Swear to God: The Promise and Power of the Sacraments

Publisher's description: Scott Hahn argues that every society--be it nation, neighborhood, family, or Church--is held together by the power of personal commitments. When we really want to change our lives, when we want to make love endure, we mark the transition by an oath. That's what people do on their wedding day, on the day they become citizens, on the day they enter the military, or on the day they assume public office. The words we say bind us to a course of action. But the most powerful oaths of all are those that mark the Christian Sacraments. In SWEAR TO GOD, Hahn restores the connection between sacred words and human action, promises and commitment. As in his previous bestsellers, Hahn draws on the history of ancient Israel, the Gospels, the writings of the early Church, and the lives of the saints. He shows how God's covenant?the promises he made to Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses?became the driving force in history. When Jesus fulfilled all these oaths, he established a "new covenant," with its own sacrifices, but with greater power than ever before. In the Church's Sacraments--such as Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Communion, Matrimony--each individual enters the covenant and swears the oath. In doing so, each individual calls down a blessing or a curse. If Western society is eroding, perhaps it is because we, as a people, have not kept our covenants with God. SWEAR TO GOD helps us to break out of that cycle, forever!… (more)