Sacraments are not "steps to God." Sacraments are not "hoops to go through," "things to get," or even "degrees of Church membership." Sacraments have little or nothing to do with school or education, and even less to do with a certain grade level (such as second grade) in school or religious education. Sacraments are none of these things.

Yet we often hear these phrases and even use these phrases to describe and talk about sacraments. We use them because that is how we have probably experienced sacraments, and we do not know how else to speak of them. We use these phrases because we have lost touch with the mystery of Jesus . . . and because we have never really learned to speak of Jesus all that well. There are many people who, as they say, "received all their sacraments," but who have never experienced and entered into the mystery of Jesus.

Recall when Jesus said to the people, "You are looking for me not because you have seen the signs, but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat" (see John 6:26). They stopped at the bread; they never moved beyond the eating. We must move beyond the "getting," even "the receiving" of sacraments, into the mystery they symbolize, celebrate, and make present. Sacraments are important and powerful because they immerse us into Christ and his life-giving mystery. Whether nourishing, forgiving, healing, commissioning, the sacraments put us in touch with Jesus. The goal is not to get sacraments; the goal is to connect with Jesus and live his mystery today.

© Harcourt Religion Publishers/BROWN-ROA