THE CHURCH CALENDAR

LITURGICAL SEASONS AND FEASTS

Through its use of colours, music, songs, readings, and responses, the
Church sets the mood, or tone, of the Mass as it proclaims its
remembrance of the saving acts of Jesus and celebrates their present
reality in the life of the people. The colours, music, songs, readings,
and responses change as the particular remembrance and celebration
of the saving acts of Jesus change. What is being remembered and
celebrated is determined by what is called The Liturgical Calendar.

Each year the Church takes its people through the mystery of Christ,
recalling and celebrating the coming of Jesus into the world of people,
the various salvation events in his life, and the meaning of these events
in the present time.

What is the reason for this remembrance and celebration? Christians

believe that Jesus is the Son of God or, as we say, is God expressing
Himself humanly. They believe that God actually became a real human
being and lived as such. They believe that they come into contact with
God in Jesus. As you know, in Catholic terminology, the word mystery

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means God’s revelation of Himself. Hence ‘mystery of Christ’ means
God’s revelation of Himself in Christ.

By the end of each liturgical year, all the major saving acts of Jesus are
recalled, made present, and celebrated. This is what the liturgy is – and
is for.

The liturgical calendar, like the regular calendar year, contains seasons,
solemnities, feast days, memorials, and special events. Solemnities,
such as Easter and Christmas are feast days of the highest rank.

Just as the calendar year is divided into seasons which mark the major
divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn and winter), so does the
liturgical year have its seasons. Just as the Zimbabwe calendar year
contains remembrances of important events and names, so does the
liturgical calendar year.

The Development of the Church Year

The calendar of the Church as we now have it was a product of gradual

growth.

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In time the calendar grew. Each year these events were repeated in
celebration. As time went on, the Church had what had become known
as the ‘Jesus cycle’ – the repetition of the celebration of the major
events in the life of Jesus in a regular pattern.

The Structure of the Church Year

The regular pattern of celebrating the Jesus cycle contains six principal
parts or seasons;

1. Advent
2. Christmas
3. Ordinary Time
4. Lent (up to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday)
5. The Triduum
6. Easter

THE SEASONS OF THE CHURCH YEAR

Advent

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The Church year begins with the first Sunday of Advent, four Sundays
before Christmas – about December 1 st. During these weeks, the
Church prepares for the celebration of the birth of Jesus by presenting
in the theme of the Mass, in the Liturgy of the Word, and in the
prayers, hymns, and responses, the expectation of the Messiah. But
the expectation presented by the Church is not simply the expectation
of the past. It is the expectation of the present coming of Jesus into
lives of people and the establishments of the kingdom of God as a
reality in the present and in the unknown future (called the second
coming of Jesus).

The season of Advent, then, is a celebration of the past, the present,

and the future.

Christmas

The Christmas season begins with the celebration of the birth of Jesus
on December 25th. It ends on the Sunday after January 6th.

The celebration is not confined to the past event of Jesus’ being born
in Bethlehem. It is a celebration of the manifestation of Jesus to the

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world. Christmas is a sign of Jesus present among his people acting in
the world in the present time.

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time begins on the Monday after the Sunday after January
6th. It continues through the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It is
interrupted by Lent, the Triduum, and the Easter season. It is resumed
on the Monday after Pentecost (fifty days after Easter Sunday). It
continues until the first Sunday of Advent when the Jesus cycle begins
again.

There are thirty-four (or thirty-three, in some years) Sundays of

Ordinary Time.

The Lenten Season

It begins on Ash Wednesday (forty-six days before Easter) and

continues until the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday.
Originally, it was the period of preparation time for catechumens
leading to their baptism during the Easter Vigil. Now, in most

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countries, it is a period of penance (self-denial in such things as eating,
entertainment, and self-indulgence).

During the Lenten season, the Church presents the trials, the
confrontations, the disappointments, and the drama of events which
resulted in the sufferings and death of Jesus. But the recollection of
the events and the liturgical celebration are not a celebration of
suffering. They are a celebration of the triumph of Jesus over and
through suffering and death.

It encourages us to accept the divine help Jesus brings us to overcome

evil in our lives and come to share fully in the resurrection.

The Triduum

The Last three days of Holy Week (which begins on Passion/Palm

Sunday) are called the Triduum. They celebrate, recall, and make
present the events of those days leading up to and including Jesus’
resurrection. On Holy Thursday evening, the Church celebrates the
Paschal Mystery – the giving of Jesus’ body and blood as his new
covenant ‘on the night before he died’. On Good Friday afternoon, the
Church commemorates the death of Jesus. It suspends the

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celebrations of the Eucharist until the Mass of the Easter Vigil, which is
celebrated sometime after dark on Holy Saturday evening.

This evening service consists of four parts, the;

a) Service of Light
b) Liturgy of the Word
c) Liturgy of Baptism
d) Liturgy of the Eucharist

It is during the Service of Light that the paschal (or Easter) candle is
prepared and blessed.

Easter

On Easter Sunday, the Church begins its Easter season. The Easter
event is the most important event celebrated in the Church year.
Christians celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon
of spring-time – that is, sometime between March 22nd and April 25th.
The celebration of Easter, however, is not only a celebration of past
event. It is a celebration of the presence of the risen Jesus in his

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Church and the anticipation of a risen life after earthly death for all
people.

The Easter season is a season of joy and a sign of hope. It lasts until
Pentecost (fifty days), and the themes of the Masses of Easter, the
Liturgy of the Word, and the prayers, responses, and hymns all deal
with the experiences of the apostles of the risen Jesus. (3.2)

The feast of Pentecost recalls and celebrates the coming of the Holy
Spirit to the apostles (Acts 2) and the beginning of the Christian era.
Pentecost is not simply the recalling and celebrating of a past event. It
celebrates a present reality; the presence of the Spirit in the world,
and the mission of the Church to cooperate with God in making real
the kingdom which Jesus came to establish. It is a sign of God’s action
in the affairs of the world through the activity of Christians who are
called to be Christ to the world.

Ordinary Time

The Church resumes its Ordinary Time celebrations after Pentecost

Sunday. The Church recalls how Jesus acted in his mission and reminds

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Catholics how they are to be Christ in the world. On the last Sunday of
this period of the Church year, the Church celebrates the solemnity of
Christ the King, fittingly closing the Church year with a special
celebration honouring Jesus as the Leader and Ruler who has brought
salvation to all people. What follows is Advent, and the whole Jesus
cycle begins again – a new liturgical year begins.

OTHER FEASTS AND SOLEMNITIES IN THE CHURCH CALENDAR

In addition to celebrating special feasts related to Jesus, the Church

also celebrates what is known as the sanctoral cycle. The sanctoral
cycle is made up of solemnities and feasts of saints celebrated on days
other than Sunday. The solemnities and feasts of the saints are
celebrated to recall the triumph of Christ in the lives of particular
persons whom the Church has canonized (or put on its official list of
saints). Because of the special expression of Jesus in their lives, the
saints are a sign to other Christians that they are called to holiness and
can attain that holiness by cooperating with God’s grace.

While it is true that all Christians are, in one sense, saints because of
the special grace that God has given them, the term saint is now more

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commonly given to those particular Christians who have been declared
by the Church through its official process of beatification and
canonization.

The Church canonizes people for the community. It calls attention to

the action of God in the life of these persons, and reminds all
Christians of their own call to holiness.

