MEETING JESUS MEETING JESUS IN THE IN THE

SACRAMENTSSACRAMENTS

CHAPTER 1CHAPTER 1THE CHURCH AND THE THE CHURCH AND THE

SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY OF SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY OF SALVATIONSALVATION

The IncarnationThe Incarnation

Incarnation: God becoming man; entering Incarnation: God becoming man; entering human history; becoming flesh in the human history; becoming flesh in the

person of Jesus Christperson of Jesus Christ

TO UNDERSTAND THE SACRAMENTS AS “VISIBLE SIGNS OF TO UNDERSTAND THE SACRAMENTS AS “VISIBLE SIGNS OF INVISIBLE GRACE” WE MUST MAKE THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE!INVISIBLE GRACE” WE MUST MAKE THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE!

Jesus is the Sacrament of GodJesus is the Sacrament of God

The sacraments and the liturgy are the The sacraments and the liturgy are the system Christ uses to make himself system Christ uses to make himself

present on earthpresent on earth

Liturgy, or “public work”Liturgy, or “public work”

The sacraments help satisfy our deep The sacraments help satisfy our deep longing for communion with Christ!longing for communion with Christ!

Christ: the Prime Christ: the Prime SacramentSacrament

How can Jesus be fully human How can Jesus be fully human and fully divine at the same and fully divine at the same

time?time?

This mystery is known as the This mystery is known as the hypostatic union: in Jesus hypostatic union: in Jesus

Christ there are two natures, one Christ there are two natures, one human and one divinehuman and one divine

JESUS IS A JESUS IS A SACRAMENT SACRAMENT

BECAUSE HE IS THE BECAUSE HE IS THE MOST PERFECT, MOST PERFECT,

MOST COMPLETE, MOST COMPLETE, VISIBLE SIGN OF THE VISIBLE SIGN OF THE FATHER’S PRESENCE: FATHER’S PRESENCE:

THE PRIMORDIAL THE PRIMORDIAL SACRAMENT!SACRAMENT!

Jesus, an Jesus, an Efficacious SignEfficacious Sign

JESUS IS NOT JESUS IS NOT ONLY A SIGN OF ONLY A SIGN OF GOD’S LOVE; HE GOD’S LOVE; HE EFFECTS THAT EFFECTS THAT

LOVE AND MAKES LOVE AND MAKES IT PRESENT.IT PRESENT.

JESUS IS THE JESUS IS THE REASON FOR, REASON FOR, THE BASIS OF, THE BASIS OF,

ALL SEVEN ALL SEVEN SACRAMENTS.SACRAMENTS.

The Church, the Universal The Church, the Universal Sacrament of SalvationSacrament of Salvation

The saving work of Christ’s entire life is The saving work of Christ’s entire life is the sacrament of salvation.the sacrament of salvation.

In the Church, Jesus continues to live and In the Church, Jesus continues to live and work among us: the Church makes Christ work among us: the Church makes Christ

present in today’s world!present in today’s world!

The Church as The Church as MysteryMystery

The Church is something The Church is something we cannot fully explain or we cannot fully explain or

understandunderstand

Writers speak about the Writers speak about the Church Church symbolicallysymbolically::

SheepfoldSheepfold

Flock of sheepFlock of sheep

Cultivated field or Cultivated field or vineyardvineyard

Building of GodBuilding of God

Bride of Christ Bride of Christ

MotherMother

New JerusalemNew Jerusalem

The Church as The Church as Visible SignVisible Sign

As the visible sign of As the visible sign of Jesus Christ, who is Jesus Christ, who is

the perfect sign of the the perfect sign of the Father’s saving love, Father’s saving love, the Church has four the Church has four

distinguishing distinguishing characteristics, or characteristics, or

marksmarks::

ONENESSONENESS

HOLINESSHOLINESS

CATHOLICITYCATHOLICITY

APOSTOLICITYAPOSTOLICITY

The Church as Efficacious SignThe Church as Efficacious Sign

The Mission of the Church, The Mission of the Church, the Body of Christthe Body of Christ

Origin of this image come from St. Paul:Origin of this image come from St. Paul:

As members of the Body of Christ, we are As members of the Body of Christ, we are united not only to Christ but also to one anotherunited not only to Christ but also to one another

Communion Communion with Christ with Christ

and the Churchand the Church

Communion with Christ Communion with Christ is the Church’s main is the Church’s main

purpose for existing—purpose for existing—that “each person may be that “each person may be

able to find Christ, in able to find Christ, in order that Christ may order that Christ may walk with each person walk with each person

the path of life”the path of life”

WHATEVER WE DO AS WHATEVER WE DO AS CATHOLICS, WE ACT CATHOLICS, WE ACT

AS THE BODY OF AS THE BODY OF CHRIST, AS CHRIST CHRIST, AS CHRIST

HIMSELF IN TODAY’S HIMSELF IN TODAY’S WORLDWORLD

Communion with Communion with Other CatholicsOther Catholics

We try to welcome We try to welcome everyone—even those everyone—even those

we may not likewe may not like

We realize that every We realize that every person has something person has something positive to add to the positive to add to the

ChurchChurch

Communion with Communion with People Throughout People Throughout

the Worldthe World

The mark of catholicity The mark of catholicity refers to our refers to our

relationship with other relationship with other members of the members of the

Church, with other Church, with other Christians, and with all Christians, and with all

of humankindof humankind

The Church has a The Church has a missionary mandate to missionary mandate to proclaim the Gospel to proclaim the Gospel to

all peoplesall peoples

““Go, therefore, and Go, therefore, and make disciples of all make disciples of all

nations”nations”

Human SolidarityHuman Solidarity

““The virtue of social charity, friendship, and responsible sharing The virtue of social charity, friendship, and responsible sharing whereby we recognize our interdependence on others and that whereby we recognize our interdependence on others and that

we are all brothers and sisters of one family under a loving we are all brothers and sisters of one family under a loving Father”Father”

Communion of SaintsCommunion of Saints

The Church, The Church, the Channel of Gracethe Channel of Grace

Our Mission as Our Mission as PriestsPriests

On the basis of our On the basis of our Baptism, we are to Baptism, we are to

act as Christ:act as Christ:

SPIRITUAL SPIRITUAL SACRIFICESSACRIFICESPERSONAL PERSONAL HOLINESSHOLINESS

HELPING OTHERS HELPING OTHERS GROW IN HOLINESSGROW IN HOLINESS

Our Mission as Our Mission as ProphetsProphets

We share in the We share in the prophetic mission of prophetic mission of Christ whenever we Christ whenever we give witness to him give witness to him through our words, through our words, actions, or exampleactions, or example

We also act as We also act as prophets whenever prophets whenever

we encourage others we encourage others in the Church to in the Church to

persevere in faithpersevere in faith

Our Royal Our Royal MissionMission

Christ offered us the Christ offered us the gift of “royal gift of “royal

freedom” so that we freedom” so that we might overcome our might overcome our own sinfulness and own sinfulness and encourage the world encourage the world

to do the sameto do the same

True royalty does True royalty does not seek to be not seek to be

served, but rather served, but rather seeks to serve seeks to serve

othersothers

John Paul the GreatJohn Paul the Great

““What else are the What else are the sacraments (all of sacraments (all of them!), if not the them!), if not the

action of Christ in the action of Christ in the Holy Spirit?”Holy Spirit?”

First Polish pope, First Polish pope, whose reign was the whose reign was the

third longest in historythird longest in history