Jesus the Sacrament: Our loving Father sent His Son to become a man in order to save us. He gave us Jesus as the image and sign of His love for us, as the visible sign of the God we cannot see. Jesus is the sign and sacrament of the Father’s mercy, love and concern for us His beloved children.
Church As Sign: As the Father sent Jesus, so our Lord sends His Church. The people of God are to be a living sign or sacrament of the world, a light to the nations. People can come to know God through the way we live and serve, love and worship. Even a limited acquaintance with the history of the Church in the past 2000 years show us the rise and fall of our witness. At times, the people of God have given magnificent example, at other times their pettiness, their squabbles, their concern for wealth and power have led to a very dim light. Through the centuries Christ continues to call individuals to become members of His Church, through its teachings and its sacraments, His Spirit remains active and stirs individuals and groups to work with Christ in praising God and in continuing the work of salvation.
Sacraments: In the Church’s sacraments we encounter Christ and are enabled to share more fully in His paschal mystery. The sacraments are acts of Christian worship. And we celebrate them because we are sharers in the priesthood of Christ. Our full participation in the liturgy of the sacraments enables us to share in the true spirit of Jesus our Lord.