Overview of the Paschal Mystery, Sacraments and Liturgy

RCIA

An efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the Holy Spirit (CCC 774, 1131).

The Wedding Feast

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in

parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave

a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited

guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other

servants, saying, "Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my

calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the

feast.“’ Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to

his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed

them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers,

and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but

those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the

main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out

into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall

was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a

man there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, 'My friend,

how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was

reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and

feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and

grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 22:1-14

The Wedding Feast of the Lamb

What if you were invited to the greatest life-giving party in the world …. And forgot to RSVP?

Questions – Answers up-front

21. Why do we kneel before entering a pew and ... what knee is proper? We genuflect … not kneel before the Tabernacle in silent adoration “conscious of the meaning of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species” CCC 1379. This act should occur each time (except during the conduct of the Liturgy of the Eucharist) we cross the area where the Tabernacle is located. In many Churches that is behind the altar … so for many, they genuflect before entering the pew. To genuflect (Latin genu flectere, geniculare (post-classic), to bend the knee) like prostration, is a profession of dependence or helplessness, and therefore very naturally adopted for praying and for worship in general. Liturgically, we genuflect by placing the right knee on the ground ….

2. Why is Jesus' crucifixion the centerpiece of the gospels? The crucifixion is central to the Paschal Mystery. “Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven”. (St. Rose of Lima, P. Hansen, Vita mirabilis ). 14. Why does Saint Joan of Arc parish bow before Communion? In the liturgy of the Mass [all Catholics] express [their] faith in the real presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine by, among other ways, genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord. “ CCC 1378

Sacrament An efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the Holy Spirit (CCC 774, 1131).

• Efficacious – “having the power to produce a desired result”.

• Signs - words and actions through which we can experience spiritual realities

Every sacrament has matter and form. The matter is used to perform the rite. The form is what the priest does with the matter to invoke the sacrament.

• Grace: God’s free and undeserved favor, and a participation in God's life.

Baptism – Water

Confirmation – Chrism

Eucharist – Bread and Wine

Reconciliation - Penitent’s contrition, confession, and willingness to make satisfaction

Holy Orders – Bishop’s imposition of hands

Anointing of the Sick - Olive oil blessed by a bishop

Matrimony - Consent of the man and the woman Consent of the man and the woman Consent of the man and the woman

Excursion: What is Grace?

Sanctifying Grace: The grace which heals our human nature wounded by sin by giving us a share in the divine life of the Trinity. It is a habitual, supernatural gift which continues the work of sanctifying us - of making us “perfect,” holy, and Christlike (CCC 1999).

Conveyed by the Sacraments:

Actual Grace: God gives us the help to conform our lives to his will. Sacramental grace and special graces (charisms, the grace of one’s state of life) are gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us live out our Christian vocation (CCC 1996, 2000; cf. 654).

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Disposition: Openness, Faith and Cooperation. In order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects, it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions… and that they should cooperate with divine grace lest they receive it in vain . Pastors of souls must therefore realize that … it is their duty … to ensure that the faithful take part fully aware of what they are doing, actively engaged in the rite, and enriched by its effects. (Sacrosanctum Concilium, I-11)

Grace: … a jewel (of great price), by which Christ reigns in the hearts of those that are His. Then should we be prepared to sell all that we have on earth, even ourselves, to purchase and secure its possession; then might we say with confidence: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Catechism of Trent, Article VIII)

Sacrament An efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the Holy Spirit (CCC 774, 1131).

Baptism: Matthew 28:19 - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing Confirmation: Luke 4: 18 - "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor Eucharist: John 6:53 - So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you Penance: John 20:23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.“ Anointing of the Sick: Matthew 8: 14-15 Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him Holy Orders: John 20: 21: Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has 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. Matrimony: Matthew 19:5: - “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”

Remembering

Leiturgia: Let’s Get To Work!!! Luke 22: 44 ….. he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.)

James 2:14 *What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?

