Understanding the Sacraments

As a cradle Catholic and a graduate of a Catholic high school (Go Hawks!), I thought I knew everything there was to know about the Sacraments of the Catholic Church.

Wow, was I wrong!

My comprehension of the grace-filled moments of Catholicism has been greatly enhanced, thanks to the new book Understanding the Sacraments by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC. Fr. Alar has such an accessible, down-to-earth manner of making the Sacraments come alive for both seasoned Catholics and non-believers.

This beautiful book, part of the Explaining the Faith series, is chock-full of facts and insights which led me to a greater appreciation for the Sacraments.

For instance, I don't think I fully understood the import of Holy Orders before reading this incredible book. In giving themselves to the service of the Church, priests have good reason to maintain the vow of chastity. Fr. Alar offers this personal perspective on the controversy surrounding married priests:

"I was engaged to be married to a beautiful girl in North Carolina, and I thought it would have been great to have a family with her and be a priest. But now I see the wisdom in the Church's practice of having clergy live a celibate life. The campaign by some to end clerical celibacy is not fully informed. There is no way I could do what I do and be married, since it would always be unfair to both, with my wife and family only "getting me" 50 percent of the time, and the Church only "getting me" 50 percent of the time."

The lovely cover of this amazing book includes the tag line, "God's Grace Guaranteed!" Through this thorough explanation of the Sacraments, readers can gain an enhanced appreciation of the means by which God shares HIs abundant life with us. Understanding the Sacraments is a spiritual treasure which deserves a place on your bookshelf.