The Sacramental Nature of the Church

An Intro to the Sacraments

“Made For More”
 Intro – We are created to experience happiness here on earth and
ultimately for eternity
 Ch. 1 – Who is Jesus?
 He proclaims to be God incarnate
 The Gospels attest to these claims, our Catholic faith hold these
claims as true.
 Ch. 2 – Can we believe what we are told is true?... Yes
 Ch. 3 – Our faith stands or falls with the actual occurrence of Jesus’
resurrection.
 Did it actually happen?...Yes
 Ch. 4 – Jesus has established an Earthly Kingdom (The Church) to
prepare us for entrance into God’s Eternal Kingdom
 Ch. 5 - Entrance into this Kingdom requires more than faith, it requires
a transformation
 God comes to us in the sacraments
What is the Meaning of the Sacraments?

 “The sacraments are efficacious signs of

grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to
the Church, by which divine life is
dispensed to us.
 The visible rites by which the sacraments are
celebrated signify and make present the
graces proper to each sacrament.
 They bear fruit in those who receive them
with the required dispositions.” (CCC, 1131)
 God will always honor our gift of free will
 Efficacious
 Definition:
 capable of producing a desired effect.

 The sacraments actually confer the grace they

signify.
 They effect what they symbolize and symbolize
what they effect
 Act as both sign and symbol
 Each sacrament confers a grace that is proper to it.
 “Visible signs of invisible grace” -St. Augustine
 Grace
 “A participation in the life of God.”
 (CCC, 1997)
 “The free and undeserved help that God gives
us in order to respond to his call.”
 (CCC, 1996)
 We have a free will and are free to act on our own,
why do we still require God’s grace in order to
achieve salvation? Think back to MfM
 The conferring of God’s grace is know in the
Church as the sacramental economy.
Sacramental Economy
 Christ dispenses the fruit of his Paschal
Mystery (God’s grace) through the
sacraments.
 Paschal Mystery
 The life, death, and resurrection of Christ
 All that he did to earn us salvation he gives us
through the sacraments
Sacraments are the Masterworks
of God
 God makes himself present to us through
the sacraments
 Itis not our words or actions that magically
make him appear, like a genie
 Rather, God chooses to make himself present in
the sacraments and communicates to us through
the rituals.
God Acts First, We Respond
 Every encounter with the sacraments is a
dialogue between us and God.
 It is part of the relationship we share with Him.
 The New Covenant
 We have the freedom to choose whether or not we
enter this relationship through our actions
 Not a one time decision
 We maintain this relationship every day in the decisions
we freely make
 Essentially, we make the free decision to allow God to
transform us spiritually.
 PP on Freedom?
 Has learning about Jesus helped you understand
God’s love better?
 How?

 How have the Church’s sacraments helped you

celebrate God’s love?

 How have you been transformed by the sacraments

(or by your personal relationship with Christ)?
 How would you be different if you never
encountered Christ?
The Church and the Sacramental
Economy of Salvation
Chapter 1
The Incarnation
 Definition:
 Taking on human flesh.
 In Jesus, God took on human form.
 “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling
among us, and we saw his glory, the glory of the
Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” (John
1:14)
 What is meant by “the Word”. Who is being referenced?
 Our human nature desires the physical presence of
those we love and that we trust in.
Jesus Christ is the Sacrament of God
 Liturgy: definition?
 the official public worship of the Church.
 Made up of the sacraments and the Divine Office or
Liturgy of the Hours.
 Mass is most important liturgical celebration.
 The system Christ uses to make himself present on earth.

 Christ makes something that is invisible visible –

God’s divine presence
 efficacious because he transmits God’s love to us; he is
the only way to the Father.
Review From Yesterday
 What does efficacious mean?
 something capable of producing a desired effect

 Is Jesus efficacious? How?

 He makes God’s invisible love visible to us

 Why is Jesus not considered the 8th Sacrament?

 Because he is the primary sign of God’s love for us. The 7 sacraments
communicate the Paschal Mystery to us. In knowing Jesus we come to
understand God.

