“[Christ] is in the Father by reason of His divine nature, we are in Him by reason of His human birth, and He is in us through the mystery of the sacraments.” St. Hilary of Poitiers (4th century, Doctor of the Church)

“When Adam sleeps, Eve is formed from his side; when Christ is dead, the spear pierces His side, that the mysteries may flow forth whereby the Church is formed.” St. Augustine of Hippo (4th-5th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

“In the first place, I want you to hold as the basic truth of this discussion that our Lord Jesus Christ, as He Himself said in the Gospel, has subjected us to His yoke and His burden, which are light. Therefore, He has laid on the society of His new people the obligation of sacraments, very few in number, very easy of observance, most sublime in their meaning…” St. Augustine of Hippo

“…in addition to this, a wonderful mystery was then effected. ‘Blood and water at once flowed out of the wound.’ It is not by mere chance or unwittingly that these two fountains sprang up at this juncture. It is because blood and water are two constitutive elements of the Church. Those already admitted to to the sacred rites know this well; those, I mean, who have been regenerated in the waters of Baptism and who in the Eucharist feed on Christ’s flesh and blood. It is to this one source that all the Christian mysteries trace back their origin. And so when you apply your lips to this awesome cup, do it as though you drank that precious blood from the open side of Christ Himself.” St. John Chrysostom (4th-5th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

“What was to be seen of our Redeemer has passed over into the sacraments. In order that faith might be more perfect and more firm, teaching has taken the place of sight, and to this authority the hearts of believers, illumined by heavenly rays, have conformed.” Pope St. Leo the Great (4th-5th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

“As the child while in the mother’s womb receives nourishment not independently, but through the nourishment of its mother, so also children before the use of reason, being as it were in the womb of their mother the Church, receive salvation not by their own act, but by the act of the Church.” St. Thomas Aquinas (13th century, Doctor of the Church)

“Remember that the purpose of the sacraments is to help us on our way to our last end.” St. Thomas Aquinas

“It is Christ Who gives and administers the sacraments to us.” St. Catherine of Siena (14th-15th centuries, Doctor of the Church)

“The safe passage of the children of Israel through the Red Sea, and all the power of Pharaoh drowned in the same, signifies mankind passing out of the devil’s danger through the water of baptism, the sacrament taking its force of the red blood of Christ that He shed in His bitter passion.” St. Thomas More (15th-16th centuries)

“O living founts from the wounds of my God, how you have flowed with great abundance for our sustenance, and how surely those who strive to sustain themselves with this divine liqueur will advance in the midst of the dangers of this life.” St. Teresa of Avila (16th century, Doctor of the Church)

“Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put Him there in that tabernacle? The Priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of your life? The priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for the journey? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in the Blood of Jesus Christ? The priest, always the priest. And if this soul should happen to die (as a result of sin) who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace? Again, the priest. After God, the priest is everything! Only in heaven will he fully realize what he is.” St. John Vianney (19th century)

“Being holy means living exactly as our Father in heaven wants us to live. You will say that it is difficult. It is. The ideal is a very high one. And yet it is also easy. It is within our reach. When a person becomes ill there may be no appropriate medicine. But in supernatural affairs, it is not like that. The medicine is always at hand. It is Jesus Christ, present, in the Holy Eucharist, and He also gives us His grace in the other sacraments which He established.” St. Josemaria Escriva (19th-20th centuries)

“I prepared soldiers in confession and Holy Communion I guess between 300 and 400 times. I baptized two boys before battle and prepared about six or eight for their first confession and Holy Communion. I carry the holy oils and the Blessed Sacrament with me at all times. So far, I have been right on the front lines giving absolution and extreme unction to the dying.” Servant of God Emil Kapaun (20th century)