Celebrating Our Redemption Christ Acts through the Sacraments
Chapter 2: What Happens in the Sacraments
Slide 2
Celebrating Our Redemption Redemption to recover ownership by
paying a sum or a ransom. For Christians Jesus paid the price of
Death on the Cross to ransom us from sin and return us to God. In
the Liturgy we celebrate our redemption by participating in the
events of the Paschal Mystery. (Like a rerun).
Slide 3
Christ Acts through the Sacraments Jesus commanded His Apostles
to teach and baptized all nations (Mt. 28:16-20) before He ascended
to heaven. But the Apostles were lost and afraid. It was not until
Pentecost (40 days after the Ascension), that Jesus sent the Holy
Spirit (Paraclete) to enliven and fill them with courage to preach
the Gospel. By preaching the Gospel and baptizing, the Apostles
became sacramental signs of Christ.
Slide 4
Christ Acts through the Sacraments cont Before the Apostles
died, by the power of the Holy Spirit they entrusted their work of
teaching, baptizing, serving, and building up the Church, and gave
power and authority to their successors (bishops). This unbroken
chain of power and authority that continues to be passed on to the
Pope and bishops is known as the apostolic succession.
Slide 5
God the Father: Source and Goal of the Liturgy God the Father
is the source of all our blessings, and we return the blessings we
received when we respond to His grace. In every Sacrament, God acts
first by offering us a share in his own life and love And we act in
response by accepting his Word as truth on which we base our
lives.
Slide 6
The Work of Christ in the Liturgy Jesus redeemed all peoples
from all times, and He makes His own Paschal Mystery and its
effects present to us through the liturgy. In reality there is only
one liturgy the heavenly liturgy. We dont just attend Mass, we are
joining-in or plugging-in into the heavenly liturgy.
Slide 7
Christ is present to us in the liturgy in the following ways:
Jesus is present in the minister of the Sacrament whenever the
priests baptizes, hears confessions, anoints, marries, and offers
Mass --Christ is the minister of the Sacrament, the priest only
acts in His name. Jesus is present in the Word, since it is Christ
who speaks when the Scriptures are read the liturgy. Jesus is
present when the Church prays and sings and is gathered in His name
(See Mt. 18:20). Jesus is specifically present in the Eucharistic
species, his own Body and Blood. -- This mystery is called the Real
Presence of Christ in the Eucharist because Jesus is present in the
Eucharist, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. -- The change in the
substance of bread and wine into the risen and glorified Body and
Blood of Christ is know as transubstantiation
Slide 8
Transubstantiation Accidents the appearance of a thing
Substance the essence of a thing
Slide 9
Accidental Change vs. Substantial Change Type of Change Example
Accidents (Appearance) Substance (Essence) Natural Accident Water
to Ice Natural Substantial Food Eaten Supernatural Accidents
Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish Supernatural Substantial
Transubstantiation
Slide 10
The Tabernacle Literally means tent, where the Blessed
Sacrament or the Eucharist is reserved. It serves three purposes:
-- For communion for the sick and dying. A special container called
the pyx is used to transport the Eucharist. -- For Eucharistic
Adoration -- Private prayer in the church/chapel
Slide 11
The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Liturgy The Holy Spirit
helps us remember or understand Gods Word in Scriptures and the
words of the liturgy. This remembering of faith is called the
anamnesis. During the Mass, the priest invokes or calls upon the
Father to send the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine into
the Body and Blood of Christ. This invocation is called the
epiclesis.
Slide 12
Introducing the Seven Sacraments By the power of the Holy
Spirit, the sacraments helps us to remember the saving events of
the Paschal Mystery, and makes these events present for us today.
What are the Sacraments of the Church? -- Baptism -- Holy Eucharist
-- Confirmation -- Reconciliation (Penance or Confession) --
Anointing of the Sick -- Holy Orders -- Matrimony
Slide 13
The Sacraments of Christ The sacraments can be called the
Sacraments of Christ because Christ instituted each of them while
He was on earth. Christ is present and acting in all the
sacraments.
Slide 14
Common priesthood and Ministerial (Ordained) Priesthood By the
virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation, Christians are set aside as
a holy or priestly people. This common priesthood of the baptized
enables us to participate in the liturgy. From the common
priesthood, God chooses men and appoints them to nourish the people
of God with the Word of God and the Sacraments. The ministerial or
ordained priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. The
Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer an
indelible sacramental character on the persons soul because these
sacraments orders (configure) the persons soul to a particular
state on function.
Slide 15
The Sacraments of Faith Christ gave the Church the mission to
spread the Gospel and baptize to others or to evangelize. The
rituals and prayers of the Church is rooted in its beliefs. The
ancient saying lex orandi, lex credendi literally means the law of
praying is the law of believing and expresses this reality. Can the
minister of the liturgy change the words of the ritual? The liturgy
and its rituals therefore expresses the foundational beliefs of the
Church and therefore cannot be modified or manipulated by the
ordained minister. The laws that governs the rituals and liturgy
are part of the Sacred Tradition which is the living transmission
of the Churchs teachings.
