CHAPTER 6 – The Church: Sacrament of Salvation

Sacraments of initiation Baptism Confirmation Eucharist Note: In the Eastern rites, the three Sacraments of Initiation are given consecutively, even to an infant In the Latin Rite, they are often conferred simultaneously on an adult or older minor at the Easter Vigil, but separated in the case of an infant, who generally receives Baptism early in life and the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation after reaching the age of reason (about seven years old) In the early Church, persons who wished to enter the Church went through a process called the catechumenate in which they were instructed in the teachings of the Faith and prepared for the Sacraments of Initiation

Baptism Jesus began his public ministry by seeking baptism from St. John the Baptist Theophany = a divine manifestation or appearance of all three persons of the Trinity St. John’s baptism was different from the one Christ instituted Signified repentance from sin but did not forgive sin Jesus instituted this sacrament at his Ascension He told his Apostles to baptize all nations “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19) When Jesus came up from the water, the voice of the Father spoke while the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus “like a dove” Jesus spoke of the Baptism he would institute, telling Nicodemus that one must be born of water and the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God Christian Baptism is sacramental and efficacious

Effects of Baptism Removes all sin (original & actual) Unites one to the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ Incorporates a person into Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church The Church teaches that the Sacrament of Baptism is necessary for salvation because the Church does not know of any means other than Baptism The water of Baptism symbolizes a sharing in the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ, which is more evident in Baptism by immersion, as the baptized is immersed and then rises to a new life “God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments” (CCC 1257) The Church recognizes that those who die for the sake of the Faith but have not yet received sacramental Baptism “are baptized by their death for and with Christ” in a Baptism of blood The Church also teaches that an uncatechized person of good will, under certain conditions, can receive a Baptism of Desire because he would have desired Baptism explicitly if he had known of its necessity

Confirmation Instituted when Christ promised the Apostles that he would send the Holy Spirit after he returned to the Father Described in the New Testament as “the laying on of hands” Associated with Baptism - the outpouring of grace in Confirmation “completes” the Initiation that was begun at Baptism A promise that was dramatically fulfilled at Pentecost Despite their closeness, Baptism and Confirmation are shown to be different Sacraments in the New Testament When the Apostles were not present and other believers had baptized the new followers of Christ, then the Apostles would “lay hands on” or confirm the newly baptized when they visited that area

Effects of the Sacrament of Confirmation Perfects the grace received at Baptism Incorporates one more fully into the Mystical Body of Christ Associates one more closely to the Church’s mission (reaffirming one’s identity as a child of God) Strengthens the person to bear witness to Christ in word & deed

Eucharist The feeding of the five thousand in the New Testament foreshadowed Christ’s institution of the Eucharist Jesus said he was the living bread which came down from Heaven which would give eternal life We know Jesus was not speaking symbolically because, when some in the crowd objected to his teaching, he became more blunt (declaring, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you”) In the Old Testament, God fed the whole nation of Israel manna from Heaven, foreshadowing how Jesus fed five thousand people with only a few loaves and fishes in the New Testament Jesus related his multiplication of the loaves and fishes with the manna in the wilderness, which was bread from Heaven He also said he would give his flesh for the life of the world At this point, many of his disciples who had followed him up to this point left him, yet he did nothing to dissuade them that he was speaking literally of eating his flesh and drinking his blood (acts they associated with cannibalism)

Institution & sacrifice Christ instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist at the Last Supper (a Passover meal) In the Mass, the unique sacrifice of Christ on the cross is perpetually re-presented (made present again) on the altar The Mass is also a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving Eucharist means “thanksgiving” Using the unleavened bread and wine from the Passover celebration, he gave the meal a new meaning under his New Covenant It is one and the same sacrifice, although the sacrifice of Christ in the Mass is unbloody

In a mysterious and real way, the bread and wine do not change in appearance but they are transformed into the substance of Christ’s body and blood (=transubstantiation) Christ’s true and substantial presence under the appearance of bread and wine is called the Real Presence Christ instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper and commissioned his Apostles to “do this in memory of me” To receive the Eucharist worthily, one must be in full communion with the Church and free from mortal sin In the New Testament, the Eucharist is called “the breaking of the bread” The Apostles celebrated the Eucharist on Sunday, the day of the Lord’s Resurrection Priests and bishops fulfill this command today each time they celebrate the Eucharist The Church requires her members to attend Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation and receive the Eucharist at least once a year because communal prayer and receiving the Eucharist are so vital to the spiritual life SEE MASS IN THE EARLY CHURCH – PG. 201

Effects of Receiving the Eucharist Receiving Communion has the following effects: Unites us to Christ and through him to our fellow members of the Church Forgives our venial sins and strengthens us against future temptations to commit mortal sins “Identifies us with His Heart, sustains our strength along the pilgrimage of this life, makes us long for eternal life, and unites us even now to the Church in heaven” (CCC 1419)