The Seven Sacramentsand

The Gospel According to John

Rev. Mr. David Skillman

An Analogy

• Natural parents responsible for natural life of child– Birth– Sustenance– Teaching– Etc.

An analogy

• Receive supernatural life from supernatural parents– God the Father

– Holy Mother Church• “I came so that they might have life and have it more

abundantly.” (Jn 10:10)• Supernatural life is also called…

GRACE

“From his fullness we

have all received, grace in place of grace.”

(Jn 1:16)

Participation in the life of God, an introduction into the intimacy of Trinitarian life.

(CCC 1996)

Sacraments

•Channels of divine grace

•Efficacious signs 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 1131)

Baptism

• Born into supernatural life from the font of Baptism

• “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” (Jn 3:5)

Confirmation• Completes grace

of Baptism• Equips us for

participation in apostolic life

• “If I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (Jn 16:7)

Holy Eucharist• Nourishes divine life

in us• “I am the living

bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

(Jn 6:51)

Penance

• Restores divine life when lost through sin

• Reconciles with God the Father and with Mother Church

• “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them.”

(Jn 20:22-23)

Anointing of the Sick• Healing through the Church’s prayer of faith• Gives strength in the midst of serious illness• May heal physical illness

“You may go; your son will live.”

(Jn 4:50)

Holy Orders

• Makes recipient a minister or steward of grace

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?...Feed my lambs.” (Jn 21:15)

Marriage• Man and woman

become a sign of Christ and the Church

• Context in which new life is brought about

“There was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.”

(Jn 2:1-2)

“Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”

Jn 17:3

Journaling & Discussion

• Do I know the date of my baptism? What practical things can I do to recall my baptism often?

• What significance does my confirmation have in my life? How can I foster the grace of that sacrament in my life?

• Do I foster the life of grace through regular confession and worthy reception of Holy Communion?

• What do I need to do to discern whether God is calling me to receive the sacrament of holy orders or holy matrimony?

Lectio“He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.

John testified to him and cried out saying, ‘This was he of whom I said, “The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.”’ From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.”

•John 1:10-18