RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 104 FINALS

MY FAITH IN
LITURGY
INTRODUCTION
Faith has always been the driving force of my life. The existence of someone who
"moves" me is a belief that has always been with me all my life. I am blessed to
have learned more on the knowledge of my faith and it taught me the despite the
symbolism and rituals, what is important is the presence of the one who I
believed in and how he is very real in this world.

WHAT IS A SACRAMENT?
This is a question that has a more deeper meaning to it
than what it is being seen in the surface. More than just
the mere ceremonies we celebrate and the signs we are
able to sense, there is a deeper relationship that God
wants to have with us. For us to realize this, He gives us
these as "gifts".

WHAT ARE THE 7

SACRAMENTS
Corresponding to the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit, God gives
us these 7 Sacraments that sustains us in our faith as His
children and it also affects us in many different aspects
of our Christian life. I'd like an overview of this in order to
understand how God gives us His daily graces.

THE SACRAMENTS OF
INITIATION
We always believe that we are children of the Father and that
being born in the world, you can consider that child as His son
or daughter. But in order to be sealed in the faith, God grants
us these gifts. This gifts not only marks us with the identity of
being His children but serves as a stepping stone to be like Him
in His Image and Likeness.

THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING

They say to forgive is an easy task, but to do it unconditionally is
rarely possible for any human would do. However, there is one
that despite of how many times we hurt him, He always waits for
us to come back to him. Despite of our physical and spiritual
weaknesses, He comes to heal us without any conditions. This is
one of the most important things I have learned and I am
grateful for it.

THE SACRAMENTS OF
COMMITMENT/SERVICE
After everything that has happened in this course, I would like
to share as a close to how I have come to have an encounter
with him and how a choice of vocation leads me to be intimate
with Him. I was able to see him much clearly and got to be in
love with Him more dearly after learning so much and how this
has made me appreciate his "earthly" presence more in the
world today.

COME AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK TO WHAT I AM TALKING

ABOUT

FRANCIS DANIEL GABRIEL G. CUAL

II - BS PSYCHOLOGY
 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 104 FINALS

MY FAITH IN
LITURGY

WHAT IS A SACRAMENT?
What does this mean and how does it give meaning to my relationship with God?

People come to ask - "What is a sacrament? I have been asking that same question
myself. I grew up hearing words "Receive this Sacrament..." yet I know less of what
it really means. It was in this course that I was able to have a deeper
understanding of what a sacrament is. According to a video we watched in class, a
sacrament are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the
Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us" (CCC 1131). What do we mean
by divine life? It is God's grace. How do we see this? Well, for us to know that a
sacrament exists, two important elements are needed - that this should
be perceived by the senses and that it represents the grace which is invisible to the
human eye but seen by faith. McBrien, as cited by Patambang et al (2001), states
that there is this principle of sacramentality which states of the conviction that
everything is capable of embodying and communicating the divine, that all reality
has a mysterious dimension insofar as it is imbued with the hidden presence of
God. This means that whether we are conscious or not, a presence of someone so
powerful is behind every breath, every sunrise and sunset. These sacraments
teaches us that we must acknowledge what we perceive. Sacraments act like your
everyday things, may it be like the sign of McDonalds that when you see it, it
reminds you of french fries or chicken. So too the different sacraments that we
receive in our Christian faith. May it remind us the presence of the Triune God and
His neverending love for us through His graces.

FRANCIS DANIEL GABRIEL G. CUAL

II - BS PSYCHOLOGY
 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 104 FINALS

MY FAITH IN
LITURGY

WHAT ARE THE 7 SACRAMENTS?

God blesses in many ways,. Among them, there were 7...

There are many ways that God can give us His graces. They can come from almost
anywhere, however there are 7 known sacraments that our faith teaches us which
not only connects us directly with God but also experience His Presence as He
personally gives it. There are 7, namely Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist,
Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Marriage. All these originates from
Christ as he instituted these 2000 years ago and in the Bible, Christ gives his
followers clear instructions on how to administer and receive each of the
sacraments. This is seen through his work with the Apostles, healing the sick,
parables, giving his body and blood to nourish our souls and forgiving sinners. The
Church administers these holy sacraments as instructed, in order for all to worship
God and receive His salvation (Daniels, 2017). All these are categorized into three
sections - The Sacraments of Initiation, The Sacraments of Healing, and The
Sacraments of Service/Commitment.