The variety of saints attests to that fact. The list of saints includes
people who were rich and poor, healthy and sick, bright and not-so-
bright, young, middle-aged, and old, men and women, people of
extraordinary energy and persons who led quiet, secluded lives. It
includes popes, bishops, priests, religious, laypeople, rulers and those
governed, free persons and slaves. It includes people from every walk
of life and every temperament, and people from various historical ages
and countries.

Even though the saints came from various backgrounds and from
various historical periods and countries, and even though their
holiness manifested itself in a variety of ways, they all had one thing in
common. They were very aware of the reality of God in their lives. It

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dominated their lives and impelled them to do what they did. They
were saints because they kept an intimate touch with God.

“Do not become upset or feel guilty because you interrupted

prayer to serve the poor. God is not neglected if you leave Him for
such service. One of God’s works is merely interrupted so that
another can be carried out.”
Saint Vincent de Paul

It is significant that the Church traditionally celebrates the triumph of

Christ in the saints, not on the day of their birth into the world, but on
the day of their ‘birth’ into eternity – usually the day the person died
(for example, the martyrs). The Church, however, does not celebrate
the death, the trials, or the achievements of the saints. It celebrates
the action of God in their lives.

“Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your
actions speak.”
Saint Anthony of Padua

Summary

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- The liturgical or Church calendar contains the names and dates of
the celebrations of the salvation events in the life of Jesus.
- The celebration of the saving events in a progressive manner makes
up what is known as the liturgical year.
- The liturgical year contains two cycles or series of celebrations
repeated each year; the Jesus cycle and the sanctoral cycle. The first
deals with the mystery of Christ and is the most important. The
second celebrates the action of God in the lives of the canonized
saints.
- By canonizing is saints and publicly celebrating their feasts, the
Church reminds Catholics that they are called to holiness and
eventual union with God.

Conclusion
- For Catholics who appreciate the meaning of the Church calendar,
the Church year can be a year of grace and a year of growth in
Christ.
- It can be a year of grace because God manifests himself and makes
Himself present in Christ in a special way in the liturgy to those who
are open to His manifestation. It can be a year of growth in Christ
because through active participation in the Christ cycle, a person

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 becomes more acquainted with Jesus and grows in knowledge of
him. He or she is also inevitably drawn closer to him, participates
with him in his actions, and shares the grace that Jesus offers to him
or her in the liturgical life of the Church.
- Although the Catholic Church is the body of Christ, it becomes the
visible body of Christ most surely in its liturgy. It is there that the
risen Jesus makes himself immediately available to those who
believe in him. This is the whole purpose and meaning of the
Catholic liturgy.

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The Liturgical Cycle in Summary

THE
FACT OF CHANGE

- As we grow we change. This is seen through our:

a. Moods
b. Likes and dislikes
c. Wants and needs

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- Growth is a complex process that makes us see things differently year
after year.
- Growth can be a. Physical
b. Intellectual
c. Emotional
d. Social
EXERCISE – 1 (MY CHANGING VIEWS)
- After each number write, “No change”, “Little Change”, “Some
Change” or “Great Change” pertaining to your views about: -
1. Going to school
2. Relationship with parent(s)
3. Kinds of movies you like
4. Kinds of electronic games you enjoy playing
5. Kinds of magazines you read
6. School subjects you like

CHANGE DURING ADOLESCENCE

- The dynamics of growth create changing feelings about persons and
things throughout life.
- These changes affect us differently during various stages of our
growth.
- Growth to maturity takes place in 4 stages namely;

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 1. Infant 2. Childhood 3. Adolescence 4.
Adulthood
- What is important is the kind of change taking place and the effect
these changes are having on you personally and on your relationships
with people with whom you come in contact.

EXERCISE – 2 (CHANGES IN MY THINKING)

1. i. How has your thinking changed about the following
ii. Why do you think it has changed?
(Write at least 5 lines or more for each of a – d.)
a. God
b. Prayer
c. Going to Church
d. Personal holiness
2. Are you happy with yourself in the ways you have changed from childhood stage through
your early adolescence? Explain.

MY CHANGING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

- The process of changing relationships is an indication of growth.

- One of the changes in me now is spiritual growth: this is how I relate
to God.
- Some of these changes include: - questions, doubts and/or unresolved
aspects about God, prayer life and participation in Church
celebrations.
- All human beings are made up of several selves;
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 a. Physical Self
b. Intellectual Self
c. Emotional Self
d. Social Self
e. Moral Self
f. Spiritual Self

- Like our relationship with persons and things, our spiritual life is
measured by the degree of our relationship with God.

MY CALL TO HOLINESS
- Holiness is the term we use to describe the degree of our relationship
with God.
- Holiness rightly understood means the expression of the degree of
our relationship with God.
- My call to holiness therefore is my summons by God to come close
to Him, and be associated with Him in worship and moral conduct.
- Saint Peter in his 1st letter says,

“… as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect

of your conduct, for it is written, “Be holy because I am holy” (1
Peter 1:15 – 16)

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- Holiness is expressed through: -

a. Practicing virtue and not committing sin

b. Commitment to social justice
c. Works of charity
d. Nature of personal prayer life
e. Participation in public, official acts of worship known as the
liturgy

- We were all created to be holy and that includes

……………………………….. (put your name here).
- Peter says,
“You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so
that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light.”

- We can be holy through

a) God’s grace
b) Sacraments
c) Acts of worship
d) Prayer and community action

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EXERCISE 3 – (HOLINESS) 10 marks

1. Think of 4 concrete ways that you can use to show holiness at St

George’s College. [4]
2. Explain how you can achieve holiness through each of the 4 ways
you mentioned. [4]
3. Identify 1 holy person you know and explain why you think s/he is
holy. [2]

God reveals himself in person

- John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only
Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might
have eternal life.”
- God revealed himself gradually and historically in the life experiences
of a particular people, the Jews.
- The Jews experienced God as;
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a) a saving God
b) vitally and intimately interested in their affairs
c) unique God
- Christians believe that God revealed himself in person in Jesus who, is
God expressing himself humanly.
- Belief in Jesus as the Son of God who became a man is the heart of
Christianity.

What Jesus reveals about our God and our relationship with him
- Jesus was the awaited Jewish Messiah.
- This is seen through his work and life but above all, through his
resurrection. (Luke 24:1 – 7)
- Two important features of the meaning of resurrection which affect
our own religious faith are: -

1. Jesus is alive now with a new life we call his risen life
2. Jesus’ resurrection gives us a clue to our final destiny

- Both meanings tell us something about our God.

- Properly understood, both can help us find a God we can believe in.
- Through the sacramental life of the Church and through his followers,
Jesus is made visible to the world.

Our final destiny

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- Faith is a free response to God’s revealing.
- In Jesus, therefore, people can be saved from sin and its effects and
from a non-divine existence for a full share in the divine life.
- Christ brought divine life to people so as to bring them to God forever.

Responses to the presence of God

- We respond to the presence of God in various ways.
- These are a) private prayer
b) public ceremonies
c) offering sacrifices (3.5)
d) contemplation
e) song etc
- Most people keep in touch with their God by a combination of
physical and mental responses.
- Catholics respond to God’s presence in their lives through
a) private prayer
b) public prayer
c) liturgy of the Catholic Church
- Christian prayers is a positive response to our awareness of the
presence of God.
- As Christians we should do all we can to develop our prayer life.