Slide 16
Sacraments of Salvation The grace or validity of the sacrament
is not dependent on the worthiness of the minister or the recipient
of the sacrament, but on the power of Christ who acts in and
through the minister. This understanding is known as ex opere
operato The fruits of the sacrament (how the sacrament transforms
or affects the person) depends on the disposition of the person
receiving the sacrament. What do you do to be properly disposed to
receive the sacraments?
Slide 17
The Sacraments of Eternal Life Maranatha -- O Lord come The
celebration of the Sacraments anticipates for us our future life
and communion with the blessed and Holy Trinity.
Slide 18
Celebrating the Churchs Liturgy Who celebrates the Liturgy? --
Whenever we celebrate the liturgy, we are plugging-in in the
heavenly liturgy. -- The entire community of heaven and earth are
united in their celebration with Christ, as its Head. -- This is
why the liturgy is ideally and best celebrated as a community under
the bishop -- The priest acts in the person of Christ (in persona
Christi) at the liturgy. In the Mass, it is Christ Himself, through
the priest who eternally offers Himself to the Father. -- The
people unite their spiritual sacrifices with the priest to be
offered to the Father.
Slide 19
How is the Liturgy Celebrated? The sacraments of the Church can
be explicitly found, and others, implicitly found in the
Scriptures. Jesus gave authority to the Church to determine the
words, gestures, and elements to be used in each sacrament. The
words recited or prayed are called the form of the sacrament; the
physical elements and/or gestures used are called the matter of the
sacrament.
Slide 20
Form and Matter What is the form and matter we generally
associate with the following: Fourth of July? Halloween?
Thanksgiving?
Slide 21
Form and Matter of the Sacraments (p. 42)
SacramentFormMatter/Gesture BaptismI baptize you in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. ConfirmationBe
sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit. EucharistThis is my Body
This is my Blood PenanceI absolve you from your sins. In the Name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Anointing of
the SickPrayer of Anointing (see page 42)
Slide 22
Form and Matter of the Sacraments cont SacramentFormMatter Holy
OrdersPrayer of Ordination (See page 42) MarriageValid vows (See
page 42)
Slide 23
Liturgy of the Word Two parts of the Mass: Liturgy of the Word,
Liturgy of the Eucharist Missal Liturgy of the Word Three-year
cycle of readings (A, B, C) for covering all the major parts of the
Bible. The readings are found in the Lectionary. If you went to
Mass everyday for the rest of you life, you would have read and
heard the major parts of the Bible at least 20 times in your
lifetime.
Slide 24
Various traditions and rites of the Catholic Church The
Catholic Church is rich with different liturgical traditions
different ways of celebrating the Mass and the sacraments. These
traditions are called rites. Latin Rite/Roman Catholics. There are
5 different Eastern Catholic Churches Byzantine, Alexandrian
(Coptic), Antiochene. Armenian, Chaldean. Additionally, there other
ritual churches that are part of the Catholic Church, totaling 21.
Many Eastern Churches use icons in their liturgy Eastern Orthodox
Church
Slide 25
When is the Liturgy celebrated? Sunday has become, for
Christians the Lords Day (Sabbath) because it reminds us of the
Resurrection and Christs victory over sin and death. holydays of
obligation -- special days in the Churchs year or the Liturgical
Year commemorating feasts of Jesus and Mary. The Liturgical Year
consists of Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Sacred Triduum,
and Easter.
Slide 26
Liturgical Calendar Advent -- 4 weeks before Christmas Means
coming -- celebrating the coming of the Messiah on Christmas and
anticipating the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time.*
Christmas season begins on the vigil of Christmas and ends at the
Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and
ends on Holy Thursday. Easter or Sacred Triduum Holy Thursday, Good
Friday, Easter Vigil/Sunday. Ordinary Time comes from ordinal
(numbered); Purpose to teach Christians how to follow Jesus in
everyday and ordinary life. Celebrated twice in a year; concludes
at Feast of Christ the King
Slide 27
Mary and the Sanctoral Cycle Sanctoral Cycle various feasts of
the saints throughout the year. Marys feasts reminds us of her link
with the work of Christ; also reminds us of where we desire and
hope to be; shes the perfect model of how to be a Christian When we
honor Mary, we honor Christ Holydays of obligation: Feast of Mary
the Mother of God (January 1) Feast of the Assumption (August 15)
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)
Slide 28
The Church at Prayer Vocal prayer using words and our bodies to
honor God Liturgy of the Hours also known as the Divine Office, it
is the public prayer of the Church; contains various prayers
throughout the day. Meditation using your thoughts and emotions to
think of Gods presence in your life. Contemplative prayer mental
prayer; silent and wordless; listening to God
Slide 29
Where is the Liturgy Celebrated Mass was first celebrated in
the catacombs and peoples homes After Christianity became legal,
the emperors donated large assembly halls known as basilicas There
are 7 major basilicas, all located in Rome Minor basilicas churches
throughout the world given a special honor Cathedral, Church,
Chapel, Oratory All Catholic churches contain altar, tabernacle,
chair, ambo, aumbry, baptistry, reconciliation room