Ex opere operato

Okay kiddo, ex opere operato is a fancy Latin phrase that means "by the work worked". It's often used in religious contexts, especially in the Catholic Church.

Basically, it means that when certain religious sacraments are performed, like baptism or communion, they work automatically to give you spiritual benefits regardless of how well they were performed or whether you fully understand what's going on.

It's kind of like going to the doctor and getting a shot. Even if you don't really understand how the medicine works, you still get the benefits of being protected from getting sick.

So, ex opere operato is a way of saying that religious rituals have a special power all on their own, no matter who performs them or how well they do it.