Chapter 6: The Church in the Life of the Faithful

Chapter 6: The Church in the Life of the Faithful

THE CHURCH: Sacrament of Salvation

Anticipatory Set Examine questions under “In this Chapter” (p. 179).Free write on the one you already know the most about. Share responses briefly.

1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is the proper response to the gift of faith?Who is the People of God?What is the difference between the common and the ministerial priesthood?What is the vocation of the laity?

KEY IDEASOur proper response to God’s gift of faith is trust in him and belief in the truths he has revealed because God can neither deceive nor be deceived.The Church is the People of God, the communion of all the faithful in Christ, composed of people of every race and nation on a pilgrimage of holiness and redemption. All members of the Church share in the common priesthood of the faithful and are called by virtue of their Baptism to offer their lives to God. Some members of the faithful are ordained to the ministerial priesthood for the service of the rest.The vocation of the laity is to seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God.


Focus Questions Are relationships among the members of the Church essentially equal or unequal? The Christian faithful are truly equal in regard to dignity and activity, according to each one’s condition and function. Why do Christians fall short of their calling? Concupiscence, our human inclination to sin that is a result of Original Sin, often clouds our discernment, distorts our intellect, and weakens our will. Thus, we can become inattentive or lukewarm about the Faith. How do we live our faith faithfully? By conscientiously devoting ourselves to personal holiness in service to God and neighbor.


Part I: The Universal Call to Holiness: FAITH REQUIRES A RESPONSE What was the source of St. Peter’s faith in Jesus Christ? It was a gift from God, coming not from “flesh and blood” but from Christ’s “Father who is in heaven.” What response does the gift of faith require of us? God’s gift of faith requires from us the human act of trust in God and believing in the truths he reveals. On what authority should we believe what God has revealed? We believe not because “revealed truths appear as true and intelligible in the light of our natural reason.” Rather, we believe “because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.” Extension: This is not to say that revealed truths are in any kind of opposition to human reason. Even though St. Peter is the rock on whom Christ founded his Church, who builds it? Christ himself. It is his work.


THE CHURCH IS THE PEOPLE OF GOD What is the Magisterium? The Magisterium is the teaching authority given by Christ to his Apostles and now vested in their successors, the Pope and the bishops in union with him, who teach the truths of the Faith contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. What is the simplest meaning of the Church as the People of God? The Church as the People of God means the communion of all the faithful in Christ. What is the Old Testament counterpart to the Church as the People of God? In the Old Testament, the Israelites are God’s Chosen People.


Where is the New Testament teaching of the Church as the People of God found? In the First Epistle of St. Peter. Ethnically, who makes up the New Covenant People of God? It is a race of Jews and Gentiles unified by the Holy Spirit. Extension: In other words, any human being can be a member. What did St. Peter mean when he wrote that the New People of God would be born “not from flesh, but from water and the Holy Spirit”? They would not be God’s people because they are natural descendants of Abraham but because they would receive the Sacrament of Baptism. Why do the People of God comprise a Pilgrim Church? The Church is a group of believers on a journey toward God, seeking holiness and redemption.


Guided Exercise Think/Pair/Write/Share: What is the relationship between the Church as the People of God and the Church as a hierarchical body?


COMMON PRIESTHOOD OF THE FAITHFUL What were the two priesthoods found in the Old Testament? In the Old Testament, God said that all of Israel would be “a kingdom of priests.” He also established elders and an order of priests, the Levites, to offer sacrifices on behalf of this people. According to Hebrews, what is the role of a priest? Priests are called by God “to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” What are the two levels of the priesthood in the Church? There is a common priesthood shared by all the faithful, and there is a ministerial priesthood of ordained leaders at the service of the faithful.


Guided Exercise Read the following quote of Christ (quoting Isaiah):

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

Write about how this quote can apply to you, too.


The Laity

What is the vocation of the laity? The laity are called to engage in everyday family and professional activities, evangelizing and sanctifying the world “from within” while living in the secular world.


Guided Exercise

Complete the following table to articulate clearly the three distinct vocations in the Church.


Closure Write a paragraph summarizing the connection between the common priesthood of the faithful and the vocation of the laity as members of the People of God.


Homework Assignment

Reading:The Universal Call to Holiness through The Liturgical Year.Questions:Study Questions 1–3.Workbook Questions 1–8.


Alternative Assessment Free write for five minutes on an idea in this chapter that was difficult for you to comprehend.


Anticipatory Set 1.Brainstorm all the kinds of activities in which you normally engage. 2.Eliminate all but the five on which you spend the most time each week. 3.Estimate approximately what percentage of each week you spend on each one.

For example: Sleeping: 30%. School and homework: 25%. Sports: 15%. Socializing with friends: 15%. Doing chores: 5%

These are the very activities God is calling you the most to sanctify (without neglecting the rest).

2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is the universal call to holiness?What is the liturgy?What is the liturgical year?

KEY IDEASAll Christians in every state in life are called to holiness, which is the fullness of the Christian life and the perfection of charity.The liturgy is the Church’s official public worship, the worship of God by the People of God.The liturgical year is the calendar of celebrations that commemorates the life and ministry of Christ, beginning in Advent and ending with the feast of Christ the King, and what he had done in his holy ones.


UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS What is the universal call to holiness? It is God’s call to every member of the Church, regardless of the circumstances of his or her life, to become a saint. What did Christ mean when he said, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”? He meant that we are to aspire to greater and greater holiness. All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity. Does the universal call to holiness mean lay people should do more Church-related things? To seek holiness as a member of the laity includes both Church-related activities like attending Mass, prayer, and volunteer service but even more refers to all of our everyday, secular activities. When is it most appropriate for lay people to formally offer their lives and activities to God? At Mass along with the offering of the Body of the Lord.


Sidebar: Saint Gianna Beretta Molla What was St. Gianna’s vocation? To be a wife, mother, and doctor, especially one serving mothers with young children. What dilemma did St. Gianna face in 1961? She was pregnant and discovered she had cancer. Her doctors recommended she have an abortion so she could have surgery to save her own life. What was St. Gianna’s response to this discovery? She opted to try to save the life of her unborn baby rather than her own if it was really going to be either one or the other. What was the result of St. Gianna’s decision? She died one day after giving birth to her healthy daughter. How did St. Gianna’s earthly life end in an act of martyrdom? She laid down her life for another, just as Christ did.


Guided Exercise

Why might people have said that St. Gianna should have had an abortion?How do you think St. Gianna would have answered each reason?


THE LITURGY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH To what two types of prayer is each Christian called? (1) Personal, individual prayers and (2) communal worship. What is the etymology and original meaning of “liturgy”? It comes from the Greek ergos (“work”) and leiton (“of the people”), meaning essentially “public work,” or any task performed for the common good. How did the Septuagint (third-century BC Greek translation of the Scriptures, i.e., the Old Testament) use the word leitourgia? The worship led by the Levite priests of the Temple on behalf of the people. What does “liturgy” mean in the Church? Since the days of the early Church, liturgy has come to mean the Church’s public and official worship of God, including the Mass and all its rites and ceremonies—the worship of God by the People of God.


Guided Exercise Think/Pair/Write/Share: According to Avery Cardinal Dulles (material before footnote 26), how does Christ exercise his threefold office as prophet, priest, and king in the liturgy of the Mass?


Sidebar: JESUS CHRIST, THE ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN Why did Adam and Eve need a mediator after they had sinned? They were no longer in communion with God and needed someone to restore that relationship. What in the nature of Jesus Christ makes him a perfect mediator between God and man? Christ was both God and man. What aspect of Christ’s life was mediatory? His entire life—in particular, his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension—reflected one uninterrupted priestly action. How does Christ’s priestly work continue today? It continues in the liturgy of the Church, particularly in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, where he brings about the effects of salvation and accomplishes the perfect worship of God.


THE LITURGICAL YEAR What is the liturgical year? It is the calendar of observances which celebrates the entire life of Christ, from his Incarnation until the day of Pentecost and the expectation of his coming again, beginning in Advent and ending with the feast of Christ the King.


Guided Exercise

Complete the following table on the liturgical year.


Closure Write a paragraph explaining the universal call to holiness, using St. Gianna Beretta Molla as an example.


Homework Assignment

Reading:The Seven Sacraments through Baptism of Blood, Baptism of Desire, and Unbaptized Infants.Questions:Study Questions 4–6; 8–9.Practical Exercise 1.Workbook Questions 9–14.


Alternative Assessment Free write in response to the following statement:

Easter is the most important feast of the Church calendar, but most people prefer to celebrate Christmas.


Anticipatory Set Think/Pair/Share: Based on Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 59 (the opening quote for “The Seven Sacraments”), why is it smart for a person who wants to be holy to partake of the Sacraments?

3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is a Sacrament?How do Sacraments correspond to human nature?What is Baptism?

KEY IDEASA Sacrament is an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the Holy Spirit.One reason God uses Sacraments to confer grace to humanity is because their use of visible signs to confer invisible graces corresponds to human nature which is a composite of a visible, material body and invisible, immaterial soul.Baptism is the first Sacrament received by a Christian, involving immersion in or the pouring of water on the recipient’s head while pronouncing the invocation of the Blessed Trinity. It forgives sins, including Original Sin; begins a new life in Christ; and incorporates the new Christian into the life of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation.


THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS What Is a Sacrament? What is a Sacrament? It is “an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the Holy Spirit.” What did the early Church and what do Christians in the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church still call a Sacrament? Mysterion, or mystery, “a sign of something sacred or hidden.” What is the origin of the word “Sacrament”? The Latin sacramentum, which means “oath.”


Guided Exercise Perform a focused reading of the paragraph beginning “As Latin increasingly” (p. 191) using the following question: How does the Roman soldier’s sacramentum correspond to the idea of a Christian Sacrament?


Ex Opere Operato What does ex opere operato mean? It means, “from the work performed,” or automatically. Under what circumstances does a Sacrament give grace ex opere operato? The minister has to intend to convey the Sacrament and the participant must intend to receive it. According to the Ecumenical Council of Trent, the Sacraments “confer Grace on those who do not place an obstacle thereunto.” What are dispensed in the Sacraments? The mysteries of Christ’s life. When did the Church begin celebrating the Sacraments? The Seven Sacraments were part of the practice of the Church from the very beginning and were understood to have originated with Christ.


Guided Exercise

Complete the follow graphic to clearly articulate the meaning of “Sacrament.”


Why the Sacraments? Guided Exercise Write a paragraph on how the Sacraments correspond to human nature.


BAPTISM How was the baptism of Christ a theophany? When he came up out of the water, having received St. John’s baptism, there was a divine manifestation of all three Persons of the Blessed Trinity: the voice of the Father spoke, the Son was visible in the Person of Christ, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ “like a dove.” How was St. John’s the Baptist baptism different from the one that Christ instituted? St. John the Baptist’s baptism signified repentance from sin but did not forgive sin, whereas Christ’s Baptism was sacramental and efficacious. During his public ministry, when did Christ speak of his Sacrament of Baptism? He told St. Nicodemus that one must be born of water and the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God.


