sacramentseffective because of divine power. This implies that the effect of the
sacraments is not dependent upon the worth of either the minister or
recipient. The recipient must, however, be receptive in the sense of non
ponentibus obicem (in the case of those who place no impediment). This
formula means that the recipient must not place an obstacle arising from
free will, such as a lack of faith, in the way of the operation of the sacra-
ment. This type of obstacle would block the reception of grace. Sacraments
are remedies for an individual’s weakened intellect and will, which might
be tainted by sin, and they are thus remedies for weakness caused by sin.
The administrator of the sacraments must intend what the church does
by its giving of the sacraments and what the rite means. Otherwise, the
sacraments are invalid. Moreover, in principle, the validity of the sacra-
ment does not depend upon the faith or moral character of the minister.
Sacraments have character, a distinctive mark, which implies a certain
likeness to God and especially to Christ. This distinctive mark distin-
guishes between believers and unbelievers. In this sense, sacraments con-
secrate a person to God. This is especially true of baptism, confirmation,
and ordination because these unique sacraments cannot be repeated.
The rite of baptism in the ancient church is full of symbolism signifying
such things as a return to paradise. In some baptistries, symbols of deer
with serpents in their in mouths appear and this can be traced to an ancient
belief that deer can eat snakes; the often octagonal shape of the baptistery
is related to the number eight, a symbol of the resurrection, that an initiate
enters upon baptism. Those to be baptized are stripped of their clothing
before the actual rite; this signifies replacing the old person, a symbol of
sinfulness and mortality, with the same nakedness of Christ on the cross
and returning to innocence. The initiate is next anointed with oil, which is
intended to heal the person and the soul and to strengthen the initiate for
his/her struggles with demons. A triple immersion in the baptismal pool
is a symbolic purification from sin and imitation of the burial of Jesus for
three days and nights, rendering the waters of baptism a tomb in which the
old person is buried. But the waters are not merely a tomb because they
also enable one to be reborn. Immersion also signifies communication
with the Holy Spirit. The initiate is finally clothed in a white garment,
signifying the purity of the soul, incorruptibility of the body, and resur-
rection of the body. The white clothing also suggests a return to paradise
and embodies an eschatological meaning (Rev. 3.5) that those who tri-
umph over the Devil by martyrdom are clothed in white. Finally, the
giving of the sphragis, marking of the sign of the cross on the forehead of
the initiate, comes often after the conclusion of the formal rite. The sphra-
gis is a seal used to impress a mark on wax, or it is used by an owner to
mark one’s possessions such as sheep. In fact, the Roman army marks