 How is the Church like a sacrament? (Hint: 3 dimensions)

 1) It is a mystery (we can only come to know it through revelation, not by our own
faculties)
 2) It is a visible sign of an invisible reality
 3) It is efficacious, it makes real what it signifies (The Kingdom of God)
The Church, The Universal Sacrament
of Salvation
 Each sacrament is primarily and fundamentally a personal
act of Christ himself acting through his Mystical Body, the
Church.
 The act of the High Priest
 “He [Jesus] entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the
blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an
eternal redemption.” (Heb. 9:12)
 “It really is Christ who acts in the sacraments through the Holy Spirit for the
Church.” (CCC, 1120)
 The sacraments are efficacious because in them he is at work; it is he who
baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace
that each sacrament signifies” (CCC, 1127)
 Acting in Persona Christi
The Mystical Body of Christ
 The members of the Church are bound together by a supernatural life
communicated to them by Christ through the sacraments
 I am the vine: you the branches. He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bears
much fruit: for without me you can do nothing (John 15:5).
 Christ is the centre and source of life to Whom all are united, and Who
endows each one with gifts fitting him for his position in the body
 (John 15:7-12).
 These graces, through which each is equipped for his work, form it into
an organized whole, whose parts are knit together as though by a
system of ligaments and joints
 And not holding the head, from which the whole body, by joints and bands, being
supplied with nourishment and compacted, grows into the increase of God.
(Colossians 2:19).
 Through them, too, the Church has its growth and increase, growing in
extension as it spreads through the world, and intensively as the
individual Christian develops in himself the likeness of Christ
 (John 15:13-15).
So…
 Just as Christ is the sacrament of God to the world,
making Him visible and incarnate while bestowing
divine grace, so the Church is the sacrament of Christ
throughout our history.

 Moon : Sun :: Reflection of light

 Church : Christ :: Reflection of Salvation

 The “Church” is the Earthly Kingdom we spoke of in

“Made For More”
 King, Prime Minister, Queen Mother
 The successors of the Apostles (Bishops) spread throughout the
world working in union with the Pope
Three Qualities of a Sacrament
1. It is a mystery.

2. It serves as a visible sign of an unseen

divine reality.

3. It is an efficacious sign.
- It makes real what it signifies
 The Church as Mystery
 Def. of Mystery: Something that cannot
be fully explained or comprehended.
 Symbolic language and imagery were used in
the Early Church to help people understand
the Church better.
 Sheepfold (Christ as the fence)
 Flock of Sheep (Christ the Shepherd)
 Vineyard (God as the Vine Dresser, Christ as the vine, us as the
branches)
 Building of God
 Bride of Christ (Mother to us)
 New Jerusalem (Kingdom of God)
The Church as Visible Sign
 Made visible by the marks of the Church
 Four essential signs that designate her as
Christ’s true Church
 One, holy, catholic, and apostolic
 One
 Each parish is part of a larger diocese,
which is part of the universal Church
 All received their faith as it was
communicated from the Apostles
 All share in the same Mass and sacraments
 Essentially, all churches are united to one
another and form the Church
 Holy
 “The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church and
in the hearts of the faithful, as in a temple.”
 (Lumen Gentium, 4)

 Witnessed in the lives of Mary and the

many saints throughout the centuries.
 We grow in holiness by following their
example and by participating in the Church’s
sacraments and mission of charity.
 Catholic
 Means Universal
 The Church is Catholic under two senses
 1) She offers the fullness of the means for Salvation.
 Does not rely on any other source, she is the only source.
 2) Her mission includes everyone and is for everyone.
 Apostolic
 The Church is a hierarchical community,
lead by those who are authorized to act in
the name of Christ.
 The Church is founded on the Apostles,
whom Jesus Chose.
 Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, the
Apostles hand down their authority on teaching
and faith to successors.
 The pope and bishops can trace their lineage all the
way back to St. Peter and the other Apostles.
 The Church as Efficacious Sign
 The Church is both the means and the end (goal) of God’s
plan.
 The Mystical Body of Christ

 “The Church, in Christ, is a sacrament – a sign and

instrument, that is, of communion with God and of the unity
of the entire human race.”
 (Lumen Gentium, 1)
 A sacrament in an analogical sense

 “The universal sacrament of salvation.”

 (Lumen Gentium, 48)
The Mission of the Church, the Body of Christ

 “As a body is one, though it has many parts, and

all the parts of the body, though many, are one
body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all
baptized into one body.”
 (1 Cor 12:12-13)

 Christ and the Holy Spirit animate the members of

the Church through the sacraments to engage in
and live out the mission of the Church.
 We receive life and spiritual nutrients through the
sacraments.
The Mission of the Church, the Body of Christ

 “Rising for the dead, Christ sent his life-giving

Spirit upon his disciples and through him set up
his body, which is the Church as the universal
sacrament of salvation. Sitting at the right hand of
the Father he is continually active in the world in
order to lead people to the Church and through it
to join them more closely to himself; by
nourishing them with his own Body and Blood, he
makes them sharers in his glorious life.”
 (Lumen Gentium, 48)
Communion With Other Catholics
 The Body of Christ accepts and is made up of people
from every race, economic status, political orientation,
and even those who we may not get along with.
 Each member of the Body serves the Body in a
different way and is important and necessary.
 Priest, alter server, choir member, catechumen, lay person,
etc.
 The mission and vocation of each particular local
church is connected to that of the universal Roman
Catholic Church.
 Not a loose collaboration of local churches all doing their
own thing.
 Communion With People
Throughout the World
 The Church is the universal sacrament of salvation
 Communion with other Christians
 Imperfectly
 Communion with Non- Christians
 Jews, Muslims, etc.

