RE103 – 1 Catechesis on Church and Sacraments

Marion John L. Uy Mr. Marco Discarga

BSBA – Financial Management II SLMCS – HED

Module 5: The Seven Sacraments

Life Experience: Activity 1: My Sacrament Story

A blessed day to you my dear Louisean, I hope you had a meaningful and reflective time in
exploring the previous lessons about the origin of the sacraments. You were able to learn
and discover different concepts and ideologies of the Church fathers about the sacraments.
Now, let us study deeper about it and start to reflect on the different liturgical sacraments.
Kindly do first the Activity No. 1 to prepare you for the faith journey in this module.

Direction: Write your personal experience/s about any sacrament in the box below.

As I remembered, my personal experience about the sacrament of Confirmation is that

the venue was held at Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral in the morning (9:00 AM). I was 8 years
old that time and was around Grade 3 days in Sorsogon Pilot Elementary School (SPES). My
father and my Godfather (Ninong/Cousin) were there to join or assist and helped me
throughout the day. I forgot the name of the Priest, but one thing I still remember that he laid
his right hand on my left side of my cheeks then on top of my forehead. He begins with a
simple greeting to me and he noticed my name and started to call my first name and bless me
with God’s grace and of the Holy Spirit, while my eyes are closed. After that, he has his final
blessings to me and suddenly I had goose bumps all over me and until it was finished, I went
back to my seat and pray silently and faithfully. It’s quite new to me because that was the time
that I heard the amazing message of the true Words of our Lord Jesus Christ (If I’m not
mistaken).

Questions to Reflect:

1. What are the three categories of sacraments? Explain.

The three types of sacraments are as follows: the sacraments of initiation, the
Baptism ties us with Christ, Confirmation gives us his Spirit, and Eucharist unites us with
him, which all bring the recipient into the faith. Second, the sacraments of healing,
Penance/Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick Christ, reconcile us with Christ and
heal, strengthen, and comfort us. The third sacrament of communion and mission is
marriage, in which Christ offers his love in our love and his loyalty in our fidelity, and
Holy Orders, in which priests have the capacity of forgiving sins and offering the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass.
2. What are common among the seven sacraments?
The seven sacraments in common are powerful signs of grace created by Christ and
committed to the Church, through which Divine life is bestowed. The seven sacraments
affect all periods of Christian life: they give rise and growth, recovery and mission to the
Christianity's spiritual life. Thus, there is some relation between the cycles of living
creatures and the degrees of spiritual life. The seven sacraments are God's gift to every
one of us. They enable us to get closer to him while also strengthening our faith and
dedication to the Church. All sacraments are a communication with Christ, who is the
original sacrament. Through the sacraments, Jesus enters our lives. Our sacramental
celebrations are both evidence of Jesus' appearance in our life and a way of accepting his
blessing.
3. How do we receive the grace upon receiving the sacraments?
We obtain grace through enabling the sanctifying grace to be that beautiful divine
life when we receive the sacraments. Share God's life, which is the outcome of God's love
for his people. Another sort of grace is sacramental grace, which we experience in all of
the sacraments. In addition to God's grace which will make us draw closer to Him. God
sends His immeasurable favor into our spiritual spirits through physical symbols, words,
and gestures that our bodies naturally can sense. Taking one of its sacraments is indeed a
life-changing event in which one genuinely encounters God's mercy and Christ's
sacrifices. They inspire us to show gratitude and praise to God by allowing us to relate to
Him throughout life's uncertainties.
4. Do you think the sacraments are blessings from God? Justify.
I believe that the sacraments are God's blessings, and that the idea of blessing is at
the heart of all sacramental usage. A blessing is a request for God's protection and
sanctification. Humans, living creatures, objects, or even time itself are blessed by the
Church. As a result, reminds us that we travel while Christ's and His Church's
companions every day as we go about our mission. A blessing can be a request from God
for some good to be bestowed on an individual or a designation of something for divine
service by imbuing it with a holy character. Blessings are referred to as sacramental
because they prepare us to accept the grace of the sacraments and assist us in growing to
become more like Christ.
5. Is sacrament an assurance for salvation? Justify
A sacrament is an assurance of salvation because those who use the Sacraments, a
means of God's redemptive grace, diligently and without giving up can undoubtedly
expect for salvation. Hope is both the confident hope of abundant blessings and the
beatific vision of God, and the fear of rejecting God's love and facing punishment.
However, one can be certain of his or her ongoing salvation. That was one of the reasons
God had given us the sacraments: to offer clear images that he is providing us with his
grace secretly. And one may be certain that one has not misused that grace by merely
changing one's life to determine if one has committed dangerous act.
 6. What best attitude can the sacraments tell us especially in the way it was given to
us?
The best attitude can the sacraments teach you or me, especially in the way they
were given to us, is one of personal relationship with God. We must recognize this is a
heart to heart connection that has the potential to greatly transform us. If we fail to see
this, the Sacrament remains real; but, God will not be able to influence us. It's as if God
appeared, talked to us, and urged us to let Him reshape our lives, and we just ignored
Him. Our denial of aspects does not negate the fact that God appeared, but it does limit us
from welcoming Him into our soul. When we receive any of the sacraments and we must
seek to fulfill God in the deepest of our being. This must be a meaningful and life
changing relationship. The sacraments must be viewed through the heavenly power of
Christ, knowing, loving, and embracing God Himself, implies a sincere meditation spirit.

