CHRISTIAN LIVING 11 / 12

MODULE I: THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION

Lesson I The Sacrament Defined

This section shall discuss the
traditional definition of the sacraments as well
as the current one. Also, this lesson will draw
a line so the learner can distinguish
sacraments from sacramentals. It will also be
in this lesson that the Sacraments will be
examined to see its relationship with the
wholeness of human life.

Lesson II The Sacraments of Initiation:

Baptism
Baptism, the first and fundamental sacrament
and the gate to the other sacraments, is the purifying
and sanctifying sacrament of rebirth. It is the means
by which its recipients are incorporated into the
church in a sacramental bond of unity.

Lesson iii Confirmation

By a signing with the gift of the Spirit, confirmation
enriches the baptized with the Holy Spirit, binding them
more perfectly to the Church, and strengthening them in
their witness to Christ by word and deed and in their work
to bring to its fullness the Body of Christ. Confirmation is
conferred through anointing with chrism and the laying on
of hands.

Lesson IV Eucharist
The Eucharist is the most august sacrament, in which
Christ himself is contained, offered and received, and by which
the Church constantly lives and grows. The Eucharistic Sacrifice,
the memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord, in which
the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated over the centuries, is the
summit and source of all Christian life and worship; it signifies and
effects the unity of the people of God and achieves the building
up of the Body of Christ.

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 UNIT ONE
LESSON I The Sacrament Defined

Pre-assessment: Examine each icon. Identify what particular sacrament is represented in each icons?
Write your answers on the worksheets provided. NO ERASURE/S.

A sacrament is an outward efficacious sign instituted by Christ to give grace. Jesus Christ
himself is the sacrament, as he gave his life to save mankind. His humanity is the outward sign or the
instrument of his Divinity. It is through his humanity that the life of the Trinity comes to us as grace
through the sacraments. It is Jesus Christ alone who mediates the sacraments to allow grace to flow to
mankind. Christ sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to inspire his Apostles and
his Church to shepherd his flock after his Ascension into heaven. "As the A sign speaks of
Father has sent me, even so I send you" (John 17:18, 20:21). Jesus is the something that is
Head of his Body the Church (Colossians 1:18). The Church itself is a hidden. What is spoken
sacrament instituted by Christ to give grace. Jesus gave us his Body the of is not immediately
present or visible.
Church to continue the works he performed during his earthly life. Grace
given to us through the sacraments will help us lead a good life in this world
and help save us for the Kingdom of Heaven.
The sacraments were instituted by Christ and were part of the Tradition of the early Christian
Church. The Church celebrates in her liturgy the Paschal mystery of Christ, his Passion, Sacrifice on
the Cross, Resurrection, and Glorious Ascension. The Greek word “ μυστήριον ” or mystery in the
Greek New Testament is translated into sacramentum in the Latin Vulgate Bible, from which we derive
our English word sacrament (examples: Ephesians 1:9, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:27). The saving
effects of Christ's Redemption on the Cross are communicated through the sacraments, especially in
the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist. The sacraments to this day are called mysteries in the
Eastern Churches.
All Catholic and Orthodox Churches recognize the seven sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation
or Chrismation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. The
three sacraments of Christian Initiation are Baptism, Chrismation or Confirmation, and the Eucharist.
The two sacraments of Healing are Penance and the Anointing of the Sick, and the two sacraments of
Vocation are Holy Orders and Marriage. Three sacraments, Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, and
Holy Orders, are given once, as they render a permanent seal or character upon one's soul (2
Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 4:30, Revelations 7:3).
The Gospel of Mark 5:25-34 describes a woman afflicted with hemorrhage who touched the
cloak of Jesus and was immediately healed. There is a fourth century fresco painting in the catacomb
of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter depicting this event, which serves as an apt symbol of Sacrament - the
power that flows out from the body of Jesus, in order to effect both remission of sin and new life in
Christ. The fresco image frames Part II of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Liturgy and the
Sacraments, The Celebration of the Christian Mystery. St. Thomas Aquinas, in the Summa Theologica,
has written the standard exposition on the Seven Sacraments.
The Sacraments are important to us simply because the sacraments parallel our natural human growth.
Yes, Catholic tradition has compared the stages of our natural human development with those of our
Christian spiritual life. Thus it relates:
a. physical generation with Baptism, our spiritual regeneration;
b. growing into maturity with Confirmation;
c. physical nourishment with the Eucharist, the Bread of Life;
d. physical and psychological healing with Reconciliation and Anointing, and
e. community realities of family life and leadership with Matrimony and Orders.
SNI LEARNING MODULE in Christian Living 11/12 Page 2
 Each sacrament consists of a visible
external rite, which is composed of matter Grace is a favor, the free and
and form, the matter being the action, such undeserved gift from God
as the pouring of water in baptism, and the through Christ Jesus. It is a
form being the words spoken by the minister. participation in the life of God
Each sacramental rite confers a special and is necessary for
ecclesial effect and sacramental grace salvation.
appropriate for each sacrament. The
sacraments occur at pivotal events
and give meaning to a person's life. The sacraments act ex opere operato, by
Wassup?!
the very fact of the action being performed, independent of the minister. The
What do you think this effect on the person receiving the sacrament is called ex opere operantis,
sign mean? and depends on the interior disposition of the receiver.
What possible reality
is not instantly visible
Grace is a favor, the free and undeserved gift from God through
or known justifying the Christ Jesus, to help us respond to his call to become children of God, to
presence of this sign, become partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life. Our justification
say in a lake? comes from the grace of God. Grace is a participation in the life of God and is
necessary for salvation.

