The Church works as one giant spiritual machine built of the many people who live there and those who are already in heaven. The Holy Spirit is the energy that drives it, and the sacraments are the oil that makes the parts work more smoothly, more effectively. The more often one receives the sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation, the more smoothly the machine runs. That is why many saints have written over and over again of the importance of going to Mass and Confession frequently. The Eucharist is the source and summit of who we are as Catholics. Pope John Paul II often suggested the need for reconciliation and the Eucharist to go hand in hand with each other as a means of acquiring the grace we need to continue on the path to holiness.

The sacraments help to sanctify our lives, to make us holier and to build up good habits of holiness. The more we frequent the sacraments the more we learn about Christ and ourselves. The more we know about Christ, the more we are able to understand our vocation. The more we know about ourselves, the more we are able to understand how we fit into that vocation.