The Purpose of the Sacrements

Grace comes to us from God through the sacraments. The purpose of the sacraments is to allow Christ act within us. It is Christ who acts in the sacraments in order to communicate grace to the participant. Outwardly a sacrament is a sign, it signifies what it does, but more then that; it actually gives grace. It signifies and it does what it signifies, at the same time. Christ instituted the sacraments to communicate and give God’s life to Christians. Christ sanctified every major transition phase of our natural lives to enable our spiritual lives to develop. Our spiritual life in anchored to our natural lives. Our natural lives develop sequentially, step by step, in a development process. Our spiritual development reflects the natural process. We are physically born into the world as we are spiritually reborn through baptism. Our physical bodies mature to adulthood as we mature spiritually through the power and effect of confirmation. We need food and drink to nourish and build physical bodies as we need sustenance and strength for our souls through the Eucharist. As we need to repair the body with medicine and care; we repair the soul through confession. The sacrament of marriage and Holy Orders prepare the Christian for the two most significant vocations of service to others; marriage, the lifelong service to spouse and family, priesthood; the lifelong service to the spiritual development of believers. The anointing of the sick strengths the serious ill for the final physical journey on earth. In the sacraments we participate in God’s life and work. The Holy Spirit transforms us into himself through the sacraments.