THE LATIN WORD SACRAMENTUM MEANS "A SIGN OF THE SACRED."

The seven sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Christians. They are special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence. That's what theologians mean when they say that sacraments are both signs and instruments of God's grace.

"The Sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions."
- Catechism of the Catholic Church

All seven sacraments were established by Jesus Christ during His ministry and have been in use by the Church from its inception. The sacraments provide grace, from the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross, to the faithful throughout their lives, from birth to death. Reception of the sacraments in accord with the teaching of the Church is the ordinary means of salvation for all the faithful.