1. CHRISTIANITY Does anyone recognize some of the symbols seen here?
Crown of thorns—connected with Jesus, what he wore at his death, symbol of his suffering & sacrifice
Church—place of worship for Christians
Dove—symbol of peace, symbol of God (connected to story of Noah’s Ark), symbol of the Holy Spirit
Cross—most important Christian symbol, Christ died on a cross, symbolizes his sacrifice
Fish—Christian symbol, bumper stickers, Christ was a “fisher of men”, many apostles were fishermen
3 Candles—represent the Holy Trinity

2. A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE
Old Testament contains the Torah & is also recognized by Muslims
New Testament includes the Gospels (about life of Jesus) & Epistles (letters St. Paul wrote to Christian groups)
2 parts: Old and New Testament

3. THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS
sacrament: a rite where God is particularly active in a Christian's life
Some Christians think only baptism & Eucharist are important because they were practised by Jesus.
Catholics believe most strongly in the significance of all the sacraments while many Protestant sects emphasize some more than others.
Performance of the sacraments varies amongst Christian groups
e.g. confession—Catholics vs. Anglicans

4. THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS Baptism: initiation into the Church
Confession: tell sins to priest & perform penance to be forgiven
Eucharist: eat specially blessed wine & bread as reminder of Christ's sacrifice
Baptism: “washes away” original sin, blessed with oil that marks person as follower of Christ
Eucharist: Re-enactment of Last Supper, bread represents Christ’s body & wine represents his blood, reminds Christians that Christ died so that they would be forgiven of their sins and have eternal life
Transubstantiation: Catholic belief that the blessing of a priest transforms the bread into wine into Christ’s flesh and blood—a key difference between Catholics & Protestants.

5. THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS
Confirmation: older Christian confirms beliefs & receives blessing
Marriage: couples receive blessing
Last Rites: blessing for those near death
Holy Orders: entering priesthood
Confirmation: must be older than at baptism and aware of the significance of the pledge, strengthens the blessings of baptism, often done as a teen
Marriage: blessing of the union of spouses; symbolic of the relationship between God & the Church

6. IMPORTANT HOLIDAYS Christmas: Celebrates birth of Christ
attend mass, sing carols, exchange gifts & attend family gatherings
Lent: 40 days before Easter
time of prayer, reflection & repentance
may fast & perform charitable work
Easter: Observes final days of Christ’s life & his ascension to heaven
Christmas: also a commercial holiday celebrated by non-Christians, especially in North America
Carols are songs that celebrate the birth of Christ and his sacrifice though there are now popular Christmas songs that have nothing to do with Jesus like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Lent: Mardi Gras/Carnival is a celebration observed in some parts of the world on the eve of Lent—one last night of excess and partying before the more serious time of fasting and reflection
Fasting: refraining from eating during a certain time of day or from eating certain foods as part of spiritual observance
It is particularly common to give up meat and abstain from vices (e.g. drinking alcohol) during Lent
Palm Sunday: so called because Christ rode into the city of Jerusalem upon a humble donkey and the people greeted him by waving palm fronds and laying them at the ground beneath his feet, Christians often carry greenery during this service, it is a happy upbeat service
Maundy Thursday: a very sombre service, foot washing, marks the night that Jesus is preparing to die, the Last Supper
Good Friday: stations of the cross, symbolic tomb is left empty during overnight prayer vigil
Easter Sunday: most important service in the Christian year, promise of eternal life through Christ rising again