This month’s recommended book is a real eye-opener, and easily used for small groups and discussion (each chapter actually has questions provided at the end). Sacraments in Scripture is also a quick read that might whet your appetite for more on the sacraments and the Mass.
Tim Gray is the energy behind the FORMED online Catholic streaming service our parish uses. He wrote this book in his early years and it not only helped me see the Scriptural roots of the seven sacraments, but by doing so led me into a much deeper understanding of what the sacraments are and what they do.
I grew up with the classic definition of a sacrament: Sacraments are signs instituted by Christ that give grace. The Catechism gives a similar definition, “An efficacious sign that gives grace instituted by Christ to the Church…”
Sacraments in Scripture takes this a big step further by showing the source material and the origins of each sacrament. There is much more here than a simple definition. After reading this, I got the feeling of being part of a bigger story, of something real and present today. The words and gestures used in each sacrament began to take on a deeper and richer meaning to me.
Catechism tie-in: CCC Part 2 on Celebrating the Christian Mystery
For a deeper look at this topic: The Biblical Roots of the Mass by Thomas Nash