Changes

==Etymology==

==Etymology==

[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] sacrement, sacrament, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late [[Latin]] sacramentum, from Latin, oath of allegiance, obligation, from sacrare to [[consecrate]]

[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] sacrement, sacrament, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late [[Latin]] sacramentum, from Latin, oath of allegiance, obligation, from sacrare to [[consecrate]]

*Date: [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_Century 13th century]

*Date: [https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_Century 13th century]

==Definitions==

==Definitions==

*1 a : a [[Christian]] rite (as [[baptism]] or the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharist Eucharist]) that is believed to have been ordained by [[Christ]] and that is held to be a means of [[divine]] [[grace]] or to be a [[sign]] or [[symbol]] of a [[spiritual]] [[reality]]  

*1 a : a [[Christian]] rite (as [[baptism]] or the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharist Eucharist]) that is believed to have been ordained by [[Christ]] and that is held to be a means of [[divine]] [[grace]] or to be a [[sign]] or [[symbol]] of a [[spiritual]] [[reality]]  

:b : a [[religious]] [[rite]] or observance comparable to a Christian sacrament

:b : a [[religious]] [[rite]] or observance comparable to a Christian sacrament

*2 capitalized a : [[communion]] 2a b : blessed sacrament

*2 capitalized a : [[communion]] 2a b : blessed sacrament

*3 : something likened to a religious sacrament <saw voting as a sacrament of democracy>

*3 : something likened to a religious sacrament <saw voting as a sacrament of democracy>

==Description==

==Description==

A '''sacrament''', as defined in ''Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion'' is what [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic Roman Catholics] believe to be "a rite in which [[God]] is [[unique]]ly active." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo Augustine] of Hippo defined a Christian sacrament as "a visible sign of an [[invisible]] [[reality]]." The Anglican [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Common_Prayer Book of Common Prayer] speaks of them as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible [[Grace]]." Examples of sacraments would be [[Baptism]] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharist Eucharist]." Therefore a sacrament is a religious [[symbol]] or often a [[rite]] which conveys [[divine]] [[grace]], [[blessing]], or sanctity upon the believer who [[participates]] in it, or a tangible symbol which [[represents]] an intangible reality. As defined above, an example would be baptism in water, representing (and conveying) the grace of the gift of the [[Holy Spirit]], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgiveness_of_Sins Forgiveness of Sins], and membership into the Church. Anointing with holy anointing oil is another example which is often synonymous with receiving the Holy Spirit and [[salvation]]. Another way of looking at Sacraments is that they are an external and [[physical]] sign of the conferral of Sanctifying Grace.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrament]

A '''sacrament''', as defined in ''Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion'' is what [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic Roman Catholics] believe to be "a rite in which [[God]] is [[unique]]ly active." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo Augustine] of Hippo defined a Christian sacrament as "a visible sign of an [[invisible]] [[reality]]." The Anglican [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Common_Prayer Book of Common Prayer] speaks of them as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible [[Grace]]." Examples of sacraments would be [[Baptism]] and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharist Eucharist]." Therefore a sacrament is a religious [[symbol]] or often a [[rite]] which conveys [[divine]] [[grace]], [[blessing]], or sanctity upon the believer who [[participates]] in it, or a tangible symbol which [[represents]] an intangible reality. As defined above, an example would be baptism in water, representing (and conveying) the grace of the gift of the [[Holy Spirit]], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgiveness_of_Sins Forgiveness of Sins], and membership into the Church. Anointing with holy anointing oil is another example which is often synonymous with receiving the Holy Spirit and [[salvation]]. Another way of looking at Sacraments is that they are an external and [[physical]] sign of the conferral of Sanctifying Grace.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrament]

[[Category: Religion]]

[[Category: Religion]]