Sacraments and Liturgy

Jesus’ Promise

• “I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus’ words to His disciples before his Ascension, promised that He would never leave them.

The First Confirmation

• At Pentecost, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to them and still today, the Holy Spirit presence remains in our lives.

The Sacraments

• Pentecost marks the first Confirmation in the Church. The Church recognized certain symbolic actions, or rituals, as signs of the risen Christ made present through the Holy Spirit. We call these Sacraments!

Gifts from Christ

• Each sacrament is given to us by Christ:– Baptism-at His Baptism by John – Reconciliation-when he told the apostles that

“Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. “

– Eucharist-at the Last Supper– Confirmation-the descent of the Holy Spirit upon

the apostles as He promised

Effects of the Sacraments

– Matrimony-God’s creation of Adam and Eve and calling them one flesh

– Holy Orders-In Matthew Jesus sends out his disciples with instructions to tell the people that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

– Anointing of the Sick-Christ visiting and curing the dying (it is a conglomeration of all the sacraments)

• Each sacrament has an effet:– Baptism-makes us children of God and part of his

body, Church and repairs the break from God because of Original Sin

– Reconciliation-God forgives our sins– Eucharist-we receive the body, blood soul and

divinity of Christ– Confirmation-we are sealed with the Holy Spirit to

become adult members of the faith to share it and uphold it

– Matrimony-a baptized man and woman become one flesh under the witness of Christ

– Holy Orders-men are given the job of Christ among us

Categories

• The sacraments can be grouped into 3 categories:– 1. birth and growth (Baptism, Eucharist and

Confirmation) are how we are born into the church and nourished

– 2. healing(Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick) is how we are made whole again and experience peace and forgiveness

– 3. mission(matrimony and Holy Orders) is how we are strengthened to serve God and others

Sanctifying Grace

• Each sacrament gives us grace, called Sanctifying Grace, which allows us to love and be loved by God.

• The sacraments are the ways that Christ, the head of the Church, spread Grace to the Body of the Church.

Liturgy

• The purpose of the sacraments is:1. To sanctify us and make us holy2. To build up the Body of Christ3. To offer worship to God

Sacramentals

• Sacramentals are material objects, things or actions (sacramentalia) set apart or blessed by the Roman Catholic Church to manifest the respect due to the sacraments, and so to excite good thoughts and to increase devotion, and through these movements of the heart to remit venial sin, according to the Council of Trent (Session XXII, 15).

Examples of Sacramentals

• Rosaries• Crucifixes• Scapulars• Holy Water• Medals• Angelus prayer, etc.• Blessings• Novenas

• Sign of the Cross• Images and Icons• Incense• Grace before meals• Stations of the Cross

Why Sacramentals?

• They weave a constant engagement with Christ throughout our day.

• We believe that these blessed items are sacred and should be treated with great reverence and respect.

• Many other faiths have sacramentals, but they don’t call them that.