Introduction to Sacramental Theology

1
Chapter 1

• Introduction to Sacramental Theology
• Rooted in History and Culture

2
Sacramental Theology

• _________________ concerning the interaction
  between God and people through the use of
  ________________
• Began in the early Church
• Focus of many theologians
• __________, _________, etc.
• Continues today
• Studying how God is revealed in various ways
  through ritual action in the context of the
  _________________
• How we experience our God in our lives of faith
• Essential for an understanding of ones _____ and
  relationship with ________
• Helps us to develop appreciation and respect for
  the various ways in which God shares life with us

3
Requirements

• Requirements for understanding Sacramental
  Theology
• Appreciation of the ____________ of the Christian
  worship
• _________ of the ways in which we __________ the
  sacraments in our lives
• _________ in the life of the Church through the
  ___________ _____________ of the Sacraments
• Respect for ____________
• ___________ into our personal relationship with
  God
• Most Importantly
• Openness to the ____________ moving in our hearts

4
Sources for Sacramental Theology

• ____________
• Accounts of Jesus presence among the people
• Institution of the Seven Sacraments
• ________________________________ (CCC)
• Important summaries of the Churchs teaching
  regarding sacraments in general and each
  sacrament specifically
• ___________
• How have Christians understood the sacraments
  through the Churchs history up to the present
• _____________ / _______________
• Writings explaining the importance of the
  sacraments at various points in the Churchs
  history
• _____________ and _____________
• The best way to learn something is to live it

5
Sacramental Theology Catechism

• 1071
• As the work of Christ liturgy is also an action
  of his Church. It makes the Church present and
  manifests her as the visible sign of the
  communion in Christ between God and men. It
  engages the faithful in the new life of the
  community and involves the "conscious, active,
  and fruitful participation" of everyone.
• 1074
• "The liturgy is the summit toward which the
  activity of the Church is directed it is also
  the font from which all her power flows." It is
  therefore the privileged place for catechizing
  the People of God. "Catechesis is intrinsically
  linked with the whole of liturgical and
  sacramental activity, for it is in the
  sacraments, especially in the Eucharist, that
  Christ Jesus works in fullness for the
  transformation of men."
• 1131
• The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace,
  instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church,
  by which divine life is dispensed to us. The
  visible rites by which the sacraments are
  celebrated signify and make present the graces
  proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in
  those who receive them with the required
  dispositions.
• 1210
• Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law.
  There are seven Baptism, Confirmation (or
  Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the
  Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and
  Matrimony. The seven sacraments touch all the
  stages and all the important moments of Christian
  life they give birth and increase, healing and
  mission to the Christian's life of faith. There
  is thus a certain resemblance between the stages
  of natural life and the stages of the spiritual
  life.

6
Understanding Participation

• Understanding Sacramental Theology tied to
  ______________ in a ________________
• Without frequent ____________, comprehension is
  not possible
• One of the easiest (most user-friendly) branches
  of theology
• Consciously _________ the sacraments reinforces
  their meaning
• We become what we receive and are better able to
  appreciate a given sacraments importance

7
Roots and Traditions

• Understanding ________
• Important for identification and belonging
• Demonstrates connection among individuals
• ____________
• What is handed on or passed down from one
  generation to the next
• Family, ethnic, national, religious, etc.
• Helps to understand our lives and how we relate
  to others who share similar circumstances

8
Catholic Tradition

• _____________
• The passing on of beliefs and customs from
  generation to generation the living transmission
  of the gospel message in the Church
• Different than cultural or family traditions
• Liturgy ________________
• A formal act of religious worship
• A religious ceremonial or ritual
• A church service
• The Churchs celebration of the ______________
• ____________
• Any sign or symbol of a sacred reality
• A Christian ritual that celebrates or signifies a
  sacred mystery

9
Brief Liturgical History

• Changing face of ___________
• the peoples work impacted by the discovery of
  new cultures, customs, and traditions
• Liturgy adapted to meet the needs of believers
• __________________________________________________
  _________________________________
• Understanding the ways in which Christians
  worshiped connected to understanding their daily
  lives
• Todays liturgies as products of previous
  Christian liturgies
• _____________ between past, present, and future

10
Early Informal Practices

• Worship and prayer in the early Church was
  __________ due to several factors
• Initial small, intimate communities
• Lack of defined rules, procedures
• Lack of ____________ between communities
• Word of mouth brought by the Apostles and their
  followers
• Use of local customs and practices
• when in Rome, do as the Romans
• Fear of ____________
• Forced Christians to worship when and where it
  was safe
• Actions sacraments often carried out
  ____________
• Importance of the Spirit working in the community
  of believers

