Why did I become a Catholic? The Sacraments - they are physical, incarnational.

As I have mentioned, when people ask me the recurring question in the subject line of most of my posts, hundreds of reasons come bubbling to the surface all wanting expression like the bubbles in a carbonated beverage when you open up the container. Sometimes I would respond in trying to summarize the reasons, "It's physical."  My answer was somewhat cryptic because there is a context that one has to understand before my answer would make sense.  Therefore, I have abandoned that summary for "It helps me to hold onto Jesus better."  But I want to give some more of the context here.

I came across some paragraphs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church this week that state well the importance of the physical as well as the spiritual.

1145    A sacramental celebration is woven from signs and symbols. In keeping with the divine pedagogy of salvation (pedagogy: the art, science, or profession of teaching - Merriam Webster Online Dictionary), their meaning is rooted in the work of creation and in human culture, specified by the events of the Old Covenant and fully revealed in the person and work of Christ.

1146    Signs of the human world. In human life, signs and symbols occupy an important place. As a being at once body and spirit, man expresses and perceives spiritual realities through physical signs and symbols. As a social being, man needs signs and symbols to communicate with others, through language, gestures, and actions. The same holds true for his relationship with God.

There is much more that could be said here but you can read about it in the Catechism online via the link below.
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm#

And this sacramental celebration and communication spills out into the everyday world as a way of life, a way of service to others and a way of viewing the world.  There is a interconnectedness of life that I have found rich and fulfilling.  And so while I am going to first address the seven sacraments of the Church, there are many other areas I am excited about sharing such as the social teachings of the Catholic Church and the nature of the Church itself and the keys to understanding it.

If you want a good overview of Catholicism in a video series, I highly recommend Catholicism with Father Robert Barron.  http://www.catholicismseries.com/  It has been on PBS, EWTN and many parishes are showing it in their Christian or religious education classes.  We have been using it for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adult and for general adult education classes at my parish.

The first sacrament I am going to cover is Baptism.