"A sacrament is a visible sign instituted by Christ to give grace" (Baltimore Catechism). The Sacraments are not merely symbols, but rather they bring about the reality that they signify. For example, at Mass, the bread and wine do not only symbolize the Body and Blood of Christ, they become His Body and Blood, given for us. And when the child or adult is washed at Baptism, it is not a symbolic washing, but he or she is truly cleansed of all sin, made a member of the Body of Christ and a sharer in the Church's mission.
