Sunday, September 24th:
Sacraments are very specific events in which God touches us through creation and transforms us into living Christs. The two main sacraments are baptism and the Eucharist. In baptism water is the way to transformation. In the Eucharist it is bread and wine. The most ordinary things in life – water, bread, and wine – become the sacred way by which God comes to us.
These sacraments are actual events. Water, bread, and wine are not simple reminders of God’s love; they bring God to us. In baptism we are set free from the slavery of sin and dressed with Christ. In the Eucharist, Christ himself becomes our food and drink.
Henri Nouwen
For further reflection…
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. – Galatians 3:27 (NIV)