These Are The Sacraments

Biretta Books is proud to present this masterwork of the great Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen! These Are the Sacraments is a lucidly written presentation of the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen is responsible for this memorable and dramatic book which defines the meanings of the Sacraments to man, their power, and their application. In his text, Bishop Sheen skillfully describes the elements particular to each Sacrament, defining the matter and form necessary for valid administration.

The most solemn, majestic, and beautiful gifts that Jesus Christ gave to the world are His sacraments. He endowed them with unprecedented and unparalleled power—power to change lives, save souls, and share God’s very life. The sacraments are the ordinary means by which God directs the course of each human life and all of world history. The Church celebrates seven sacraments: baptism, Eucharist, confirmation, matrimony, holy orders, confession, and anointing of the sick. Each was established by Jesus for the sake of salvation. When Jesus spoke of the sacraments, He made clear that they were essential: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (Jn 3:5) . . . unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you (Jn 6: 53). In Swear to God, Dr. Scott Hahn explores the richness of Christ’s sacraments—their doctrine, history, symbols, and rituals. Drawing upon the Bible and the Church’s tradition, he shows how God’s covenants—with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David—became the driving forces in history. When Jesus came to fulfill all these covenants, He established a new covenant, with greater power than ever before. Christians are God’s children now. Joined to Christ by baptism, we can already share in the eternal life of the Trinity, a life we hope to know fully in heaven. But heaven is with us, even now, in the sacraments.

Aiming at bringing to today's reader the legacy of Archbishop Sheen's knowledge, this present collection of writings consists of two of Sheen's most memorable books on the sacraments and matrimony. Many will agree that this book should be required reading for every engaged couple, but it also serves as a great resource in understanding the meaning of marriage for all couples providing them with great insights and tried-and-true spiritual strategies.

A highly-acclaimed account of the sacramental principle and the seven sacraments of the church.

This book offers biblical insights and analytical training to the Seven Sacraments. The author examines each sacrament's meaning and its history, and its impact on the life of those who receive it and those who administer it.

We Catholics simply don't expect enough of the sacraments. Sometimes I think they must be the most underutilized power sources on the planet.—from Chapter One The sacraments lie dormant for many because we don't understand them and don't know how to tap into their supernatural energy.Living the Sacramentsweaves together Scripture, the writings of the saints, and personal stories to help us understand these seven gifts of the Church and experience their practical and spiritual rewards.

The sacraments are at the heart of our life as Catholics, the way we celebrate together our continuing conversion and encounter with God. Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing, Marriage, and Holy Orders 'al are activities that require preparation to bring us to the fullness of our life in community and in Christ. Chapter by chapter, Father Lawrence Mick puts these core experiences into their historical and theological context, and illuminates the ways the sacraments bring us together as God's people. Ever conscious of the complex history of the church and its dynamic relationship to ritual, as well as the varied histories of human communities, Understanding the Sacraments Today is a book to be visited and revisited, a companion to the ongoing and repeated practices that nourish us. Lawrence E. Mick, a priest in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, is a liturgical consultant and writer whose numerous books include Living Baptism Daly, published by Liturgical Press. He has also been active in parish, retreat, and campus ministries.