and matrimony.

Answer 6

Ecclesiastical. a visible sign of an inward grace, esp. one of the solemn Christian rites considered to have been instituted by Jesus Christ to symbolize or confer grace: the sacraments of the Protestant churches are baptism and the Lord's Supper; the sacraments of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches are baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, matrimony, penance, holy orders, and extreme unction.

Answer 7

A sacrament is an outward sign with corresponding inward graces which was instituted by Christ. (accepted definition) There are seven sacraments.

Answer 8

Sacrament is one of three tools that a minister of any given belief system uses in the course of their work; the other two being Shamanism and Sacred Spaces.

It is actually an early form of herbalism, for more information on this and how it figures into being a Friar, please read my piece on Our Daily Bread.

Answer 9

Sacraments are outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ for our sanctification

Answer 10

Sacraments are man-made traditions, made by men, so that they could claim to be above all others, to have their own seperate places and nations, to rule the masses.

To be mysterious and God-like, they are rituals. Rituals that are made from the traditions of men, by men.