Pagadian Diocesan Schools

SACRED HEART DIOCESAN SCHOOL, INC.

“Where peacemaking is life-giving”
Camagong Street, Molave, Zamboanga del Sur
SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE IN CHRISTIAN LIVING 9

Code #: Grade & Section:

Name: Name of Teacher:
Student’s Contact #: Teacher’s Contact #:

QTR. 4 - MODULE 3
MEANING OF THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL

Module Overview:
In this module it serves as the point of departure for the students focused on the Sacraments. They will deal at
length with the Church and the Sacraments as well as the relationship to our human experiences. The seven
sacraments as we all know are the channels through which the Church dispenses the graces to nourish the faith life
of her members (cf. Lk 5:17; 6:19; 8:46 cited in CCC 1116). It emphasize that CFC 1517 makes precision in using
terms, i.e. calling the Church as the Fundamental Sacrament of Christ, who Himself is the Primordial Sacrament.
Then, the classically termed seven sacraments is the Ritual Sacraments.
Learning Competencies: At the end of this module, you can:
1. Understand that the Sacraments are power that come forth from the body of Christ.
2. Identify the purpose of the Holy Spirit at work in His body which is the Church.
3. Discuss the deeper meaning of the Church and its seven Sacraments.
Instructional Materials: Our Journey
Values: Faith
Pre - Assessment
Directions: Identify the questions below and write your answer on the space provided.
_______________1. What particular section number in CCC that tells us the Sacrament are efficacious signs of
God’s grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispense
to us.
_______________2. It means that the Sacrament performed by the minister or a priest effect on us.
_______________3. It is a symbolic acts or signs, arising from the ministry of Christ.
_______________4. It allow us to respond to God’s call to be His children.
_______________5. A Saint who summed up the various aspects of the Sacramental Sign.
INTRODUCTION
Directions: Study the image below and answer the following guide questions below.
1. What is your interpretation in the pictures?

2. How the pictures relate in your personal life?

…………….

INTERACTION
Concept Notes
Exposition
The Catechism of the Catholic Church #1131 tells us that the Sacraments are efficacious signs of God’s grace,
instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. Efficacious signs mean that
the sacrament that is performed by the minister or a priest, effects in us the invisible reality that it signifies. Take for
example the visible sign of water during Baptism. Water indicates cleansing. Hence, when water is poured on a
person during the sacrament of baptism, he or she experiences the cleansing of the flesh. As an efficacious sign,
baptism cleanses the person’s sin by the invisible reality of Christ sanctifying grace.
Sacraments are “saving symbolic acts or signs, arising from the ministry of Christ and continued in, by and for
the Church, which, when received in faith, fashion us into likeness to Christ in his Paschal Mystery, through the
power of the Holy Spirit” (CFC 1576). In addition, Sacraments are “powers that come forth” from the Body of
Christ which is ever-living and life-giving. They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in his Body the Church. (cf.
Lk 5,17;6,19;8,46 cited in CCC 1116)
Through the sacraments, we receive God’s “grace” which is a free and undeserved gift from God through Jesus
Christ. Grace allows us to respond to God’s call to be his children. In living our lives according to the will of God,
we can become partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.

NATURE OF THE SACRAMENTS

All the Sacraments are related to Christ. It is Jesus Christ who instituted the sacraments (cf CCC, 1114) and it is
from the mysteries of His life that the power of the sacraments originates. The sacraments are “powers that come
forth” from the Body of Christ and actions of the Holy Spirit in the Church (cf. CCC 1116).
All the Sacraments are related to the Church. It is the Church that discerned the seven sacraments instituted by
the Lord (cf. CCC, 1117). It is through the Church that the sacrament of Christ’s actions work and it is also the
Church that manifests and communicates to men the mystery of communion with God (cf. CCC 1118)
All the Sacraments are related to faith in God. The sacraments are prepared for by the word of God (scripture)
and faith (belief). Hence, the sacraments pre-suppose faith if the person who receives it desires to fully benefit from
it, be sanctified, build up the Body of Christ, and give worship to God (cf. CCC, 1123). Also, since the Church’s
faith precedes the faith of the believer, the law of prayer then is the law of faith. This means that no sacramental
rite may be modified or manipulated at the will of the minister or the community (cf. CCC 1125).
All the Sacraments are related to salvation. The sacraments are efficacious (confer the grace they signify)
because it is Jesus Christ who is at work in the sacraments: it is Jesus Christ who acts in His sacraments in order to
communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies (cf. CCC 1127). Because of this, the sacraments act ex opere
operato which means that “the sacrament is not wrought by the righteousness of either the celebrant or the recipient
but by the power of God” (CCC 1128). Thus, the sacraments are necessary for salvation because through them, we
receive “sacramental grace.” The grace of the Holy Spirit, given by the Lord Jesus Christ, allows us to partake in
the divine nature by living our lives in union with Him. (cf. CCC 1129)
All the Sacraments are related to eternal life. The sacraments anticipate eternal life and through them, we
receive the guarantee of our inheritance to eternal life (cf. CCC 1130). The Catechism of the Catholic Church 1130
cites St. Thomas Aquinas who summed up the various aspects of the sacramental signs: “Therefore, a sacrament is
a sign that commemorates what precedes it—Christ’s Passion; demonstrates what is accomplished in us through
Christ’s Passion—grace; and prefigures what the Passion pledges to us—future glory.”
Christ instituted the Sacraments of the new law—the seven sacraments. These touch all the stages and all-
important moments of Christian life: a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and stages of spiritual
life. They give birth and increase, healing and giving mission to the Christian’s life of faith (CCC 1210).

