The Sacraments: A Spiritual Toolbox

As a Catholic, I recently thought to myself: "How do individuals cope with the demands of everyday life without Christ's seven Sacraments?"

This essay was originally published on August 18, 2022.

I was recently overcome by a wave of emotion as I sat pondering my Catholic faith. More specifically, there was one simple question that would not leave my mind: "How does anyone address the struggles associated with day-to-day life without the Sacraments?" Of course, as a recent convert to the Catholic Church, I have currently lived more years without the Church's Sacraments than I have lived with them. Yet, after only being Catholic for four months, I already cannot imagine my life without the Sacraments.

The seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church are Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist (Communion), the Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Penance (Confession). It is important to emphasize that the Sacraments are not merely symbols of God's love, mercy, and guidance. Rather, through each of the Sacraments, the grace of God is conferred to the recipient in a very real, visceral, and spiritual way. The Sacraments can be viewed as a kind of "spiritual toolbox," whereby Christ uses the Sacraments of his Church to repair the brokenness of humanity. While it is true that God can confer graces outside of the Sacraments, because the Catholic Church and her congregants act as the mystical body of Christ, it is through the Sacraments that an individual's relationship with both Christ, as well as his Church, are strengthened. For the sake of this article, I will primarily focus on the two Sacraments that are most regularly received by members of the Catholic Church: the Eucharist (Communion) and Penance (Confession).

The specification that the Sacraments truly confer graces from God is important to note for several main reasons, for these reasons underscore the necessity of the Sacraments. First, the grace conferred by God to the recipients of the Sacraments is objectively real whether an individual believes in them or not. For example, as described by Saint Paul, an individual commits a grave matter when unworthily receiving the Holy Eucharist. This is true regardless of whether or not this individual professes that the Eucharist is truly the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. Similarly, many Protestant denominations reject the teaching that baptism is necessary for salvation and that it regenerates the soul of the recipient. However, the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century explicitly stated that all baptisms performed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, even those performed outside of the Catholic Church, are valid. Therefore, it is an objective truth that the Sacraments actually confer the graces of God as can be seen visually in the Rites of the Catholic Church, no matter what views one may personally hold pertaining to the Sacraments.

Second, the Sacraments act as vital tools in the fight against Satan and the evils of this world. It should be of no surprise that common Satanic rituals throughout the ages have sought to desecrate the Holy Mass and the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, with the most central act being the desecration of the Holy Eucharist. Since one receives the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord in the "Most Blessed Sacrament," this is unquestionably the closest encounter that a person can have with Christ on Earth and truly is "the source and summit of the Christian life." Similarly, as I wrote in a previous article about the Sacrament of Reconciliation, every time an individual in a state of mortal sin seeks to be reconciled with God through Confession, this act represents an enormous victory against Satan and all the evil spirits that prowl around the world seeking the ruin of souls. It should be noted that while prayer also brings one closer to God, (and is necessary for the Christian life) the teaching of the Catholic Church has always been that the most effective way to grow in holiness is to combine prayer with the Sacraments in order to develop a deeper bond with Christ and his Church. In my short time as a Catholic, I can state with confidence that I have felt much closer to God when I have a "spiritual diet" containing both prayer and the Sacraments, rather than one without the other.

Third, the Sacraments play a crucial role in God's overarching solution to the central problem faced by humanity, which is that we are powerless to sin without the grace of God. Saint Augustine once wrote about a state known as "incurvatus in se," which in Latin means to be curved or turned in on oneself. Through original sin, we are naturally inclined toward being concerned primarily with ourselves and our own interests, and can often be fooled by Satan into believing that we are in control of our own lives. Only recently did I begin to learn this important lesson; for years, I attempted to address my problems, insecurities, wants, and desires through a litany of futile idols, ranging from self-help books to positive affirmations. The main problem with these aforementioned idols, (as well as my main criticism of many Eastern religions) is that they seek "the God within" as a way to find peace and spirituality. However, these unbiblical teachings are a prime example of incurvatus in se, for they neglect the necessity of entering into a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we must trust completely. As previously stated, it is precisely through the Sacraments, as well as through personal prayer and petitions to God, that we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church. When we understand our faults and relinquish the notion that we can save ourselves, we then look to God for peace, strength, compassion, and mercy. I am often greeted with a literal reminder of the necessity of seeking God outside of myself when I leave home for a local Church for Mass or Confession.

While some Protestant denominations have their own sacraments, many contemporary Christian movements avoid sacramental theology altogether. This trend away from the seven Sacraments of the Church began with Martin Luther, who held only Baptism and "The Lord's Supper" as the two sacraments of the Christian church. Over five hundred years later, I am pained when my separated Protestant brothers and sisters struggle to understand how the Sacraments strengthen one's relationship with Christ. In particular, because I am a sinner myself, I understand how difficult it can be to resist temptation, and I could not resist temptation without receiving God's grace in the Sacraments. Furthermore, I cannot put into words the sense of relief, peace, and joy that overcomes me when I receive Christ in the Eucharist or am absolved of my sins in the confessional. This sense of relief, peace, and joy from receiving the Sacraments stem primarily from knowing that I am in communion with Christ and his Church, through which the salvation of the world is made possible. In closing, the Sacraments are very real tools used by God to repair our brokenness, and I continually thank God for conferring his grace through the Sacraments of his Church.