Gods Gift of Sacrament A Visible Symbol of an Invisible Grace - - PDF document

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God’s Gift of Sacrament

“A Visible Symbol of an Invisible Grace”

Symbols

• What is a symbol?

– A symbol is a concrete action or object that has a deeper meaning and often makes an emotional impact on us. – Anything can be a symbol in a certain context, but not all things are always symbols!

• What about signs?

– Signs often give limited, specific information. Their meanings are literal and do not have the same depth of significance.

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Sign or Symbol?

• American Flag
• Olympic Rings
• Women’s Restroom Figure
• Water in a Sink
• Water in a Baptismal Font
• The “recycle triangle”
• Wedding Rings

Symbols

• American Flag
• Olympic Rings
• Women’s Restroom Figure
• Water in a Sink
• Water in a Baptismal Font
• The “Recycle Triangle”
• Wedding rings

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What is your symbol?

• In your notebook, think about what symbol you

would use to represent yourself. It could be any concrete object! (An animal, a sporting object, an important family artifact, etc.)

• In an 8-10 sentence paragraph, explain why you

chose this as your symbol. Make sure to make references to the object’s meaning and purpose to explain yourself.

What is a Sacrament?

• A Sacrament is made up of three things:

– A symbol (concrete object or action) given to us by Jesus – Used by the Church – To transmit Grace

• In other words, a Sacrament is a visible symbol of

God’s invisible Grace.

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What is Grace?

• Grace is God’s gratuitous gift of himself. Let’s

break that down.

– Grace is gratuitous. This means that it is given freely and not earned! We do nothing to deserve Grace but it is given freely anyway. – Grace is a gift. God did not create an economy of love, whereby his love would be merely exchanged for ours. His love is therefore not a reward for good behavior or work, but simply a gift. – Grace is God himself. When we receive grace as a gift, we receive it in the form of God’s Divine Life, which is love.

Jesus as Sacrament

• Many things in creation can be symbols for

God.

• However, unlike all other things, Jesus shows

God perfectly. Jesus is the perfect symbol for God because Jesus is God.

• Therefore, Jesus is the primary giver of grace

because he gives God most completely in his life, ministry, death, and resurrection.

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Jesus’ Ministry

• If Jesus is the primary giver of God’s grace, than we

should look to his ministry to see how God sought to give himself away.

• Jesus’ ministry was focused on the sufferings of

certain groups of people, those that were:

– Poor – Sinners – Outcast

• Therefore, he made it clear that God aims to

provide his love to those people who are most vulnerable in society.

To Summarize

The Seven Sacraments of the Church are:

• 1. Gifts from Jesus…
• 2. That the Church uses…
• 3. To give God’s Grace…
• 4. During the most vulnerable moments of our

lives.

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When are we most vulnerable?

• 1. Birth
• 2. Growing Up
• 3. When Hungry
• 4. Broken Relationships
• 5. Severe Illness
• 6. Love
• 7. Finding our Vocation/Serving

How is Jesus Present in these Moments?

• 1. Birth
• 2. Growing Up
• 3. When Hungry
• 4. Broken Relationships
• 5. Severe Illness
• 6. Love
• 7. Finding our

Vocation/Serving Baptism Confirmation Eucharist Reconciliation Anointing of the Sick Matrimony Holy Orders

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Review

• 1. What is a symbol?
• 2. How is it different than a sign?
• 3. What is a Sacrament?
• 4. What is Grace?
• 5. How is Jesus the primary Sacrament of God?
• 6. When are we most vulnerable in life?
• 7. How is Jesus present to us in these moments
• f vulnerability?