Jesus teaches people how to pray

- In Luke 11:2-4b, Jesus gives the example of what it means to pray.
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- This prayer is popularly known as the, “Our Father Prayer”.
- Jesus says that when we pray we should think of God as our Father not
as some harsh ruler or imposing Lord forcing his will on his subjects.
- Jesus also gives us guidelines of prayer in Matthew 6:5-8 (When we
pray we shouldn’t be like hypocrites)

NB: From the very beginning of Christianity, some Christian men and
women have been called by God to express their Christianity in the
specific way we now call Religious Life.
- Religious life reminds us that prayer and works of charity are
hallmarks of Christianity.

Religious Life
Homework – Choose one religious group of priests, brothers or nuns in
the Roman Catholic Church. Find out the following about them:

a) Name of congregation (for priests, brothers, sisters) [2]

b) Date when started, place where it was started [2]
c) Person who started it, where s/he was from [2]
d) Main works in the world [14]
Total 20 marks

Basis and forms of Christian prayer

- Matthew 6:5-6 says,
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“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up
and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that
everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in
full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to
your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.”

- The Basis for all Christian prayer is the Bible. (Psalm 63: 138-139)
-The Bible through the N.T. tells us about the early Christians’
awareness of God’s presence and of his saving actions.
- It also tells of two other important aspects that are uniquely Christian,
the

1) Understanding of God as Father

2) Role of Jesus in God’s saving actions

- As true Christians we should have moments of prayer daily.

- We pray so as to express our faith and deepen our relationship with
God.
- When we pray we should be real. – i.e. be honest and truthful

Exercise
1. Is your general prayer life alive and well, or is it weak and badly
surviving? Why? [3]
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 2. What makes prayer easy or difficult for you? [3]

KINDS OF PRAYER RESPONSES

- There are four general kinds of prayer responses to God:

a) Adoration A
b) Contrition/Sorrow C
c) Thanksgiving T
d) Supplication/Petition S

a) Adoration
- This is an act of worshipping God that responds to God’s awesome
majesty.
- It is the first and most natural response of a person to the very thought
of God.
- Adoration brings out a sense of wonder and reverence.
- An example of adoration response to God is the prayer: -

“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as
it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without
end.” AMEN

Activity 1: - Compose your own adoration prayer and write it down.

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b) Contrition
- These prayers are said in response to feelings of guilt or sinful actions.
- The penitential rite is an example of a contrition prayer.

Activity 2: - Draw and write a prayer of contrition.

c) Thanksgiving
- This kind of prayer responds to God’s gifts, care and love for us.
- It is a prayer of gratitude to God’s goodness.
- An example of a thanksgiving prayer is the traditional prayer after
meals: -

“We give you thanks O mighty God for all your benefits, who lives
and reigns forever and ever. AMEN
May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God
rest in peace.”

Activity 3: - Draw, explain and write a prayer of thanksgiving.

d) Supplication
- These are prayers that express a person’s dependence on God.
- They show a person’s humility in asking God for something.

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- They portray the need for God’s help and the confidence that God will
help.
- Supplication prayers express the awareness that God is interested and
involved in the affairs of our lives.
- Examples of supplication prayers include the bidding prayers we say
at Mass:

“We pray for all those who are in need of social care whether at
home or in care homes; we pray that appropriate help and
adequate funding may enable all those who need help and care to
receive it: we ask you now to hear our prayer.”

- We get clear teaching on prayer in the New Testament especially on

the supplication prayers.
- About this type of prayer Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-8;

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and
the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives;
the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will
be opened.”
- Saint Paul sums up New Testament teaching on supplication prayers
in his letter to the Philippians 4:4-6;
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious

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 about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

MENTAL PRAYER
- Mental prayer is also called meditation.
- It is prayer that takes place in the mind without the use of words
spoken aloud.
- It comes as a result of thinking about God or the things of God,
spiritual experiences or reflections on Scripture or liturgy.
- The thinking about God in mental prayer is itself prayer.
- Mental prayer helps us deepen our awareness of God, concept of
sacredness and religious nature of life.

SPECIAL FORMS OF PRAYER

- Among special forms of prayer are;
a) Aspiration prayers (Aspirations) - these are short prayers (E.g.)
i) Jesus, Mary, Joseph, be my Salvation.
ii) Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
iii) O God of love, give me love.
b) Charismatic prayers
- These prayers emphasize on having a personal relationship with Jesus
and expressing the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

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- This prayer is for all those Christians who feel that they have
personally experienced a special coming of the Holy Spirit into their
lives.
- Its special characteristics are joy and praise of God.
- One form of charismatic prayer is speaking in tongues.
- Speaking in tongues can be viewed as the use of words or syllables
that are unintelligible to listeners to express strong feelings of joy or
exuberance.

DEVOTIONAL PRAYERS
“He prays too little who only prays when he is on his knees. But he
never prays who, while on his knees is in his heart roaming the fields.”
St John Cassian

- These are prayers said because Catholics who want to particularize

prayer.
- They focus on a specific aspect of the mystery of God.
- They can also be about asking for help from a Saint or other
influential person.
- Devotions are a result of one’s understanding of a particular aspect of
the mystery of Christ.
- Devotions can be to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Spirit, Cross,
Risen Christ etc.

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- The need to seek an intermediary in prayer has given rise to the
devotions in honour of the Saints.
- Some of these saints include, St Ignatius of Loyola, St Francis of
Assisi, St Catherine of Siena, St Theresa of the Child Jesus,
_________________, _______________ .etc.
- Devotions to the Mother of Jesus are very important in the Catholic
Church and some of them include the rosary, May and October
devotions.
- Devotions take on various forms which include them being private or
public.
- However, devotions should always point to God and not blind people
from other forms of prayer or God.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONAL PRAYER

- For all the believers, prayer should be natural although this does not
mean that it becomes easy.
- Prayer should be looked at as going to God so that God can do with us
what he wills.
- Since prayer is natural, then it will vary according to the
circumstances surrounding the believer.
- It will change according to the place, time, mood, needs and
awareness of the God in ones’ life.
- Like other responses in life, prayer may be happy, sad, anxious or
calm.
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- It may be vocal, silent, deeply meditative or light-hearted and simple.
- Prayer can also be the recitation of something made up by others or
words worked out by oneself.
- Whatever the case, prayer should reflect you.
- Your words, ideas, feelings expressed in prayer should form your
prayer.
- True prayer involves attention where the mind is conscious on what is
being done and said.

Exercise 4 – Personal Prayer 14 marks

1. a) Name 3 devotions you are familiar with. [3]
b) What is the central aspect of each devotion you mentioned
above? [3]
2. Give a summary of what personal prayer is. [4]
3. Select 2 different people in 2 different kinds of jobs and suggest
how they can make their lives a constant prayer. [4]

THE LITURGY OF THE CHURCH

- People like to do things together because it is natural to do so.
- In the same manner people participate in the public worship of the
Church as a community.
- This prayer group should remain thoughtful and sincere.
- It can be long or short, official or unofficial.