When did Christ institute his Sacrament of Baptism? At his Ascension he commissioned his Apostles, “Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” What is one example of Baptism after Pentecost? St. Peter baptized the centurion St. Cornelius. What are the effects of Baptism? It removes all sin, Original and actual; unites the recipient to the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ; and incorporates the recipient into the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church. Why is Baptism administered only once? Baptism leaves an indelible, sacramental character, or seal, that configures the recipient to Christ and his Church and remains throughout life. Therefore, it is received only once. Extension: This “character,” or “seal,” can be likened to the brand the Roman soldier received on his ear with the sacramentum; the brand was permanent and never needed to be administered again.


The Catechumenate What is the catechumenate? It was the process in the early Church by which persons who wished to become members were instructed and formed in the Faith to prepare for the Sacraments of Initiation. What is the current form of the catechumenate? It is the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).

What does immersion into water make more explicit about the theology of Baptism? Because it is like drowning, it better symbolizes a sharing in the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ as one is immersed and then rises to a new life.


How is the administration of the Sacraments of Initiation different for the Eastern Church than the Latin Church? In the Eastern Churches the three Sacraments of Initiation are given consecutively, even to an infant, whereas in the Latin Church they often are conferred simultaneously on an adult or older minor at the Easter Vigil but separated in the case of an infant, who generally receives Baptism early in life and the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist after he or she will have reached the age of reason. Why does the Church teach that the Sacrament of Baptism is necessary for salvation even though we know people can be saved without being baptized by water? The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude.


Baptism of Blood, Baptism of Desire, and Unbaptized Infants What is Baptism of Blood? Those who die for the sake of the Faith but have not yet received a sacramental, water Baptism “are baptized by their death for and with Christ” in a Baptism of Blood. What is Baptism of Desire? An uncatechized person of good will, under certain conditions, is said to have received the benefits and effects of Baptism because such a one would have desired Baptism explicitly if he had known its necessity. What is the fate of unbaptized infants who die? We hope that God has a way for unbaptized infants, who can neither willfully die for the Faith nor implicitly desire Baptism, be saved without Baptism. Extension: The same is true for unborn babies since they are human persons.


Closure Write a paragraph summarizing the most important points about the Sacrament of Baptism.


Homework Assignment Reading:Confirmation and Eucharist, including the sidebar, “The Eucharist: The Source and Summit of the Church’s Life.”Questions:Study Questions 10–18.Workbook Questions 15–26.


Alternative Assessment Free write for five minutes on something in this lesson—in order to understand it better—that you found hard to understand.


Anticipatory Set Opening Prayer: Christ’s feeding of the five thousand (Jn 6:1–13).

Free write for a minute on what surprised you most about this event. Share responses.

4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is Confirmation?What is the Eucharist? KEY IDEASConfirmation is the Sacrament that completes the grace of Baptism by a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit that “confirms” the baptized in union with Christ and equips him or her for active participation in the worship and apostolic life of the Church; one of the three Sacraments of Initiation.The Eucharist is the Sacrament by which bread and wine are consecrated by a priest and become the true Body and Blood of Christ, which the faithful consume in Holy Communion; one of the three Sacraments of Initiation.


CONFIRMATION When was the Sacrament of Confirmation instituted? When the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost. How is the Sacrament of Confirmation usually described in the New Testament? It is called the “laying on of hands.” With what other Sacrament is Confirmation usually associated? Baptism. When the Apostles baptized a convert, they also laid their hands on the new believer.


How do we know from Scripture that Baptism and Confirmation are distinct Sacraments? When the Apostles were not present and other believers had baptized the new followers of Christ, the Apostles would “lay hands on,” or confirm, the newly baptized when they were in the area.

How does Confirmation “complete” Baptism? Just as the Apostles were first baptized by Christ and later received the Holy Spirit, at which time they became fervent evangelists, we are first baptized and then in Confirmation receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit experienced by the Apostles at Pentecost. Who is the ordinary minister of Confirmation? A bishop, who is a successor of the Apostles.


How is Confirmation celebrated differently in the East and West today? In the West the desire to reserve the completion of Baptism to the bishop caused the temporal separation of the two Sacraments. The East has kept them united in time, so Confirmation is conferred by the priest who baptizes, but he can do so only with the Myron consecrated by a bishop.

What are the signs of the Sacrament of Confirmation? They are the laying on of hands and the anointing with Sacred Chrism. An anointing was an act added in the early Church to signify better the gift of the Holy Spirit. When do most people in the Latin Church receive Confirmation today? During the junior high or high school years.


Guided Exercise

Perform a focused reading on the paragraph beginning “From these two accounts” (p. 198) including the quote from the Catechism, no. 1290, using the following question:

How has the relationship between the celebration of

Baptism and Confirmation changed over the centuries?


EUCHARIST What Old Testament miracle foreshadowed Christ’s feeding of the five thousand? God fed the nation of Israel with manna from Heaven, and Christ fed five thousand persons with only a few loaves and fishes. How did the feeding of the five thousand foreshadow of the institution of the Eucharist? Christ related the multiplication of the loaves and fishes to the manna in the wilderness, which was bread from Heaven. He taught that he himself was the living bread that came down from Heaven, which gives eternal life. He also said he would give his flesh for the life of the world. How do we know that Christ wasn’t speaking symbolically or was not being misunderstood? When some in the crowd objected to this teaching, Christ became more blunt, declaring, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” At this point, many of his disciples who had followed him up to this point left him, and he did nothing to dissuade them of their understanding that he was speaking literally of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, an act they associated with cannibalism.


