Day 153: Sacraments Save

The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation. "Sacramental grace" is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament. the Spirit heals and transforms those who receive him by conforming them to the Son of God. The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful partakers in the divine nature by uniting them in a living union with the only Son, the Savior. CCC 1129

Today's reading from the Catechism is the shortest I've seen thus far: only 3 small paragraphs. This brief reading expounds upon the truth that the sacraments save us. The Catechism Compendium gives a summary:

The sacraments are efficacious ex opere operato (“by the very fact that the sacramental action is performed”) because it is Christ who acts in the sacraments and communicates the grace they signify. The efficacy of the sacraments does not depend upon the personal holiness of the minister. However, the fruits of the sacraments do depend on the dispositions of the one who receives them. (#229)

I like how the Catechism Companion, Vol II notes this about the sacraments:

Sacraments are "efficacious," not just symbols (CCC 1127). A sacrament is a sacred sign that causes what it symbolizes... We now are sharers in the life of God. If you have been baptized, you share in the very nature of God. (p. 70)

The Companion then mentions three sacraments: Baptism, Reconciliation, and the Eucharist, stating that each is a sacred sign and actually does what it was intended for. In the last, we really do receive the Body and Blood of Christ. This alone should give us pause when we're tempted to sin, as well as humble us at the gift He has made for us. We really do become "partakers of the divine nature" as He desired us to (2 Pet 1:4).