LESSON 13

The Church

as a Sacrament

The Church is the means through which we achieve unity with God the

Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This makes the Church a sacrament

There are many symbols that are used in the wedding ceremor

What do these symbols stand for? Let us find out,

United Forever

Gabrielle's family is transterring to a new house. As Garbielle

and her mother are packing some of the things they will bring

to their new house, she notices an old photo album. She opens

it and sees her parents wedding pictures. Glancing through

the pictures one by one, she asks her mother what some of the

things used in their wedding symbolize. Her mother explains

to her that the:

arrhae or coins symbolize the promise of the man to provide

for the material needs of his soon-to-be-wife and the children

they will have.

candles symbolize the light of Christ which the couple

need as they journey together. There are two candles that

are lit to tell the couple that they have to remind each other

always that their mission is to bring the light of Christ to

other people.

ring symbolizes the unending love that the couple have for

each other and their commitment to be faithful to each other

forever.

veil that covers both man and the woman symbolizes

their oneness while the cord symbolizes the unbreakable bond

between the two of them.

Gabrielle is very happy knowing what the things used in her

parent's wedding mean. She is also thankful that her parents

have remained true to the meaning of the symbols, that is they

are faithful and committed to each other and has been bringing

the light of Christ to other people by their works of charity

BCTIVITTY

Answer the following questions.

1. What do the following symbols used in the wedding

ceremony mean

arrhae

candles

cord

ring

veil

2. Doyou believe that symbols are important? Why yes? Why not?

St. Matthew makes use of symbols in the text found below Wha

are these symbols and what do they mean?

The Similes of Salt and 1Aght

Jesus saw the crowds that gathered to listen to Him then He began

to teach them, "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste,

with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything bur

to be thrown out and trampled underfoot, You are the light of the

world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light

a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand,

where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine

betore others, that they may see your good deeds and glority your

heavenly Father."

f. Me 5:13-16

Sacranments

The symbols used in the sacraments have meanings. They tell those

who receive the sacraments that God is pouring upon them the grace

they need to remain true to their calling as His children. One of the

symbols used in marriage-candles-show the grace of Christ's

light that guide the couple as they journey together on the road to

faithfulness to each other and to Christ.

Aside from the things that symbolize God's grace in the sacraments,

sacraments are symbols themselves. A sacrament is "a material sign

which gives grace, effecting what it symbolizes" (CFC 1367). This

means that the grace God gives us which we do not see is actually

given to us through the sacraments which we see. For example,

baptism does not only symbolize the grace of cleansing from sin

of the recipient, it actually brings about this grace of cleansing just

as penance does not only symbolize forgiveness but actually brings

about God's forgiveness. In the same way, marriage does not only

symbolize the love of Jesus to His bride but it also confers upon the

cOuple the grace to show the love and fidelity of Jesus to His Church.
All the seven sacraments are the concrete signs of God's actions ot

cansing, strengthening, providing for our spiritual needs, binding

caling to service, and healing. All these sacraments are important

parts ot the mission of the Church which is also a sacrament.

All the seven sacraments are the means through which the Holy

Soirit pours out His grace upon God's children. They are essential

to Our life as Jesus' followers and as missionaries called to spread

God's love in words and actions.

Sacraments give the grace that they symbolize.

The Church Is a Sacrament

We normally use the word sacrament to refer to the seven ritual

sacraments that confer grace. But if we look closely at its meaning,

we will understand why it can also be used to refer to Jesus and

the Church.

Jesus is the sacrament of God the Father because He is the concrete

manifestation of the Father. When Philip, one of His apostles, asked

Him, "Master, show us the Father," He told him, "Have I been with

you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever

has seen me has seen the Father (f. Jn 14:9)" Jesus is the sacrament

of the Father because He makes the Father present in our midst. This

1S what the name Emmanuel means:"God is with us."

If Jesus is the sacrament of the Father, the Church is the sacrament

of Jesus. In what way is the Church a sacrament? The Church is the

symbol of Christ's enduring love for God's people. Jesus is no longer

physically present today but we feel His love and presence through
the Church. Aside from this, the Church is also the symbol that points

to the unity of Jesus with His Father and the unity among God's

people. Aside from these, the Church 1s a sacrament because she is

the means through which the salvation that Jesus brought when He

died on the Cross is continuously given to all peoples.

Just as the Church is a sacrament, we, the members of the Church,

are called to be instruments of Jesus' presence in the world. This is

what it means to be "salt of the earth and "light of world" To be

salt means that we are to bring Jesus' love to everyone because His

love gives meaning to life just as salt gives taste to the food we eat.