The New Passover When did the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist occur? At the Last Supper, during a Passover meal. How did Christ give the Passover meal a new significance? Using some of the unleavened bread and wine that was a part of the Passover celebration, he broke bread, declared it to be his Body, and told his disciples to eat it. He also took a cup of wine and told them to drink it because it was his Blood, the blood of the covenant. What is the relationship between the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and the Eucharist? They are the same Sacrifice with one in a bloody form and the other in an unbloody.


What does “Eucharist” mean? Thanksgiving. What is transubstantiation? It is the technical term the Church uses to explain that, while the bread and wine do not change in appearance or in any other observable property, they are changed in their essence, or substance, into the Body and Blood of Christ. What does it mean to speak of the “Real Presence”? It is the term used to describe Christ’s true and substantial presence under the appearance of bread and wine.


Sidebar: THE MASS IN THE EARLY CHURCH Guided Exercise Based on the early Father of the Church St. Justin Martyr, work with a partner to develop an apologetic for the Mass showing how the same Mass the Church celebrates today was celebrated in the first century.

Confine yourself to three concrete examples.


“Do This in Memory of Me” When was the Eucharist instituted? At the Last Supper.

Why does the Church celebrate the Eucharist? Christ commanded the Apostles, “Do this in memory of me.” What is the Eucharist called in the New Testament? It is called the breaking of the bread. On what day did the Apostles celebrate the Eucharist? On Sunday, the day of Christ’s Resurrection.


What are the effects of receiving the Eucharist? Holy Communion increases our union with Christ; it forgives our venial sins and strengthens us against future temptations to commit mortal sins. Because the Eucharist unites us more closely to Christ, it also unites us to the entire Mystical Body of Christ, the People of God, our fellow members of the Church. It “identifies us with [Christ’s] heart, sustains our strength along the pilgrimage of this life, makes us long for eternal life, and unites us even now to the Church in Heaven, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the saints.” What are the requirements to receive the Eucharist worthily? One must be in full communion with the Church and free from mortal sin. Why does the Church require her members to attend Holy Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation and to receive the Eucharist at least once a year? Communal prayer, listening to the Word of God, and receiving the Eucharist are vital to the spiritual life.


Sidebar: THE EUCHARIST: THE SOURCE AND SUMMIT OF THE CHURCH’S LIFE

How is the Eucharist the source of the Church’s life? The Eucharist is the real, sacramental presence of Christ, and Christ is the source of the Church. How is the Eucharist the summit of the Church’s life? The faithful bring to the Eucharistic celebration all their prayers and good works, their joys and sufferings. These modest offerings are united to the perfect Sacrifice of Christ and are thus completely sanctified and lifted up to God in an act of perfect worship.


Closure Write a paragraph summarizing the importance of the Eucharist in the life of a Christian.


Homework Assignment Reading:Penance through Anointing of the Sick, including Not Just “Extreme Unction.”Questions:Study Questions 7; 19–21 .Practical Exercises 2 & 6.Workbook Questions 27–31.


Alternative Assessment Work on your own to complete Practical Exercise 6 on your personal relation to the Sacrament of Confirmation.


Anticipatory Set Opening Prayer: Christ’s institution of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (Jn 20:19–23).

5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation?What is the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick?

KEY IDEASPenance is the Sacrament of God’s forgiveness that includes contrition, confession of sins, and satisfaction or reparation, together with the prayer of absolution by the bishop or priest. The Anointing of the Sick is the sacramental anointing with oil administered by a bishop or priest to a baptized person who begins to be in danger of death because of illness or old age; it provides the recipient with grace for healing; strength; forgiveness of sins; and, if near death, preparation for death and the afterlife.


PENANCE What is the difference between Original Sin and actual sin? Original Sin is the weakened human nature we inherit because of the sin of Adam and Eve. Actual sin is a personal sin freely committed. What is concupiscence? It is the inclination to sin from which we suffer because of Original Sin. What is the principal purpose of the Redemption? To release humanity from its bondage to sin and to bestow the possibility of entering eternal life with God in Heaven. When did Christ institute the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation? He appeared to his Apostles on the evening of the day of his Resurrection and told them, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”


What is the significance of the various names for the Sacrament of Penance? Penance, Reconciliation, and Confession emphasize different and complementary elements of the Sacrament.

Can the Sacrament of Penance be seen in Scripture and Tradition? Yes. Sts. John and Paul mention it in the New Testament. It is also taught in the Didache, a document written during the first century. What does binding and loosing mean in relation to the Sacrament of Penance according to the Catechism, no. 1445? The power Christ gave to St. Peter and the Apostles to bind and loose means that those they exclude from their communion will be excluded from communion with God and those they welcome back into communion with them will be welcomed back into communion with God.


Guided Exercise

Complete the following table to identify the elements behind the various names of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.


Venial and Mortal Sins What is the distinction between venial and mortal sin? Venial sins are lesser offenses that harm our relationship with God; mortal sins break our communion with God and his Church. Extension: Venial literally means excusable, while mortal means deadly. What are the conditions for committing a mortal sin? A mortal sin is a sin of (1) a grave matter that we commit with (2) full knowledge and (3) full consent of the will. Extension: In other words, it is an act that is seriously evil that we know is wrong and we choose freely to commit anyway.


