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Catholic Essentials PP Chapter 5
Catholic Essentials PP Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The Sacraments of Christ
Sign, Symbol, Sacrament
St. Thomas We are born: Baptism
We grow: Confirmation
Aquinas taught
We are fed: Eucharist
that human We are healed:
development is Penance
marked by seven We recover: Anointing
stages which of the Sick
We need and form
parallel the seven
family: Matrimony
sacraments. We need and respond
to leaders: Holy Orders
Signs and Symbols
Three definitions of Sacrament
St. Paul – sacramentum = mysterion
God’s hidden plan to fulfill all things in
Christ.
St. Augustine stressed sign and symbol
(something concrete that points to
something else.)
St. Thomas Aquinas added that
sacraments are efficacious signs or
symbols of grace. They effect, cause, and
are what they signify.
Sacraments ARE what they symbolize
The Church is
beloved of Christ.
The Church is an
efficacious symbol.
Council of Florence
Proper matter – the prescribed
materials.
Confirmation –
strengthens our new
life with the gifts of
the Holy Spirit.
Eucharist – nourishes
us with the Body and
Blood of Christ.
Baptism Rites
Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults
(RCIA) - A process for
adults culminating in the
celebration of all three
sacraments of initiation at
the Easter Vigil.
Rite of Baptism of
Children - People did not
want their children to wait
until adulthood to be re-
born in Christ’s life…infant
baptism became prevalent.
Four Steps of RCIA
Evangelization – a person hears the word of
God and responds to it. It is followed by a rite
of acceptance
Catechumenate – over the course of a year,
catechumens study the faith in special parish
classes, are mentored by a sponsor, do
service, and participate in the Liturgy of the
Word at Mass. On the first Sunday of Lent,
candidates are enrolled in the Book of the
Elect by the bishop.
Four Steps of RCIA
Purification and Enlightenment – During Lent,
catechumens scrutinize their lives and do
penance. They receive the Lord’s Prayer and the
Creed on which to center their lives. At the end of
this period they receive the three sacraments of
initiation at the Easter Vigil Mass.
Mystagogia – The newly baptized neophytes
continue to meet with one another after Easter
until Pentecost, gradually taking their place in the
Church.
“Cradle Catholics”
Most Catholics are initiated into the
Church as infants through the Rite of
Baptism of Children.
The child’s parents and godparents
speak in the name of the child.
Catechesis takes place after baptism.
Formation is gradual as the child grows
The other sacraments of initiation are
received at a later time.
The Essential Rite of Baptism
Proper matter: Water
Correct words or
form: Triple pouring
of or immersion in
water with the words,
“I baptize you in the
name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit.”
Designated minister:
bishop, priest, or
deacon
Effects of Baptism
Washes away original sin and any
other sins and the punishment due.
Makes us children of God and temples
of the Holy Spirit.
Welcomes us as members of the
Church, the Body of Christ.
Marks us forever as sharers in the
common priesthood of all believers,
and in Christ’s mission of justice and
peace.
Celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism
Requirements for Reception of the
Sacrament of Confirmation
Be prepared to
profess the faith.
Be in the state of
grace.
Intend to receive
the sacrament.
Be prepared to
witness to Jesus
Christ.
The Essential Rite of Confirmation
Proper matter: Chrism
Correct words or
form: Laying on of
hands and anointing
with chrism on the
forehead with the
words: "(Name), be
sealed with the gift of
the Holy Spirit."
Designated minister:
Bishop
Development of the Eucharist
These
sacraments
Matrimony
are directed
toward the
salvation of
others, not
toward those
receiving the
sacraments. Holy Orders
Holy Orders
Marriage is a
sacred covenant --
that is an
agreement
between the
husband and wife,
and between the
couple and God.
Matrimony
From the time of creation, marriage has
been an institution established by God,
not by man.
Sacramental marriage was modeled on
the relationship between Christ and the
Church
The goodness of Marriage includes:
The procreation of children.
The chastity of the spouses and their
fidelity to each other.
The indissoluble union of marriage.
The Essential Rite of Matrimony
The essential element of Matrimony is
the mutual consent to marry.
The words of consent must be freely
given.
Catholics must marry in the presence
of a priest or a deacon, and in the
presence of two witnesses.
The spouses themselves are the
ministers of the sacrament.
Matrimony
The family is called
“the domestic
Church.” The family is
a living witness and
testimony of eternal,
unbreakable, and
boundless love that
the couple (and their
children) give to one
another and to the
world.
The Seven Sacraments
The sacraments celebrate Jesus as the Way, the Truth,
and the Life.
The sacraments are a way for us to live life to the
fullest.
The sacraments are the way to allow Jesus to touch our
lives.