11
Sacraments Mysteries

• Initially, Christians did not have a general name
  for their religious rites
• _________________________________________
• Baptism, Lords Supper, Laying on of Hands
• Influence of _______________
• Christian apologist (defender)
• Helped to categorize these rites
• Demonstrated to Roman officials that Christians
  were not anti-religious
• First use of the term ____________ and
  ____________
• Sacramentum oath of fidelity
• Mysterion something hidden or unseen
• Mystery
• Something that is real but hidden from view a
  spiritual or intelligible reality known through
  experience buy only partially understood
• _____________________________
• Theological way of speaking about the Churchs
  special rituals

12
Communal Celebrations

• Even as liturgies have become more formal,
  individual communities still practice liturgy in
  unique ways
• ___________________________
• Demonstrates ___________ without sacrificing
  __________________
• Importance of the people gathered together as a
  ________ (local) family
• United in Christs love living out their faith

13
Impact of Constantine

• In 312 A.D., _______________ becomes Emperor of
  Rome
• Attributes success to Gods intervention
• Symbolized by the Chi-ro (in hoc signo vinces)
• Issues the ______________, 313 A.D.
• Observing that freedom of worship should not be
  denied, but that each one should be given the
  right in accordance with his conviction and will
  to adhere to the religion that suits his
  preference, we had already long ago given orders
  to the Christiansto maintain the faith of their
  own sect and worship.
• Legalization of Christianity
• Allowed Christians to worship in public

14
Ceremonial Liturgies

• Freedom to practice led to more advanced and
  formal Christian liturgies
• _________ established as a day of rest and
  worship
• Liturgies held in Roman government buildings
  called _________
• In time, __________ would be used and built
  solely for Christian liturgies
• The combination of freedom and more space led to
  more ceremonial liturgies
• __________, incense, chanting choirs, etc.
• Especially true in liturgies involving the pope

15
A View from the East

• Early Christian high liturgies are still
  practiced in both Eastern Rite and Orthodox
  churches
• ______________
• A Catholic Church whose liturgical traditions are
  very ancient and different from the Roman or
  Latin Rite and whose origins are in Eastern
  Europe or the Middle East
• ______________
• A Church whose liturgical traditions are very
  ancient, but which is not in full unity with the
  Catholic Church
• Extensive use of ________, especially icons and
  incense
• Beautiful, long liturgies with repeated
  references to the ______________________

16
Fall of the Roman Empire

• The collapse of the Roman Empire (late 5th cent.)
  led to confusion as to how liturgy should be
  practiced
• Simple, almost minimal, liturgies in most parish
  communities
• Bishops liturgies became even more elaborate
• Period in which the sacraments were
  _________________________________
• _________ ? immoral practice of selling
  sacraments
• ____________ ? the remission of the temporal
  effects of sin actions contributing to ones or
  anothers sanctification
• Need for ____________
• Result of poor teaching (catechesis) and
  explanation of the importance or liturgy and the
  sacraments

17
Catholic Reformation

• ________________ (1545 A.D.)
• In response to the claims made by the Protestant
  Reformation, Pope Paul III called a council to
  address the problems
• More control over local priests and communities
• Several major changes and revisions
• ______________ code of Church law
• __________ book containing the ritual for Mass
• _____________ book of rules and prayers for the
  proper performance of Church rituals
• ________ was achieved at the expense of
  __________
• Every liturgy looked and sounded exactly the same
• _________ as the liturgical language

18
Fresh Air

• In 1962, Pope John XXIII called the
  _________________________ to modernize and adapt
  the Church to modern times
• Allowing fresh air to enter the Church
• Church relating to her members
• Significant ___________ changes
• Return to early liturgical texts
• Adoption of the ___________
• Common spoken language of the community
• Priest facing the people
• Reestablished the communal character of liturgy
• Liturgy not as rigid as before
• Established norms with opportunities to embrace
  local peoples and cultures
• Major goal of each liturgy achieving
  _____________________________________ of the
  assembly

19
Liturgy Today

• Product of two thousand years of practice and
  development
• Based on the teaching of Vatican II, liturgies
  continue to incorporate ________________ and
  ______________
• Help to foster cultural and parish identity
• ________________ is ordered and consistent
• Same structure and same meaning no matter where
  liturgy is practiced
• Opportunity for all Catholics to experience the
  cultural adaptations found in various parish
  communities
• Continues to adapt and change to meet the needs
  of Catholics around the world living in the 21st
  century