Activity 2: Connection to Understanding

God bless with your meaningful reflection about the different questions. You were able to
think spiritually so you may understand the sacrament in the perspective of the people of
God. Now, kindly answer the next activity to see whether you can determine the
connection of all the sacraments to each other.

Directions: Illustrate through a graphic organizer the interconnectedness of the seven

sacraments and explain how you understand each sacrament in today’s situation of our
society.
Sacrament of Initiation Sacrament of Healing
Baptism in today it’s very Penance and Reconciliation in
important that a newborn child today, every month or once a
or those who haven’t yet year we must confess our sins
baptized must be baptized. and receives God’s forgiveness

Sacrament of Initiation Sacrament of Initiation Sacrament of Healing

Confirmation allows a person Today, the Eucharist, also known Anointing of the Sick praises our
to fulfill the commitments as the Lord's Supper or trust in Christ's healing influence
made on their part during communion, seems to be a very in our lives. We pray for the ill
baptism and also a symbol of remarkable time where people person's physical, emotional, and
commemorate Jesus' life, death, spiritual healing. This provides
true Christian community.
and resurrection. both mercy and recovery.

Service of Communion Service of Communion Holy

Matrimony serves to build the Orders upon ordination, a man
couple's union and strengthen their commits to serve other Catholics
loyalty and love, allowing their through delivering the sacraments
compassionate service to help them to people. Deacons, priests, and
grow closer to God. bishops all free to live in ways that
most of the others of which are not.
Activity 3: It’s Time to Share

Directions: We all have mission in this world to spread the Good News and it is also our
mission to let others know God deeply. Look for someone or a family member who are not
studying in a catholic institution/school. Then, share with him or her your learning about
these topics. Afterwards, ask him/her to accomplish this simple “I Reflect” box by writing
what he/she reflected/realized from your sharing.

Family Member: Ate Monica “Nica” Uy (My dearest sister)

I REFLECT

As a Christian and a sister of my sibling, I realized that the sacraments are ways in which
Jesus enters my life. The sacramental celebrations are both a symbol of Jesus' present in an
individual lives and a source of accepting His blessing. The sacraments are deeds that express
our love, faith and loyalty to the Catholic Church. To be in a Catholic manner is to live a
sacramental way of life, and to live in a Catholic way is to be a Christian. Based on my
understanding, there are three categories of sacraments, the sacraments of initiation, sacrament of
healing and service of communion which I experienced in my daily Christian life. The Baptism,
Confirmation and Eucharist are the sacraments of initiation. In baptism, of course every baby
child needs to be baptized a way of becoming a member of the Christian Church by officially
saying my name. Next is the confirmation which the Priest or Bishop lay his hands on a person’s
head or forehead at the same time anointing with oil into me. Another is the Eucharist is a
celebration which I or we becomes fully Christian in living in signs are the bread and wine were
I receive the Body and Blood of Christ.

Another category under the sacrament of healing is the Penance/Reconciliation and Anointing of
the Sick in which in penance or reconciliation as a true Christian, I should confessed all my sin
and accepts God’s forgiveness by being sincerely sorry for the sin that I commit into myself and
into God, the Act of Contrition. Next is the Anointing of the Sick maybe this is important to
those who are sick person or who suffers from an illness needs to be anointed with oil and
continues praying for the sick person.

The last category is the service of communion that is Matrimony and Holy Orders, in Matrimony
or Marriages are applicable to those couples, man and woman who are ready to be have union at
the same time accept God’s plan through marriage vows and wedding rings as a sign of this
sacrament is to reveals Christ love and affection. Last is the Holy Orders are only applicable to
men are ordained as priests, deacons, or bishops and a vocation to follow Jesus Christ.
Let Us Reflect: A new lesson has been discussed… a fresh knowledge has been learned…
and a vibrant call for passionate service is once again achieved. Now, it’s time for you to
share what you have learned… write what you have realized and inscribe what you have
resolved in and about yourself.

Reflection/Realization:

As a true Christian, I myself realized that in order to be a fully Christian Child of God I
must embody the 7 sacraments into my personal life because this really help and teach me
especially in the way these were given to me, is one of personal relationship with God. I must
recognize this as an inner connection that has the potential to greatly transform myself into a
whole human being. Receiving any or all of the sacraments and must seek to fulfill God in the
deepest of my being Catholic. This must be a meaningful and life changing relationship. The
sacraments must be viewed through the heavenly power of Christ, understanding, loving, and
embracing God Himself, implies a sincere intention into my personal self of being alive through
the Words of God not only the 7 Sacraments but many more than these aforementioned. Sharing
at the same time reflecting my personal experiences with the sacraments gives me a better
understanding of God’s faith to me and into Him and also having the salvation that God’s
promise to me and to the whole world. I believe that living the Christian way is really the way to
become a Christian but to live in a Christian way is to live a sacramental way of life.

Prayer:

Your Divine presence, Lord Jesus Christ, shows me importance of being able to love as You have
loved me unconditionally. In this sacrament of Your love, You continue to offer everything, Your
Body, Blood, Soul, and Holiness, in Your immense love for me. Set the flame of Your gospel in
me as I pray above in Your Holy presence. Fill me with Your kindness and care, so that I might
be Your life presence to everyone I encounter in my life. Amen