Catholic Christianity - Practices Flashcards
pg 51
What is a sacrament?
“Efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church by which divine life is ‘dispensed’ to us.”
There’s 7.
What are the 7 sacraments?
- Baptism
- Eucharist (fullest prescence of Christ as it is blood and body of him)
- Confirmation
- Reconciliation
- Anointing of the sick
- Marriage
- Holy Orders
All of them work together to form an ‘organic whole’.
Explain the form and matter of the baptism.
- Matter: Pouring of water 3 times over the child’s/adult’s head
- Form: “I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
What is the meaning and effect of baptism?
- The old life is washed away and a new one is entered
- Baptised person can now be called a Christian
- Anointing with oil (chrism) means the person has been claimed by Christ.
- Without it, a person cannot receive the other sacraments
What are the 3 sacraments of initiation?
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
They mark the beginning of sacramental life; essential for Catholics.
What is the form and matter of confirmation?
- Form: “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”
- Matter: Laying of hands on head, symbolising the coming down of the Holy Spirit.
“They are…more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed”
What is the meaning and effects of the confirmation?
- The sacrament gives strength through the Holy Spirit.
- Confirmation gives people the chance to complete their baptism
What is the process of reconciliation?
- The penitent makes the sign of the cross and says “Bless me Father, for I have sinned.”
- Penitent confesses their sins.
- Priest gives the penitnet a penance.
- The penitent says an act of contrition and a prayer of sorrow.
- Priest says the words of absolution, blessing the person as he does so.
What is the meaning and effects of reconciliation?
- Brings forgiveness of sins. It can be used for lesser sins but it required for serious sins to be able to receive the eucharist.
- Allows Catholics to admit contrition.
- Helps them to be humble and reflect on their lives.
Contrition - the act of being sorry for the sin done and never doing it again.
Explain the form and matter of anointing of the sick.
- Form: “Through this holy anointing, may the Lord in his love and mercy help you.”
- Matter: Oil of the sick marked in a sign of the cross on the sick’s forehead. Hand is also laid on person as symbol of bringing down the Holy Spirit and his gifts.
What are the meaning and effects of annointing of the sick?
- It’s a strengthening sacrament
- Gives grace, spiritual strength and healing to the person
- Allows the person’s sins to be forgiven
Explain the process of marriage.
- Exchanging of vows (“Till death do us part”)
- Exchange of rings - unending nature of marriage and the nuptial blessing
- The two being married are joined together in sacramental union through the Holy Spirit.
Explain the meaning and effects of marriage.
- God created man and woman for each other
- Couple can have a lifelong relationship of love and faithfulness
- Now can partake in the procreation of children and the bringing up of a Christian family
- Sign of grace
- It involves God himself
What is the form and matter of the sacrament of holy orders?
- Form: laying on of hands and the anointing with chrism by the bishop to the new priest
- Matter: Prayer of consecration
What are the meaning and effects of holy orders?
- Candidates show discipleship and promise to serve
Show witness to other people that is visible to the entire world
Men are consecrated and become a deacon, priest or bishop
What is grace?
An undeserved blessing, given out of God’s free love.
What is the significance of sacraments?
- Catholics receive grace and blessing from God
- Mark the journey of faith that Christians go through in life
- Make Christians stronger in faith
- Christians brought closer to God as a sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward, spiritual grace
Give divergent understandings of the sacraments.
- Orthodoxes are the same as the Catholic Church.
- Most Protestants only accept two sacraments - baptism and Holy Communion as they’re the only ones sanctioned by Jesus
- Baptists and Pentecostals believe only aware, consenting adults should be baptised.
- Quakers and the Salvatrion Army have no sacraments; it is unnecessary for them.
What is liturgical worship?
Public worship in church that uses a service book with set prayers and rituals so that everything follows the same format.
Rituals have developed to help worshippers feel closer to God.
Explain Mass.
- A weekly celebration of the resurrection of Jesus; Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday and so is the Lord’s day.
- Catholics meet as community to worship and learn the teachings of the Church.
- Specific structure, same all over the world.
State the 4 parts of mass.
- Introductory Rite
- Liturgy of the Word
- Liturgy of the Eucharist
- Concluding Rite
What does the Introductory Rite include?
- Greeting
- The Penitential Rite (confess)
What does the liturgy of the word include?
- Bible readings frequently linked to the liturgical year
- The First Reading
- The Responsorial Psalm (can be sung or said)
- The Second Reading (sunday or special holy days usually)
- The Gospel
- The Creed (faith declaration)
What are the two high points of mass?
- Gospel reading
- Liturgy of the Eucharist
This is when the worshippers come into direct contact with Christ in his word and in the flesh.
