Amazing grace! How sweet the soundThat saved a wretch like me!I once was lost, but now am found;Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,And grace my fears relieved;How precious did that grace appearThe hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,I have already come;’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,And grace will lead me home.

From CCC 2021-20222021 Grace is the help God gives us to respond to our vocation of becoming his adopted children. It introduces us into the intimacy of the Trinitarian life.

2022 The divine initiative in the work of grace precedes, prepares, and elicits our free response .

Grace responds to the deepest yearnings of human freedom, calls freedom to cooperate with it, and perfects freedom.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10:

"And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of

revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh,

a messenger of Satan, to harass me,

to keep me from being too elated.

Three times I besought the Lord about this,

that it should leave me; but he said to me,

"My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness."

I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses,

that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses,

insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities;

for when I am weak, then I am strong."

THE SACRAMENTSOF INITIATION

aka Sacraments of Invitation

. The purpose of the sacraments is

to sanctify men,

build up the Body of Christ and finally,

to give worship to God.

–CCC 1123 a

The Sacrament of Initiation (Grace, Intro, Baptism & Confirmation)m & Confirmation)t of Initiation (Grace, Intro, Baptism & Confirmation)

1118 The sacraments are “of the Church” in the double sense that they are “by her” and “for her.” They are “by the Church,” for she is the sacrament of Christ’s action at work in her through the mission of the Holy Spirit. They are “for the Church” in the sense that “the sacraments make the Church,”35 since they manifest and communicate to men, above all in the Eucharist, the mystery of communion with the God who is love, One in three persons. (1396)

The sacraments that Jesus instituted are given to us at the moments and stages of our Christian life, tracking and spiritually elevating our natural lives.

The sacraments of Christian initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist -

lay the foundations of Christian living by

initiating us into the Christian community, strengthening us in faith and virtue & providing us spiritual food and drink.

The Sacraments of Healing- Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation -

heal us spiritually and physically.

The Sacraments of Vocation-Holy Orders and Matrimony -

sanctify the human community and the building up of the Kingdom

through the generous offer of service.

Baptism

At Baptism, we pray over the water:

"Father, look now with love upon your Church,

and unseal for her the fountain of baptism.

By the power of the Holy Spirit give to this water the grace of

your Son,

so that in the sacrament of baptism all those whom you have

created in your likeness

may be cleansed from sin

and rise to a new birth of innocence

by water and the Holy Spirit"

(Christian Initiation of Adults,

#222A).

Matthew 28:19-20

19 Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you.

Through Baptism

1. we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; 2. we become members of Christ, 3. are incorporated into the Church 4. and made sharers in her mission:

“Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water and in the word.”CCC 1213

Types of Baptism:

•Baptism of Water;

•Baptism of Desire;

•Baptism of Fire;

•Who can be baptised:

•those who know about and believe in Christ’s teaching

Acts 8:26-39 The Ethiopian Eunuch;

Acts 2:38 Acts 2:38 38 'You must repent,' Peter answered, 'and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

•a call to conversion;

•Who can baptize:

ordinarily, a priest/deacon

emergency: anyone;

Rite of Baptism:

anointing with sacred chrism: signifies gift of the Holy Spirit;

significance of water: death (to old ways), life (new life);

the Trinitarian formula: Mt.28:19;

white garment: cleansed of sins – putting on Christ;

lighted candle – enlightened by Christ – now light of the

world.

•Infant Baptism: Practiced in the New Testament:

•eg the jailor’s family Acts 16:33 33 Late as it was, he took them to wash their wounds, and was baptised then and there with all his household.

Acts 16:15: Acts 16:15 15 After she(Lydia) and her household had been baptised she kept urging us, 'If you judge me a true believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay with us.' And she would take no refusal.

•1Cor1:16: Paul: 16 Yes, I did baptise the family of Stephanas, too; but besides these I do not think I baptised anyone.

•On the faith, and love, of the parents, and godparents.

Godparents:

•mature and practicing Catholic;

•friend,

•mentor;

Confirmation

At Confirmation, we learn what this new life in the Spirit implies:

"All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin

and gave them new life.

Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their helper and guide.

Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right

judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them

with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence"

(Christian Initiation of Adults, #234).

•Necessary for the completion of baptismal grace (CCC1285); with Baptism

(except those baptized as infants.)

CCC 1285 Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the “sacraments of Christian initiation,” whose unity must be safeguarded.

It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace.

For “by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit.

Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”

EFFECTS OF CONFIRMATION

CCC1303 From this fact, Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of

baptismal grace:

—it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation

which makes us cry, “Abba! Father!”;

—it unites us more firmly to Christ;

—it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;

—it renders our bond with the Church more perfect;

—it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit

to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of

Christ,

to confess the name of Christ boldly,

and never to be ashamed of the Cross:

WHO CAN BE CONFIRMED?

CCC1319 A candidate for Confirmation who

•has attained the age of reason must profess the faith, •be in the state of grace, •have the intention of receiving the sacrament, •and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ, both within the ecclesial community and in temporal affairs.

Who can confirm:

•Ordinarily the Bishop;

•Priests authorized by the Bishop.

Rite of Confirmation:

The sacrament of Confirmation is conferred through

•the anointing with chrism on the forehead,

•which is done by the laying on of the hand,

•and through the words: ”Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.”