Should a person who is conscious of having committed a mortal sin go to Holy Communion? No.

How does one regain communion with God and the Church and the possibility of receiving the Eucharist? The only way is through God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. What is the unchanging fundamental form of the Sacrament of Penance? Interior conversion, contrition, confession, absolution, and satisfaction.


What are the two main forms of confession we have seen in the history of the Church? In the early Church infrequent public confession and severe penance for grave sins was practiced; later, private and frequent confession made it possible for the Sacrament of Penance to be a regular part of the lives of the faithful. Who is the minister of the Sacrament of Penance? Only a bishop or a priest who has received authority from his bishop can pronounce the forgiveness of sins in Christ’s name.


Guided Exercise Have a class discussion on the following statement based on the reading in the Anticipatory Set of this lesson. Some people believe all they have to do to be forgiven is to tell God they are sorry and God will forgive them. They also object to telling their sins to a mere human being. How does Christ’s gift of the power of forgiveness of sins to the Apostles imply oral confession of sin?


ANOINTING OF THE SICK What was the role of physical healing in Christ’s ministry? It was an integral part of what he did, a foreshadowing of the coming of the Kingdom of God, and a proof of his Messiahship. What was the role of physical signs in Chirst’s healings? He used concrete physical signs often to heal such as the laying on of hands, mud, washing, and even his own spittle. Did Christ share the power to heal with his Apostles? Yes. He gave them the power to heal the sick and cast out demons. According Mark 6:13, they used oil to heal many who were sick. When did Christ institute the Sacrament of Healing? Scripture and Tradition do not reveal when he did, but we do know that he did. During his public ministry he sent his disciples out to heal. In the Acts of the Apostles we see his Apostles healing. In his Epistle St. James tells the elders, or priests, to pray over the sick person and anoint him or her with oil in the name of the Lord to heal and forgive sins.


Not Just “Extreme Unction” How does the Church celebrate the Sacrament of Christ’s healing today? Through the ministry of a priest, who confers the Sacrament by the laying on of hands and the anointing with the Oil of the Sick. Why is this Sacrament sometimes called Extreme Unction? Following the Apostolic era, the anointing became more and more associated with imminent death. Extension: The term extreme unction refers literally to anointing in extremis, Latin for “at the end [of earthly life].” What are the conditions for receiving the Sacrament? The Church emphasizes that the Sacrament can be celebrated in response to any illness or condition, even prior to surgery, where there is a danger of death. Why does the Sacrament not always heal its recipient physically? Physical healing is not always part of God’s plan. For example, Christ would not heal St. Paul of his “thorn” even though St. Paul could heal other people. Extension: If the Sacrament healed ex opere operato, then people would live forever, which is not God’s will.


Guided Exercise Work with a partner to write a bullet-point summary of the many benefits of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick based on the paragraph beginning “There are several spiritual benefits” (p. 207).


Closure Write a paragraph summarizing the Sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick.


Homework Assignment

Reading:Holy Orders and Matrimony, including A Vocation of Service.Questions:Study Questions 22–23.Practical Exercises 3–5. Workbook Questions 32–35.


Alternative Assessment Free write on how in various ways the Sacraments of Baptism, Penance and Reconciliation, and the Anointing of the Sick are Sacraments of Healing.


Anticipatory Set Opening Prayer: Mt 19:1–8 (Christ’s being tested by the Pharisees on divorce). Write for a few minutes on how Christ’s view of marriage was different from the Pharisees and from many people today. Share responses.

6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is the Sacrament of Holy Orders?What is the Sacrament of Matrimony? KEY IDEASHoly Orders is the Sacrament by which the mission entrusted by Christ to his Apostles continues to be exercised in the Church through the laying on of hands in ordination; the sacrament has three distinct orders—bishop (episcopate), priest (presbyterate), and deacon (diaconate)—and confers an indelible character on the soul.The Sacrament of Matrimony raises natural marriage to the dignity of a Sacrament; it is a lifelong and exclusive bond between a man and a woman, recognized by the Church.


HOLY ORDERS When did Christ institute the Sacrament of Holy Orders? When he called together the Twelve Apostles and made St. Peter their head. How did the hierarchy develop during the era of the New Testament? It developed into the three orders of episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate—or bishop, priest, and deacon. What is the etymology of the term “order” in “Holy Orders”? It comes from Latin ordo, the ancient Roman term for an established civil body, particularly a governing body.


What sacramental powers and obligations did Christ confer upon his Apostles during his public ministry? The power and obligation to baptize, forgive sins, anoint the sick and celebrate the Eucharist. Why does the Church only ordain men to Holy Orders? Because Christ chose only men to be his Apostles, the Church considers herself bound to continue this example.


Characters of Ecclesial Ministry How does a man know he has a vocation to the priesthood? First, he thinks he may have one, and then he goes through training which is also a process of discernment; finally, his bishop makes the final decision when he ordains him or not. How is Holy Orders conferred? The bishop lays his hands on the ordinand and prays that God will pour out his Holy Spirit with the gifts of the Spirit that will be needed for the ordinand’s ministry. In whose Person does a priest act? In the Person of Christ the Head, Shepherd and Bridegroom of his Church.


Guided Exercise

Complete the following graphic to understand the three characters which ordination confers.


