The Sacraments

Encounters with Christ

Sacraments

• Symbols & Rituals• Sign and Mystery• Signs of Christ• Signs of Redemption• The Church at Prayer

Symbols & Rituals

• Shared language that conveys a shared understanding.

• Symbol– An object of action that points us to another reality. It

leads us to look beyond our senses to consider a deeper mystery.

• Ritual– The established form of the words and actions for a

ceremony that is repeated often. The actions often have a symbolic meaning

Common Symbols

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Humans are “Sensate”

• Bring flowers, cards, box of candy• Participate in ceremonies– Birthdays– Graduations– Honor assemblies– Thanksgiving rituals– Re-enactments– New Years Eve rituals

Sign & Mystery

Points to a deeper reality

Mystery

A way in which we enter into the greatest mystery, the mystery of Christ

The paschal mystery is the core of every sacrament

Sacrament• An efficacious and *visible sign of God’s grace,

instituted by Jesus and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.

*Essential element – ritual- consists of words and actions

Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation

Ministry

Matrimony

Holy Orders

Healing

Reconciliation

Anointing of The sick

Signs of Christ

• Visible sign of God’s grace– Jesus (The Original Sacrament)

• Most basic way in which we encounter God and is the ultimate sign of God’s love.

– Church• Commissioned by Christ to carry on His work and his presence in the

world

– Seven sacraments• Signify and make present the work of Christ in our lives, through grace

– Sacramental economy

• Jesus is accessible through the Church, through the celebration of the sacraments

Sacramental Economy

Money

GoodsSell

Sacrament

Grace Love /service

Grace• What is grace?

– The free gift of God’s life that brings with it that which is necessary to be holy or live in holiness

• Types of grace:– Sanctifying

• The supernatural gift of God that is infused in our souls by the Holy Spirit, that continues the work of making us holy. It heals our wounded nature and restores us to friendship with God.

– Actual• God’s interventions and support in our everyday lives which are

important for conversion and continued growth in holiness

– Sacramental • God’s grace proper to each sacrament

Freedom • What is freedom?– The ability to choose and act upon that which is

what will fulfill your destiny.– When we respond to grace it makes us free to

attain our ultimate destiny- to be with God, now and eternally

• Freedom through LawYou cannot be free without rules????

Signs of Redemption

• Redeem: to buy back or to trade for• Redemption: Christ buys back our freedom

from sin and death by paying with his own life.– Reaches all people at all times– Resurrection transcends time • Christ is present all the time• We encounter him in the liturgy

The Praying Church • The Sacrifice of the Mass– Ritual prayer that has the Eucharist at its center– Tradition is taken from the form of prayer used by the

Jewish people at the time of Jesus coupled with the command to “Do this in remembrance of me” given by Jesus at the last supper.

• The Liturgy of the Hours– Church prayer that is prayed at certain hours of the day. It

has its tradition in Jewish practice and then was continued by the first Jewish Christians

• Communal and personal prayer– Praying outside of liturgy, either alone or with others– Our personal prayer prepares us for the Liturgy

The Praying Church • Communal and personal prayer– Praying outside of liturgy, either alone or with

others– Our personal prayer prepares us for the Liturgy• Some devotional prayers said in communion with others

– Stations of the Cross– Rosary– Processions

• Forms of prayer– Adoration and praise– Contrition– Thanksgiving– Supplication

Expressions of Prayer

• Vocal Prayer– Uses words, aloud or silently– Prayed alone or with others– Memorized, own words or spontaneous

• Mental Prayer/ Meditation– Reflections using thoughts, imagination and emotions

• Rosary, scripture, pictures

• Contemplative Prayer– Silent, wordless prayer– Opening your mind to God