Visible Signs: Hidden Mysteries By Sister Kieran Sawyer, SSND
PurposeThe concept of “sacrament” is central to the Catholic faith. This session helps high school youth understand the basic meaning of the concept, and to come to a deeper awareness of the loving presence of God—in all of creation, in human persons, in Jesus Christ, in the Church, and in the Sacred Seven.
Component: Catechesis
Correlation to the U.S. Bishops’ Adaptation: Course 5: A-3: Introduction to Sacraments (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1127, 1129, 1131; 2021-2024)
1131 “The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ 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.”
774 “The Greek word mysterion was translated into Latin by two terms: mysterium and sacramentum. In later usage the term sacramentum emphasizes the visible sign of the hidden reality of salvation which was indicated by the term mysterium. In this sense, Christ himself is the mystery of salvation.”
Session at a Glance7:00 p.m. Introduction: The “Gift Circle” and the Sacraments 7:15 p.m. Sacraments: Layers of Meaning7:30 p.m. Sacraments in the Catechism of the Catholic Church7:45 p.m. Sacraments Games
Extend the Session: Game Two (add 10 minutes)Extend the Session: The Sacred Seven (add 30 minutes)
7:55 p.m. Reflection: Recognizing the PRESENCE in the Presents 8:10 p.m. Prayer Experience: Open My Eyes8:25 p.m. Announcements and Refreshments8:30 p.m. Good Night!
Materials Needed Newsprint or poster boards, two sheets/pieces (see #2 and #3 in
Prepare in Advance) Marker, for the session leader Masking tape
Pens or pencils, one per participant Lap boards (something stiff to write on when the participants move to
reflection space), one per participant, optional “Open My Eyes” by Jesse Manibusan (spiritandsong.com) CD or MP3 player and speakers Catechism of the Catholic Church Handout 1, Recognizing the PRESENCE in the Presents, one for each participant Handout 3, Sacraments in the Catechism of the Catholic
Church, copy double-sided, one for each participant Resource 1, Gift Circle Chart (see #2 in Prepare in Advance) Resource 2, Sacraments Game Chart, copied onto white cardstock,
one copy for each table group Resource 3, Sacraments Key Words, (see #4 in Prepare in
Advance) one envelope for each table group Envelopes for the Sacraments Key Words, one for each table group Resource 4, Sacraments Answer Key, one copy for each table group
Extend the Session: The Sacred Seven Handout 2, Visible Signs, Hidden Mysteries , one for each
participant
Prepare in AdvanceNote to Leader: This session is correlated to the U.S. Bishops’ Adaptation of the Curriculum Framework, published in January 2010 by the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis at the USCCB. Download the Adaptation from this website: http://old.usccb.org/evangelization/Adaptation-of-HS-Curriculum-Framework-Preamble2.pdf.
1. Obtain a few hand-made cards created by young children for their parents. (Any family refrigerator should have several.)
2. On a sheet of newsprint or piece of poster board, create a “Gift Circle” chart like the one on Resource 1.
3. On a sheet of newsprint or piece of poster board, create a chart labeled “Sacraments: Visible Signs, Hidden Mysteries.” You will be adding the bullet points from pages 4-5 of this session to the chart as you present the material.
4. Copy Resource 3 (both sheets) onto colored cardstock, one set for each table group. Cut the words apart and put each set in a small envelope.
5. Create a prayer space by covering a small table with a cloth. Place the Bible and a pillar candle on the table. Have matches or a lightstick nearby. Also have a candle (or candles) in a glass container for the candle pass activity.
6. Set up tables for refreshments and sign-in. Have one or two people at the sign-in table with check-in sheet and nametags and registration information (have a few extra packets on hand for walk-ins). Hospitality is important! As the leader, spend the arrival time moving among the participants, greeting and speaking with them.
Session OutlineIntroduction: “The Gift Circle” (15 minutes)Welcome the participants. Be prepared to post “The Gift Circle” chart. Show the homemade card(s) you brought for tonight’s session. Say:
Raise your hand if you remember making a card like this for your Mom or Dad when you were a little child. I’ll bet your parents have several such gifts that you made for them over the years—probably stashed away for safekeeping in a special drawer. Do you know where they are kept?
I want to spend a few minutes thinking about the meaning of a gift, especially a homemade gift like this.
Ask a few questions like:
Why do people give gifts to one another? What does a gift mean? Why is a homemade gift better than a purchased gift? Do you still make gifts for people rather than purchase them? What is the role of the receiver in the gift-giving process? What happens if the gift is not accepted? How does the giver know that the gift is really appreciated?
