Chapter 11: The Sacraments Keeps us from getting spiritually bankcrupt!

The Incarnation God becoming man and taking on human flesh like us is referred to as the mystery of the Incarnation What do you think is the connection between the Incarnartion and the Sacraments? In the Sacraments, Jesus becomes “incarnate” in our lives.

Sacraments “Sacraments are visible signs of an invisible grace” ~ St. Augustine

Jesus Christ Is the Sacrament of God Sacramental Economy – the system that Christ uses to make Himself and his saving graces present to us, using rituals we call, the liturgy Liturgy – official public worship of the Church; the Mass is the most important one. Jesus’ desires to share our life, our tragedies and joys; this is accomplished in the Church’s liturgy.

How does each of the Seven Sacraments transform us as Church? Baptism – makes us members of the Church; we are reborn as children of God. Confirmation – our union with Christ and the Church is strengthened; we are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us spread and defend the Catholic faith. Eucharist – we are nourished and strengthened by Jesus in the Eucharist. Penance or Reconciliation – forgives sins and restores our unity with God and the Church Anointing of the Sick – strengthens the sick and the suffering; helps them to unite their sufferings to the passion and death of Christ Holy Orders – enables bishops, priests, and deacons to nourish the Church with the word of God and the Sacraments Matrimony – strengthens couples in their marriage to help one another become holy, build their lives together, and build up the church by accepting and educating their children in the faith.

Sacramentals: “Mini-signs” of God’s presence

What are “sacramentals” A Sacrament  outward signs that gives or confers grace to our souls Sacramentals  outward signs that dispose us to grace, programs us to grace, they arouse in us feelings of faith and love. A sacramental can be used as an instrument of God’s grace. The effectiveness of a sacramental depends on our own interior faith in God and personal prayer life.

Sacramentals can be things or actions. Examples (things): Candles Ashes Palms Crucifixes Medals Rosaries Scapulars Images of Jesus and Mary; images of the saints

Our three-fold mission as priests prophet and king By carrying out the mission of Christ in today’s world we share in his mission as priest, prophet, and king How do you think we share in specifically in this mission? How would you explain this to a lay person?

Our Mission as “Priests” Not the same as the ministerial/ordained priesthood of bishops and priests. We are all “priests” because all are called to offer themselves to God in worship, become holy, and help others grow in holiness to become holy – we become united with God in grace.

Types of Grace Sacramental Grace – the specific or particular grace we receive in the sacraments Sanctifying Grace – a sharing in the life God that transforms us and makes us holy Actual Grace – a specific divine help that enables us to perform a good act such as forgiving, avoiding a habitual sin, and being courageous in doing the right thing. We have to be in the state of grace (free from mortal sin) in order for grace to increase or take effect. Grace transforms and increases in us the virtues of faith, hope, and charity (theological virtues)

Our Mission as “Prophets” Witnessing to truth in our words, actions, and examples; as well as when we encourage others, we share in Christ’s mission as prophet. The laity (those baptized but not ordained), shares in this prophetic mission by allowing their faith to transform the world around them.

Our Mission as “King” Whenever we work for justice, peace, and serve others in charity, we share in Christ’s mission as king.

Conclusion: threefold mission Whenever we involve ourselves in the three- fold mission of Christ as priest, prophet, and king, we become a sign and instruments of Christ’s presence -- we become a type of sacrament.

Celebrating Our Redemption Christ Acts through the Sacraments What Happens in the Sacraments?

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). By preaching the Gospel and baptizing, the Apostles – and their successor and “co-workers” become “sacramental signs of Christ”.

God the Father: Source and Goal of the Liturgy God the Father is the source of all our blessings 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.

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 don’t just attend Mass, we are joining-in or “plugging-in” into the heavenly liturgy.

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

Transubstantiation Accidents – the appearance of a thing Substance – the essence of a thing

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

The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Liturgy The Holy Spirit helps us “remember” or understand God’s 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.

Common priesthood and Ministerial (Ordained) Priesthood All the baptized share a common priesthood, because they are set aside as a holy or “priestly” people. One of the privileges is participation 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 (permanent) mark, or a sacramental character on the person’s soul because these sacraments orders (configure) the person’s soul to a particular state on function.

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  “lex orandi, lex credendi” = the law of praying is the law of believing” Can the minister of the liturgy change the words of the ritual? The liturgy and its rituals therefore expresses the beliefs of the Church and 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 Church’s teachings.

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. It is dependent on the power of Christ who acts 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 can you do to be properly disposed to receive the sacraments?

Celebrating the Church’s Liturgy Who celebrates the Liturgy? What happens? -- Whenever we celebrate the liturgy, we are “plugging-in” in the heavenly liturgy. -- The priest acts “in the person of Christ” (in persona Christi) at the liturgy  it is Christ Himself, through the priest who eternally offers the Mass -- The people unite their spiritual sacrifices with the priest to be offered to the Father.

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.

Form and Matter… What is the form and matter we generally associate with the following: Fourth of July? Halloween? Thanksgiving?

Earthly Signs Used by Jesus WATER BREAD OIL HUMAN TOUCH

Form and Matter of the Sacraments SacramentFormMatter/Gesture Baptism“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Confirmation“Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” Eucharist“This is my Body” “This is my Blood” Penance“I 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)

Form and Matter of the Sacraments con’t… SacramentFormMatter Holy OrdersPrayer of Ordination MarriageValid vows

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.

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

When is the Liturgy celebrated? Sunday has become, for Christians the Lord’s Day (Sabbath) because it reminds us of the Resurrection and Christ’s victory over sin and death. holydays of obligation -- special days in the Church’s 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.

Liturgical Calendar Advent -- 4 weeks before Christmas 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

Mary and the Sanctoral Cycle Sanctoral Cycle – various feasts of the saints throughout the year. Mary’s feasts – reminds us of her link with the work of Christ; 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)

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 God’s presence in your life. Contemplative prayer – mental prayer; silent and wordless; listening to God

Where is the Liturgy Celebrated Mass was first celebrated in the catacombs and people’s 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