Swear to God

The most solemn majestic and beautiful gifts that Jesus Christ gave to the world are His sacraments. He endowed them with unprecedented and unparalleled power—power to change lives save souls and share God’s very life. The sacraments are the ordinary means by which God directs the course of each human life and all of world history.. The Church celebrates seven sacraments: baptism Eucharist confirmation matrimony holy orders confession and anointing of the sick. Each was established by Jesus for the sake of salvation. When Jesus spoke of the sacraments He made clear that they were essential: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God (Jn 3:5) . . . unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood you have no life in you (Jn 6: 53).. In Swear to God Dr. Scott Hahn explores the richness of Christ’s sacraments—their doctrine history symbols and rituals. Drawing upon the Bible and the Church’s tradition he shows how God’s covenants—with Adam Noah Abraham Moses and David—became the driving forces in history. When Jesus came to fulfill all these covenants He established a new covenant with greater power than ever before. Christians are God’s children now. Joined to Christ by baptism we can already share in the eternal life of the Trinity a life we hope to know fully in heaven. But heaven is with us even now in the sacraments.