Rose Rea’s Spirit and Life: The Holy Sacraments of the Catholic Church (Sophia Institute Press, 256pp, £23/$29.95) is a beautifully produced book, with many superb illustrations of churches, chapels and liturgical occasions, suggesting that the Sophia Institute wishes to portray the beauty innate in the hidden glory of the sacramental life of the Church.  Each chapter starts with a passage from Scripture, then the relevant excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, followed by commentary from a Church Father. Finally, there are reflections by people on how the sacraments have changed their lives. The sacraments are placed in three groups: those of initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist; those of healing – Confession and the Sacrament of the Sick; and, finally, the sacraments at the service of communion, marriage and Holy Orders.  The inspiration behind the book is to view the sacraments through Scripture, tradition and the magisterium, and show how these “outward signs of inward grace” impact on individual lives. Naturally, these last sections make the most impression on the reader: a mother reflects on the meaning of the life of her infant son who died after baptism; a seminarian relates how his confirmation saint, Martin of Tours, guided him gently towards his priestly vocation; a newly ordained priest describes his feelings on observing a friend celebrate his own first Mass; a man explains how Confession helped him to overcome his addiction to pornography. This book would make an excellent gift for a convert friend. My only caveat is that I had to search at the back for the captions to the photographs; it would have been easier to read them alongside the images themselves.