To be light means to help others see the way to God's kingdom by

our words and actions.

The Church is the sacrament of Jesus love and salvation.

So Christ, the eternal Word made flesh, is the visible sign, the sacrament

of God. So, too, the Church, with her visible, institutional structure,

is for us, the sacrament of Christ, representing Him, making Him

present. The Church signifies in a visible, historical, and tangible

torm the presence and redeeming activity of Christ, offered to all

persons or every age, race, and condition.

CFC 1367

We Believe

In what way is:

Jesus the sacrament of the Father?

the Church the sacrament of Jesus?

We Act
How will you follow Jesus command to be:

salt of the earth"?

light of the world"?

We Celebrate

Make a short prayer to Jesus, asking Him to give you the strength

to be a sacrament of His love and presence wherever you may be.

Elise Rivet

(Mother Elizabeth of the Eucharist)

Elise Rivet, more popularly known as Mother Elizabeth of the

Eucharist was the superior general of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth

congregation in France.

Mother Elizabeth's heroic deeds included hiding refugees from

the Germans during World War I. She protected the women and

children from the Germans by making the women wear habits to

make them appear as nuns. She also used her convent to support

the resistance against the Germans by allowing the members of the

resistance to store their weapons and ammunition in the convent.

She did this with the knowledge and consent of Cardinal Gerlier.

Mother Elizabeth was eventually discovered by the Germans

and was arrested together with her assistants. She was taken to a

concentration camp where she was stripped of her habit and made

to do hard labor. Despite the suffering and fatigue from working,

she was an inspiration to the other prisoners. She led them in prayer

and gladly shared with them whatever little food she had. Her call to

martyrdom happened when she volunteered to go to the gas chamber

in place of a mother who was to be executed.

hftp://20thcenturymartyrs.blogspaot.com

Salt of the Earth

You said, Lord Jesus, that Your disciples must be the salt to

this earth.

Salt gives taste to food,

It decreases spoilage.

It is also a healing agent.

Lord, may 1 be the salt that takes away the blandness in the

routine of living, that prevents the rottenness of hatred and

greed from expanding around me, that brings compassionate

healing to anguished souls I encounter.

Lord, help me to be worth my salt."

And infuse YoursaltinessIn me, so that I do not become

"flat" and useless.

Amen.

http://columban.org/19899/pray/daily-prayer-sal-fo-this-earth

"salt of the earth" - in ancient fimes, when there were no

refrigerators yet, salt was used to preserve food. If was also used

then, as if is now, to give flavor to tood. by using this expression,

Jesus is calling us to preserve the grace the He gave to the world

when He died on the Cross. He is also commanding us to add

flavor to the life of the people around us by sharing with them the

ioy that He brings.

light of the world"-during the fime of Jesus, when electricity

was not yet discovered, lamps were put up in posts to guide

travelers who journey at night fime. By commanding us to be light

of the world, Jesus wants us to lead others to their journey to God's

kingdom by our loving actions.

LET'S DO THESE

A. Match the items under Column A with the items under column B.

Write the letter of the item in Column B on the space before the

number.

1. The sacrament of God the Father a. Baptism

b. Church

Contirmation

Jesus

2. The sacrament of Jesus

3. The sacrament of cleansing

trom sin

4. Ihe sacrament that unites a couple e. Marriage

in love

f. Penance

5. The sacrament that brings God's

forgiveness.

B. Complete the words of Jesus as narrated in the Gospel

of St. Matthew.

Jesus saw the crowds that gathered to listen to Him then He began
to teach them, "You are the salt of the

taste, with what can it be seasonede It is no longer

anything but to be thrown out and frampled underfoot. You are the

But if salt loses its

for

of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be.

Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it

is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the

Just so, your light must shine betore others, that they may see your

good.

and glority your heavenly-

c. Fill in the each with the correct word.

1. The name which means "God is with us" is

2. The visible sign of God's grace is -

3. Jesus told Philip, "If you have seen me, you have seen

the

4. The symbol of the unity between Jesus and the Father

the.

5. In Baptism, cleansing is signified by

6. By being salt of the earth, we add.

lite of the people around us.

7. The light of Christ is symbolized in marriage by

8. The Church is the instrument of the

the

that
Jesus brings.

9. The cord used in a wedding ritual symbolizes the unbreakable

between the man and the woman.

10. The arrhae symbolizes the promise of the man to provide for

needs of the woman and the children

the

they will have.