 “The ultimate purpose of mission is none other

than to make men share in the communion
between the Father and the Son in their Spirit of
love.” (CCC, 850)
 Communion With People
Throughout the World
 Human Solidarity: The virtue of social charity,
friendship, and responsible sharing. Helps us to
recognize that we are all part of the same family
under the Father.
 “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part
is honored, all the parts share its joy.” (1 Cor 12:26)
 Social Justice: The collaborative efforts of a united
society to ensure that laws are established that
provide conditions that allow associations or
individuals to obtain what is their due, according to
their nature and their vocation.
 Linked to the common good and the exercise of authority.
 Communion of Saints
 Communion between all the living faithful and all the
deceased faithful.
 Deceased faithful includes those in Purgatory as well as those
already in heaven.
 All share the same spiritual goods:
 Communion in the faith (from the Apostles)
 Communion of the sacraments (unite us in faith)
 Communion of charisms (a gift from the Holy Spirit for the
benefit of all the Church)
 Communion of goods (everything you have been blessed with
is also to be used for the good of all the members of the
Church)
 Communion in charity (every good deed strengthens the Body
of Christ, every sin harms this communion)
The Church, The Channel of Grace
 Christ’s instrument for salvation
 The Church gives grace through:
 Baptism
 Confirmation
 Eucharist
 Reconciliation
 Anointing of the Sick
 Holy Orders
 Matrimony

 Participating in the Church transforms us into priests,

prophets, and royalty.
 Christ allows us to participate in our salvation.
 Our Mission as Priests
 Differs from hierarchical priesthood of bishops
and priests
 Baptism marks us as a people that are to act as
Christ
 We are to offer ourselves to God in worship,
become holy, and help others grow in holiness
 Transforms us into a community founded on faith,
hope, and charity (Theological Virtues)
Our Mission as Prophets
 Someone who speaks God’s Word to others, witnesses to
the truth about Jesus Christ, and reminds others to
persevere in the true faith.
 Not someone who predicts the future; think evangelist
 People who spread the message of Christ throughout the world
 We act as prophets whenever we give witness to him
through our words, actions, or example.
 Bishops and priests work as prophets within the Church
 The laity carry out their prophetic mission outside of the Church
in the secular world
 In neighborhoods, workplaces, malls, hospitals, restaurants, sports, etc.
 “In faith, hope, and charity they manifest Christ to others.” (Lumen
Gentium, 31)
 Our Royal Mission
 Royalty is not to be
equated with earthly riches
and power.
 Rather, it is the power to
serve and protect those
people who have been
charged to their care.
 True royalty does not seek to
be served but to serve others.
 “With great power comes
great responsibility.”
What Happens in the Sacraments

Chapter 2
Our Focus
 We don’t just celebrate our redemption, we
participate in it.
 We do so in the Paschal Mystery

 Jesus did not celebrate the sacraments as we

do today.
 He instituted them through his words and actions
which are recorded in the Gospels
 We have received the sacraments through Apostolic
succession
 Guided by the Holy Spirit
Review
 What are the four types of communion
represented by the Body of Christ
 With the Trinity
 Other Catholics
 Non Catholics
 Saints
 How do the sacraments build up the Body of
Christ?
 Each sacrament plays a different role
 Initiates, heals, and creates community for the Body of
Christ
CELEBRATING OUR REDEMPTION
 The liturgy is a celebration of the Paschal Mystery
of Christ.
 We are redeemed!
 Especially in the Eucharist

 We are present and participate in the actual

Paschal Mystery of Christ.
 Not as if merely watching a reenactment.
 Transforms us so that we may imitate the life of Christ.
Imitating Christ
 Do you feel indebted to Christ for our gift of salvation?
 How do we pay this debt…

 Have you ever imitated the actions of someone influential

in your life?
 We typically act this way because we received some
kind of gift from them.
 Dedicated time and effort for your benefit
 Family, teacher, coach…

 Participation in the liturgy transforms us so that we begin

to imitate Jesus more and more.
CHRIST ACTS THROUGH THE SACRAMENTS

 The events of our salvation occurred

only once:
 Jesus’Passion, Death, Resurrection, and
Ascension
 The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

 However, by the power of the Holy

Spirit the liturgy makes these events
present and real for us today.
God the Father: Source and Goal of the Liturgy

 Throughout human history, people have

witnessed visible signs of God’s blessings
 Blessings: Divine life-giving actions
 “God’s invisible attributes of eternal power and
divinity have been able to be understood and
perceived in what he has made.” (Rom 1:20)
 Seen in everything that surrounds us.
 Every aspect of creation leads back to our Divine
Creator.
However…
 Creation only points to the Divine, it does not
make real the Divine.

