SYMBOLS & THE SACRAMENTS Religious Studies 3, Class #9
JOURNAL QUESTION: What activity/aspect/cultural or ethnic connection do you think best defines you? Or, when other people see you, how do you think they define you?
Sacramental Awareness Know what it means and be prepared to give examples of it The belief that the sacred is all around us. The ability to see God’s presence all around us.
Sacramental Dullness (Sacramental Blindness) Know its definition and the three main causes of it Why don’t people see God in creation? People are too busy Example: A great deal of pain & suffering exists in the world People do not know where to look or what to look for
Grace What’s the best definition that our book and our notes offer? Grace is the: CREATIVE SUSTAINING TRANSFORMING Self-gift of God that is always offered to us.
The three main ways humans experience grace There are three main ways humans experience grace: Through creation (“God’s body language”) Sacraments They are meant to provide an experience of God Friendship Think of your best friend…
Sacramental Skills Listening… Responding… Two necessary skills for sacramental awareness: Examples of these two skills Listening… AFFIRMING: NONJUDGMENTAL: Responding… Genuine responses flow out of us naturally Sacramental experiences call for a response
From the Greek symballein, meaning “to throw together” Symbols It’s Greek origin Qualities and characteristics of symbols Examples of symbols From the Greek symballein, meaning “to throw together” It has a multiplicity of meanings (“overplus of meaning” according to Rahner) It is naturally connected to what it symbolizes It evokes more than just one response from us
An object that represents some other reality Signs How are these different from symbols? An object that represents some other reality It gets its meaning by reflecting something else
Cultural Symbols vs. Universal Symbols Definition and examples of both Cultural Change their meaning over time Are limited to a certain group of people in a certain place Universal Their meanings can be understood by people of many different cultures
Concerned with visible, observable facts Literal Thinking Definition and times when literal thinking is important LITERAL That’s all there is Concerned with visible, observable facts Useful for precise measurements
There’s more than meets the eye Symbolic Thinking Definition and why it’s necessary for celebrating sacraments SYMBOLIC There’s more than meets the eye Concerned with the meaning beneath the surface Useful for sacramental awareness