The Holy Father has called for the Year of Faith to be a time of renewed dedication to the Faith. Join us as we accept the Pope’s challenge and vigorously seek an encounter with Jesus Christ so that his desire for the Church’s renewal becomes a reality.
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... Presented weekly for your nourishment in the faith ... fpf
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The Nourishment of Faith
by Steve Weidenkopf
"The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify men, to build up the body of Christ, and, finally, to give worship to God; because they are signs they also instruct ... They do indeed impart grace, but, in addition, the very act of celebrating them most effectively disposes the faithful to receive this grace in a fruitful manner, to worship God duly, and to practice charity."
—Sacrosanctum Concilium, 59
My favorite sacrament is baptism. Words cannot really express the wonderful joy at witnessing the rebirth of a new person in Christ. Through the grace of God dispensed in that beautiful sacrament, one who is "dead in sin" becomes an adopted heir in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes the sacraments are seen as "way stations" in life, events that occur at certain moments in our life story. Although that is true in a sense, it is an incomplete view. The sacraments are where we engage in a relationship with the Trinity. They are more than "mile markers" on the path of life. They form the core of Christian life itself.
We are sensible creatures, and our senses are engaged in the sacraments. Our bodies need food to grow and be healthy; so too, do our souls. We need spiritual nourishment for our faith, and we receive this "nutrition" through the sacraments. Through his gift of the sacraments, the Lord allows us to share in his life. Strip away the sacraments, and one is left with an incomplete faith. I think we would appreciate the sacraments more if we spent time contemplating what our faith life would be like without them.
Action Step
What's your favorite sacrament? Why?
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