unit five the church is sacrament. 5.2 sacraments for god’s faithful
TRANSCRIPT
UNIT FIVEThe Church is Sacrament
5.2 Sacraments for God’s Faithful
Transcending Time
Past and future accessible to us.
Participate now in the events that happened long before our time, in the events that will not actually take place for many more years
Time is transcended in sacramental moments
When we celebrate the sacraments….
Moment of creation, saving acts of God recounted in the Old Testament, the past acts of Christ, the end times are all brought together in the present moment
The experience and the faith of members of the Church from every age are brought together
Jesus gave us the sacraments for the community
Sacraments ensure the unity between Christ and his body, the Church.As we increase our understanding of, and our appreciation for, the faith life of Catholics in other times and places, our connectedness to the body as a whole is strengthened and our ability to participate in the richness of the sacraments is increased.
The essence of each sacrament:
A particular graced encounter with God which occurs in and through the sacrament
The ritual, theology of the sacrament are the outward sign which point us to the encounter with God
Central belief:
The Holy Spirit has been present and active in the Church and in the sacraments since the beginning
The Church as a whole has never lost the truth or the ability to bring the grace of God to the world
In each century the sacraments have been sources of grace
Sacraments of Initiation
Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist
Through participation in these sacraments one is fully initiated in the Catholic Church
Baptism and Confirmation
Jesus’ baptism is the prototype of all Christian Baptisms
Jesus’ baptism transforms Baptism to a sign of the divine purification which God offers through Jesus
From the beginning, Christian Baptism has been linked to the descent of the Holy Spirit and to the permanent marking of the newly baptized Christian as God’s own.
Baptism: Linked to death and life
Waters of Baptism both a tomb and a womb
Christians are given a new life which will be fully realized only through the faithful acceptance of suffering and death
According to the scriptures, acceptance and reception of Baptism = a willingness to accept suffering and even death
The early Christians and Baptism
Trusted the Holy Spirit would give them the strength to remain faithful in the face of temptation, the same grace to resist sin that Jesus had received
Sin
An utterance, deed, or desire contrary to the eternal law
A failure to love God and neighbor
Harms both the sinner and the unity of the human family
An offense against God
Reception of Baptism
Earliest form, four step process
1. Person heard the Gospel
2. Believed it
3. Repented
4. Was baptized
Celebration of Baptism in early Church
Details from the Didache
Person taught, and accepted the basic principle of Christian faith and morality
He or she fasted for one or two days before being baptized
Baptisms done with ‘living” or running water as possible
Water poured over head three times
Didache
Also called the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”
Moral, disciplinary, and liturgical text written in the later first or early second century
Includes teachings on Baptism, Eucharist, fasting and prayer
Development of the Initiation Process
Baptism was not always immediately linked to the reception of the Holy Spirit
Paul received the gift of the Spirit through the laying on of hands immediately before his baptismOther occasions Holy Spirit given some time after Baptism
The Holy Spirit was given through representatives of the apostolic Church in Jerusalem
Presumption:
All who had received the Holy Spirit would be baptized, all who had been baptized would receive the gift of the Spirit
Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus (AD 217)
Process leading to baptism presentedBegan when person first attracted to gospel
His or her life examined by Church
Invited to join the catechumenate: period of preparation for Baptism
Invited on Sundays with the community to listen to scripture and the sermon
Dismissed before the community began prayers, celebration of Eucharist
Met apart for instruction and prayer
Final preparation for Baptism
Catechumens named as members of the elect
Begin period of intense prayerLifestyles examined
Given prayers, creeds, and gospel of the Church
Days leading up to Easter Elect participated in daily exorcism as the community prayed all evil and desire for evil would be removed from them
During final three days before Easter the elect fasted and spent their time in prayer
At the Easter Vigil
Elect gathered at the water basin near or inside the entrance of the church
Publicly renounced the devilAnointed with the oil of exorcismElect undressed and descended naked into the water