MATRIMONY

What is the origin of marriage? It was part of God’s plan from the beginning. What is the proper relationship between a husband and a wife in God’s plan? Equality and complementarity. Extension: This means that husband and wife are equal in dignity but not the same. Each has something the other doesn’t but needs; this is complementarity. What was the effect of Original Sin on marriage? Original Sin broke the communion between man and woman, opening the way for actual sins of lust, domination, disrespect, and discord between men and women.


How can married couples restore God’s original intent? Only through God’s grace.

Was marriage restored to its original dignity in the Old Testament? No. Polygamy and divorce were tolerated in some cases.

What are common sins against marriage? Adultery, fornication, prostitution, homosexual behavior, and acts of bestiality.


How does the Old Testament prepare the way for the restoration of God’s original vision for marriage according to the Catechism, no. 1611? The prophets portrayed the covenant between God and Israel as an image of exclusive and faithful married love; the Books of Ruth and Tobit contain an elevated sense of marriage, fidelity, and tenderness between spouses; and the Song of Solomon is a unique expression of human love as a reflection of God’s love. When did Christ raise the state of marriage to a Sacrament? Scripture and Tradition do not reveal when he raised marriage to the Sacrament of Matrimony, but we do know he did it.


“One Flesh” What did Christ teach about the permanence of marriage? He taught that “from the beginning” marriage was to be lifelong and that divorce was evil, a form of adultery. How did St. Paul portray married love? He compares the love between husbands and wives to the relationship between Christ and his Church. Extension: For St. Paul, Christ did not found his Church in the image of a husband and wife; rather, marriage is made in the image of Christ and his Church. How does the Church see marriage between Christians? The Church considers Christian marriage to be elevated by Christ to its former sacred dignity.


A Vocation of Service What is the vocation of the Sacrament of Matrimony? Like Holy Orders, the Sacrament of Matrimony is a vocation of service: husbands and wives are to assist each other in living the Faith, helping each other to grow in sanctity so as to someday enter eternal life. If blessed with children, they are also called to raise them lovingly in the Catholic Faith. What grace does the Sacrament of Matrimony confer? The grace proper to the sacrament of Matrimony can perfect the couple’s love and unity, helping each other become holy and to welcome and educate children, if God bless them with them. Who are the ministers of the Sacrament of Matrimony? The man and woman themselves are in their vows. The Church, through a priest or deacon, merely blesses the marriage covenant that the couple freely enters. Extension: In the Eastern Rites, the bishop or priest is considered the minister.


Guided Exercise Think/Pair/Share: Why do some Christian marriages end in divorce?


Closure Write a paragraph summarizing the Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony.


Homework Assignment Reading:A Life of Prayer through Sacrifice and Self-denial.Questions:Study Questions 27–32.Workbook Questions 36–37.


Alternative Assessment Free write on connections you can think of between Holy Orders and Matrimony.


Anticipatory Set Opening Prayer: The Lord’s Prayer.

7. Prayer and Sacrifice

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is prayer?In what types of prayer can a Christian engage?What is mortification, and what is its value?

KEY IDEASPrayer is an essential part of the Christian life in which God helps us raise our minds and hearts to him in conversation. Just as Christ prayed in many ways, the ways a Christian can pray are myriad.Just as an athlete must train him- or herself to compete successfully, mortification, or self-denial, is an essential part of growing in holiness and pursuing the goal of the Christian life.


A LIFE OF PRAYER What is a basic definition of prayer according to St. John Damascene? Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God. According to Pope Bl. John Paul II, when we pray, who should get the most credit? God is the true protagonist when we pray: he takes the initiative to motivate us to pray. What should be the main subject of Christian prayer? The mysteries of Christ, so we can get to know him, to love him, and to be united to him.


What was the role of prayer in Christ’s life? Christ was devoted to prayer, especially before the great events in his life. What is the most important prayer in the life of the Church? The Lord’s Prayer. What forms of prayer did Christ practice? The formal, or traditional, prayers of Judaism. Spontaneous prayer. Personal prayer alone in silence. Communal prayer with friends. Prayerful reading of the Scriptures. Prayer using the Psalms. Celebration of holy days. Pilgrimages. Attendance at the Jewish liturgy. Fasting as “prayer of the senses.”


Guided Exercise Work with a partner to come up with reasons to support the ideas of Tertullian and St. Thomas Aquinas that the Lord’s Prayer is (1) “perfect” and (2) a “summary of the whole Gospel.”


TYPES OF PRAYER

Guided Exercise

Work with a partner to create a Graphic Organizer that lists and defines or explains what you consider the ten most important types of prayer.


SACRIFICE AND SELF-DENIAL What is the literal meaning of “mortification”? It means “dying to the flesh.” What is mortification? It is a means of seeking holiness through self-discipline and self-denial. What is the purpose of mortification? To avoid sin and to subdue the body so as to strengthen the soul. How is growth in the spiritual life like the training of an athlete according to St. Paul? Both require difficult discipline and both have a prize at the end.


How can mortification help us avoid “near occasions” of sin? If we see an immodestly dressed person, it takes an effort not to look, but that effort helps us avoid what could easily turn into a sin. Extension: To give up looking at what could lead us to sin is a kind of small “death” to earthly pleasure. What is the point of denying ourselves innocent pleasures? Extension: It helps us grow in self control and it can be offered to God for a myriad reasons, for example to say thank you, to say one is sorry for something, and to benefit someone you care about who needs God’s grace. What is the connection between bearing suffering voluntarily and mortification? One can offer up little and big hardships to God as a sacrifice. What should self-denial be united to? Self-denial will be more precious if it is united to charity, for example, fasting and offering it for someone who is suffering.