Post the Gift Circle chart and use it to summarize the discussion. Say:Gift-giving is meant to be a form of communication. A gift has to be circular as this chart explains.
Show and explain the chart as follows: THE GIFT CIRCLE
the gift is a visible sign of love the gift represents the giver the gift needs to be accepted and appreciated by the receiver the gift invites a response of love the entire Gift Circle deepens the love relationship
A gift is a visible sign of an invisible reality. What matters in gift giving is the invisible reality –
the love relationship that is signified and deepened by the gift.
Ask volunteers to explain:
why each of the first four points is necessary for the last point to happen
why it is better if the gift is made by the giver rather than purchased how the receiver shows appreciation and acceptance why the fourth point says invites rather than requires or demands a
return why the fourth point asks for a return of love, not another gift
Sacrament: Layers of Meaning (15 minutes)Post the chart labeled “Sacrament: Visible Signs – Hidden Mysteries.” Say:
The early Church used the Greek work mysterion (write) to name the reality that we now call a sacrament. A sacrament was understood to be a VISIBLE SIGN of a HIDDEN MYSTERY.
In today’s Church, the word sacrament has many layers of meaning, with each layer including the basic understanding of the Gift Circle. The hidden mystery that is revealed through the various layers is always GOD: the great all-encompassing mystery of the Blessed Trinity.
Note to Leader: If your group has been introduced to Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body, point out that John Paul’s teaching is based on a profound understanding of the sacramental presence of God in all of creation and especially in the love of persons.
Present the following concepts, writing the key words (highlighted in bold) on your chart as you explain them.
Layers of Meaning
All of creation – Everything that exists reflects God in some way. Mountains reflect God’s majesty, flowers reflect God’s beauty, storms reflect God’s power, oceans reflect God’s vastness, and so on.Refer to points one and two on the Gift Circle chart.
And God created everything in his universe to be a love gift for us, God’s people. So we can say that all of creation is a sacrament—a visible sign—of God’s mysterious presence.
Human persons – Of all God’s creatures, the human person is the best reflection of God. Scripture tells us that we are made in God’s image.Recall the “Image of God” YMA session if you have used it. We human persons reflect God’s greatest attributes, intellect and will, the ability to know and to choose. Unlike the other creatures God made, the human person
is capable of entering into the Gift Circle with God, but we don’t always do it. We take the gifts (point to each word on the Gift Circle chart), but we don’t recognize them as signs of God’s love or we don’t always appreciate them or we often don’t respond with love. Whether we realize it or not, however, every human person was created by God to be a sacrament—a visible sign—of God’s mysterious presence.
Jesus – Because the human race wasn’t doing so well at being sacraments, God sent his Divine Son into our world to show us how. Jesus himself became the visible sign of the hidden mystery of God (point to the words at the top of the chart). From his birth in a stable to his death on a cross, Jesus shows us how to live the Gift Circle. Jesus helps us to see that all of creation and our very selves are love gifts from God. Jesus teaches us that God’s very being is love, and that the reason God created us was to give and receive love.
But Jesus also shows us how much love costs (see if someone can name the price). He offers his life on the cross as a sign of what the Hidden Mystery is worth—the total gift of self. And God responds to Jesus’ self gift with an amazing new gift—the Resurrection.
When Jesus rises from the dead, all of his humanity is absorbed into God in a relationship of love (point five on the chart). And Jesus passes this new love on to us. In Jesus, the relationship between God and all of humanity is forever changed: the new life of God’s grace is offered to the whole human race. We are all invited into the Gift Circle. We are lighted with the fire of God’s own love.
The Church – After the Resurrection, Jesus comes back to his little group of followers. What is the first thing he does when he appears? (See if someone can tell you.) He breathes into them his Holy Spirit. He tells them that from now on they are to be the new Body of Christ.
They are to be what he was—a visible sign of the hidden mystery of God’s great love. They are to live in such a way that people will see God in their daily lives and will come to join them. The people who receive Jesus’ Spirit are called the Church. We are that church. How are we doing at being sacraments of God’s love?
The Sacraments – One of the ways the Church lives as the Body of Christ is through the special rituals we call the Seven Sacraments. (See if someone can name them.) Each sacrament is a visible sign of the hidden mystery of God’s love. Point back up to each item on the chart as you speak the following: Each of the seven sacraments is meant to help us to be the sacrament of Church, which keeps alive the sacrament of Jesus, which shows us human persons how to be the sacraments God created us to be, and helps us to remember that all creatures are visible signs of the hidden mystery of God’s love.