While in the waterElect questioned about their acceptance of the basic beliefs of Christianity, immersed three times
At the Easter Vigil
When they came out of the waterNewly baptized dressed in white garment
Anointed with the oil of thanksgiving
Led inside the main body of the churchBishop would lay hands on them and pour the oil of thanksgiving over their heads
Newly baptized Christians were welcomed as members of the Christian community with the kiss of peace
Invited to the Eucharist
Given three chalices from which to drink1. Eucharist
2. Milk and honey (symbolized entrance into the promised land)
3. Water (symbolized inner Baptism)
Fourth Century Changes
Converts flocked to the ChurchIncreasing difficult: to provide extended baptismal preparation or careful guidance for all new Christians; for a bishop to be present at each Baptism
2 distinct trends1. Priest serves as minister for Baptism, including
laying on of hands and anointing (East)
2. Bishop kept ministerial role, final anointing and laying on of hands left to be done by bishop (West)
Rise of Infant Baptisms
5th Century, adult Baptisms and the connection between Baptism and Easter began to wane
Augustine stressed the absolute necessity of God’s grace to free a person form original sin
Church believes grace is first given in Baptism
Therefore Baptism is essential for salvation
Soon infant baptism came to be the norm
Baptism understood as…
Claiming of an infant by God
All that mattered was that each child be washed clean of the stain of original sin so that he or she would be eligible to enter the kingdom of heaven
Christian Initiation Today
Bishop and a profession of faith essential elements of Confirmation
Seal which completed and authenticated Baptism
New understandings of Confirmation aroseCatechism of Trent: Confirmation of Baptism must wait at least until the age of reason (age 7), at which a person might be aware of what he or she was doing
Christian Initiation Today
Confirmation gave strength to the grace of Baptism, gave person the strength to fight evil
Not understood as essential for salvation
Eventually, Confirmation came to be celebrated some time in adolescence
Sacrament of maturity, gave grace needed to live as faithful adult
Christian Initiation Today
Up until 20th century, order of Sacraments of Initiation same as earliest days: Baptism, followed by a seal on Baptism later known as Confirmation, and finally reception of the Eucharist
In 1905, to encourage people to receive communion more frequently, Pope Pius X moved reception of first Eucharist from early adolescence to age seven, though Confirmation remained in adolescence
Christian Initiation Today
Confirmation lost its identity as the sacrament which admitted a person to the Eucharistic table and to full unity with the Church
The Eucharist lost some of its identity as the sign of total commitment to Christ and to his body, the Church
RCIA seen as normative
Emphasis on Christian initiation is a process of uniting people with God in heaven and with the body of Christ on earth
Emphasis on the commitment of those receiving the sacraments
Absolution
Release of repentant sinners from their sin in the sacrament of Reconciliation
Must still do what they can to make amends for their in order to recover their full spiritual health
Eucharist
Source and summit of Christian life
Culmination both of Gods’ action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship we offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit
Every celebration anticipates Christ’s return
Eucharist in the early Church
A meal which allows participants to be freed from the constraints of time so that they can be present at both the saving events of the past (Last Supper and crucifixion) and at the future time of the second comingUnderstood as a meal that forms Christians into the new People of God
No one to come without having resolved any disagreements
Eucharistic Rites in the Early Church
1st century: All Christians in one community gather together, in private homes for celebration of Lord’s Day
Some homes became churches as congregations grew
Became impossible for all Christians in same city to worship together
To preserve and symbolize bond of unity among separate churches of an area, custom of “fragmentation” arose
Fragmentation
A piece of Eucharistic bread from the bishop’s church was sent to each of the other churches in the same city to be mingled with their Eucharistic bread
Essential elements of Christian Worship
From the beginning, preaching, prayer and the breaking of the breadEarly format of Eucharist, outlined in gospel story of Jesus’ appearance on the road to Emmaus
Jesus traces Salvation History from the Old Testament to the saving events of the Paschal MysteryThen offers prayer of thanksgiving and breaks the bread
