1. SYMBOLS & THE SACRAMENTS
Religious Studies 3, Class #9

2. 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?

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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…

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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