Understanding The Sacraments Today

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.

Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing, Marriage, and Holy Orders -- all 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.

Guiding readers through the rites of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, Understanding the Sacraments of Initiation explores the way in which the sacraments of Initiation affect and influence one’s daily Christian life.

Understanding the Sacraments of Vocation presents insightful catechesis or mystagogy on the sacraments of vocation based on the words, actions, and signs of the rites and pastorally connects the meaning of the sacraments into daily Christian life.

Holy Orders

Have the sacraments changed because we celebrate them differently today? The sacraments remain what they always were: visible signs of God's invisible presence. But now their unique character as personal meetings with Jesus comes through much more clearly. Now the joyful dimension of a community celebrating its faith comes into clearer focus. To appreciate this new vitality of the sacraments, we need knowledge -- a new awareness. That is what this book provides. It explores the meaning of the sacraments in general, and then takes an in-depth look at each sacrament in particular. It explains the reasoning and meaning behind the new ceremonial changes of the sacraments.

Firmly rooted in the tradition of the Church and some of the best scholarship of the past 40 years, Noll explores the sign, meaning, and experience of each of the seven sacraments in the church. Included is a CD-ROM containing articles and passages by some of today's key sacramental theologians.

Understanding the Sacraments is a popular guide for prayer and study of all seven sacraments, designed for use by individuals and groups. Everyday anecdotes and examples enliven the text. Questions for group discussion are appended.