Fixed pattern for Eucharist
By middle of 2nd century, Justin Martyr wrote rite of Eucharist
Began with a liturgy of the word (memoirs of apostles, writing of prophets read)
Followed by a sermon
Offered prayers, kiss of peace
Bread and wine brought in, presider offered prayers of thanksgiving
Congregation assents with “Amen”
Liturgy of the word
Part of the Mass which includes the “writings of the prophets” (the Old Testament reading and psalm), and the “memoirs of the apostles” (the New Testament epistle and the gospel, the homily, the profession of faith, and the intercessions for the world
Developments in Understanding and Practice
Eucharist as a sacrificeSacrifice which the book of Hebrews says is offered by Christ the high priest
Acceptable sacrifice which pleases the Lord, puts those who offer it in right relationship with God
Deacon
One who is ordained “not unto the priesthood, but into ministry”
Ordained to serve by assisting bishops and priests in sacramental celebrations and by dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity
Eucharistic prayer
Heart and summit of the celebration of the Eucharist
Follows the offering of the unconsecrated bread and wine to God
Begins with preface in which Church gives thanks to the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, for all his works
Eucharistic prayer
• Includes the epiclesis (the request for the Spirit to descend), the institution narrative, the anamnesis (in which the Church remembers the passion, resurrection, and promise of Christ’s return), the intercessions, communion, and a final prayer of thanksgiving
Early Middle Ages
• After pilgrims visited Rome to see resting places of martyrs, they often imitated the Roman style of worship when they returned home
• 15th Century, Roman rite became rite of western Church
• Laity’s role in Mass became less participatory
• Prayers of Mass said in Latin
By Late Middle Ages
• Presence of Laity considered unnecessary and private Masses were common
• New sense of Christian spirituality developed– Piety emphasized individual sins and please
for mercy– Variety of private devotions became popular,
small side chapels where people offer prayers while Mass was going on
Transubstantiation
• 12th century, used to explain how bread and wine became body and blood of Jesus
• Change of the essential nature of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ during the consecration– Essence gave something its true identity and
determined the impact it would have on those who interacted with it (changed)
– Accidents those things perceptible to the senses (remained same)
Transubstantiation
• Doctrine intended to help people understand that as the bread and wine are incorporated into the one who receives the, that person’s relationship with Christ is strengthened– Helps people to understand that even though
the consecrated elements appear like all other bread and wine, all who offer prayers before them are offering prayers before the incarnate Jesus himself
A Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving• Early Christians understood Jesus’ death
as both a sacrifice of commitment and as payment of a debt
• By Middle Ages, the notion of sacrifice was influenced by pagan concepts– Council of Trent sought to correct
misunderstandings• Eucharist true sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving
and an expiation for the living and the dead
Council of Trent and the Eucharist• The cross was a bloody sacrifice and the
Eucharist an unbloody sacrifice but otherwise the two are the same
• Eucharist is a sacrifice which binds us to God
• Altered the practice of the Mass– Standardized liturgy, specific texts and
actions mandatory
Roman rite, rite of all western churches• 1661 Pope Alexander VII prohibited
translation of missal to vernacular (commonly spoken language) under penalty of excommunication
• From Council of Trent until the Second Vatican Council, celebration of Mass unchanged.
Sacrament causes what it signifies• If People understand what sacrament
signifies, then will be able to receive and benefit from the grace which it gives
• Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy– Allows for legitimate variations in liturgy from
culture to culture– Several options to choose from for each of
parts of the Mass
In Conclusion
• In each period of history, way in which sacraments have been understood and celebrated shaped by world view and dominant culture of the day
• Great diversity of cultures and worldviews• We are a universal Church, across
distance, and time• We are one Church united with all who
have come before us in faith and with all who will follow us
In Conclusion
• Many legitimate variations within Catholic liturgy
• All of the periods of our history are a part of our Catholic Tradition