The sacramental life of the Church is her heart and soul. We enter into true life through the sacraments of the Church and it’s the sacraments that sustain us in our journey to the Lord. St Paul in his letter to the Philippians says “to live is Christ.” Our very life depends upon Christ and our surrender to him. The Catholic Catechism describes the sacraments as the “masterworks of God.” They are to sanctify us, build us up as the Body of Christ and help us to give praise to God.

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The opening of door to the life with Christ comes in Baptism which makes members of the Body of Christ. And as St Paul says because we are baptized we are not only members of his Body we have a responsibility to the members of the Body. In other words baptism is not an isolated sacrament but a door that incorporates us into life with God and with one another.

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Thus, the sacraments are the road to God and each sacrament invites us to participate so that we might know the fullness of God’s love. The requirements listed below are minimums and we should see them as what is minimally required the great requirement is to surrender ourselves to the Lord.