THE INSTITUTION OF THE 7 SACRAMENTS (FR. PIRLO, 2014)

Jesus instituted the sacrament of Baptism before the Ascension. He said to his Apostles:
Baptism “Go therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:19).
Jesus instituted the sacrament of Confirmation after his resurrection. He breathed on his
Confirmation Apostles and said: “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you. Receive the Holy Spirit”
(Jn. 20:21-22).
Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist during the Last Supper. As he was eating
with his Apostles, he took the bread, and when he have said the blessing broke it and gave
Eucharist it to them. He said: “Take it, this is my body.” Then he took the chalice, and after giving
thanks, gave it to them, and drank from it. Then he said to them: “This is my blood, the
blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many” (cf. Mk. 14: 22-24).
Jesus instituted the sacrament of Reconciliation after his resurrection, when he said to the
Apostles: “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you. Receive the Holy Spirit. For those
Reconciliation
whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those sins you retain, they are retained” (Jn.
20: 22-23).
Anointing of the Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick when he said to the Apostles:
Sick “They will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover” (Mk. 16: 18).
Marriage Jesus instituted the sacrament of Marriage when he said: “A man must leave his father
 and mother and cling to his wife, and the two become one body” (Mt. 19: 5).
Jesus instituted the sacrament of Ordination during the Last Supper, when he said to his
Holy Orders
Apostles: “Do this as a memorial of me” (Lk. 22:20).

The Role of each Sacrament in the Stages/Events of Human Life

 Baptism This order and groupings allow
The 3 Sacraments of
 Confirmation Birth and Growth us to see the organic whole in
Christian Initiation
 Eucharist which each sacrament occupies
 Reconciliation or important role. Looking at the
Penance total spectrum of the seven
The 2 Sacraments of
 Anointing of the Sickness and Healing sacraments, the Eucharist
Healing
Sick occupies a unique place because
it is the Sacrament of sacraments:
“all other sacraments are ordered
The 2 Sacraments of  Holy Orders
Call and Mission to it as to their end” (cf. CCC
Commitment  Marriage
1211).

Processing Question/s:
Directions: Read the questions carefully and write your answer inside the box.
Note: You can use the Internet as a reference for your answer.
1. Who instituted the Sacraments?

2. What do you mean by the Latin word ex opere operato and how is it related to Jesus Christ?

…….

INTEGRATION
Three new facts I learned…
1. 2. 3.

Two ah-ha’s that popped into my mind

1. 2.

One big question that I still have:

1.

…
INTERVENTION
Post-Assessment
Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and if False change the underlined word/s and write your
correct answer on the space provided.
_______________1. Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Baptism during the Last Supper.
_______________2. Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist when he said to the Apostles: “They will lay
their hands on the sick, who will recover”.
_______________3. Jesus instituted the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick before the Ascension.
_______________4. Jesus instituted the sacrament of Marriage during the Last Supper.
_______________5. Jesus instituted the sacrament of Ordination when he said: “A man must leave his father and
mother and cling to his wife, and the two become one body”.
_______________6. Jesus instituted the sacrament of Marriage after his resurrection.
_______________7. Jesus instituted the sacrament of Reconciliation after his resurrection.

ANSWER KEY
POST-ASSESSMENT
1. CCC #1131
2. EFFICACIOUS SIGN
3. SACRAMENTS
4. GRACE
5. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

PRE-ASSESSMENT
1. EUCHARIST
2. ANOINTING OF THE SICK
3. BAPTISM
4. ORDINATION
5. MARRIAGE
6. RECONCILIATION
7. CONFIRMATION