Section E: the Celebration of Faith

Section E: The Celebration of Faith

Part one

ü  Some places are of religious significance, for example: a church.

ü  God can be encountered anywhere, but sacred places are different to other places because God is present in a mysterious way.

ü  A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place, e.g. Knock, Mecca.

ü  A pilgrim is a person who goes on a pilgrimage.

ü  A place becomes a centre of pilgrimage because something has happened there, e.g. Mary appeared at Knock.

ü  It is customary for Christians to go on pilgrimage, although they not have to do so. Pilgrimages are a form of worship.

People go on pilgrimages to:

1.  Pray for themselves and others. 2 To ask God’s help. 3. To seek forgiveness. 4. To strengthen faith.

Knock, Co. Mayo

v  In August 1879 fifteen people, aged 6 to 75 saw an apparition outside the church gates in Knock, Co.Mayo.

v  The group stood there looking at the vision and they prayed in front of it for 2 hours.

v  Mary appeared. To her left was St. John the Evangelist. To her right was St. Joseph. They were all dressed in white. There was also an altar with a cross and a lamb on it. The altar was surrounded by angels.

v  The Catholic Church examined the evidence and announced that the people were telling the truth.

v  1 ½ million people visit Knock each year.

v  The pilgrims attend mass, visit the shrine, pray in front of the shrine, say the Rosary, walk in procession around the church and pray the Stations of the Cross.

Holy wells (Local pilgrimage)

·  There are 3,000 in total in Ireland, with 118 in Dublin.

·  They are the main focus of local pilgrimages on Pattern days (the eve of the feast of a saint associated with the area).

·  People gather at the well to ask for forgiveness, healing or a special blessing.

·  Pilgrims arrive barefoot, they kneel, pray the Rosary, have a drink of water, walk in a circle around the well, and finally they throw a pin/coin into the well to symbolise leaving troubles behind.

Features of a Roman Catholic Church

Liturgical Year

Part two

-  Worship is the way people honour God.

-  A ritual is a repeated, symbolic action.

Worship

Sacrifice

-  A sacrifice is an offering, or a gift, to God.

-  Jesus’ sacrifice is present here and now.

-  The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one and the same.

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Parts of the mass:

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1.  Introduction

*  Entrance procession

*  Penitential rite

*  Kyrie

*  Gloria

*  Opening prayer

2.  Liturgy of the Word

*  1st reading

*  Responsorial Psalm

*  2nd reading

*  Gospel

*  Homily

*  Creed

*  Prayers of the Faithful

3.  Liturgy of the Eucharist

*  Presentation of gifts

*  Eucharistic prayer

*  Our Father

*  Sign of Peace

*  Communion

4.  Conclusion

*  Final blessing

*  Dismissal

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At the mass Jesus is present in:

1.  The gathering of people- Jesus told his followers that he would be with people who gather in his name.

2.  The priest- through the Gospel reading and the Eucharist, Jesus speaks through the priest.

3.  The Word of God- Jesus is present in the scriptures.

4.  The Eucharist- the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus.

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Participation in worship

Ä  Priest

Ä  Lay people:

· Minister of the Eucharist

· Minister of the Word

· Altar servers

· Flower arrangers

· Collectors

· Sacristan

· Ushers

· Choir

Ä  Congregation

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Part three (Higher Level only)

Mystery

-  A mystery is something so full of meaning that the human mind cannot understand it.

-  An example of a mystery is God because God is beyond human understanding.

Wonder

v  To be filled with wonder is to be surprised and amazed at something that is difficult to understand- people are amazed by the sky at night time.

v  God is present in both people (a kind gesture, for example) and nature (a sunset, for example).

v  The presence of God in people and nature can fill us with wonder.

v  This wonder creates a sense of msytery as we reflect upon how these things came to be.

Worship

¶  To worship is to honour God.

¶  Worship is a response to the mystery of God.

¶  Christians believe that there is only one God. He became human in Jesus Christ. Jesus came to show us how to live and bridged the gap between humans and God. Jesus showed us that God is with us, not far away.

¶  The Eucharist is the central act of worship for many Christians. For Catholics, the bread and the wine become the body and blood of Christ.

¶  Mass gives Christians the opportunity to reflect upon the mystery of God and to worship God.

Part four

-  A sign is a word, picture, object or action that gives the same message to everyone. The sole purpose of a sign is to pass on information. An example is a road sign.

-  A symbol is a word, picture, object or action that expresses feelings or ideas that are difficult to put into words. A symbol has a deeper meaning for people. An example is a crucifix.

Religious symbols

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A cross without the figure of Jesus on it represents the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus has risen from dead and is alive.

A crucifix is a cross with the figure of Jesus upon it. It represents the suffering and death of Jesus through which Christians believe they were saved by sin.

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Sacraments

-  A sacrament is an outward sign of an inward grace.

There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church:

1.  Baptism

2.  Eucharist

3.  Confirmation

4.  Holy Orders

5.  Marriage

6.  Sacrament of the sick

7.  Sacrament of reconciliation

Baptism

Icons

C  These are sacred pictures.

C  They have an important place in the worship of the Orthodox faith.

C  They are often paintings of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and the saints.

C  They are usually painted in bright colours in a particular style.

C  Each icon is believed to be filled with the spirit of the person it represents. Due to this, they are sacred and treated with respect.

C  An iconographer (a person who paints icons) will spend time in prayer before painting.

C  All the colours and details in an icon are symbolic. For example, blue for heaven, red for royalty, gold for holiness.

Part five

-Prayer is communication with God.

- It can be: (a) silent or vocal, (b) formal or informal and (c) individual or communal.

Prayer / Definition
Praise / Praising God.
Thanksgiving / Thanking God.
Petition / Asking God for something.
Penitence / Saying sorry to God for doing wrong.

Our Father

Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name,

Thy Kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,

Give us the day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us,

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil, Amen.

Difficulties with prayer

These include (a)not being able to physically see God, (b) not getting a vocal answer, and (c) feeling that a prayer has not been answered.

A person of prayer

ü  Jesus was a person of prayer.

ü  Prayer was central to his life- the Gospels show us this.

ü  He prayed on his own and with others. He especially prayed at the important moments in his life.

ü  Here are several important occasions when Jesus prayed:

v  Baptism: After Jesus was baptised by his cousin, John the Baptist, he prayed.

v  Desert: Before he began to teach people about god, Jesus spent forty days in the desert. He was tempted by the devil. Jesus prayed during his time in the desert.

v  Garden of Gethsemane: before he was arrested (and after the Last Supper) Jesus went to the garden to pray. The disciples could not stay awake as Jesus prayed to God for help.

v  On the cross: while he suffered on the cross, Jesus called out to God, and asked him to take his spirit into his hands.

(Remember: baptism, desert, garden, cross).

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