Are the Sacraments Conferring Grace?

In this episode, we begin our six-part Lenten series on the book Be Transformed by Dr. Bob Schuchts. We welcome Dr. Bob, as our special guest, to introduce his book and set the stage for what you can expect in the following five weeks. He shares an overview of how the seven Sacraments heal our wounds, he breaks down the three-fold transformation process, and explains why the disposition of our heart is pivotal to being transformed by the Sacraments. Friends, we are excited to continue this journey of being transformed with you next week! See you then!

Heather’s One Thing- Lenten Playlist:  Songs in the Desert

Sister Miriam’s One Thing - Virtual Healing of the Whole Person Retreat on March 27-31

Michelle’s One Thing - White Chicken Chili (or try this Seafood Chili  or White Bean and Fish Chili for Fridays in Lent) 

Dr. Bob Schuchts’ One Thing - Rediscovering Our Lost Fullness by Andrew Comisky and the exciting news that the JPII Healing Center will have a new publishing house!

Click here to check out Dr. Bob’s podcast Restore the Glory!

Discussion Questions:

• How have you been approaching the Sacraments?

• Have you had an experience where Christ encountered you deeply in the Sacraments? Please share.

• Where in my life do I observe how each of the Sacraments impact my identity and my relationships?

• What fears, concerns, or intrigue do you have about this upcoming season of Lent and diving into the Sacraments?

Journal Questions:

• What am I seeking from Christ in the Sacraments this Lent?

• How do I currently engage in the Sacramental life of the Church?

• Where in my life do I need more humility?

• How can I create more space for communion with others in my life, my home, my church, and my community?

Quotes to Ponder:

Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify. They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work: it is he who baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies. The Father always hears the prayer of his Son's Church which, in the epiclesis of each sacrament, expresses her faith in the power of the Spirit. As fire transforms into itself everything it touches, so the Holy Spirit transforms into the divine life, whatever is subjected to his power.  - CCC# 1127

“The desire and work of the Spirit in the heart of the Church is that we may live the life of the risen Christ.” - CCC, 1099

The sacraments are God’s chosen remedy for healing our deadly wounds and infusing our souls with Christ’s resurrection life. - Be Transformed, pg xv

In the words of St. John Paul II: “The Holy Spirit [working through the sacraments] . . . purifies from everything that disfigures man . . . , he heals even the deepest wounds of human existence.” - Be Transformed, pg xv

But when inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit, our personal mission becomes a dynamic participation in Jesus’ work of restoring all things to the Father. - CCC 850

Fr. Jacques Philippe expresses this common human condition of ours with great insight: “It is worth reflecting on the problem of pride. We are all born with a deep wound, experienced as a lack of being. We seek to compensate by constructing a self, different from our real self. This artificial self requires large amounts of energy to maintain it; being fragile, it needs protecting. Woe to anyone who contradicts it, threatens it, questions it, or inhibits its expansion. When the Gospel says we must ‘die to ourselves,’ it means this artificial ego, this constructed self, must die, so that the real self, given us by God, can emerge.” - Be Transformed, pg 2

Scripture for Lectio: 

“All of us, gazing with unveiled faces on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” - 2 Corinthians 3:18 

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