Name: John Mark B.

Lascuna Subject: The Sacraments of Initiation

Professor: Rev. Fr. Joven Lustre Date of Submission: November 22,2022

The Sacraments of Initiation mark and celebrate key moments in a person’s journey of
faith. As your own journey proceed in ever deepening faith, reflect in what these
sacraments will make for you what they celebrate. They are called sacraments of initiation.
Initiation into what? When we celebrate Baptism and Confirmation, we are making some
powerful statements: What are saying about the life of the person receiving them? What
are saying about Church? What are saying about God?

I was Baptize as Catholic Christian when I was still a child. My parents were both active
in the Church and always encourage us to attend KP’s in the chapel of our place. When the day
that I receive the gift of baptism was welcome to the Christian world. Then my journey as
catholic continue together with the guidance of my family and the religious community. Then I
receive the sacrament of Confirmation as sign of confirming the faith that I receive. My belief
towards Jesus who is the model of our faith was developed. The Sacraments of Initiation will
make me a true Christian for it signifies the life of Christ, everything was taken from the life of
Christ, who made this celebration a living reminder of His life here on earth and will lead us into
the way of God’s kingdom. I am blessed and given the privilege to continue the teaching of
Christ in my life.

I remember Bishop Bong on his homily during Confirmation. The word he used as
common term is “confirm” like we confirm someone who added us in Facebook, or any social
friendship. It is upon me who will I accept or someone who I will confirm. In the Church
teaching, confirmation is an act of giving individually that I accept the faith that I have receive
during the Baptism. It is a time for me to strengthen my faith in a way that I fully accept my
identity as Catholic Christian, I accepted Christ in my life.

Most of the comment I heard from the youth, everyone receives the same grace, the same
Lord with different gifts that they developed in their youth. There might be challenges in their
life as young, but the grace of God is enough for them to stand firm in their faith. That is why,
parents have important roles in the protecting and guiding their children.
 The Church remains in the unity of the Holy Trinity, in every sacrament the triune God is
present. It is what the Church truly believes.

Many times, I have witnessed the Baptisms and Confirmation in our parish. It was a
meaningful celebration to experiences upon seeing that our Church grows in number but
reminded that we must also grow in faith. It was easy to the individual to grow on their own.
That is why, the Church encourages the faithful to remain in their faith, yet many were not able,
only few survived. But I heard also that after all their denial and not consistent in their faith, true
nature of sacraments will touch them again and go back to the faith they receive. There was a lift
of faith to them that they encounter God in their life. It was an inspirational for everyone who
lost but found themselves again Jesus Christ.

I remember one the oldest catechist in our place. She is persistent in her faith. Even she
experiences many trials and temptation. She remains faithful to God. That is how Sacraments
works on her life.

The Church as members of our faith, everyone who shares Jesus Christ in the Sacraments
are called to be like Him, to follow His will through the teaching of the Church. In the
celebration of Synodal Church, all are invited, no one is lift behind. Instead, we are called to
come together, participates, in communion with one another.

Jesus Christ shared everything and served Himself as perfect sacrificial lamb to God for
the salvation of all. It God’s initiative to shared to us the Sacraments for us to be Guided in living
this world. Everything connects to the One who called, to the one who is the source of
everything the Triune God.
Name: John Mark B. Lascuna Subject: The Sacraments of Initiation
Professor: Rev. Fr. Joven Lustre Date of Submission: November 22,2022

“DESIDERIO DESIDERAVI”

Have we forgotten the real essence, or we take it lightly and we were not able to deepen it
into our life? “The world still does not know it, but everyone is invited to the supper of the
wedding of the Lamb (Re 19:9). To be admitted to the feast all that is required is the wedding
garment of faith which comes from the hearing of his Word (cf. Ro 10:17). The Church tailors
such a garment to fit each one with the whiteness of a garment bathed in the blood of the Lamb.
(Re 7:14). We must not allow ourselves even a moment of rest, knowing that still not everyone
has received an invitation to this Supper or knowing that others have forgotten it or have got lost
along the way in the twists and turns of human living.” (§5)

The Letter describes how the true liturgical life is not conformity to rules, nor ceremonial
display to defend the sacredness of the rites, but to the capacity to announce the mystery of a
God in Jesus Christ as a God of tenderness and mercy.

"Every paragraph in the new Apostolic Letter is filled with the awareness that liturgy is
first and foremost about making space for the other – the true antidote to any form of inadequate
celebration.”

Pope Francis invites everyone to open ourselves as Christian. Faithfulness to the Lord is
an essential for us to grow in our faith. In our generation today the increasing challenges in our
time will help the Church to be rooted and persevere in the faith given to us.

We may hear many issues in the Church and abuses in the celebrations. But I believe as
faithful and follower of Christ, things will be alright. God is more than the issues we had. But it
an invitation for everyone to wake up from all of these. Then, we must follow what was given by
the Church in accordance with the life of Jesus Christ here on earth.

As future minister, it is important for me to make clear myself the teaching that was
given by the Church. Not to deal to much on the rules but our role as Christian. In general,
observant yet not too strict but do what is proper and right to the Church. This is great message
for me to ponder on myself.

The priest himself should be overpowered by this desire for communion that the Lord has
toward each person. It is as if he were placed in the middle between Jesus’ burning heart of love
and the heart of each of the faithful, which is the object of the Lord’s love. To preside at
Eucharist is to be plunged into the furnace of God’s love.

The Paschal Mystery has been given to us. Let us allow ourselves to be embraced by the
desire that the Lord continues to have to eat His Passover with us. All this under the gaze of
Mary, Mother of the Church. (§65)