Chapter 2: What Happens in the Sacraments Celebrating Our Redemption Christ Acts through the Sacraments

Celebrating Our Redemption Redemption – to recover ownership by paying a sum or a ransom. For Christians – Jesus paid the price of Death on the Cross to ransom us from sin and return us to God. In the Liturgy – we celebrate our redemption by participating in the events of the Paschal Mystery. (Like a rerun).

Christ Acts through the Sacraments Jesus commanded His Apostles “to teach and baptized all nations” (Mt. 28:16-20) before He ascended to heaven. But the Apostles were lost and afraid. It was not until Pentecost (40 days after the Ascension), that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit (Paraclete) to enliven and fill them with courage to preach the Gospel. By preaching the Gospel and baptizing, the Apostles became “sacramental signs of Christ”.

Christ Acts through the Sacraments con’t Before the Apostles died, by the power of the Holy Spirit they entrusted their work of teaching, baptizing, serving, and building up the Church, and gave power and authority to their successors (bishops). This unbroken chain of power and authority that continues to be passed on to the Pope and bishops is known as the apostolic succession.

God the Father: Source and Goal of the Liturgy God the Father is the source of all our blessings, and we return the blessings we received when we respond to His grace. In every Sacrament, God acts first – by offering us a share in his own life and love And we act in response – by accepting his Word as truth on which we base our lives.

The Work of Christ in the Liturgy Jesus redeemed all peoples from all times, and He makes His own Paschal Mystery and its effects present to us through the liturgy. In reality there is only one liturgy – the heavenly liturgy. We don’t just attend Mass, we are joining-in or “plugging-in” into the heavenly liturgy.

Christ is present to us in the liturgy in the following ways: Jesus is present in the minister of the Sacrament – whenever the priests baptizes, hears confessions, anoints, marries, and offers Mass --Christ is the minister of the Sacrament, the priest only acts in His name. Jesus is present in the Word, since it is Christ who speaks when the Scriptures are read the liturgy. Jesus is present when the Church prays and sings and is gathered in His name (See Mt. 18:20). Jesus is specifically present in the Eucharistic species, his own Body and Blood. -- This mystery is called the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist because Jesus is present in the Eucharist, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. -- The change in the substance of bread and wine into the risen and glorified Body and Blood of Christ is know as transubstantiation

Transubstantiation Accidents – the appearance of a thing Substance – the essence of a thing

Accidental Change vs. Substantial Change Type of Change Example Accidents (Appearance) Substance (Essence) Natural Accident Water to Ice Natural Substantial Food Eaten Supernatural Accidents Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish Supernatural Substantial Transubstantiation

The Tabernacle Literally means “tent”, where the Blessed Sacrament or the Eucharist is “reserved.” It serves three purposes: -- For communion for the sick and dying. A special container called the pyx is used to transport the Eucharist. -- For Eucharistic Adoration -- Private prayer in the church/chapel

The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Liturgy The Holy Spirit helps us “remember” or understand God’s Word in Scriptures and the words of the liturgy. This “remembering of faith” is called the anamnesis. During the Mass, the priest invokes or calls upon the Father to send the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. This invocation is called the epiclesis.

Introducing the Seven Sacraments By the power of the Holy Spirit, the sacraments helps us to remember the saving events of the Paschal Mystery, and makes these events present for us today. What are the Sacraments of the Church? -- Baptism -- Holy Eucharist -- Confirmation -- Reconciliation (Penance or Confession) -- Anointing of the Sick -- Holy Orders -- Matrimony

The Sacraments of Christ The sacraments can be called the Sacraments of Christ because Christ instituted each of them while He was on earth. Christ is present and acting in all the sacraments.

Common priesthood and Ministerial (Ordained) Priesthood By the virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation, Christians are set aside as a holy or “priestly” people. This common priesthood of the baptized enables us to participate in the liturgy. From the common priesthood, God chooses men and appoints them to nourish the people of God with the Word of God and the Sacraments. The ministerial or ordained priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer an indelible sacramental character on the person’s soul because these sacraments orders (configure) the person’s soul to a particular state on function.

The Sacraments of Faith Christ gave the Church the mission to spread the Gospel and baptize to others or to evangelize. The rituals and prayers of the Church is rooted in its beliefs. The ancient saying “lex orandi, lex credendi” literally means “the law of praying is the law of believing” and expresses this reality. Can the minister of the liturgy change the words of the ritual? The liturgy and its rituals therefore expresses the foundational beliefs of the Church and therefore cannot be modified or manipulated by the ordained minister. The laws that governs the rituals and liturgy are part of the Sacred Tradition – which is the living transmission of the Church’s teachings.