In the Christian Tradition, liturgy means that the People of God participate in the “work of God”. The centerpiece of liturgical celebrations is the Holy Eucharist; the other liturgies—for example, the celebration of other sacraments, devotions, blessings, processions, and the Liturgy of the Hours—are ordered to it. (YOUCAT, 166 (page 102))

Remembering in the Mass Deuteronomy 4: 9 "However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children.

Anamnesis: The “remembrance” of God’s saving deeds in history in the liturgical action of the Church, which inspires thanksgiving and praise (CCC). This memorial aspect is not simply a passive process but one by which the Christian can actually enter into the Paschal mystery.

Past is made present … eternally

The Paschal Lamb

But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you. "This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution. (Exodus 12:13-14)

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

That the Paschal Lamb prefigured symbolically Christ, "the Lamb of God", who redeemed the world by the shedding of His blood, and particularly the Eucharistic banquet, or new Passover, has always remained the constant belief of Christian tradition.

Paschal Mystery

The Church prepares for and takes every step of her earthly pilgrimage in the light of the paschal mystery Pope John-Paul II Homily November 16, 1997

The Paschal Mystery is celebrated and made present in the liturgy of the Church, and its saving effects are

communicated through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist…. (CCC Glossary)

In its strict sense a mystery is a supernatural truth, one that of its very nature lies above the finite intelligence. (Catholic Encyclopedia)

The Paschal Mystery - Christ’s work of redemption accomplished principally by his

Passion, death, Resurrection, and glorious Ascension, whereby “dying he destroyed our death, rising he restored our life” (CCC Glossary)

Like Living Stones : An Efficacious Sign

Christian prayer is not a private matter, but it is very personal. Personal prayer becomes purified, expands, and is strengthened when it regularly flows into the prayer of the whole Church. It is a great and beautiful sign when believers throughout the earth are united at the same time in the same prayers and thereby sing one hymn of praise to God. (YOUCAT 492)

1 Peter 2:5 … 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.

“It is not enough that Christ bled and died for our sake. Now we have our part to play. …If you want to mark your covenant with God, to seal your covenant with God, to renew your covenant with God, you have to eat the Lamb—the paschal lamb.

The Church as Sacrament

“So the “Communion Rite” begins, and we shouldn’t miss the original power of the word communion. In Jesus’ time, the word (in Greek, koinonia) was used most often to describe a family bond. With Communion, we renew our bond with the eternal family, the Family Who is God, and with God’s family on earth, the Church.

We express our communion with the Church in the Sign of Peace. … we fulfill Jesus’ command that we make peace with our neighbor before we approach the altar (see Mt 5:24).”

The communion of saints is not merely a doctrine. It is a lived reality perceived in the Eucharist. It is more real than the ground we walk on. It’s a permanent reality….

We need, right now, to open our eyes of faith. Heaven is here. We’ve seen it unveiled. The communion of saints is all around us, with the angels, on Mount Zion, whenever we go to Mass.

Quoted and Paraphrased from Scott Han “Supper of the Lamb”

Sacramentals - God’s Blessing All Around Us

Sacred signs which bear a certain resemblance to the sacraments, and by means of which spiritual effects are signified and obtained through the prayers of the Church (1667).

Examples: Actions Objects Places Prayers Sacred Time Objects Prayers

One Final Thought…

One of the most terrifying aspects about the gift of freedom is that it leaves us the option of rejecting God. God prepares an irresistible wedding feast and invites us to it… but so often we refuse. This is the phenomenon of impenetrability: the refusal to let ourselves be struck even by the most beautiful thing that is put before us. We prefer instead to let ourselves remain all closed.

Our Holy Father: Pope Benedict XVI

Group Think…

As a group … using words, symbols, and signs prepare a poster that depicts the power of the Sacraments and how they continue Christ’s presence and work on earth…

Overview of the Paschal Mystery, Sacraments and Liturgy

RCIA 3 Jan 2012