Guided Exercise

With a partner to complete the following table to think of everyday forms of self-denial that teens like you can practice.


Sidebar: THE ROLE OF THE YOUTH IN THE CHURCH Guided Exercise Complete a focused reading of the sidebar “The Role of Youth in the Church” using the following question: What do you think are the two top reasons the Church values young people today?


Closure Write a paragraph summarizing how the Christian is called to imitate Christ’s example of prayer and self-sacrifice.


Homework Assignment

Reading:Living Witnesses of Jesus Christ through Finding Holiness in our Work. Questions:Study Questions 27–32.Practical Exercise 7.Workbook Questions 38–40.


Alternative Assessment Free write on the form of prayer you consider the most important and why.


Part II: Seeking Holiness in Daily Life

Anticipatory Set Free write for a few minutes using the following question: How do you think it might be possible to make your work as a student help you become a better person, i.e., more holy?

8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life

BASIC QUESTIONSHow do we evangelize?What are the various Christian vocations?How does family life contribute to holiness of life?How can we sanctify our work?

KEY IDEASWe carry out Christ’s mandate to evangelize by the witness of our Christian lives and our ability to explain our faith at the right time.The three primary vocations to the Christian life are Holy Orders, the consecrated life, and the lay state.Marriage and family life provide special opportunities to grow in holiness.Through our work, we can sanctify it, others, and ourselves.


LIVING WITNESSES OF JESUS CHRIST What is the basis of the Church’s missionary work? Christ commissioned his Apostles, “Go… and make disciples of all nations.” What is the evangelical call today according to the Second Vatican Council? The Church today is “urgently called upon to save and renew every creature, that all things may be restored in Christ and all men may constitute one family in him and one People of God.” Whose responsibility is missionary work? While it is organized by the institutional Church, it is part of the baptismal vocation shared by all Christians.


What is the first and foremost method of carrying out missionary activity? It is Christian witness in the midst of society in which the followers of Christ show understanding and acceptance of others and a willingness to share in their lives in solidarity with all that is good and noble. This witness shows non-Christians that God’s values surpass the values of the world, and it raises questions in their hearts that only Christ can answer. How did St. Francis describe Christian witness? He said, “Preach the Gospel always; if necessary, use words.” What is another thing a Christian must possess to evangelize effectively? A person must also know the Faith and be prepared to explain it if he or she is to transmit the message of Christ effectively.


Sidebar: Evangelizing Truths Guided Exercise Think/Pair/Share: According to the sidebar “Evangelizing Truths,” why should the Church try to convert every person to Christianity?


HOLINESS WITHIN OUR STATE OF LIFE What is a vocation? It is a specific, permanent state of life to which God calls a person. What is the most common vocation in the Church? The vast majority of the members of the Church are the laity, both married and unmarried, who are called to live as Christ’s witnesses in every activity according to their states of life—in family life, in ordinary daily work, in the lay apostolate, and in the public square. What is the connection between the common priesthood of all the faithful and the lay state? Lay people are to offer all the ordinary circumstances of their lives to God.


Guided Exercise

Complete the following table to identify the three major Christian vocations.


HOLINESS IN FAMILY LIFE What is the vocation of married couples? Husbands and wives “find their proper vocation in being witnesses of the Faith and the love of Christ to one another and to their children.” Who are the primary educators of children? Their parents. What is the most important educational job parents have? To raise their children in the Faith through example and word.


What virtues can children learn in family life? Endurance, the joy of work, fraternal love, generous—even repeated—forgiveness, tenderness, respect, fidelity, disinterested service, self-denial, sound judgment, and self-mastery. What are some duties of children toward their parents? Children living at home are to regard their parents with love and gratitude, showing their respect by docility and obedience. Grown children must look after their sick or aging parents and provide both material and moral support to them. Should parents force their children to adopt a particular profession or state in life? No. They may give advice, but it is up to the child.


Sidebar: ST. PAUL’S TEACHINGS CONCERNING THE UNMARRIED Guided Exercise Based on the sidebar “Concerning the Unmarried,” discuss St. Paul’s advice on marriage, trying to distinguish what he is saying about the nature of marriage from what he advises about it.


FINDING HOLINESS IN OUR WORK Why is work able to be made holy? It is the vocation God has given man from the beginning. How can we sanctity our work, ourselves, and others when we work? By performing our duties well, maintaining a cheerful and positive attitude, and exercising Christian virtues, we can sanctify our work, ourselves, and those who may find in us inspiration and exemplary behavior. What are some virtues we can develop through our work? Fairness, ethics, courtesy, kindness, and friendship. Extension: The natural human virtues can be developed through work: for example, justice, prudence, temperance and fortitude, just to mention the cardinal virtues.


How can our work draw others to Christ? If we are Christ-like in our work, others will be drawn to us and wonder why we are this way. This provides an opportunity to explain to them why. How can work be redemptive? We can offer the difficulties of our work in union with the life of Christ, both his own work and his Passion.


Closure Write a one-sentence summary of each of the sections of our text discussed in this lesson.


Homework Assignment

Reading:The Lay Apostolate through Conclusion.Questions:Study Questions 38–41.Practical Exercise 8.Workbook Question 41.


Alternative Assessment Pick an occupation you know something about and then free write for five minutes on how you might sanctify that work, that is:1.serve God and neighbor;2.perform your work in an exemplary manner; and3.exercise human and Christian virtues.


