The Sacramental Life, like the ascetic life and the witness of the Saints, has largely been neglected by evangelical Protestants; the evangelical Catholic, however, has discovered in it a perennial source of supernatural life. In my own case, I was quite surprised to discover that, far from being mere "dead rituals," the Church's sacraments and liturgies were, in fact, capable of raising me above the limitations of my own private worship--limited by such things as weakness of faith and emotional discouragement. It was and is such a relief to be carried along, so to speak, by the Church's liturgy--by her faith.  (Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your church...) Shortly after my conversion to Catholicism, I recall being asked (rhetorically) by a good evangelical Protestant friend, "Don't you miss the worship?" He was referring to the lively worship often found among charismatic evangelical Protestants. I found myself at a loss as to how to describe to this young man the new depth of worship I had found in the Church's ancient liturgies and sacraments. I had no desire then, nor do I now, to impugn, in any way, other legitimate forms of Christian worship, but I should like my Protestant fellows to know the profundity and beauty of these sacred and grace-filled rites. A sacrament has that unique ability to take a redemptive act of the past and bring it into our present experience. Thus Baptism, Eucharist, and Reconciliation--to cite only three examples--each in their own way, communicate to the sacramental participant the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Now it cannot be denied that many Catholics do participate in the Church's sacraments in a perfunctory or even superstitious manner. Perfunctory, in the sense that they seem to bring little personal devotion or understanding to the sacraments. Superstitious, in that one often gets the impression that the sacraments are endowed with such power so as to replace the need for personal and radical repentance. This, of course, is not true and is really no different than believing with the ancient Greeks in the power of items such as amulets. However, while the sacraments do not communicate their power superstitiously, they do communicate grace supernaturally, in that they give us what nature alone cannot, assuming of course, one is properly disposed to receive them.

Having acknowledged the dangers of vain ritualism, we must now observe that many others have found in the sacramental life of the Church, grace to lead lives of extraordinary sanctity. I remember as a Protestant reading a comment by the great forefather of evangelical Protestantism, John Wesley, in which he extols the extraordinary lives of holiness that Catholicism has produced. And it is true--what sanctity her saints have achieved. One needn't read far in hagiography to find innumerable examples that demonstrate not only the depth of holiness attained by many of these but also the close connection often found between the sanctity obtained and the saints rich sacramental life. Consider, for example, the consistent testimony of those, like St. Teresa of Avila or Catherine of Sienna, to the supernatural graces communicated in the Eucharist. The following prayer of St. Thomas captures well both the devotion many Catholics feel toward the Eucharist as well as their convictions concerning the sacrament as a means to sanctification.

Lord...in the kindness of your mercy, you have fed me with the precious body and blood of your Son....I pray that this Holy communion may bring me...forgiveness and salvation. May it be a helmet of faith and a shield of good will. May it purify me from evil ways and put an end to my evil passions. May it bring me charity and patience, humility and obedience, and growth in the power to do good. May it be my strong defense against all my enemies, visible and invisible, and the perfect calming of all my evil impulses, bodily and spiritual. May it unite me more closely to you, the one true God, and lead me safely through death to everlasting happiness with you...Amen

While the Eucharist is certainly, for the evangelical Catholic, the source and summit of the spiritual life, the other sacraments are also of great importance. Specifically, with regard to fostering Evangelical life, the sacrament of reconciliation will, no doubt, also factor in as a significant source of spiritual renewal. Often, the evangelical Catholic will find it helpful to participate in the riches of this sacrament within the larger context and practice of spiritual direction. (Though it is possible and often helpful to to seek direction from the same priest from whom you receive the sacrament of reconciliation, it is not necessary. Many, in fact, have found particular lay men and women to be among the most able of spiritual directors.)

More, of course, might be said about the importance of the other sacraments, but our purpose here is to address the sacraments most directly related to continual spiritual growth. Moreover, we have not given adequate space to the importance of the liturgical life in one's spiritual growth, but we do hope that we have made clear the great value we witness of regularly participating in the Church's sacred liturgies. It has been our experience that Catholics who have begun living a more evangelical life, generally find themselves becoming avid participants in the Church's liturgical life and very often daily communicants. Blessed are those to whom the Lord has revealed the treasures of having both a strong private devotional life as well as a rich liturgical and sacramental life!