«Let us therefore love and help others love the beauty and saving power of the sacraments!». This invitation from Pope Francis seemed to us the ideal opening for this article, in which we reflect on the sacraments to rediscover the extraordinary wonder of these seven gifts from heaven which, like road signs, direct our lives toward one unique and wonderful destination: Paradise, to be savored already here on earth!

The sacraments always speak to us of life

The sacraments are a wonderful way through which God fulfills what Jesus promises us in the Gospel: full joy, life in abundance.
Indeed, every sacrament contains the spark of the new life to which the Lord never tires of calling us. The Pope reminds us that «through Baptism, we are immersed in that inexhaustible source of life which is Jesus’ death, the greatest act of love in all of history»; Confirmation places within us the life-giving strength of the Holy Spirit to help us walk along the path Christ shows us and not be ashamed of his cross.

The sacrament of Reconciliation is then the celebration of forgiveness, capable of renewing every life from within and healing the deepest wounds of the heart.
The Anointing of the Sick is also an injection of strength in moments of pain and illness, and it serves to tell us that Jesus is beside us and, like the Good Samaritan, bends over our suffering and takes it upon himself.

Holy Orders and Matrimony: making life a gift of love

We could then define the sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony as paths through which the Lord teaches us to give our lives: “They constitute two great paths through which Christians can make their lives a gift of love, following the example of Christ and in his name, and thus cooperate in building up the Church” (Pope Francis).

“I will be with you every day”: Communion

In the sacrament of the Eucharist, the Lord's love for us is expressed with the greatest possible power: Jesus becomes bread for us; he gives himself to us completely in order to continue accompanying us every day at every step of our lives.
Who could forget the emotion of First Communion? Of course, our first encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist is often an encounter that finds us unprepared, because, still children, we do not fully understand what the sacrament of Communion will mean in our lives. Then, however, like a flower that slowly opens and blooms in silence, as we grow we come to understand the Eucharist's explosive power, and we remember the day of our First Communion with affection mixed with nostalgia.
The Lord wants us to be happy and, to remind us of this, he has given us these seven wonders! Let us approach the sacraments with confidence: this is the path to true joy! How do you live out the sacraments? Do you remember the day of your First Communion, or do you have a child or grandchild who will receive it this year? If you like, share your experience with us!