FRANCIS DANIEL GABRIEL G. CUAL

II - BS PSYCHOLOGY
 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 104 FINALS

MY FAITH IN
LITURGY

THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION

These are God's first gifts and how He welcomes us into His Family

For the first category of Sacraments, we have the Sacraments of Initiation that is meant to
strengthen our faith and create a stronger relationship with God. Under this category we have
three: Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist. Baptism is the first of the Sacraments that we
receive which unites us with God and His people. Without this, you can't receive the other
sacraments. I originates when Jesus was baptized by His cousin John the Baptist - "And it came
to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in
Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit
like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Mk. 1:9-11). It's most prominent sign which is water
symbolizes cleansing for both physically and spiritually. This is formerly done by immersing the
candidate in the water, therefore washing their original sin through water and the word but due
to some cases of places far away from rivers, water is poured into the forehead of the
candidate. After which. the candidate is anointed with chrism as it symbolizes Christ's Royal
Priesthood which then, a white garment is wrapped around which symbolizes new dignity as
God's children. A lighted candle is given which tells the candidate to live as "children of light".
Lastly, the sign of the cross symbolize that the candidate belongs to Christ. The Sacrament is
not only for the candidate but also for those who will raise him/her as they are given the
responsibility to guide the candidate in having a strong faith in his/her Christian life. Baptism
then conforms the candidate into Christ's three-fold mission which are Kingly, Priestly, and
Prophetic and also leads us to total allegiance to Him. The next sacrament is that of
Confirmation. This is where the candidate receives the gift of the Holy Spirit and renews their
baptismal vows that they received during baptism. Compare to when you were a baby when
your godparents and parents answered for you, it is now you who makes the statement of you
affirming your faith. As the verse from John 20:22 states, "And when He said this, He breathed
on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'." It is here that the same dialogue that Christ
gave, is given to the candidate. It's most prominent symbol is oil/chrism which
symbolizes empowerment to do their mission, along with the tapping on the cheek that
symbolizes the "the waking up to mission" and the laying of hands which symbolizes the descent
of the Holy Spirit to all believers. This is done by the bishop and leads the child into a mature
Christian life. Lastly, the third and last of the sacraments in this category is that of the Holy
Eucharist. Eucharist means thanksgiving and that this is the highest form of worship. It
originates during the last supper."While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a
blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And
when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of
you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
(Mt. 26-26-28). It is in this sacrament that we are able to offer the bread and wine to be
the body and blood of Christ. Now the priest, through the words of consecration, blesses and
administers the Holy Communion during every mass to remind followers that they are one with
Christ. Food and drink nourishes our bodies ‒- Christ’s blood and body nourishes us spiritually.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1324-1327), states that the "Eucharist is 'the source and
summit' of the Christian life. This is because, among all sacraments, this one incorporates all
the other six into one. For in the Blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the
Church, namely Christ Himself, our Pasch.

These three work together in a way that help the individual grow in the faith and how he.she
recognizes the presence of God. In my own experience, I was blessed because after I was
baptized, I was raised by my family to be prayerful and that I was able to study in a Catholic
School where I learned about Jesus more. My family chose the best lessons even with the use of
storybooks about the Bible and allowing me to join the choir and the service of the mass as an
altar boy. All the effects of these three sacraments made me realize who I am as a person and
each and everyday I would never forget Christ. It was in my Baptism I was bound to Him, in my
Confirmation, I reaffirmed my love for Him, and in my Eucharist, I was nourished by Him.

FRANCIS DANIEL GABRIEL G. CUAL

II - BS PSYCHOLOGY
 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 104 FINALS

MY FAITH IN
LITURGY

THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING

When we stray from Him, He doesn't condemn. He waits, and waits, until we come
back to Him with love.

As beings who are given freedom by the Father, we tend to abuse it at times and
we sometimes think that doing what we want makes us feel good all the time. We
must remember that there are even limitations to our freedom. When we break
that limitation, we lose sight of who we are and up feeling heavily remorse,
unhappy, and it would seem like something is missing from us. In this case, if we
sin, we separate ourselves from God. In our attempt to reconnect with him, we ask
for repentance and healing. We repent the mistakes we have done and ask for
absolution to do the right thing next time. Other than that, when we are also in
need of physical and spiritual healing, we turn to Him for He is the Physician. With
this in mind, two sacraments are specifically instituted by Christ in order for healing
to happen. These are the Sacraments of Penance and Healing of the Sick.

