Grace Guaranteed: The Sacraments Explained | Fr. Chris Alar

One of the coolest things about being Catholic? You don't have to feel it to know you're getting it.

In this episode, Chris sits down with Fr. Chris Alar — author of Understanding the Sacraments: God's Grace Guaranteed — to unpack why the sacraments are so much more than symbols, and why so many Catholics never learned what they actually do.

Fr. Chris explains why infant baptism isn't about "letting a kid choose later," why Confirmation is the underrated "activation code" for the Holy Spirit's gifts, what it really takes for a confession to be valid, and why the Eucharist is literally the body and blood of Christ — not a metaphor.

Along the way, Chris and Fr. Chris talk about the difference between true contrition and mere remorse, why evangelization has to come before catechesis, and Fr. Chris's answer to "which sacrament is your favorite to administer?"

Highlights
[00:01:09] – Why Fr. Chris Alar wrote a book on the sacraments
[00:02:27] – The "wait till 18 to get baptized" argument — debunked
[00:10:00] – Confirmation: the "activation code" for the Holy Spirit
[00:16:39] – Heaven as a wedding feast — and why you need an invitation
[00:18:41] – The three conditions for a valid confession
[00:23:36] – Contrition vs. remorse: the difference between Peter and Judas
[00:47:26] – Fr. Chris Alar's favorite sacrament to administer

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Order Fr. Chris Alar's book, Understanding the Sacraments: God's Grace Guaranteed (https://shopmercy.org/explaining-the-faith-understanding-the-sacraments.html), Check out his work with the Marians of the Immaculate Conception / Divine Mercy here: https://www.thedivinemercy.org

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Crucified: Grace guaranteed with Father Chris Alarm
• (00:00:36) - Chris Stefanick
• (00:01:09) - Understanding the Sacraments
• (00:07:15) - Priests baptisms too often
• (00:07:44) - Mission to Joy
• (00:13:42) - Evangelicals on the Sacraments
• (00:18:42) - The 3 Conditions for Valid Confession
• (00:23:44) - Saved by Faith alone and not by Works
• (00:28:37) - The Sacraments: God's Love into Action
• (00:32:38) - On the Sacraments
• (00:37:09) - The Priesthood in the Bible
• (00:40:34) - What's Missing in Praise and Worship
• (00:41:52) - Francis Chan on the Catholic Sacraments
• (00:45:06) - Catechesis ahead of Evangelization
• (00:47:23) - The Sacrament of Confession