Sacrament

OVERVIEW

We live in a world of signs and symbols that give meaning to life. The Christian tradition holds

that God's presence is mediated to us through symbols. Christ is the ultimate symbol or

sacrament of God. Moreover, the Church is the sacrament of Christ in the world today. Christ's

presence is experienced in many ways, but especially through the seven sacraments of the

Church. Sacraments are communal, ritual celebrations of important human events. By keying on

these human events, catechists can "break open" for their students the meaning of the sacred in their midst.

OBJECTIVES

1. To appreciate the role of sign and symbol in opening the world of the sacred to humanity.

2. To convey the connection between Christ, the Church, sacraments, and the events of life.

3. To present some approaches to teaching the sacraments.

AIMS

1. The participants will be able to explain the nature of sacraments and how they "work."

2. The participants will be able to describe briefly an updated theology of each sacrament.

3. The participants will be able to relate the "official" sacraments of the Church to moments of transition in life.

4. The participants will be able to lead their students to appreciate the sacraments more deeply through catechesis.

Working with the Catechism

The following will help you gain a better under-

standing of sacrament as stated in the Catechism of the

Catholic Church.

From the Catechism

"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"

(#1210).

Read the Catechism

Read #1210-#1419.

Discuss the Catechism

1. In what ways are the sacraments of Baptism,

Confirmation, and Eucharist foundational?

2. What is the impact of these sacraments on your life?