Our Lord instituted the seven Sacraments during His Public Ministry and after the resurrection. They are ordered and instituted by Our Lord by words and examples. Many of His words and acts are not mentioned in the Bible. (Jn. 21:25) God gives inward and spiritual Grace, and by Grace, we mean the heavenly life of Christ, given to us, who are made one with Him. 

Our Lord ordained outward means to give us Grace because this is the method, which the nature of man demands. We have an outward body and an inward soul joined in us.

God deals with us Sacramentally. God is Spirit, but when He took upon him to deliver man, He did not abhor the Virgin's womb. Christ is Himself the greatest of all sacraments. The Babe of Bethlehem was the outward and visible sign of the reality given to man - God with us.

Sacraments are means by which the power of God is conveyed to us and are means whereby we receive the inward spiritual grace and a pledge to assure us thereof.

Sacraments are 'valid' when they are recognized by the Church as performed under her law. The Church is the steward of the Mysteries of God. She has been given authority to make rules and enforce them, here members are bound to obey them, and if they are deliberately broken, then they have no right to expect that God will give him His grace. 

The conditions required for a valid sacrament are - matter, form, and minister. The matter is the material thing used; such as water. Holy oil, Bread and Wine, laying of hands, etc. The form is the word said which defines the purpose with which the matter is used. 

The minister should be a validly ordained priest and none else. Because our Lord empowered only the Apostles to baptize, to give the Holy Spirit, absolve sins, and to offer the Holy Eucharist.

A validly ordained Minister is a person who has the apostolic laying on of hands from Bishops. He who can claim and prove their Apostolic succession. The unworthiness of the ministers does not make the sacrament invalid. 

The effect of the sacrament depends on the promise of Christ and not on the worthiness of the minister. It has to be remembered that he is a priest until he is excommunicated, and also that the unworthy minister also receives his damnation.

The Seven Sacraments of the Church

Baptism - confirmation (Mooron) - Holy Eucharist -Penance - Ordination -Matrimony -and unction of the sick.

Baptism joins us to the Church and gives us the grace of Christ. Confirmation strengthens life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Communion nourishes and supports life with heavenly food. 

Absolution restores life when we have broken our union with Christ. Unction gives Grace to the sick and dying. Ordination gives Grace to chosen men to share in the exercise of Christ's priestly office. Matrimony gives married and family life Grace for the sanctification. 

The Sacraments receive their power to give grace from God through the merits of Jesus Christ. The Sacraments give Sanctifying Grace when we receive them with the right disposition. The right dispositions are not producing Grace: they remove the obstacles which would prevent the reception of Grace. (1 Cor. 11: 27, James 5:14,15)

Baptism and Penance are called the sacraments of the dead because their chief purpose is to give the supernatural life of Sanctifying Grace to souls spiritually dead through sins. The others are called the sacraments of the living because their chief purpose is to give more Grace to souls who are already spiritually alive.

The sacraments that can be received only once are Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy orders, because they imprint on the soul a spiritual mark that lasts forever.

Everyone needs the Grace of God that is given to us in the Sacraments. He should receive the Sacraments with the right disposition and at the same time, he has to be assured that the Sacrament to which he approaches is valid. A valid Priest administers a valid sacrament. The reality of a Sacrament lies in the knowledge that power has been given to the priest. It does not lie in the recipient's feelings. The Sacramental powers of the priest do not depend on any ability or virtue in himself but are those conveyed to him at his Ordination. They belong to the Office, not to the man. 

The worthiness of the priest does not add anything to the value of the Sacrament, nor does his unworthiness make them of less value because the work is not his - but Christ's.

For teaching and pastoral work, the priest's talent does much. But in the administration of the Sacraments, it is our Lord who is working through the earthen vessel.