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- The prayer said can be happy or sorrowful, thankful or petitionary,
adoring or begging.
- Liturgical prayer is the Catholic Church’s official response in Christ to
God’s saving presence in the world.
- The Liturgy has 4 particular characteristics; it is
a) Sacred
b) A celebration
c) A sign and reality
d) A response of the Church

4 PRINCIPAL PARTS OF LITURGY

a) The Liturgy is Sacred

- The liturgy is sacred because it is directed to, deals with, is related to
and brings people to an intimate association with God and the things of
God.
- It is sacred in its:
i) Actions
ii) Space
iii) Time
iv) Meaning

i) Sacredness of Liturgy through Action

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- The liturgy is sacred in its actions because what is done is done in a
manner befitting the holy, the mysterious, the sacred.
- The actions performed are done with a divine purpose.
- They are actions that have meaning associated with the Divine.
- They invite participants to be aware of and to participate in the
Divine mystery being dealt with.
- The actions in each liturgical prayer of the church call upon the
members of the community to experience the religious dimension of
their human existence in a special and particular way.
- So when people take part in listening to the readings during mass,
respond in prayer or bow their heads, they become aware through
these actions of the sacred nature of what is taking place.

ii) Space
- Liturgy affects a person’s consciousness of space.
- Space becomes meaningful when it is put to a particular use.
- When liturgy takes place in a place it transforms that space to sacred
space.
- The space becomes sacred space because sacred actions take place in
there.
- The space is then perceived differently because of what will be
happening.

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- Owing to this fact, people generally and instinctively become
reverential, subdued and respectful in any place where liturgical
actions take place.

iii) Time
- The liturgy also transforms time.
- Time is transformed by the nature of an action taking place.
- The time spent in liturgical experience is sacred time, because it is
time devoted to sacred or holy things.
- It is time spent honouring God.

iv) Meaning

- The liturgy is sacred in its meaning because it expresses in a sacred

way a group’s relationship with God.
- It is sacred in meaning because for the Church its official, liturgical
actions carry a sacred value.
- This value is holy, important and deeply significant.
- The liturgical actions have a meaning beyond and above what the
actions themselves express as physical actions.
- E.g. carrying a cross in a procession is much more than carrying two
crossed items.

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- It is a sign of the group’s relationship with the redeeming actions of
Jesus.
- Exchanging the handshake at Mass after the Lord’s Prayer is more
than simply shaking hands.
- It means union, friendship, solidarity and peace in the community.
- It means something sacred and holy because it is done at the
command of Jesus and his name.

b) The Liturgy is a Celebration

- A celebration is an occasion or series of actions given over to honour
or commemoration of an important event.
- It is usually joyful, happy and thank-filled.
- The liturgy is a celebration because each different liturgical action or
experience recalls, commemorates and re-enacts God’s saving action in
Christ.
- The Church responses joyfully and thankfully to what it believes God
has done for people in His becoming a human being in the person of
Jesus.
- The Church expresses joy, happiness and gratitude with words,
actions, ceremonies and prayers appropriate to the event being recalled
or re-enacted.
- For this reason the Liturgy is solemn.
- In its liturgy the Catholic Church Celebrates:

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 a) God’s creation of his people
b) God’s saving people from sin
c) God’s presence to people in and through Jesus
d) Jesus’ resurrection
e) God’s creativity in the world

c) The Liturgy is a Sign and Reality

- Life is influenced by signs and symbols.

- A sign is any means or gesture used to convey an idea. E.g. traffic
lights, arrows etc.
- A symbol is anything used to represent or stand for something else.
E.g. the letter x in algebra, a wedding ring, national flag.
- Religious groups make and use signs and symbols for sacred and holy
purposes.
- Some of these signs include the Jewish Star of David, Makkah for
Muslims, Ganges River for Hindus.
- Some of the Catholic signs and symbols include the following:
 Holy water
 Genuflection
 Bowed head
 Handshake during mass

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  Paschal candle
 Stations of the Cross

What does each one of the above stand for or signify as a sign or
symbol?

- The Liturgy is a visible expression of God’s saving acts in the Church.

- It expresses the reality of God’s saving actions in Christ.
- Religious symbols and rituals are expressions of the values and
attitudes held by believers.
- The Liturgy is also a sign to the world.
- It is visible evidence of the Church’s dedication to things religious.
- It is visible evidence of God’s acting in and through his Church for the
good of the world and of the individual Church member’s relationship
to God.

d) The Liturgy is a Response of the Church

- The liturgy as the action of the Church is Christ acting specifically

and particularly through his body as he acted through his physical
body during his visible, physical life on earth.
- As a response of the Church, the liturgy is three things:
a) It is the action of Christ and not simply the action of an individual.

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 b) It does not have to conform to the needs or meet the daily changes
of mood of an individual.
c) It must be celebrated with befitting reverence, taste, decorum and
dignity.
- Words and actions said and done should be holy and sacred and this
is reflected through the music, prayers, gestures, dress, responses and
movements.
- Because of this understanding, people attend liturgical services
seriously and with appropriate emotions.
- NB: Liturgy is the Church’s official acts of worship.

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Sacraments
Introduction

- God uses the liturgy for the following reasons: - As

a) a reminder of His presence in the Church.
b) a voice opposing sin in the world.
c) hope and encouragement that peace, moral goodness and holiness
can be achieved.
d) a way of bringing social justice – calling his people to care for the
poor, sick, underprivileged.
e) a proclamation platform of his word through teaching and
preaching.

Definition:
- A sacrament is a visible sign of the invisible presence of God.
- It can also be defined as a special action of Christ in his Church
which is a true sign of the sacred reality taking place in the
individual.
- This means that it is a sacred action of a sacred event or reality.
- The word sacrament comes from the Latin sacramentum which
means a pledge, a sign or a solemn oath.

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- Closely associated with sacraments are sacramentals which are other
holy actions and sacred realities other than sacraments. E.g. sign of
the cross, holy water, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, Saints medals.
- The Catholic Church recognises 7 sacraments namely:
1. Baptism
2. Confirmation
3. Eucharist
4. Reconciliation
5. Anointing of the Sick
6. Holy Orders
7. Holy Matrimony (Marriage)
- Each sacrament has its special purpose and grace.

The Sacraments and the process of sanctification

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- There are 7 sacraments because over the course of the centuries the
Church recognized that 7 sacramental actions were geared to the 7
basic spiritual needs of individuals as they moved through life.

Sacraments and Basic spiritual needs

Sacrament Spiritual Need

1 Baptism Life
2 Confirmation Growth
3 Eucharist Food
4 Reconciliation Forgiveness
5 Holy Orders Service
6 Matrimony Love and Life
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7 Anointing of the Sick Comfort in sickness
(3.5)

- Each sacrament has the following elements: -

a) matter - material used
b) form – words said
c) rituals – actions performed
d) symbolic meaning

Matter and Form of Sacraments

Sacrament Matter Form

Baptism Water “I baptize you…”
Confirmation Blessed oil “… receive the seal of
the Holy Spirit…”
Eucharist Bread and wine “This is my body…”
Confessed sins Words of forgiveness
Reconciliation
Anointing of the Sick Blessed oil “Through this holy
anointing…”
Holy Orders Bishop placing hands Consecratory prayer
on head of recipient
Holy Matrimony The exchange of The presence of two
marriage vows witnesses and also of
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 the competent
minister of the
Church.

- Some sacraments are received once while some are received often.
- Baptism, confirmation and Holy Orders are received only once.
- Eucharist, reconciliation, anointing of the sick and matrimony are
received whenever the effect they cause is possible and is needed.

Baptism

- This is the sacrament through which a person becomes a Christian.

- It is often called "The door of the Church," because it is the first of the
seven sacraments not only in time but in priority.
- The reception of the other sacraments depends on it.
- It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation.
- Once baptized, a person becomes a member of the Church.
- Traditionally, the rite (or ceremony) of baptism was held outside the
doors of the main part of the church, to signify this fact.

The Necessity of Baptism

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- Christ Himself ordered His disciples to preach the Gospel to all
nations and to baptize those who accept the message of the Gospel.
- In His encounter with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), Christ made it clear
that baptism was necessary for salvation: "Amen, amen I say to thee,
unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God."
- For Catholics, the sacrament is not a mere formality; it is the very
mark of a Christian, because it brings us into new life in Christ.

