THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS: CHRIST’S SAVING GRACE AND ACTION

1. THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS: CHRIST’S SAVING GRACE AND ACTION

2. OBJECTIVES • explain that God works through persons and material realities; • live out the sacramental celebration in free moral thoughts, words and deeds by receiving the sacraments with proper disposition and with faith;

3. OBJECTIVES • praise God in Jesus and the Holy Spirit and to celebrate the seven Sacraments in faith and in love.

4. THAT WE MAY BE ONE

5. What are the significant symbols used in the video? How do these symbols help deliver the message? • Cite line/s from the song that touched you the most? * * • Did the song provide a better glimpse of the real meaning of Sacraments?

6. Sacred Scriptures I READ, I PONDER

7. The story of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10 Historical Background: The Roman system of “tax farming” made tax collectors especially despised. The Romans wanted to collect as much tax as they could without tying up their own personnel. So they recruited locals and gave them a percentage of what was collected. The more they could wring/twist out of the people, the more they could keep. • So these blood-suckers profited off their countrymen’s misfortune • http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/280/zacchaeus___look_who_s_coming_to_dinner.html

8. The story of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10 Historical Background: • Zacchaeus should have known that there was no hope for him. After all, he had done a particularly good job of extorting money from his countryman, for Luke 19:1 says he was a wealthy man. • http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/280/zacchaeus___look_who_s_coming_to_dinner.html

9. The story of Zacchaeus(Lk. 19:1-10) • But when Jesus came to Jericho, Zacchaeus just had to “see what he was like.” The tug/pull that Zacchaeus felt inside was the grace of God drawing him to his Son. • Chances are that God wished to draw others to come out into the street and see the Savior of the world. But many probably were just too busy. For them it was just business as usual. • http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/280/zacchaeus___look_who_s_coming_to_dinner.html

10. The story of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10 • Zacchaeus, on the other hand, not only dropped what he was doing, but went to great lengths to respond to this inner prompting of grace. He had a hard time seeing, for he was “small of stature.” So he tried to run in front of the crowd, and ultimately climbed a sycamore tree to get a good view of the celebrity. • http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/280/zacchaeus___look_who_s_coming_to_dinner.html

11. The story of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10 • http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/280/zacchaeus___look_who_s_coming_to_dinner.html

12. The story of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10 • Jesus had never met him, but called him by name: “Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I mean to stay at your house today.” To understand how shocking this was, consider that Jews made themselves ritually impure by entering the house of a public sinner. But this, of course, was not any Jew. A sinner could not make Him impure. Rather, He would purify the sinner.http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/280/zacchaeus___look_who_s_coming_to_dinner.html

13. The story of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10 • Jesus saw past Zacchaeus’ crimes to his heart, which was open to the grace that prompted him to climb that tree. Inviting himself to the tax-collector’s home meant an offer of forgiveness, mercy, acceptance by God. • http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/280/zacchaeus___look_who_s_coming_to_dinner.html

14. The story of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10 • People knew this, and were stunned. They began to grumble. But Zacchaeus “stood his ground.” He was determined not to lose his chance at redemption. He instinctively knew that accepting Jesus into his home meant that his life had to change. .http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/280/zacchaeus___look_who_s_coming_to_dinner.html

15. The story of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10 • His wealth had come at the expense of his people. Clinging to it would mean letting Jesus go. He had to choose. “I give half my belongings, Lord, to the poor. If I have defrauded anyone in the least, I pay him back fourfold.” • .http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/280/zacchaeus___look_who_s_coming_to_dinner.html

16. The story of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10 • Salvation came to Zacchaeusnot by his initiative, but by God’s. • Gracemoved him out to the street and up the tree. And the offer to do lunch together was pure grace. • .http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/280/zacchaeus___look_who_s_coming_to_dinner.html

17. The story of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10 • For Zacchaeus, it was a no-brainer. What he had to give up was nothing compared to what he was being offered. Is the choice as clear to you? • .http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/280/zacchaeus___look_who_s_coming_to_dinner.html

18. Summary • Actions of Faith • He climbed a tree. • Say “YES” (yes to a relationship with Christ) • Let this relationship change your life.

19. CHALLENGE • Climb the tree of Humility • Know your “small” • Know your God. • Salvation is a relationship with God.

20. Do you think we need to say “YES” or develop a relationship with Christ before we receive the sacraments? • OR • Do we need to say “YES” or develop a relationship with Christ before we can be a Sacrament to others?

21. Video: Escalator What do you do when bad things happen to you? Or what do you do when bad things happen to someone? Don’t be stucked! God gives you all the reasons/means to move! Be God’s instrument! Be a Sacrament!

22. Jesus Christ is calling His followers to be His signs to the world. • Our good deeds must draw attention to God, not to ourselves. • Be more prayerful and discerning to be able to follow the promptings of the indwelling Spirit in us and become authentic signs of God’s presence to others.

23. Catechism for Filipino Catholics, 1531 “Sacraments are saving symbolic acts or visible signs, arising from the ministry of Christ and continued in, by and for the Church, which, when received in faith, fashion us into likeness to Christ in His Paschal Mystery, through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

24. Catechism for Filipino Catholics, 1524 JESUSis the PRIMORDIAL SACRAMENT -grounded directly in Christ -it is Christ in origin and presence CHURCHis the FOUNDATIONAL SACRAMENT -it is by and for the Church

25. Sacraments- (Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred”)-symbolic acts, that is, performative word events-like Jesus’ own ministry of words and deeds-real happening that make present the spiritual reality they express (CFC 1521)

26. Symbols- are important in every aspect of our lives, for all interpersonal human life depends on symbols-our family relationships, our friendships, our social and cultural ties.

27. SACRAMENTS communicate • through TOUCH, (anointing, laying on hands, washing, embracing), through • GESTURES(standing, kneeling, bowing, sitting), and • through WORDS(proclaimed, listened to, spoken and responded to)

28. What are the three classifications of the Sacraments? How are the stages of human development paralleled to the 7 sacraments?

29. St. Thomas Aquinas taught that human development is marked by seven stages which parallel the seven sacraments. 1. We are born: Baptism 2. We are fed: Holy Eucharist 3. We grow: Confirmation 4. We need healing: Penance 5. We recover: Anointing of the Sick 6. We need family: Matrimony 7. We need leaders: Holy Orders

30. God adopts us as His children through Christ in Baptism; • Christ seals and strengthen us in Confirmation; • He nourishes us with His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist; • He reconciles us with the Father in the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Reconciliation; The sacraments actually confer the grace that they signify.

31. He gives us strength and patience to bear sufferings in the sacrament of Anointing; • He binds in faithful love the couple in Matrimony, and • He consecrates men for service in Holy Orders. _________________________________________ • The sacraments are effective whenever they are properly carried out and worthily received. • It is Christ’s love that makes the sacraments effective.

32. How do you become an effective symbol of God's loving grace to your family, school, and parish.

33. Why do you think the sacraments are saving symbolic acts or visible signs of the Risen Christ in the Church? • Reflect on what you have done to make Christ visible and tangible in your life. Set a goal and develop an action plan for becoming a more effective sign of Christ’s presence in your family, school and parish.

34. Reflect on the significant points learned in the lesson, especially the blessings and favors Jesus has given. Compose prayers praising God for His blessings and favors.

35. SUMMARY Make a simple recall of our discussion by identifying first the key terms and come up with meaningful statements about your understanding of the sacrament.

36. How can we understand better something that is not easy to understand? • By connecting it with something we already know quite well • Jesus would put the Analogy in a Story and come up with a PARABLE. • Create a parable to explain the sacraments.

37. Closing prayer THANK YOU!