"And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of
the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth. ─ "Gospel of John 1:14

They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an
expiation, through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins
previously committed, through the forbearance of God - to prove his righteousness in the present time,
that he might be righteous and justify the one who has faith in Jesus. ─ Romans 3:24-26
For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose
which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven
and things on earth. ─ Ephesians 1:9-10

A not-so-short Quiz 😉

Instruction: Respond to each item accordingly. Write your answers in the Worksheets provided.

Sacraments of Initiation 4)

1)_________________________ 5)________________________
2)_________________________ ____Anointing of the Sick____
3)_________________________ 6)________________________

7)

8)______________________
_______Matrimony_______
9)______________________
10) What do you call of the effect on the person receiving the sacrament?
________________________

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Lesson II The Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism

Pre-assessment:
How do you understand the word initiation?

THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION

These are called the Sacraments of Initiation because though these sacraments, the Faithful is
being brought into Jesus Christ and enter His body – the Church. These three Sacraments: Baptism,
Confirmation, and Eucharist), when we receive them all, represent our full initiation into the Church
where we become fully Christians living in the Body of Christ as members. As St. Paul wrote in his
letter to the Romans, “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members of one
another.”

Baptism
Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, as we are born of the water and the Spirit and
receive the grace of Christ. Baptism is necessary for salvation (John 3:5), and conveys a permanent
sign that the new Christian is a child of God and a temple of the Holy Spirit (First Corinthians 6:19).
Jesus himself was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (Mark 1:9-11). The martyr St.
Ignatius of Antioch, in his Letter to the Ephesians written about 100 AD, stated that Jesus "Christ was
baptized, that by himself submitting he might purify the water." Baptism is prefigured in the Old
Testament through the saving of Noah and his family during the Flood (Genesis 7:12-23, 1 Peter 3:20-
21), and Moses crossing of the Red Sea during the Exodus, leaving captivity for the Promised Land
(Exodus 14:1-22).
The Greek word baptizein means to "immerse, plunge, or dip." The infant or candidate is
anointed with the oil of catechumens, followed by the parents, godparents, or candidate making the
profession of faith. The essential rite of Baptism consists of the minister immersing the baby or person
in water or pouring water on his head, while pronouncing "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit." The infant or candidate is then anointed with sacred chrism.
And so speaking of infants, a crucial question arise: Why do we baptize infants? Infants are
baptized in “the faith of the Church,” or concretely in the faith of the parents and god-parents. Infant
baptism highlights the truths that baptism is:
a. a free gift of God, not something merited by us;
b. the beginning of our faith-life;
c. a gift given through the parents’ Christian faith-life.
What has taken place in Baptism is indicated by the rites that follow it, the clothing in the white
garment and giving of the lighted candle: the baptized person has "clothed yourself with Christ"
(Galatians 3:27). Here are four Scriptural sources in the New Testament (See also Acts 2:38,
Ephesians 4:5; Colossians 2:12):

