Beatitudes are Jesus’ blessings pronounced at the start of the Sermon on the Mount. In the Gospel of Matthew, there are eight of these blessings: Blessed are the poor in spirit; those who mourn; the meek; those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; the merciful; the pure in heart; the peacemakers; and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Luke records a shorter version with four blessings. Because the standard listing in Matthew contains eight, eight is the correct count. The other options don’t match the Matthew account (and Luke’s four is a different, shorter list), so the eight-fold Beatitude is the commonly accepted total.

Liturgical symbols in RCIA communicate essential faith truths and mark the person’s entry into the life of the Church. Water signifies cleansing from sin and rebirth in Christ, signaling initiation into the faith community. Oil used for anointing and the sacred chrism symbolize being chosen, strengthened by the Spirit, and sealed with the Spirit for the mission of the Church. The white garment represents putting on a new self in Christ and living a life of purity and conversion. The candle stands for Christ the light of the world, calling the believer to walk in that light and witness the Gospel. These are not decorative; they carry meaning and guide participation in the rites of initiation, occurring at appropriate moments as the person enters the Church, not only at the Easter Vigil.

The key idea is distinguishing what the sacrament does by its own action from how the recipient responds interiorly. Ex opere operato means the grace of the sacrament is conferred by the act itself when the sacramental rites are valid—proper matter, form, minister, and the Church’s intention. In other words, the rite is effective because of what Christ established through the Church, regardless of the holiness or personal state of the minister or the recipient. That doesn’t mean the recipient’s interior life has no effect; it means the grace exists and is offered by the sacrament itself. Proper disposition, on the other hand, refers to the recipient’s interior readiness—faith, repentance, openness to grace, and cooperation with what the sacrament offers. This disposition influences how fully that grace bears fruit in the person’s life. So, the grace is conferred by the valid sacrament, but how fully it sanctifies or transforms a person depends on their receptivity. That’s why the correct statement is that ex opere operato concerns the validity and power of the sacramental action itself, while proper disposition concerns the recipient’s interior readiness and faith. The other ideas either overstate the guarantee of grace regardless of disposition, claim disposition is irrelevant, or say the two concepts are the same, which they are not.

Baptism is ordinarily administered by a priest. This reflects the priest’s role as the normal liturgical minister who presides over the church’s rites and has the authority to confer baptism within the ordinary life of the local church. The celebrant pours water (or immerses) while proclaiming the sacramental words, and the priest’s participation ensures the rite is carried out with the proper form, intention, and unity with the Church. A deacon can also perform baptisms, and bishops share in this ministry, but in the usual parish setting the priest is the standard administrator. In emergencies, a layperson may baptize if they have the proper intention and use the correct form, which shows the sacrament’s urgency and accessibility when life is at stake.