The Sacraments: Encounters with Christ
Section 1 Part 2 - REVIEW
Vocabulary
actual graces: God’s interventions and support for us in the everyday moments of our lives. Actual graces are important for conversion and for continuing growth in holiness.
blessing: A prayer asking that God care for a particular person, place, or activity. A simple blessing is usually made with the Sign of the Cross.
contemplation: A form of wordless prayer in which one is fully focused on the presence of God; sometimes defined as “resting in God”; a deep sense of loving adoration of God.
efficacious: The power something holds to cause a desired effect. The Sacraments are efficacious in bringing about the spiritual reality they signify.
Eucharist: the primary Sacrament through which Christ enters our lives.
ex opere operato: The Latin phrase that literally means “by the work worked” or, according to the Catechism, “by the very fact of the action’s being performed” (CCC, 1128), indicating that Sacraments are efficacious.
freedom: The ability to choose for the good; in light of the Sacraments, true freedom comes from the positive response to God’s grace.
grace: The free and undeserved gift of God’s loving and active presence in the universe and in our lives, empowering us to respond to his call and to live as his adopted sons and daughters. Grace restores our loving communion with the Holy Trinity, lost through sin.
intercession: A prayer on behalf of another person or group.
Liturgy of the Hours: Also known as the Divine Office, the official, public, daily prayer of the Catholic Church. The Divine Office provides standard prayers, Scripture readings, and reflections at regular hours throughout the day; the official, nonsacramental daily prayer of the Catholic Church.
meditation: A form of prayer involving a variety of methods and techniques in which one engages the mind, imagination, and emotions to focus on a particular truth, biblical theme, or other spiritual matter.
petition: A prayer form in which one asks God for help and forgiveness.
popular piety: Religious reverence or devotion of the people, including customs such as novenas (nine days of prayer), honoring or requesting the intercession of a particular saint, praying the Rosary, and so on.
praise: A prayer of acknowledgment that God is God, giving God glory not for what he does, but simply because he is.
prayer: Lifting up of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from him. The five basic forms of prayer are blessing, praise, petition, thanksgiving, and intercession. In prayer we communicate with God in a relationship of love.
redemption: From the Latin redemptio, meaning “a buying back”; referring, in the Old Testament, to Yahweh’s deliverance of Israel and, in the New Testament, to Christ’s deliverance of all Christians from the forces of sin; the process by which we are “brought back” from slavery to sin into a right relationship with God.
ritual: an established pattern of actions, usually including words.
Sacrament: An efficacious and visible sign of God’s grace and love, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The Seven Sacraments are Baptism, the Eucharist, Confirmation, Penance and Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony, and Holy Orders.
sacramental economy: The communication or dispensation of the fruits of Christ’s Paschal Mystery in the celebration of the Church’s sacramental liturgy. The reality that all the Sacraments signify and make present the work of Christ in our lives, through grace.
sacramentals: Sacred signs (such as holy water and a crucifix) that bear some resemblance to the Sacraments but that do not carry the guarantee of God’s grace associated with the Seven Sacraments; instituted by the Church rather than by Christ, preparing us for the Sacraments and contributing to our holiness, our closeness to God.
sanctifying grace: The grace that heals our human nature wounded by sin and restores us to friendship with God by giving us a share in the divine life of the Trinity. It is a supernatural gift of God, infused into our souls by the Holy Spirit, that continues the work of making us holy; the free gift of God’s life.
sign: A word, object, or gesture that refers to a specific thing or action; however, when used with regard to Sacraments, the word sign becomes interchangeable with the word symbol. The miracles of Jesus are called signs, not because they are commands or directions, but because they point to a deeper reality.
symbol: An object or action that points us to another reality. It leads us to look beyond our senses to consider a deeper mystery; from the Greek word meaning “to throw together.”
thanksgiving: A prayer of gratitude for the gift of life and the gifts of life.
vocal prayer: A prayer that is spoken aloud or silently, such as the Lord’s Prayer. It is one of the three expressions of prayer, the other two being meditation and contemplation.
walking ritual: Walking together, as in a procession or pilgrimage, symbolic of the journey of life and our solidarity with others on this journey.
Review Questions - Section 1, Part 2
1. How are a symbol and a ritual related?
A symbol is an object or action that points us to another reality, leading us to look beyond our senses to consider a deeper mystery. A ritual is an established form of the words and actions for a ceremony that is repeated often. Rituals and symbols are related because the actions and words of a ritual often have a symbolic meaning, calling us to consider a deeper mystery. “Symbolic action” is another way to refer to a ritual. (Article 6, p. 33)
2. What is a Sacrament?
A Sacrament is an efficacious (or effective) and visible sign of God’s grace, “instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us” (CCC, 1131). (Article 7, p. 37)
3. What is the Paschal Mystery?
The Paschal Mystery is the work of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ mainly through his Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension. It is the core of every Sacrament and is most evident in the Eucharist. (Article 7, pp. 36–37)
4. What do we mean by sacramental economy?
Sacramental economy refers to the communication or dispensation of the fruits of Christ’s Paschal Mystery in the celebration of the Church’s sacramental liturgy. That is, through grace, all the Sacraments signify and make present the work of Christ in our lives. (Article 8, pp. 38–39)