Baptism of Desire
- There are two other types of baptism besides the baptism of water
namely baptism of desire and baptism of blood.
- The baptism of desire applies both to those who,

a) while wishing to be baptized, die before receiving the sacrament

b) through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or
His Church. (but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart,
and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do His will as they
know it through the dictates of conscience
(Constitution on the Church, Second Vatican Council)

Baptism of Blood
- It refers to the martyrdom of those believers who were killed for the
faith before they had a chance to be baptized.
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- This was a common occurrence in the early centuries of the Church,
but also in later times in missionary lands.
- The baptism of blood has the same effects as the baptism of water.

The Form of the Sacrament of Baptism

- While the Church has an extended rite of Baptism which is normally
celebrated, which includes roles for both parents and godparents, the
essentials of that rite are two:

a) the pouring of water over the head of the person to be baptized (or
the immersion of the person in water)
b) the words "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit."

The Minister of the Sacrament of Baptism

- Since the form of baptism requires just the water and the words, the
sacrament, like the Sacrament of Marriage, does not require a priest;
any baptized person can baptize another.
- In fact, when the life of a person is in danger, even a non-baptized
person—including someone who does not himself believe in Christ—
can baptize, provided that the person performing the baptism follows
the form of baptism and intends, by the baptism, to do what the
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 Church does—in other words, to bring the person being baptized into
the fullness of the Church.
- In both cases, a priest may later perform a conditional baptism.

Infant Baptism
- In the Catholic Church today, baptism is most commonly
administered to infants.
- While some other Christians strenuously object to infant baptism,
believing that baptism requires assent on the part of the person being
baptized, the Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, and other
mainline Protestants also practice infant baptism, and there is
evidence that it was practiced from the earliest days of the Church.
- Since baptism removes both the guilt and the punishment due to
Original Sin, delaying baptism until a child can understand the
sacrament may put the child's salvation in danger, should he die
unbaptized.

Adult Baptism
- Adult converts to Catholicism also receive the sacrament, unless they
have already received a Christian baptism. (If there is any doubt
about whether an adult has already been baptized, the priest will
perform a conditional baptism.) (3.2)

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- A person can only be baptized once as a Christian—if, say, he was
baptized as a Lutheran, he cannot be re-baptized when he converts to
Catholicism.
- While an adult can be baptized after proper instruction in the Faith,
adult baptism normally occurs today as part of the Rite of Christian
Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and is immediately followed by
Confirmation and Communion.

The Effects of the Sacrament of Baptism

- Baptism has six primary effects, which are all supernatural graces:
1. The removal of the guilt of both Original Sin (the sin imparted to all
mankind by the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden) and
personal sin (the sins that we have committed ourselves).
2. The remission of all punishment that we owe because of sin, both
temporal (in this world and in Purgatory) and eternal (the
punishment that we would suffer in hell).
3. The infusion of grace in the form of sanctifying grace (the life of
God within us); the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; and the three
theological virtues.
4. Becoming a part of Christ.
5. Becoming a part of the Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ
on earth.

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6. Enabling participation in the sacraments, the priesthood of all
believers, and the growth in grace.

THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

- Confirmation is the fulfilment of Christ’s promise to send the Holy

Spirit on all his followers to enable them to be his witnesses to the
“ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

- In the synagogue, as he began his own public ministry, Jesus unrolled

the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and told the crowds: “The spirit of the
Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me, …” (Luke 4:18)
- The word “witness” means one who testifies to the truth at the expense
of his life.
- In confirmation the Christian is “anointed” with the power of the Holy
Spirit to profess his faith within the Church and to testify to the truth
and to those outside it.
- At baptism, we are made members of Christ’s body.

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- But at confirmation we are given the power of God to bear fruit in our
Christian life: to speak before the world boldly, and so draw others into
the Church.
- It draws us deeper into the life of the Church, the Love of God, which
is the Holy Spirit.
- Because of the close connection between baptism and confirmation
the early Christians normally conferred them together in one rite.
- In the New Testament, nonetheless, the foundation for the clear
distinction between is evident.
- For example, Philip the Deacon sent for the apostles Peter and John to
“come and lay hands” on some men and women whom he had baptised.
(Acts 8:14-17)

How is Confirmation celebrated?

a) In confirmation the matter of the sacrament is the imposition of
hands followed by the anointing in the form of a cross with chrism
on the forehead.
b) The chrism must have been consecrated by the bishop.
c) Chrism is olive oil mixed with balsam: the oil is a symbol of
strength: the perfume is a symbol of the “fragrance of Christ”
which the Christian must spread.
d) The form of the sacrament is the words “N, be sealed with the Gift
of the Holy Spirit.”

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 e) It is normally the bishop the leader of the community, who
administers the sacrament (although a priest may do so under
certain circumstances) symbolizing that confirmation is a
“confirming” of the Christian’s initiation into the community.
f) In confirmation, the sponsor places his hand on the candidate’s
shoulder as a sign that he is presenting the candidate for
confirmation on behalf of the whole Christian community.
g) He undertakes to encourage the confirmed Christian to fulfil his
promise to be Christ’s witness.

Sacrament of Confession

- Confession is one of the least understood of the sacraments of the

Catholic Church.
- In reconciling us to God, it is a great source of grace.
- The Sacrament of Penance is also known as the Sacrament of
Confession.
- "Confession" stresses the action of the believer in the sacrament
whereas "Penance" expresses the proper attitude with which one should
approach the sacrament, with
a) Sorrow for one's sins,
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 b) A desire to atone for them
c) A firm resolve not to commit them again.
- It was instituted by Christ on Easter Sunday, when Christ first
appeared to the apostles after his Resurrection.
- Breathing on them, he said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose
sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they
are retained” (John 20:22-23).

The Marks of the Sacrament

- The outward sign of Reconciliation is the absolution, or forgiveness of
sins, that the priest grants to the penitent (the person confessing his
sins).
- The inward grace is the reconciliation of the penitent to God.

The Purpose of Confession

- Reconciling of man to God is the purpose of Confession.
- When we sin, we deprive ourselves of God’s grace.
- And by doing so, we make it even easier to sin some more.
- The only way out of this downward cycle is to acknowledge our sins,
to repent of them, and to ask God’s forgiveness.
- Then, in the Sacrament of Confession, grace can be restored to our
souls, and we can once again resist sin.

Why Is Confession Necessary?

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- Non-Catholics, and even many Catholics, often ask whether they can
confess their sins directly to God, and whether God can forgive them
without going through a priest.
- On the most basic level, of course, the answer is yes, and we should
make frequent acts of contrition, which are prayers in which we tell
God that we are sorry for our sins and ask for His forgiveness.

The Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest
all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven, and the pains of Hell;
but most of all because I love Thee, my God, Who art all good and
deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to
confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

- But the question misses the point of the Sacrament of Confession.

- The sacrament, by its very nature, confers graces that help us to live a
Christian life, which is why the Church requires us to receive it at least
once per year.
- Moreover, it was instituted by Christ as the proper form for the
forgiveness of our sins.
- Therefore, we should not only be willing to receive the sacrament, but
should embrace it as a gift from a loving God.

What Is Required?
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- Three things are required of a penitent in order to receive the
sacrament worthily:
1. He must be contrite— sorry for his sins.
2. He must confess those sins fully, in kind and in number.
3. He must be willing to do penance and make amends for his sins.

