Sacraments

Winner of a 2018 Catholic Press Association Award: Sacraments. (First Place).

How can Christians grow spiritually in the midst of our sinfulness? How can we transform our lives in a way that allows us to share in the resurrection of Jesus?

God has already given us the perfect solution--the sacraments.

Whether it is the wound of past hurts, the strain in our relationships, or the stress of daily life, we all need to be comforted and made whole by Christ. In this follow-up to his bestselling Be Healed, Bob Schuchts explains how the sacraments can fuel your emotional and spiritual healing and bring you closer to God.

Based on more than thirty-five years of experience as a therapist and decades spent in parish ministry, Schuchts demonstrates how each of the seven sacraments can be a life-changing encounter with Christ, communicated through the power of the Holy Spirit. He pairs each healing sacrament with one of the seven deadly wounds that emanated from original sin in the Garden of Eden. We perpetuate and deepen those wounds each time we sin, but the sacraments are God's remedy for sin. They give us a way to restore us to wholeness in Christ.

In Be Transformed, You'll discover how each sacrament can help you heal from wounds that can impede your relationships and sense of self-worth. With Schuchts's help, you'll learn how:

Be Transformed offers all of the tools you need for a fresh understanding of the sacraments, including reflection questions, scripture meditations, prayers, and inspiring stories. You'll come away hungry for the sacraments in a way you never knew possible.

If you're unhappy because the Mass has become for you routine or even boring and tedious these pages are for you. They teach you eight simple ways to make your every Mass a joyful time of piety and intense devotion.

Explaining the spiritual meanings behind the signs and symbols, words and actions of the Mass, author Christopher Carstens teaches you spiritually-enriching ways to enter the church building, make the Sign of the Cross, pray the Opening Prayer, listen to the Readings, prepare your soul at the Offertory, participate in the Eucharistic Prayer, receive Communion, and even respond to the Dismissal.

Soon with the help of author Carstens wise suggestions you will be surprised to find each Eucharistic Celebration a fountain of peace for you, a profound refreshment for your soul.

Gaze upon Christ, using a quote from a Franciscan source, primarily the letters of Clare of Assisi, but also the writings of St. Francis. Consider Christ, using a brief reflection that will inspire you to reverence the Real Presence, the Body and Blood of Christ. Contemplate Christ, by praying a few lines that help you go deeply into the spiritual experience of adoration. Imitate Christ in your daily life with a challenge to act like Christ after time spent in adoration.

In this brilliant book--part memoir, part detective story, and part biblical study--Scott Hahn opens up new vistas on ancient landscapes while shedding light on his own enduring faith journey. The Fourth Cup not only tracks the author's gradual conversion along the path of Evangelicalism to the doorsteps of the Catholic faith, but also explores the often obscure and misunderstood rituals of Passover and their importance in foreshadowing salvation in Jesus Christ.

Revealing the story of his formative years as an often hot-headed student and earnest seeker in search of answers to great biblical mysteries, Hahn shows how his ardent exploration of the Bible's Old Testament turned up intriguing clues connecting the Last Supper and Christ's death on Calvary. As Hahn tells the story of his discovery of the supreme importance of the Passover in God's plan of salvation, we too experience often-overlooked relationships between Abel, Abraham, and the Hebrews' liberation from slavery in Egypt. Along the way, Hahn reveals how the traditional fourth cup of wine used in the concluding celebration of Passover explains in astonishing ways Christ's paschal sacrifice.

Rooted in Scripture and ingrained with lively history, The Fourth Cup delivers a fascinating view of the bridges that span old and new covenants, and celebrates the importance of the Jewish faith in understanding more fully Christ's life, death, and resurrection.

Like a merciful father, God meets us in the Sacrament. Each booklet is 40 pages, and features five sessions, including a Scripture passage, a short commentary, and questions for discussion and reflection. Suggested prayer exercises for during the week deepen the reader's connection with the Lord and help set the pattern for a regular time of daily prayer and examination of conscience.

These booklets were especially designed for individuals or parish groups that have limited time but are looking to grow closer to the Lord. They are idea for any small group or for individual use.

Countless graces flow from the use of Holy Water when you understand its role in God's plan of salvation, and how it brings new graces into your life.

In clear, convincing language, Father Theiler lays out for Christians countless surprising, but long-forgotten truths about Holy Water, and explains the interior acts and dispositions that are necessary for this blessed gift of God to have the sanctifying effect our Lord intends for you.

Read these pages attentively; consider them thoughtfully; incorporate their truths and suggestions into your daily spiritual life. In these pages, you'll also learn: The time that God Himself commanded the use of Holy Water (Do you know where the Bible tells this story?) Why God chose water as the means to impart so many blessings even before He created man and woman! What you should and should not expect from the graces conferred by Holy Water