The Seven Sacraments are the great sources of energy and the regulating principles in the Christian system. They are the machinery of the supernatural order, by which God imparts His graces to us, rectifies the irregularities of our nature, preserves us from decadence and corruption, makes us capable of the loftiest duties, strengthens us against weakness, discouragement, and temptation, and gives us the power of understanding Him and entering into His life. The Sacraments have also their effect as to the organization and external administration of the Christian community. They are a visible token of unity, the signs and the proofs of our incorporation into the society founded by Our Lord; they are a profession of our faith, and an acknowledgment of Jesus Christ before men; they are a bond of brotherhood and love between the faithful. The Sacraments form a classification of mankind; a separation of the faithful from the unbelieving, of the beginners from proficients, of the rulers and teachers from the ruled, and of the natural parents from the spiritual ones. Pray God that these great mysteries may produce their full effect upon you and upon all mankind, sanctifying their lives, and building up the visible kingdom of Christ.