How Often Should You Go to Confession?

- While Catholics are only required to go to Confession when they are
aware that they have committed a mortal sin, the Church urges the
faithful to take advantage of the sacrament often.
- A good rule of thumb is to go once per month. (The Church strongly
recommends that, in preparation for fulfilling our Easter Duty to receive
Communion, we go to Confession even if we are aware of venial sin
only.)
- The Church especially urges the faithful to receive the Sacrament of
Confession frequently during Lent, to help them in their spiritual
preparation for Easter.

Mortal Sin
- Also known as a serious sin.
- A mortal sin is the knowing and willful violation of God's law in a
serious matter.
- Examples include idolatry, adultery, murder, slander.

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- These are all things gravely contrary to the love we owe God and,
because of Him, our neighbor.

Venial Sin
- This is a lesser sin that does not result in a complete separation from
God and eternal damnation in Hell.
- A venial sin involves a "partial loss of grace" from God.
- Examples include, stealing pens, lying etc.

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The Sacrament of Eucharist

- The Eucharistic Liturgy or The Lord’s Supper is a memorial and re-

enactment of the Passover meal Jesus celebrated with his apostles just
before he died.
- It is called the Eucharistic Liturgy because of the solemn prayers of
thanksgiving which became a part of the liturgical action of the Lord’s
Supper. (3.5)
- It is called The Mass in English because a popular Latin term for the
service surrounding the Lord’s Supper was missarum solemnia.
- This was shortened to missa, and became masse in Medieval English.

The Structure of Mass

- The Mass is one sacramental action with two main parts

a) Liturgy of the Word – the central action is the reading of Scripture.

b) Liturgy of the Eucharist – the central action is the receiving of the
body and blood of Christ made present by the words of
consecration.

Part 1 – Liturgy of the Word

A.Introductory rites
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 1. Processional Psalm/Hymn
2. Call to Assemble; Greeting
3. Call to Penance; Penitential Rite
4. Kyrie (Lord have mercy)
5. Hymn of Praise (Gloria to God) Gloria
6. Opening Prayer

B.Proclamation of the Word

1. First reading
2. Responsorial Psalm/Hymn
3. Second Reading
4. Alleluia Verse before Gospel
5. Proclamation of the Gospel
6. Homily
7. Profession of Faith (The Creed) Credo
8. General Intercessions (Prayer of the Faithful)

Part 2 – Liturgy of the Eucharist

A.Preparation of the Altar and the Gifts (Chalice, Ciborium, patern

plate etc)
1. Collection of the Gifts and Preparation of the Altar
2. Procession with the Gifts
3. Prayer over the Gifts
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 B.Eucharistic Prayer
1. Preface and Acclamation (Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord)
2. The Eucharistic Prayer
a. Recalling of God’s great acts with praise and thanksgiving
b. Recalling of the Last Supper (the consecration of the bread
and wine)
c. Memorial Acclamation (Christ has died, etc)
d. Offering of the sacrifice
e. The great Amen (affirming the Sacrifice)
C.Communion Rite
1. The Lord’s Prayer
2. The Sign of Peace
3. Breaking of the Bread
4. Reception of the Eucharist (Holy Communion)
5. Communion Psalm or Hymn and Reflection
D.Concluding Rites
1. Closing Prayer
2. Blessing
3. Dismissal
4. Recessional Hymn

The presence of Jesus in the Liturgy of the Eucharist

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- Jesus said, “… whenever two of you on earth agree about anything
you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For
where two or three come together in my name, I am there with
them.” (Matthew 18:19 – 20).
- He was speaking of his followers praying as a community.
- This means that if people assemble in Jesus’ name (as a religious
group) and pray officially as a religious group (liturgical prayer) he
will be there in a special way.
- Jesus is present in the Eucharistic liturgy in 6 specific ways: -

1. He is present with the people assembled for worship.

2. He is present with the people when they pray together as a
Church group
3. He is present in the words and actions of the various liturgical
ministers (e.g. priest, ministers of Holy Communion, lector,
commentator, music minister, servers, ushers)
4. He is present in the reading of the Scripture. His message
lives among his people.
5. He is present in the actions of love and unity expressed in the
liturgy.
6. He is present in a special and unique way at and after the
consecration and through the reception of Holy Communion,
and in the sacred hosts that remain after Mass.

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- Jesus is sacramentally present to believers under the appearances of
bread and wine after the words of consecration are spoken by the
priest during Mass.
- In Communion, believers receive the body and blood of Christ.
- Each Mass is a: -
a) memorial, a re-enactment, and a continued expression of the
sacrifice Jesus offered to his Father for people.
b) sign of the present reality of the unity in Christ that exists
among Catholic Christians.
c) Celebration of the saving actions of God in Christ.

- The ordinary minister of the sacrament of Eucharist is an ordained

priest. However, non-priests called ministers of Holy Communion
can also be chosen to help with the distribution of the Eucharist.
- “For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you
shall show the death of the Lord, until he come” (1 Cor. 11:26).
- The Eucharistic meal can only be prepared in the sacrifice of the
Mass.

Vestments of a Priest

1. THE ALB – It is a long, white linen liturgical vestment with tapered

sleeves. It is a garment (or robe) that is worn by the priest during the

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Holy Mass. It symbolizes the innocence and purity that should adorn
the soul of the priest who ascends the altar. While it is white in the
Western Church, it can be of any colour in the Eastern Church.

2. THE AMICE - It is a liturgical vestment consisting of an oblong

piece of white linen that is worn around the neck and shoulders and
partly under the alb. It has strings of twill tape. Originally, the purpose
of the amice was as a neck cloth to protect the valuable chasuble and
stole. Until 1972, the amice was an obligatory vestment. Now it is
optional, provided that the alb worn by the priest does cover all of his
clothes underneath. If his clothes are not all covered, an amice must still
be used. The amice is associated with the "helm of salvation." While
putting it on, the priest would say, "Lord, give me strength to conquer
the temptations of the devil."

3. THE CASSOCK – It is also known as a soutane. It comes in a

number of styles or cuts, though no particular symbolism attaches to
these. It usually has 33 buttons (symbolic of the years of the life of
Jesus) down the front. There are two types of cassock: the ordinary
cassock and the choir cassock. The ordinary cassock is the black
cassock worn by most clerics. Choir dress cassocks for bishops are
purple.

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4. THE CHASUBLE - This is the vestment that is put on over all the
others during Liturgical services. Originally this was a very full
garment, shaped like a bell and reaching almost to the feet all the way
round. During a bad artistic period, the 18th and 19th century
especially, the Chasuble suffered much from a process of shortening a
stiffening. Today there is a return to the historical and beautiful, ample,
nicely draping Chasubles. The Chasuble symbolizes the virtue of
charity, and the yoke of unselfish service for the Lord, which the priest
assumes at ordination.

5. THE CINCTURE - It is the cord used as a belt to gird the Alb. It

symbolizes the virtues of chastity and continence (meaning "the
exercise of self-constraint in sexual matters") required of the priest. It
comes in many colours.

6. THE STOLE - Roman magistrates wore a long scarf when engaged

in their official duties, just as our judges wear a court gown. Whenever
a priest celebrates Mass or administers the Sacraments, he wears the
stole as a sign that he is occupied with an official priestly duty. When
placing the stole about his neck, in vesting for Mass, the priest begs
God to give him on the last day the 'garment of immortality' that was
forfeited by our sinful first parents.