 “In the Church’s liturgy the divine blessing is

fully revealed and communicated.”
 (CCC, 1082)

 The sacraments point to God but they also make

God truly present to us
 God acts, we respond
The Work of Christ in the Liturgy
 Christ’s presence is clearly seen in the liturgy in
the following ways:
 Jesus is present in the minister of the sacrament
 Christ is the minister, the priest only acts in his name.
 Jesus is present in the Word
 The Word of God made flesh
 Christ speaks when the Scriptures are read in the liturgy
 Jesus is present when the Church prays and sings
 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there I am in the midst of them.” (Mat 18:20)
 Jesus is especially present in the species of the
Eucharist
 Real Presence: The doctrine that Jesus Christ is truly present
in his Body and Blood under the form of bread and wine in the
Eucharist.
 The Holy Spirit Prepares Us to
Meet Christ in the Liturgy
 TWO WAYS THAT WE INTERACT WITH THE H.S.

 Anamnesis: The “remembering of” (Latin)

 Recalls all that God has done for us
 Ex. in the Liturgy (OT reading, NT Epistle, and Gospel)
 Holy Spirit awakens our memory to the entirety of our faith

 Epiclesis: “Invocation prayer” (Latin)

 the intercessory prayer that the priest makes during Mass in
which he begs the Father to send the Spirit so that the bread and
wine may become the body and blood of Christ.
 INTRODUCING THE SEVEN
SACRAMENTS
 The Church’s entire liturgical life revolves
around the Eucharist and the other
sacraments.

 They can be understood in several different

senses to gain a greater comprehension of
their nature.
 The Sacraments of Christ
 Christ instituted each of them while he was
on earth
 Not in the form as we know them today
 Each sacrament is rooted in Christ’s Paschal
mystery
 The Sacraments of the Church
 Christ gave his Church the power to make
God’s grace available through the
sacraments.

 The Church has the authority to determine

the rituals of each sacrament.
 Magisterium (Authority)
 The Sacraments of Faith
 The sacraments are not rooted in the faith of the
individuals receiving the sacrament or in the
minister.
 They are rooted in the faith of the whole Church
 That is why they are celebrated communally

 The faith of the Church has preserved them

throughout the history of the Church
 Lex orandi, lex credendi
 How we pray is how we believe (You play how you practice)
 Sacred Tradition (Apostolic Succesion)
 The Sacraments of Salvation
 The sacraments confer the grace they signify –
efficacious
 THEY DON’T SIMPLY REPRESENT OUR SALVATION. THEY
GIVE US OUR SALVATION.
 Ex opere operato
 “By the work worked”
 It refers to the fact that the sacraments confer grace when the
sign is validly effected -- not as the result of activity on the
part of the recipient but by the power and promise of God.

 The grace of the sacrament is not dependent on the

worthiness of either the celebrant or the recipient.
 Christ and the Holy Spirit still work through them
 Disposition is important; must be open to receiving the
grace
 The Sacraments of Eternal Life
 The sacraments are celebrated in
anticipation of eternal happiness.

 Unites us with the Holy Trinity.

 This life will only be fully experienced after

death.
 However, we get a foretaste of the life that is to
come now in our present lives by participating
in the liturgy and sacraments.
END
 CELEBRATING THE
CHURCH’S LITURGY
 Sacraments are celebrations that are “woven
from signs and symbols.” (CCC, 1145)
 Each have their own proper matter and form.

 Who celebrates the liturgy?

 How is the liturgy celebrated?
 When is the liturgy celebrated
 Where is the liturgy celebrated?
 Who Celebrates the Liturgy?
 Christus totus – “whole Christ”
 Head and Body

 Church in Heaven/Church on earth

 When we celebrate Mass we participate in the
Heavenly liturgy.
 How Is the Liturgy Celebrated?
 With signs and symbols
 Words, actions, and objects that express the meaning of
each sacrament.