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." ─ Matthew
28:19-20
"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And
when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending
upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well
pleased.’" ─ Mark 1:9-11
“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter
the kingdom of God.’" ─ John 3:5
“Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We
were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.” ─ Romans 6:3-4
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SACRAMENT MINISTER VISIBLE RITE ECCLESIAL SACRAMENTAL
S (M) matter - elements EFFECT EFFECT
(F) form – words
BAPTISM Priest (M) Pouring of water Character (Seal) Forgiveness of Original Sin
Deacon (F) Name of Trinity (I baptize you Incorporation into Grace to live as
Other in the name of the Father, and of Body of Christ adopted children of God
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit) Member of Church

A not-so-short Quiz 😉

Instruction: Respond to each item accordingly. Write your answers in the Worksheets provided.

1. It is the first and the gate to the other Sacraments.

2. It means to "immerse, plunge, or dip.”
3. These are the efficacious signs instituted by Christ to give grace.
4. Unlike other religions, why do we baptize infants?
5. Why are the first three sacraments called the sacraments of initiation?

Lesson III Confirmation

Pre-assessment:
1. What does “to witness” mean to us Christians?

Confirmation or Chrismation is the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit. Jesus instructed his Apostles
that "you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit" and called upon the Apostles to be "my witnesses" to
the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). At the Pentecost, the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-
4), and began to spread the Word of God. The Acts of the Apostles is often called the Gospel of the
Holy Spirit. St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote on Baptism, Eucharist, and Chrismation in the mid-fourth
century AD.
The rite of Confirmation is anointing the forehead with chrism, together with the laying on of the
minister's hands and the words, "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit." The recipient receives the
seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of
the Lord (Isaiah 11:2-3). On occasion one may receive one or more of the charismatic gifts of the Spirit
(First Corinthians 12:7-11).
The ecclesial effect and sacramental grace of the sacrament give the recipient the strength and
character to witness for Jesus Christ. Chrismation in the East continues the tradition of the early
Christian Church by administering the sacrament with Baptism. Confirmation in the West suggests that
this sacrament both confirms baptism and strengthens baptismal grace. It is administered by the Bishop
to children from age 7 to 18, but generally to adolescents, for example, to a graduating class of grade
school children. Key Scriptural sources for Confirmation are the following (See also John 16:7, Acts
1:4-5, 19:1-6, Hebrews 6:2):

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven
there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them
were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.”
─ Acts 2:1-4
"Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to
them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it
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had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then
they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." ─ Acts 8:14-17
“While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised
believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out
even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said,
"Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we
have?" So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay
for several days.” ─ Acts 10:44-48

SACRAMENTS MINISTER VISIBLE RITE ECCLESIAL SACRAMENTAL

(M) matter - elements EFFECT EFFECT
(F) form – words
CONFIRMATIO Bishop (M) Imposition of hands Character Grace to witness for
N (F) Prayer (Be sealed with (Seal) Christ
the Gift of the Holy Spirit.) Power to
witness

A not-so-short Quiz 😉

Instruction: Respond to each item accordingly. Write your answers in the Worksheets provided.
1. Enumerate the Seven Sacraments.
2. Having enumerated the Sacraments, how do they parallel to our natural human development?
3. Who can administer the sacrament of confirmation?

Lesson IV Eucharist

Pre-assessment:
1. How often do you attend the Holy Mass?
2. What do you do in the Holy Mass?