The Sacrament of Penance is also considered as the sacrament of conversion

because it makes sacramentally present Jesus' call to conversion, the first step in
returning to the Father from whom one has strayed by sin (CCC 1423). It is
considered to be the sacrament of penance since it consecrates the Christian sinner's
personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction. Matthew
wrote about a biblical basis to this in which Peter confessed that Jesus was the
Messiah wherein after his confession, Jesus gave hi the keys to heaven saying,
"Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth, shall be loosed in heaven" (Mt. 16:19) An important element to this is
confession, wherein the repentant seeks aid from a priest and says all of his/her
sins - whether venial (unintended) or mortal (intended) and whether it may be
personal, social or structural. The penitent should be truly sorry for his/her sins and
must examine his conscience with the guide of The Ten Commandments. After the
confession process comes the conversion process, wherein the person sees
the conflict, encounters himself in the moment, discovers things about
himself which then leads to personal transformation through God's grace. The
minister of this sacrament is the priest who has the faculty to absolve in
accordance with canon law. He is considered as the confessor and that the penitent
is considered as someone who is in danger of death. Overall, it is the Triune God
who forgives in the sacramentof Reconciliation. It is the Father who reconciles us to
Himself through Christ who empowered his apostles with the holy Spirit for the
forgiveness of sins.

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament instituted by Christ to

give spiritual aid and strength and perfect spiritual health, including if need be, the
remission of sins. According to CCC 1499, it states that "By the sacred anointing of
the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill
to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. And
indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely
uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ." This sacrament which
through the laying of the hands, the prayer of faith, and the anointing with blessed
oil, provides the sick with Christ's healing grace of the Holy Spirit.The symbol for
this sacrament is Olive oil and this is administered to those who have reached the
age of reason and are seriously ill or in danger of death. This is to accompany the
Christian into God's Kingdom.

With thse two sacraments, I was only able to avail for one which is the sacrament
of reconciliation. It helps me out just to let my guilty conscience fade because God
is there listening and that I am comfortable with the thought that I have a chance
at redeeming myself. However, it doesn;'t mean that I am forgiven, I am going to do
that again. The purpose as to why I had confession is to help me be the better
version of myself that God wanted me to be.

FRANCIS DANIEL GABRIEL G. CUAL

II - BS PSYCHOLOGY
 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 104 FINALS

MY FAITH IN
LITURGY
THE SACRAMENTS OF
SERVICE/COMMITMENT
These are God's first gifts and how He welcomes us into His Family

The other sacraments speak of the individual self. Now we dive into the sacraments
of commitment. This is where the person now chooses a path - either marriage and
holy orders. These sacraments are directed towards the salvation of others; they
contribute to our personal salvation and through our service to others we grow in
our holiness. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up
the People of God (CCC 1533).

We have to understand that in one's life, we all have a path we should follow. It
leads us to destinations which we ourselves don't know. But when we are on the
verge of realization, we get to decide. In our Christian lives, each one of us is called
to holiness. This is because we are one and equal in the Lord's eyes. Each one of us
was given the three-fold mission of Christ and that no matter what vocation you
land into, you still have the same commitment to serve Him. That is why these we
are given the option of choosing any of the two sacraments.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders is for those who choose to become a priest, bishop or
deacon (or nun). Through ordination, they are able to perform sacred duties and
serve the church community. This is not a sacrament that everyone partakes in,
rather it’s one that people feel called to by God (Daniels, 2017). Holy Orders is the
sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues
to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of
apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and
diaconate (CCC 1536). In this type of commitment, they are to observe a life of
simplicity and must use their gift of celibacy (not marrying) since they are able to
serve Christ with more freedom. As mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles 20:28,
"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has
made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own
blood."

""The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between

themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the
good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant
between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a
sacrament." (CCC 1601) This is what the Sacrament of Matrimony really is.
Furthermore, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1602) explains that there is a
scriptural basis to this: Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and
woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of "the
wedding-feast of the Lamb."Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its
"mystery," its institution and the meaning God has given it, its origin and its end, its
various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from
sin and its renewal "in the Lord" in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church. The
best way for this to work or for it to be expressed is through a covenant. It is where
a man and woman makes a promise to one another that in anything they go
through, they will stick together to the very end. As Genesis states, "This one at
last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called woman, '
for out' of 'her man' this one has been taken. That is why a man leaves his father
and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body. (Gen.
2:23-24)

When I was a kid, I thought I was going to be a priest.

Yeah, and that basically I had this thought that
perhaps this was it. But as I grew, there was more
than just making that quick decision, and that there
was more to life, perhaps I am still searching for my
path. Well, whatever choice I make, God will be there
to guide me.

FRANCIS DANIEL GABRIEL G. CUAL

II - BS PSYCHOLOGY