 Apostles and their successors, given authority from

Christ, determine the words, and gestures used to
communicate the effects of each sacrament.
 form – The traditional words said for each sacrament
 matter – The traditional physical element(s) and/or
gesture(s) used in each sacrament
 “sacred oath and sacred ritual”
 ***matter, form, minister handout
Liturgy of the Word
 OT reading, Responsorial Psalm, NT reading, and
Gospel reading
 Homily, profession of faith, and intercessions

 Has it’s own set of signs that communicate Christ’s

presence.
 A sign of unity
 Catholics everywhere say and do the same things at the
same time.
 Scripture Readings
 Sunday = 3 year cycle
 Weekday = 2 year cycle
 Read in the vernacular
 Several Liturgical Traditions
 The criterion that ensures unity:
 Communion in the faith and sacraments received from the Apostles
 Apostolic Succession (Some things do not change within rites)
 However, some elements are subject to change according to the culture of the
people. (Richness of the Mystery of Christ - VII)

 Western Rites
 Roman rite (Latin)
 Eastern Rites
 Byzantine rite (Constantinople)
 Coptic rite (Egypt)
 Syriac rite (Syria)
 Armenian rite (Armenia)
 Chaldean rite (Iraq)
When is the Liturgy Celebrated?
 The liturgical calendar is rooted in Sunday
 Replaces and fulfills the Jewish Sabbath
 “The Lord’s Day” - The day Christ rose from the dead
 A Holy day of obligation
 A day in the Church year when all Catholics are to celebrate
Mass
 Missing without a serious reason is a grave sin
 The Church Year (liturgical year)
 Organizes the major events of Jesus’ life from birth to
Paschal Mystery
 Brings us into the present of those saving moments
 The events that have earned our salvation happen all over
again for us in the present. We get to take part in them!
 Readying for the Incarnation of
Jesus Christ
 The Incarnation is marked during the seasons
of Advent and Christmas.
 Advent = On Sunday, 4 weeks before Christmas
 “coming” - The celebration of the coming of the Messiah
 Christmas = Vigil Mass on Dec. 24th
 The Church celebrates Christ’s B-day on Dec. 25th
 Bible does not disclose this date
 Historians believe that this date was chosen by the
Church in order to replace the celebration of a popular
pagan sun god. --> True Son of God, Light of the World
 The Christmas season includes several other feast
days and concludes with the celebration of Jesus’
Baptism
 Third Sunday after New Year’s Day
 Focusing on the Paschal Mystery
 Celebrated during the season of Lent
 Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday
 Lent = “spring time” --> personal renewal
 40 Days of penance, fasting, and prayer
 Recalls the forty years the Israelites spent wandering in the
desert as well as the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert praying,
fasting and resisting temptation in preparation for public ministry
 A time for us to conquer our temptations and become more
spiritually disciplined in preparation of Easter
 Easter season lasts 50 days
 40th day (7th Sunday) the Church celebrates Jesus’ Ascension
 50th day the Church celebrates Pentecost
 The day the Church was born
 Marking Ordinary Time
 “Ordinary Time”
 Used to express the period of time between
Christ’s Baptism and Lent (5-8 weeks) as well as
the period of time between Pentecost and Advent
(23-28 weeks).

 Focus is on following Jesus in everyday life.

 Scripture readings highlight how we are to relate
to our family members, the poor, our enemies, and
our authorities.
 ADDITIONAL DAYS OF
CELEBRATION WITHIN THE
LITURGICAL YEAR…
 Mary and the Sanctoral Cycle
 The perfect model of of Christian
discipleship.
 Her honor takes away nor adds anything to
the dignity of Christ.
 Referred to as “Advocate”, “Helper”,
“Benefactress”, and “Mediatrix”.
 The Church also honors the other saints
because of their great example of
holiness and charity.
 Both Mary and the saints are honored
throughout the liturgical year.
 Liturgy of the Hours
 The public prayer of the Church that
makes holy the entire course of the day
and night.
 Also referred to as the Divine Office

 Celebrated typically by priests and

consecrated religious seven times a day
 “Pray without ceasing” - St. Paul
 Where Is the Liturgy Celebrated?
 In buildings specifically constructed for divine worship.
 The Spirit of God cannot be limited to one place
 Important that community gathers (parishes, diocese, Rome)
 Catholic Churches include:
 Altar table, for sacrifice of Mass
 Tabernacle, which houses the Blessed Sacrament
 Chair, for the presider of the sacraments (bishop or priest)
 Ambo, for proclaiming the Word of God
 Aumbry, niche for Sacred Oils
 Baptistery, for celebrating baptisms
 Confessional, for celebrating Reconcilliation
 “Signify and make visible the Church living in this place…”
(CCC, 1180)
 Eschatological significance
 Symbolizes the passing from this world to the eternal Kingdom of God