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7. THE SURPLICE - The surplice, like the rochet, is a knee-length,
white vestment worn over the choir cassock, but by priests, deacons,
and seminarians rather than bishops. It is typically simple in design, but
can be very fancy. It is distinct from the rochet not in the level of
decoration, but in the sleeve: the sleeve of a rochet, like an alb, fits flush
against the choir cassock; the sleeve of a surplice is fuller, and often
bell-shaped.

Exercise – Eucharist

1. The ordinary minister of the sacrament of Eucharist is the

______________.
2. Through the Eucharist we receive ______________ and
_______________.
3. The two major parts of Mass are ____________ and
_________________.
4. ____________ comes immediately after the proclamation of the
Gospel.
5. What is the significance of the Sacrament of Eucharist in the lives of
Christians?

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Anointing of the Sick
- Before 1972 this sacrament was better known as "Unction of the Sick"
or "Extreme Unction".
- It is one of the healing sacraments that brings spiritual and even
physical strength during an illness.
- Like all the other sacraments, anointing of the sick was instituted by
Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry.
- The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1511) explains, "This
sacred anointing of the sick was instituted by Christ our Lord as a true
and proper sacrament of the New Testament. It is alluded to indeed by
Mark, but is recommended to the faithful and promoted by James the
apostle and brother of the Lord"
-The following bible verses are about anointing of the sick.

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“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over
unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every
affliction.” (Matthew 10:1)

“And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were
sick and healed them.” (Mark 6:13)

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to
pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And
the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will
raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”
(James. 5:14-15).

Effects of the sacrament

- The sacrament unites the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his
own good and that of the whole Church.
- It strengthens, gives peace and courage to endure in a Christian
manner the sufferings of illness or old age.
- It also forgives sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through
the sacrament of penance.
- It restores health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul; the
preparation for passing over to eternal life.

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- The anointing of the sick conveys several graces and imparts gifts of
strengthening in the Holy Spirit against anxiety, discouragement,
temptation in the face of death, and conveys peace and fortitude.
- Holy anointing can be received by any baptized Catholic who has
reached the age of reason and is in danger of death from sickness or old
age. This means that there is a possibility of receiving the sacrament
more than once.

Exercise
1. A homily is a ________________ and a sermon is a
___________________. (2)
2. The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick was called Extreme
Unction before 1972 because __________________________.

(1)
3. The other name of the Sacrament of Penance is ________.
(1)
4. A true follower of Christ should be prepared to suffer. Is there any
justifiable reason why we should attempt to escape this suffering
by praying for a healing in the face of illness? Support your
answer.
(6)

Does God always heal?

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- Today some Christians go to extremes in their expectation of divine
healing.
- On one hand, some say that if a Christian is not healed of all his
diseases, this reflects his lack of faith.
- Others claim that divine healings were only for the apostolic age,
when all diseases were healed instantly and automatically. (eg. Healings
of the man with evil spirits (Luke 4:31-37), Paralytic (Luke 5:17-26),
Ten lepers (Luke 17:11-17)).
- Both extremes are wrong because God does not always heal the
physical infirmities that afflict us.
- Jesus didn’t heal all the sick people during his time, whether they
deserved or not.
- Our healing, like all things, is subject to God’s will.
- Paul preached to the Galatians while he was afflicted by a "bodily
ailment" (Gal. 4:13– 14).
- He also mentions that he had to leave his companion Trophimus in the
town of Miletus because he was too sick to travel (2 Tim. 4:20).
- In his first letter to Timothy, Paul urges his young protégé to "no
longer drink only water, but to use a little wine for the sake of your
stomach and your frequent ailments" (1 Tim. 5:23).
- In this passage notice that Paul does not tell Timothy to pray harder
and have more faith that God will heal him from his stomach ailment.

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Rather, he tells him how to manage the illness through medicinal
means.

Why doesn’t God always heal?

- Some interesting questions we can ask ourselves are:

If God can heal us, why doesn’t he?
Why isn’t it always his will to do so?
- Among the many answers that there can be one of them is found in the
spiritual discipline and training that can result from facing illness and
adversity.
- Scripture asks,

"Have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons?

— ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor
lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord
disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he
receives”.
(Prov. 3:11–12).

- It is for discipline that a sick person has to endure.

- God treats us as sons (daughters); and for this reason disciplines us
with love.
- Another quote from the Bible is:-
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 "If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated,
then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we
have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them.
Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and
live? For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but
he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For
the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later
it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been
trained by it" (Heb.
12:5–11).

- Sometimes God allows us to undergo sickness as a form of discipline

and training in righteousness.
- He often permits these trials for our sanctification, as Paul himself
learned when he prayed that God would remove from him an angel of
Satan who was afflicting him:

"And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of

revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of
Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times
I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said
to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness.’ I will all the more gladly boast of my
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 weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2
Cor. 12:7–9).

- Even though we must face a certain amount of suffering and affliction

in this life, we know God’s grace is sufficient to sustain us.
- All of God’s graces, including physical health, are bestowed to lead to
the salvation of our souls.
- God also uses our suffering to help others.
- If Paul had not become ill while on his first missionary journey and
been forced to stop travelling, he would not have preached to the
Galatians, for he tells them,

"You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the

gospel to you at first"
(Gal. 4:13).

- If he had not preached to the Galatians, he would not have later

written them the epistle that appears in our New Testament.
- God used Paul’s illness to bring salvation to the Galatians and to bring
us a work of Scripture, through which we are still receiving benefits
from God.
- This is just one example of how God used suffering to bring about
good.

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- Therefore, if we suffer, we should look upon it as an opportunity for
good, such as by offering up our sufferings for our own sanctification
and for our departed brothers and sisters in Christ.
- This applies also to the physical suffering of death, which will come
for each of us one day.
- The Bible reminds us,

"As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of
the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place
knows it no more" (Ps. 103:15–16).

The Minister of the Sacrament:

- Only priests (including bishops) can administer the Sacrament of the

Anointing of the Sick.
- This is so because when the sacrament was instituted during Christ's
sending out of His disciples, it was confined to the men who would
become the original bishops of the Church.
- The priest anoints the sick person on the forehead and hands with
olive oil and says these or similar words,

“Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy
help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees
you from sin save you and raise you up.”
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The Sacrament of Matrimony

“Matrimony is a sacrament and as such it is a sign to the world of the

invisible God living in our midst - the living God who bears fruit in the
lives of two people”.

Why do people get married?

Positive reasons Negative Reasons

- Love and security - pregnancy

- Companionship and support - wealth
- Giving birth to and raising - please others (e.g. parents)
children
- Earning more money - social security
- Better sexual life -
- Social acceptance -
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Introduction

- Marriage is a practice common to all cultures in all ages.

- It is, therefore, a natural institution, something common to all
mankind.
- It is primarily a union between a man and a woman for the purpose of
love, procreation and mutual support.
- Each spouse in a marriage gives up some rights over his or her life in
exchange for rights over the life of the other spouse.
- There are four elements common to marriage throughout history:

1. It is a union of opposite sexes.

2. It is a lifelong union, ending only with the death of one spouse.
3. It excludes a union with any other person so long as the marriage
exists.
4. Its lifelong nature and exclusiveness are guaranteed by contract.