5. How do the Sacraments fulfill Christ’s plan of redemption for us?
Christ’s plan of redemption for us was for him to be accessible and available through the Church and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, in which he is really present. His plan was for us to be in relationship with God. Jesus intended the Sacraments to be the doorways to this relationship for all people of all times in all places. (Article 8, p. 42)
6. What is grace?
Grace is a relationship with God and participation in his life. Grace helps us to freely respond to and cooperate with God, which in turn opens us to more grace and more freedom. (Article 8, pp. 39–40)
7. Explain the difference between sanctifying grace and actual grace.
Sanctifying grace is the free gift of God’s life, which we first receive at Baptism and then renew in the Sacraments. This kind of grace heals our human nature, which has been wounded by sin, and restores us to friendship with God. Sanctifying grace gives us a permanent disposition that enables us to live with the Holy Trinity. In contrast, actual graces are the daily interventions and support we receive from God in every moment of our lives. (Article 8, p. 40)
8. Describe each of the three expressions of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplation.
Vocal prayer uses words to speak to God, either aloud or silently. We can pray with words either alone or in a group. Vocal prayer includes both memorized prayer and spontaneous prayer that we make up ourselves. Next, in meditation we focus on God using our thoughts, imagination, and emotions, sometimes using Scripture, the Rosary, or other focal points. Finally, contemplation, a wordless form of prayer sometimes described as resting in God, is another way for us to listen for God’s movement in our lives, faithfully meeting his love in silence and entering into union with the Trinity. (Article 10, p. 51)
9. What is the Liturgy of the Hours?
The Liturgy of the Hours, also called the Divine Office, is the official, public, daily prayer of the Catholic Church. It provides standard prayers, Scripture readings, and reflections to be prayed at regular hours throughout the day. The Liturgy of the Hours is the prayer of the whole People of God. (Article 10, p. 46)
Short Answer
Why are human beings symbol-makers and ritual-doers?
We are symbol-makers and ritual-doers because that is the way God made us. When God communicates with us, he does not use words alone. And when we respond to him, we do not use words alone. One of God’s best ways of communicating with us is through the Sacraments, and one of our best ways to respond is by participating in the Sacraments.
How do we know that the Sacraments work?
The Sacraments work because God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is at work in them. Through the centuries, questions arose as to the validity of the Sacraments under various circumstances. Is it “better” to receive a Sacrament from a priest known to be holy? Are people really baptized or married if the priest is not as holy as he could be? What if the recipients are not known for their overall goodness—do the Sacraments still work for them? These kinds of questions were pondered by scholars and theologians until, finally, the Council of Trent, in 1547, declared that the Sacraments act ex opere operato—literally, “by the work worked,” or, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) translates, “by the very fact of the action’s being performed” (1128). In this the Council of Trent agreed with the statement of Saint Thomas Aquinas: “The sacrament is not wrought by the righteousness of either the celebrant or the recipient, but by the power of God” (CCC, 1128).
What is the core of every Sacrament and how do we participate in this?
The core of every Sacrament is the Paschal Mystery of Christ—his Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension into Heaven. We participate in the Paschal Mystery in the Eucharist when we offer bread and wine and receive the Body and Blood of Christ, and in every Sacrament. We die with Christ by “letting go” of our former selves in some way and opening ourselves to new risen life with Christ, if we believe and accept his grace (his love and friendship).
Why do we call Jesus Christ the Original Sacrament?
We call Jesus Christ the Original Sacrament because through him we encounter God. Jesus is the ultimate sign of God’s love, God’s Final Answer to our sin and suffering. Jesus Christ is the only Son of God, who has revealed God to us.
The Sacraments Powerpoint Notes
The Seven Catholic Sacraments – The Sacraments
Signs and Instruments
Ø The Latin word sacramentum means “a sign of the sacred.”
Ø The Seven Sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant, and important for Christians.
Ø They are special occasions for experiencing Christ’s saving presence.
Sacraments: A Definition
Ø The Sacraments are signs of God’s love.
Ø Sacrament: “An efficacious and visible sign of God’s grace.” Or, “An outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.”
Outward Sign
Ø God draws us closer to him through material symbols that our physical bodies can perceive—things and words and gestures.
Ø Two parts: the “thing” itself, and the words or gestures that give significance to what is being done.
Instituted by Christ
Ø No human power could attach an inward grace (a closer relationship with God) to an outward sign.
Ø Only God can do that.
No New Sacraments
Ø The Church cannot institute new Sacraments.
Ø As declared at the Council of Trent, there can never be more than Seven Sacraments, the Sacraments Jesus has given us.
To Give Grace, to Strengthen Relationship with God
Ø Sacraments give sanctifying grace.
Ø Sacraments are necessary for salvation.
Ø Sacraments are the vehicles for the graces they convey.
Proper Disposition
Ø A Sacrament gives grace of and by itself, by its own power.
Ø Jesus attached grace to the outward sign, so that the sign and grace always go together.
Ø But attitude does matter. Faith matters.
Special “Marks” on the Soul
Ø There is a “character” imprinted on the soul by the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders.
Ø In these Sacraments the anointing with oil is a symbol of this mark or seal. We are marked as belonging to Christ, and nothing will ever change that.
Baptism
Ø The Sacrament of Baptism is the first Sacrament of Christian Initiation.
Ø This Sacrament is the basis of the entire Christian life.
Ø We become members of Christ and of the Church and sharers in her mission.
Ø Baptism frees us from Original Sin.
Ø Baptism opens us to the flow of God’s love.
Ø Baptism establishes the union between God and us.