The sacraments, those masterpieces of divine ingenuity, were instituted not only to dower our souls with the riches of Heaven, but also to smooth for us the path of Christian righteousness so that we might run the way of God’s commandments with enlarged hearts and with a joy that earth knows not.”

For Reflection:              Following this quote, Father Kane gives us four effects of the sacraments that help us live this lesson as perfectly as did Our Lady who did not need the Sacraments to aid her. He tells us they should:

• detach us from the world
• make us “labor for the meat which endureth unto life everlasting” (John 6:27)
• annihilate our natural selves
• make us ardent lovers of Christ crucified

How have I experienced these benefits through the Sacraments of the Church?