- Divorce, adultery, lack of commitment and "homosexual marriage"

are not compatible with marriage.
- Jesus forbade divorce and stated that in the state of marriage "the two
become one flesh". (Mark 10:8)  

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- Genesis 2:24 says, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
- In the Catholic Church, however, marriage is more than a natural
institution; it was elevated by Christ Himself, in His participation in the
wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11), to be one of the seven sacraments.
- A marriage between two Christians, therefore, has a supernatural
element as well as a natural one.
- When the Church teaches that marriage between a man and woman is
a sacrament, it is saying that the couple’s relationship expresses in a
unique way the unbreakable bond of love between Christ and his
people. The two are a continual sign of God’s Power in the world.

Exercise – Marriage (15 marks)

1. Why is marriage such an important institution? (2)
2. Give any two reasons why people get married. Explain each reason. (4)
3. What are some of the reasons for divorce in our society today? Give any three
and fully support them. (6)
4. Suggest any three possible ways to reduce divorce. Explain each fully. (3)

The Ministers of the Sacrament

- The ministers of the sacrament are two baptized spouses themselves.
- They are the ministers because the mark (the external sign) of the
sacrament is not the wedding Mass or anything the priest might do but
the marriage contract itself.
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- The spouses, as ministers of grace, naturally confer upon each other
the sacrament of matrimony, expressing their consent before the church.
- Under normal circumstances, the law of the Church (canon law)
requires the attendance of a priest or deacon and at least two witnesses
for validity of the sacrament.

The Union of Christ and His Church

- The effect of the sacrament is an increase in sanctifying grace for the
spouses, a participation in the divine life of God Himself.
- This sanctifying grace helps each spouse to help the other advance in
holiness, and it helps them together to cooperate in God's plan of
redemption by raising up children in the Faith.
- In this way, sacramental marriage is more than a union of a man and a
woman; it is, in fact, a type and symbol of the divine union between
Christ, the Bridegroom, and His Church, the Bride. - Married
Christians, open to the creation of new life and committed to mutual
salvation, participate not only in God's creative act but in the
redemptive act of Christ.
- Differences of temperament may make for incompatibility in a divorce
court, but before God those differences are tools that shape and reshape
the spouses’ souls into the image of God.
- "It is not good that the man is alone," said God as Adam slept in Eden.
"I will make him a helper like himself."

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- It is therefore, God's design that man and woman should complement
each other, draw strength from each other and contribute to one
another's spiritual growth.

Conditions for valid marriage

Any unmarried member of the Church is free to marry under the
following conditions:

(1) The spouses should be free to marry. None of them should act out of
fear or coercion.
(2) Spouses should freely exchange their consent.
(3) In consenting to marry, they should have
the intention to marry for life,
to be faithful to one another and
be open to children
(4) The spouses’ consent is given in the presence of two witnesses and
before a properly authorized Church minister. (Exceptions to
requirement No.4 must be approved by church authority.
- The Church provides classes several months before marriage to help
the participants inform their consent.
- During or before this time, the would-be spouses are confirmed, if
they have not previously received confirmation (Canon 1065).

Impediments to marriage
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- A Catholic marriage cannot be formed if one or more of the following
impediments are given. (However, some of these a dispensation can be
given)
1. Affinity (relationship by marriage, e.g. a brother-in-law) in the
direct line
2. Holy Orders
3. Perpetual vows of chastity in a religious institute
4. Disparity of cult (one party not being baptised a Catholic, or at
least into one of the Christian denominations)
5. Crimen (one party previously conspiring to marry (upon condition
of death of spouse) while still married)
6. Underage
7. Abduction

"What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder"
(Matthew 19:6).

Sacrament of Holy Orders

- Holy Orders is the continuation of Christ's priesthood, which He
bestowed upon His Apostles.
-It is also known as the sacrament of apostolic ministry.
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- The word "Ordination" comes from the Latin word ordinatio.
- Ordination means to incorporate someone into an order.
- In the one Sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is incorporated into the
priesthood of Christ, at one of three levels:

a) episcopate
b) priesthood
c) diaconate.

a) The Ordination of Bishops

- The first of the three levels of ordination is episcopate/office of
bishops.
- Christ bestowed it upon His Apostles.
-A bishop is a man who is ordained to the episcopate by another
bishop(s).
-He stands in a direct, unbroken line from the Apostles, a condition
known as "apostolic succession."
- Ordination as a bishop

a) Confers the grace to sanctify others

b) Gives the authority to teach the faithful
c) Allows for the binding of consciences.

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- Because of the grave nature of this responsibility, all episcopal
ordinations must be approved by the Pope.

b) The Ordination of Priests

- The second level of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is the priesthood.
- No bishop can minister to all of the faithful in his diocese, so priests
act as "co-workers of the bishops."
- They exercise their powers lawfully only in communion with their
bishop, and so they promise obedience to their bishop at the time of
their ordination.
- The chief duties of priesthood are the preaching of the Gospel and the
offering of the Eucharist.

The Priesthood of Christ

- Priesthood was established by God among the Israelites during their
exodus from Egypt.
- God chose the tribe of Levi as priests for the nation.
- Their primary duties were the offering of sacrifice and prayer for the
people.
- Christ, in offering Himself up for the sins of all mankind, fulfilled the
duties of the Old Testament priesthood once and for all.
- The New Testament priesthood is a sharing in the eternal priesthood
of Christ.

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- While all believers are, in some sense, priests, some are set aside to
serve the Church as Christ Himself did.

c) The Ordination of Deacons

- The third level of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is the diaconate.
- Deacons assist priests and bishops, but beyond the preaching of the
Gospel, they are granted no special charism or spiritual gift.
- In the Eastern Churches, both Catholic and Orthodox, the permanent
diaconate has been a constant feature.
- In the West, the office of deacon was reserved to men who intended to
be ordained to the priesthood.
- The permanent diaconate was restored in the West by the Second
Vatican Council.
- Married men are allowed to become permanent deacons.

Eligibility for the Sacrament

- The Sacrament of Holy Orders can be validly conferred only on
baptized men, following the example set by Christ and His apostles,
who chose only men as their successors and collaborators.
- A man cannot demand ordination; the Church has the authority to
determine eligibility for the sacrament.
- While the episcopate is reserved to unmarried men, the discipline
regarding the priesthood varies in East and West.

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- The Eastern Churches allow married men to be ordained priests, while
the Western Church insists on celibacy.
- Once a man has received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, however, he
cannot marry.

The Form of the Sacrament

- The essential rite of the sacrament of Holy Orders for all three degrees
consists in the bishop's imposition of hands on the head of the ordinand
and in the bishop's specific consecratory prayer asking God for the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit and his gifts proper to the ministry to
which the candidate is being ordained.
- Other elements of the sacrament, such as holding it in the cathedral
(the bishop's own church); holding it during Mass; and celebrating it on
a Sunday are traditional but not essential.

The Minister of the Sacrament

- Because of his role as a successor to the Apostles, who were
themselves successors to Christ, the bishop is the proper minister of the
sacrament.
- The grace of sanctifying others that he receives at his own ordination
allows him to ordain others.

The Effects of the Sacrament

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-The Sacrament of Holy Orders, like the Sacrament of Baptism and the
Sacrament of Confirmation, can only be received once for each level of
ordination.
- Once a man has been ordained, he is spiritually changed, which is the
origin of the saying, "Once a priest, always a priest."
- He can be dispensed of his obligations as a priest (or even forbidden to
act as a priest); but he remains a priest forever.
- Each level of ordination confers special graces, from the ability to
preach, granted to deacons; to the ability to act in the person of Christ to
offer the Mass, granted to priests; to a special grace of strength, granted
to bishops, which allows him to teach and lead his flock, even to the
point of dying as Christ did.

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