The Eucharist is also named Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper. Eucharistia means
thanksgiving, and the Eucharist is the "source and summit of the Christian life." St. Justin Martyr
described the Eucharistic Liturgy in 155 A.D. in his First Apology. The Paschal mystery of Christ is
celebrated in the liturgy of the Mass (or Divine Liturgy in the East), which consists of the Liturgy of the
Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the principal sacramental celebration of the
Church, established by Jesus at the Last Supper, in which the mystery of our salvation through
participation in the sacrificial death, Resurrection, and Glorious Ascension of Christ is renewed and
accomplished. The word "Mass" comes from the Latin missa, as it refers to the mission or sending forth
of the faithful following the celebration, so that they may fulfill God's will in their daily lives.
The essential signs of Holy Communion are wheat bread and grape wine, on which the blessing
of the Holy Spirit is invoked during the Sacrifice of the Mass, and the priest pronounces the words of
consecration spoken by Jesus at the Last Supper: "This is my body...This is the cup of my blood..."
(Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20, First Corinthians 11:23-26).
Jesus died once on the cross in sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 9:25-28). But Jesus is present
for all time, as he is the eternal Son of God. What he did once in history also then exists for all eternity.
What happened in time goes beyond time. In the heart of Jesus, he is always giving himself to the
Father for us, as he did on the Cross. When we celebrate the Mass, the sacrifice of the cross, that
happened once in history but is present for all eternity, that same reality is made present in mystery.
The bread and wine through Transubstantiation become the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity
of Jesus Christ, and we receive the Real Presence of Jesus when we receive Holy Communion. Our
soul is nourished, helping us to become like Christ. The Eucharist is the heart and source of community
within the Church. Receiving Holy Communion with others during the Mass brings unity of the Church,
the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 10:16-17). (See also Acts 2:42, 2:46, 20:7, 20:28):

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“Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body,
which will be given for you; do this in memory of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.’" ─ Luke 22:19-20
"I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread
that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came
down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for
the life of the world is my flesh." ─ John 6:48-51
“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which
He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body,
which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way He took the cup also after supper,
saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of
Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He
comes.” ─ Corinthians 11:23-26

SACRAMENTS MINISTER VISIBLE RITE ECCLESIAL SACRAMENTAL

(M) matter - elements EFFECT EFFECT
(F) form - words
EUCAHRIST Priests and (M) Bread and Wine Presence of Nourishment of
above (F) Words of Christ soul
Consecration to effect Church Forgiveness of
Unity venial sins

A not-so-short Quiz 😉

Instruction: Respond to each item accordingly. Write your answers in the Worksheets provided.
1. What do you call the highest form of prayer?
2. Can deacon celebrate the Holy Eucharist?
3. What ae the effects of the Holy Eucharist?
4. What do you call the process by which the bread and wine become the real body and blood of
Christ?
5. It is seen as the source and summit of Christian life.

CHRISTIAN LIVING 11 / 12
MODULE II: THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING AND THE SACRAMENTS OF SERVICE

Lesson I: The Sacraments of Healing: Penance and

Reconciliation
Through penance, the faithful receive pardon through God's mercy for
the sins they have committed. At the same time, they are reconciled
with the Church community. The confession, or disclosure, of sins
frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others.

Lesson II: Anointing of the Sick

Through the sacrament of anointing, Christ strengthens the
faithful who are afflicted by illness, providing them with the
strongest means of support. Jesus showed great concern for the
bodily and spiritual welfare of the sick and commanded his
followers to do the same. The celebration of this sacrament is an

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opportunity for the deepening of the faith of the community who are able to witness the faith and
devotion of those being anointed.

Lesson III:The Sacraments of Service: Holy

Orders
Holy Orders is the sacrament by which bishops,
priests and deacons are ordained and receive
the power and grace to perform their sacred
duties. The sacred rite by which orders are
conferred is called ordination. The apostles
were ordained by Jesus at the Last Supper so
that others could share in his priesthood.

Lesson IV: Matrimony

The Church has a rich tradition in its teaching on
sacramental marriage and covenantal union. The Old
Testament authors write of God making a covenant with
the chosen people and promising them that they will never
be forsaken. The New Testament authors write of Jesus as
the new covenant and compare the relationship of Jesus
with the Church to the relationship of a husband and wife.
The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman
establish between themselves a partnership for the whole
of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the
spouses and the procreation and education of offspring.