Cover the chart and ask the students to work with a partner to name the five layers of sacramental presence that are outlined there. Then uncover the chart and review them once more.
Sacraments in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (15 minutes)Distribute Handout, 3, Sacraments in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and pens or pencils to each participant. Show the participants a copy of the Catechism and read with them the introduction at the top of the handout. Allow a few minutes of quiet for them to read the passages on the sheet. Then invite them to work in small groups to respond to the questions on the back of the handout. When most are finished, call on individuals to read the questions with the correct answers.
The questions are designed to help the young people understand the meaning of the specialized theological language used in the document. Reading them aloud helps solidify their understanding.
Sacraments Games (10 minutes)Game OneDivide the participants into table groups of 4 to 6 participants. Give each small group a blank copy of Resource 2, Sacraments Game Chart, and an envelope containing the key sacrament words (Resource 3). Say:
You have been learning about the Seven Sacraments since you were in elementary school. Let’s see how much you know about them. On your table is a chart with the names of the seven sacraments and a small envelope containing key words that refer to each sacrament. Work together to put the key words into the correct boxes on the chart.
Allow time. When most groups are finished, distribute copies of the answer sheet Resource 4, Sacraments Answer Key, and invite the groups to check their answers, removing any cards that are in the wrong box. Answer any questions about the errors. Then collect the answer keys, and do the game again as a contest between tables. Tell the groups to stand when they are finished. Then give someone from a neighboring table the answer key to check their answers and to remove any cards that are misplaced. The team that finishes first and has the least mistakes is the winner.
(Optional) Extend the Session: Game Two (10 minutes)If you have time, play a second game.
Take a pack of the Sacraments Key Words. Divide the participants into two equal teams (or boys against girls). Instruct the teams to stand in two parallel rows, facing you. The first two players are “first up.” They stand facing you. Pick a card and say the key word. The first person who names the
sacrament gets the card. If there is a tie, put the card at the end of the pack and pick another.
The two players go to the end of the line and the next two are up. At the end of the game, count the cards each team has collected. The
team with the most cards is the winner. Visible Signs: Hidden Mysteries
Extend the Session: The Sacred Seven (30 minutes) Distribute Handout 3, The Sacred Seven Chart, and pens or pencils to the participants. Say:
Now let’s use the Gift Circle to help us to understand the special sacramental signs that the church calls the Seven Sacraments. We will explore some of the key concepts regarding each sacrament. Fill in the boxes of the chart as we go along.
Present the following concepts. Draw out as much of the information from the participants as you can. Guide them in filling in their charts with the key words and phrases.
Baptism o Visible sign: Immersion in or pouring of water and the words: I baptize you
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Also a candle (lighted from the Easter candle) and a white garment.
o Hidden mystery: Baptism is like a new birth: in our first birth we were born out of the water of our mother’s womb. In this new birth we come out of the baptismal water with the new life of God’s grace. The candle and white garment are other symbols of this new life. “As fire transforms into itself everything it touches, so the Holy Spirit transforms into the divine life whatever is subjected to his power.” CCC 127
Confirmationo Visible sign: The laying on of hands, the anointing with chrism, and the
words: Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.o Hidden mystery: In Jesus’ time athletes were rubbed with oil to give them
strength. Through Confirmation the Holy Spirit gives us the strength needed to freely choose to follow Christ, to live the Christian life fully and actively.
Eucharisto Visible sign: The community gathered to eat bread and drink wineo Hidden mystery: Jesus promised to be present whenever the community of his
followers gathered in his name. Through the Eucharist Jesus gives us his own body and blood to be the food we need to nourish the new life of grace we were given at baptism.
Reconciliationo Visible sign: The words “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”o Hidden mystery: Because God wanted us to love, he gave us the gift of
freedom. Because we are free to love we are also free to sin. Christ came to bring us God’s loving forgiveness, to teach us to forgive one another, and to give us the grace we need to keep on trying to follow him and to live the Christian life.
Anointing of the Sicko Visible sign: Laying on of hands, prayer of the priest, anointing of the
forehead and hands with holy oilo Hidden mystery: When Jesus was on earth he often healed the sick of body,
mind, and soul. He has passed his gift of healing on to the Church. Through
the sacrament of anointing Jesus heals the sick and prepares the dying for the new life of Heaven.
Holy Orderso Visible sign: Laying on of hands and consecration by a bishopo Hidden mystery: God’s choice of men to continue the work of Christ in the
church as deacons, priests, and bishops; the loving response and dedicated service of those chosen by God
Matrimonyo Visible sign: The loving gift of husband and wife to one another; physical
intimacy is a sign of that loveo Hidden mystery: God’s presence in all human love, especially in the life-
giving love of marriage; married love as a symbol of God’s love for all people.