Sacraments of Salvation The grace or validity of the sacrament is not dependent on the worthiness of the minister or the recipient of the sacrament, but on the power of Christ who acts in and through the minister. This understanding is known as “ex opere operato” The fruits of the sacrament (how the sacrament transforms or affects the person) depends on the disposition of the person receiving the sacrament. What do you do to be properly disposed to receive the sacraments?

The Sacraments of Eternal Life Maranatha -- “O Lord come” The celebration of the Sacraments anticipates for us our future life and communion with the blessed and Holy Trinity.

Celebrating the Church’s Liturgy Who celebrates the Liturgy? -- Whenever we celebrate the liturgy, we are “plugging-in” in the heavenly liturgy. -- The entire community of heaven and earth are united in their celebration with Christ, as its Head. -- This is why the liturgy is ideally and best celebrated as a community under the bishop -- The priest acts “in the person of Christ” (in persona Christi) at the liturgy. In the Mass, it is Christ Himself, through the priest who eternally offers Himself to the Father. -- The people unite their spiritual sacrifices with the priest to be offered to the Father.

How is the Liturgy Celebrated? The sacraments of the Church can be explicitly found, and others, implicitly found in the Scriptures. Jesus gave authority to the Church to determine the words, gestures, and elements to be used in each sacrament. The words recited or prayed are called the form of the sacrament; the physical elements and/or gestures used are called the matter of the sacrament.

Form and Matter… What is the form and matter we generally associate with the following: Fourth of July? Halloween? Thanksgiving?

Form and Matter of the Sacraments (p. 42) Matter/Gesture Baptism “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Confirmation “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” Eucharist “This is my Body” “This is my Blood” Penance “I absolve you from your sins. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Anointing of the Sick Prayer of Anointing (see page 42)

Form and Matter of the Sacraments con’t… Holy Orders Prayer of Ordination (See page 42) Marriage Valid vows (See page 42)

Liturgy of the Word Two parts of the Mass: Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist Missal Liturgy of the Word Three-year cycle of readings (A, B, C) for– covering all the major parts of the Bible. The readings are found in the Lectionary. If you went to Mass everyday for the rest of you life, you would have read and heard the major parts of the Bible at least 20 times in your lifetime.

Various traditions and “rites” of the Catholic Church The Catholic Church is rich with different liturgical traditions – different ways of celebrating the Mass and the sacraments. These traditions are called “rites”. Latin Rite/Roman Catholics. There are 5 different Eastern Catholic Churches –Byzantine, Alexandrian (Coptic), Antiochene. Armenian, Chaldean. Additionally, there other “ritual churches” that are part of the Catholic Church, totaling 21. Many Eastern Churches use icons in their liturgy Eastern Orthodox Church

When is the Liturgy celebrated? Sunday has become, for Christians the Lord’s Day (Sabbath) because it reminds us of the Resurrection and Christ’s victory over sin and death. holydays of obligation -- special days in the Church’s year or the Liturgical Year commemorating feasts of Jesus and Mary. The Liturgical Year consists of Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Sacred Triduum, and Easter.

Liturgical Calendar Advent -- 4 weeks before Christmas Means “coming” -- celebrating the coming of the Messiah on Christmas and anticipating the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time.* Christmas season – begins on the vigil of Christmas and ends at the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. Lent – begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday. Easter or Sacred Triduum – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil/Sunday. Ordinary Time – comes from ordinal (numbered); Purpose – to teach Christians how to follow Jesus in everyday and ordinary life. Celebrated twice in a year; concludes at Feast of Christ the King

Mary and the Sanctoral Cycle Sanctoral Cycle – various feasts of the saints throughout the year. Mary’s feasts – reminds us of her link with the work of Christ; also reminds us of where we desire and hope to be; she’s the perfect model of how to be a Christian When we honor Mary, we honor Christ Holydays of obligation: Feast of Mary the Mother of God (January 1) Feast of the Assumption (August 15) Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)

The Church at Prayer Vocal prayer – using words and our bodies to honor God Liturgy of the Hours – also known as the Divine Office, it is the public prayer of the Church; contains various prayers throughout the day. Meditation – using your thoughts and emotions to think of God’s presence in your life. Contemplative prayer –mental prayer; silent and wordless; listening to God

Where is the Liturgy Celebrated Mass was first celebrated in the catacombs and people’s homes After Christianity became legal, the emperors donated large assembly halls known as basilicas There are 7 major basilicas, all located in Rome Minor basilicas – churches throughout the world given a special honor Cathedral, Church, Chapel, Oratory All Catholic churches contain – altar, tabernacle, chair, ambo, aumbry, baptistry, reconciliation room