UNIT TWO

Lesson I The Sacraments of Healing: Penance and Reconciliation

THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING

These are called Sacraments of Healing because sin wounds and the Church continues to pray
for the sick. The first of which is the Sacrament of Penance and/or Reconciliation where for our sins
(serious or acute), we go to the Lord who continues His work through the Church. And that priest
stands in Christ, the High Priest, And when we confess our sins, we are set free; we are forgiven, our
sins forgotten, and we are made new. The wound of sin is healed.
The second is the Anointing of the Sick. In Christ’s ministry, He healed a lot of sick with various
diseases and illness, he even raised the dead. And the Apostles, whom Christ entrusted to continue His
ministry, from the time of the Early Christians to this day, the Church continues to pray for the sick. And
through the priest, Jesus Christ, the High Priest, continues to heal the sick.
Penance and Reconciliation
Jesus Christ gave his Apostles the power to forgive sins. The Sacrament is also known as the
Sacrament of Conversion, Forgiveness, Penance, or Reconciliation.
During the persecution of the Roman Emperor Decius (249-251), many Christians left the
Church rather than suffer martyrdom. The martyr St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, allowed apostates
the Sacrament of Confession, as recorded in his Letter De Lapsis (The Lapsed) in 251.

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 The sacrament involves three steps: the penitent's contrition or sorrow for his sins, the actual
confession to a priest and absolution, and then penance or restitution for your sins. The experience
leads one to an interior conversion of the heart. Jesus describes the process of conversion and
penance in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-24).
The penitent confesses his sins to the priest in the confessional, and the priest then gives
absolution to the repentant soul, making the Sign of the Cross, and saying the words " I absolve you
from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." It is Christ Jesus
through the priest who forgives your sins. As the penitent must make restitution or satisfaction for his
sins, the priest gives a penance to the forgiven one, usually prayer, fasting, or almsgiving (I Peter 4:8).
Confession gives one a wonderful sense of freedom and peace from the burden of sin. Sorrow,
affliction, and a desire for conversion follow the remorse of sin in those with a contrite heart. Some
believe we can confess our sins privately to God. But man is a social being. The humbling experience
of unburdening your soul to someone, of exposing your weak nature, and then being accepted for who
you are and what you have done by having your sins forgiven brings one an incredible sense of relief!
The experience brings a sense of gratitude to our generous Lord for his love, compassion and mercy.
As one is to be in the state of grace before receiving Holy Communion, the child makes his first
Confession before his first Communion, generally at the age of reason. Here are three Scriptural
references on Penance (See also Matthew 16:18-19, Luke 24:46-47):

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven...But that you may
know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth, he said to the paralytic, "I say to you,
rise, pick up your mat, and go home." ─ Mark 2:1-10
"Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father who sent me, even so I send you. And
when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive
the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." ─ John 20:21-23
"And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of
reconciliation."─ 2 Corinthians 5:18
SACRAMENTS MINISTER VISIBLE RITE ECCLESIAL EFFECT SACRAMENTAL
(M) matter - elements EFFECT
(F) form – words
PENANCE AND Priest (M) Confession of sin Reconciliation with Return to Grace
RECONCILIATION (F) Absolution Christ Peace and
and the Church Spiritual
Formation

Lesson II Anointing of the Sick

The Anointing of the Sick is the Sacrament given to seriously ill Christians, and the special
graces received unite the sick person to the passion of Christ. The Sacrament consists of the anointing
of the forehand and hands of the person with blessed oil, with the minister saying, "Through this holy
anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord
who frees you from sin save you and raise you up."
Origen of Egypt in his Homilies on Leviticus described Anointing for healing the sick and
forgiveness of sins in the third century. St. Thomas Aquinas stated that Extreme Unction, as the
Anointing of the Sick was once called, is "a spiritual remedy, since it avails for the remission of sins,
and therefore is a sacrament" (James 5:15). The ecclesial effect of this sacrament is incorporation into
the healing Body of Christ, with a spiritual healing of the soul, and at times healing of the body. The
sacramental grace helps us to accept sickness by uniting ourselves to the passion and death of Christ
(Colossians 1:24) and the grace even to accept death if that is God's will.
Jesus healed the blind and the sick, as well as commissioned his Apostles to do so, as in the
following sources.