Anticipatory Set Class discussion:

What are you views about how involved you should be in politics now and when you are an adult?

9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life

BASIC QUESTIONSWhat is the apostolate of the laity?What is the responsibility of the laity in public life?What is the consecrated life?What are the main forms of consecrated life today?

KEY IDEASThe lay apostolate is the laity’s work of building up the Church according to their gifts and talents in the family, the workplace, the Church’s formal work, and culture and politics.In public life the laity have the responsibility to promote the common good.Some persons are called to live the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience in an exemplary way by the consecrated life.The three main types of consecrated life today are religious orders and congregations, societies for apostolic life, and secular institutes.


THE LAY APOSTOLATE What is the apostolate? It is the task of building up the Church, which is shared by all her members according to the gifts and talents God has given them. What is the basis of a fruitful apostolate? The fruitfulness of a person’s apostolate depends on his or her union with Christ. What is the source of the various gifts that Christians possess to help build up the Body of Christ? The Holy Spirit.


What Sacraments give each member of the Body of Christ the right and duty to work so that the divine message of salvation may be known and accepted by all people throughout the earth? The Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. What is a work of service, or charity? It is any good done to or for a person in need. Under what circumstances should Christians perform works of charity? Whenever they encounter anyone in need. How do Christians make their works of charity unexceptionable? A Christian’s work of charity will be beyond criticism in appearance as well as in fact if he considers his neighbor as a person made in the image of God and as another Christ.


Guided Exercise Think/Pair/Write/Share: If it is true that God’s will is that each person’s apostolate primarily consist of carrying out the duties of his state in life (“the fulfillment of those duties proper to our own God-given vocation”), then how can you best do your apostolate now?


Sidebar: Saint Thomas More What was St. Thomas More’s state in life? He was a layperson who was married with children. What were some of St. Thomas More’s religious practices? He attended daily Mass, prayed, fasted, and wore a hair shirt under his splendid robes as a mortification. What were St. Thomas More’s “crimes”? He refused to sign the Act of Succession, which said that the children of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, were rightful heirs to the throne, and he refused to acknowledge Henry as the supreme head of the Church in England. How did St. Thomas More show great trust in God? Even though he was afraid of facing death, he believed that whatever God sent him would be “the best.”


Sidebar: THEY WILL KNOW YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES How will non-Christians recognize disciples of Christ according to Christ himself? By the love they have for one another. Based on Pope Bl. John Paul II’s words, what has the Church done better than any other religious society? No religious society has every inspired as many works of charity as the Church.


LIVING OUR FAITH IN THE MIDST OF THE WORLD What four areas of life do the laity have the responsibility to shape according to the will of God? The (1) family, (2) the workplace, (3) the apostolate, and (4) culture and politics. Extension: These are areas in which the clergy have no direct responsibility. What is the difference between the duties of the clergy and the laity when it comes to public policy? The bishops and clergy address issues of public policy insofar as they involve questions of morality and the common good. The laity get involved in the political and policymaking process at every level of government and society. Extension: The Magisterium teaches principles; the laity put them into effect in secular society.


According to Catholic social teaching, what is legitimate political authority? That which is committed to the common good and seeks to attain the common good by morally acceptable means. What are the common good and its three essential elements? The common good is the sum total of social conditions that allow people, either as groups or individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily. Its three essential elements are respect for and promotion of the fundamental rights of the person; prosperity, or the development of the spiritual and temporal goods of society; and the peace and security of the group and of its members. Whose responsibility is the promotion of the common good? It is the responsibility of the government and every individual member of society.


Guided Exercise Work with a partner to identify ways in which the lay faithful are to promote the common good.


VOCATION TO THE CONSECRATED LIFE What is the consecrated life? It is a permanent state of life characterized by the profession of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. What are some examples of consecrated life? Women religious (often referred to as sisters or nuns), religious brothers, clergy who are members of a religious order or institute, and consecrated virgins. What do the different forms of consecrated life have in common? The commitment to a radical imitation of Christ that bears witness to the Gospel and serves the Church’s mission.


What are three of the greatest natural gifts that God has given us? Our possessions, our sexuality, and our freedom.

What three thing does the world “worship” most highly? Money, sex, and power. What kind of life did Christ embrace in obedience to his father? Material poverty, chastity, and obedience to the Father.


What form of chastity do those who follow the evangelical counsels embrace? Celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God. How does the consecrated life give prophetic witness of life in Heaven according to the Catechism, no. 933? The consecrated state of life reveals more clearly to all believers the heavenly goods that are already present in this age, witness to the new and eternal life that we have acquired through the redemptive work of Christ, and prelude our future resurrection and the glory of the heavenly kingdom.


Guided Exercise Free write on the following prompt: The Church teaches that every follower of Christ is called to live chastity, poverty, and obedience appropriate to his or her state in life. How can Catholic teenagers carry out this responsibility?


TYPES OF CONSECRATED LIFEGuided Exercise Complete the following graphic to identify the three major forms of consecrated life.


Closure Write a paragraph summarizing the vocation that lay people are called to.


Homework Assignment

Questions:Study Questions 40–41.Workbook Questions 42–47.


Alternative Assessment Free write on the following: (1)which of the three states in life (clerical, consecrated, or lay) is intrinsically the highest calling; and(2)which is the most appealing to you personally.


The End

Chapter 6: The Church in the Life of the Faithful

Documents

Transcript of Chapter 6: The Church in the Life of the Faithful