Recognizing the PRESENCE in the Presents: Reflection Exercise (15 minutes)
Distribute Handout 1, Recognizing the Presence. Hold up the child’s homemade card again, and say:
Let’s think about this card again. Suppose that you are the little child who made the card. You spend the whole morning on it, doing your best to draw the picture, to color it just right, and to write the words that will tell your Mom how much you love her. Finally it is finished, and you run into the kitchen to bring the card to your mom. But your mom is on the phone talking to her friend. She doesn’t pay any attention to you. You put the card into her hand, but she doesn’t even look at it. She doesn’t even look at you, no smile, no hug. She just keeps talking to her friend. If that happened, how would you feel about your gift? about yourself?Accept a few responses, then continue:I think God must feel like that sometimes. Let’s use this reflection exercise as practice in paying attention to the God presence.
Read aloud the paragraphs at the top of the reflection sheet. Then read the items aloud slowly and thoughtfully, inviting the participants to code them as you read. Then say:
Notice the blank space at the bottom. Write one or two experiences where you have truly recognized the presence of God in your life. You can choose an experience from the paper or add one of your own.
Prayer Experience: Open My Eyes (15 minutes)GatherInvite the participants to bring their reflection papers and to gather in the prayer space. Have a lighted candle (in a glass container) ready for the candle pass.Note to Leader: If your group is very large, have them gather in their small groups, and have a candle ready for each group to do the candle pass.
Beloved God, You are the One who gives us everything good in our world.Help us to recognize your gifts, and to realize that you are the One who gives
them.Help us to protect our beautiful world, and to use each gift as you intended it
to be used.Help us to honor our own persons, body and spirit, as sacraments of your
divine presence.We ask this through Jesus, who is your greatest Gift to us. Amen.
ListenBriefly tell the beginning of the Emmaus story (Luke 24: 13-27), then read aloud verses 28-31, stopping with the words “… and their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.”
RespondWhen you finish reading, play the song “Open My Eyes.” After the song, take the candle, and say:
We will take turns now, sharing one item from the reflection exercise, one place where you usually recognize that God is present and acting in your world. I will begin, and then I will pass the candle to [name]. When you receive the candle, please say “I recognize the presence of God in…” or “I want to recognize the presence of God in…” Take a few seconds now to select the item you will share.
Begin the candle pass sharing. When all have shared, say:
Remembering that Jesus is always with us when we gather in his name, let’s join hands and pray the prayer he taught us. Our Father …
Go ForthClose by playing “Open My Eyes,” inviting the participants to sing along.
Announcements and Refreshments (10 minutes)Thank the youth for their participation in tonight’s session. Make any needed announcements about upcoming programs and events. Invite everyone to enjoy some refreshments.
This lesson was written by Sister Kieran Sawyer, SSND, author and national speaker. Sr. Kieran is Director Emeritus of the TYME OUT Youth Center, Stone Bank, Wisconsin. Sister Kieran would love to hear from you and/or your students after you have finished the lesson. She can be reached at [email protected]. Fr. Roy Shelly, Ph.D., served as theological consultant on this session.
Websites and links in this session were accessed successfully on May 22, 2012.
The Sacraments Game is taken from Sister Kieran’s book, Faith Facts for Young Catholics [Ave Maria Press, 1998]. Used with permission.
Recognizing the PRESENCE in the PresentsEverything God created is a visible sign of God’s love: our beautiful world, our own bodies, our ability to know and to choose, our families with all their joys and problems, our friendships with all their fun and adventure—all of these are gifts from God. All of them are sacraments in which the hidden mystery of God is present. But we have to train ourselves to think in sacraments. We have to learn to pay attention—not only to the gifts but to the Giver, to the Divine Person whose Presence is in the presents.
Listed below you will find a list of some of the everyday sacraments of the God Presence. As you read the items, ask yourself: Do I find God present in this aspect of my life? Do I realize that this aspect of my life is a love gift from God to me?