"And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the
unclean spirits.... So they (the Twelve Apostles) went off and preached repentance. They drove out
many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them." ─ Mark 6:7, 12-13

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"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s
afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church." ─ Colossians 1:24
"Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the
Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." ─ James 5:14-15

SACRAMENT MINISTER VISIBLE RITE ECCLESIAL SACRAMENTAL

S (M) matter - elements EFFECT EFFECT
(F) form – words
ANNOINTING Priest (M) Anointing by Priest Healing of soul and
Incorporation
OF THE SICK (F) Prayer (James 5:14) body
into healing
Grace of
Christ
Acceptance

Lesson III The Sacraments of Service: Holy Orders

THE SACRAMENTS OF SERVICE

Holy Orders
The Sacrament of Holy Orders began with the Last Supper, when Christ Jesus commissioned
his Apostles to continue the Eucharistic celebration. He also commissioned his Apostles following the
Resurrection to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8). Thomas
Aquinas makes the point that only Christ is the true priest, the others serving as his ministers (Hebrews
8:4). St. Ignatius, Bishop of Syria around 100 AD, in his Letter to the Magnesians (6), established the
hierarchy of bishop, priest, and deacon for the early Churches, the pattern which still exists today.
Bishops are the successors of the Apostles, and priests and deacons are his assistants in rendering
service. Men are ordained to the priesthood in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, as the sacrament
confers upon the priest the character to act in the person of Christ - in persona Christi.
Holy Orders is the sacrament of Apostolic ministry. As in the Pastoral Epistles, the rite consists
of the Bishop's laying on of hands on the head of the priest-candidate with the consecrating prayer
asking God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit for the gifts of the ministry. There are three dimensions
to ministry, that of Bishop, Priesthood, and the Diaconate. See Matthew 16:18-19, John 21:15-17, Acts
13:2-3, 14:23, Romans 10:14-15, 2 Timothy 1:6, and Titus 1:5 as well as the following:

"Do this in memory of me." ─ Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:25

"Now be solicitous for yourselves and for the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as
bishops to pasture the Church of God, which He purchased with his own blood." ─ Acts 20:28
"Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance
with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. ─ 1 Timothy 4:14
"Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious; and like
living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." ─ 1 Peter 2:4-5

SACRAMENT MINISTER VISIBLE RITE ECCLESIAL SACRAMENTAL

S (M) matter - elements EFFECT EFFECT
(F) form – words
HOLY Bishop (M) Laying on of hands in persona Christi
ORDERS (F) Preface Character (Seal) Grace of Holy Spirit
Ministerial powers to
for Body of Christ exercise powers
worthily

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Lesson IV Matrimony
The union of a man and a woman is natural. The natural language of the human body is such
that the man gives to the woman and the woman receives the man. The love and friendship between a
man and a woman grow into a desire for marriage. The sacrament of marriage gives the couple the
grace to grow into a union of heart and soul, to continue life, and to provide stability for themselves and
their children. Children are the fruit and bond of a marriage.
The bond of marriage between a man and a woman lasts all the days of their lives, and the form
of the rite consists of the mutual exchange of vows by a couple, both of whom have been baptized. The
minister serves as a witness to the couple in the West, but serves as the actual minister of the rite in
the East. The matter follows later through consummation of the marriage act.
Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God,
and concludes with a vision of the "wedding-feast of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:7, 9). The bond of
marriage is compared to God's undying love for Israel in the Old Testament, and Christ's love for his
Church in the New Testament of the Bible.
Jesus stresses the significance of the marriage bond in his Ministry (Matthew 19:6, 8). The
importance of marriage is substantiated by the presence of Christ at the wedding feast of Cana, where
he began his public ministry at the request of his mother Mary by performing his first miracle (John 2). It
is the Apostle Paul who calls matrimony a great sacrament or mystery, and who identifies the marriage
of man and woman with the unity of Christ and his Church. The theologian Tertullian, the first Latin
Father of the Church at the beginning of the third century AD, wrote on the Sacrament of Matrimony.

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall
become one flesh." ─ Genesis 2:24
"(Jesus) said in reply: "Have you not read that He who made man from the beginning made them male
and female?" ─ Matthew 19:4
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church." ─ Ephesians 5:25
"This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church. In any case, each one of you
should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband."─ Ephesians 5:32-33

SACRAMENTS MINISTER VISIBLE RITE ECCLESIAL SACRAMENTAL

(M) matter - elements EFFECT EFFECT
(F) form - words
MARIAGE Priest (F) Exchange of vows Indissoluble bond
and mutual consent of man and woman: Grace to live
(M) Consummation as Christ and married life
Church

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