Mark the items: A = Always, U = Usually, S = Sometimes, or N = Never
_____ the glorious ever-changing colors of a sunrise or sunset_____ the wild beauty of a lightning storm at night_____ the intricacies of tiny atoms, molecules, cells_____ the fresh wonder of morning in spring_____ the delicious aroma of a special family dinner being cooked
_____ the innocent beauty of a sleeping child_____ the steady companionship of a faithful friend_____ the sacrifice a dad makes to be at his child’s baseball game_____ the courage I find in myself to speak up when someone is being treated unfairly_____ the joy of knowing I did my very best work
_____ the consistent discipline of a loving parent _____ the gentle persuasion of a teacher or coach who helps me follow my dreams_____ the inspiration to remember my mother’s birthday just in time_____ the honest apology from a friend who has hurt my feelings_____ the wholesome fun of an afternoon of shopping or sports with my friends
_____ the friendly chatter of family dinner at the home of my grandparents _____ the warm hug I gave my mom after she scolded me for being late_____ the ingenuity to find just the right present for a loved person_____ the courage to get up from a fall, to brush myself off, and to keep on trying_____ the deep-down realization that I am a the child of loving God
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) uses special theological language to describe the mysteries of our faith. The Catechism was prepared by the bishops of the entire world, under the direction of Pope John Paul II, and published in 1992. In the introduction to the Catechism, the Holy Father wrote: “The catechism is given to them [the pastors and the faithful] that it may be a sure and authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine.”
Study the passages below. Then respond to the questions on the back of this page.
1131 The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ 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.
1127 Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify. They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work: it is he who baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies. The Father always hears the prayer of his Son's Church which, in the epiclesis of each sacrament, expresses her faith in the power of the Spirit. As fire transforms into itself everything it touches, so the Holy Spirit transforms into the divine life whatever is subjected to his power.
2021 Grace is the help God gives us to respond to our vocation of becoming his adopted sons [and daughters]. It introduces us into the intimacy of the Trinitarian life.
2022 The divine initiative in the work of grace precedes, prepares, and elicits the free response of man. Grace responds to the deepest yearnings of human freedom, calls freedom to cooperate with it, and perfects freedom.
2023 Sanctifying grace is the gratuitous gift of his life that God makes to us; it is infused by the Holy Spirit into the soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it.
2024 Sanctifying grace makes us “pleasing to God.” Charisms, special graces of the Holy Spirit, are oriented to sanctifying grace and are intended
for the common good of the Church. God also acts through many actual graces, to be distinguished from habitual grace which is permanent in us.
1129 The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation. “Sacramental grace” is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament. The Spirit heals and transforms those who receive him by conforming them to the Son of God. The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful partakers in the divine nature by uniting them in a living union with the only Son, the Savior.
1) What word does the Catechism use to name the divine life of God working in our hearts through the sacraments? _______________________________________________________________________
2) What word does the Catechism use to say that the sacraments have the power to effect what they signify? (CCC 1131) _______________________________________________________________________
3) How does the Catechism say that we receive benefits from the sacraments only if our minds and hearts are open to God? (CCC 1131) _______________________________________________________________________
4) CCC 1131 states that the visible rites of the sacrament do two things. What are the two things the rites do? _______________________________________________________________________
5) The Catechism tells us that in the sacramental encounter, God acts first and invites us to respond. What phrase (in CCC 2022) names this truth? _______________________________________________________________________
6) How does the Catechism (CCC 2022) describe the relationship of God’s grace to human freedom? (The answer has five parts.) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7) According to the Catechism, who is actually working through the sacraments to bring God’s love to us? (The passages give two answers to this question.) ______________________________________________________________________
8) The passages on the other side of this sheet name several kinds of grace. What does the Church call the grace that is the gift of God’s life within each of us? (CCC 2023) ______________________________________________________________________
9) What name is given to the special graces given to one person for the common good of the whole community? (CCC 2024) ______________________________________________________________________
10) What name is given to the special grace that belongs with each separate sacrament? (CCC 1129) ______________________________________________________________________
11) In CCC 1127, the Catechism compares grace to fire. Explain the comparison. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Answers for Sacraments GameBaptismChurch membershipPrerequisite for all sacramentsChristeningFirst sacrament of initiationNew life of graceOriginal sinWater, immersion or pouring
ConfirmationPersonal acceptance of your baptismGifts of the Holy SpiritCompletion of baptismSealing with the SpiritChristian maturitySecond anointing
EucharistReal Presence of JesusLast SupperRequired weeklyBread and wineHoly MassCommunionSacrifice of JesusTransubstantiation
ReconciliationRepentanceForgivenessAbsolutionConfession of sinPenanceReparationContrition
Anointing of the SickHealth of spirit and bodySickness and deathHealing
ViaticumLast ritesOld ageExtreme unction
Holy OrdersMinistryPriesthoodOrdinationBishop, priest, deaconRepresentative of ChristService of the church
MatrimonyLove commitmentMarriageWedding ceremonyTwo become one fleshSexual fidelityTill death do us partHaving children
