¼ Sheet of paper

1. 1. What is a sacrament?
2. 2. Why is receiving the
Sacraments important for a
Catholic?
SACRAMENTS
IN
GENERAL

RE T.115
Jason Junsay ppt
- NDDU
Sacraments and Symbols

Signs and Symbols

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Jason 115 - ppt
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Sign, as a general term,
refers to any object that
represents something
else…

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Thus, there are symbolic signs and signs
that are less than symbolic (simple signs):

1. Simple or nonsymbolic signs are objects that have

only one meaning. E.g. A green light on the traffic light which
means “go”. A sign in a store window that reads “SALE” has also one
meaning.

2. Symbols or symbolic signs can never be confined or

reduced to narrow, one-dimensional meanings.
What symbols are is intimately linked with what they
represent. Symbols are thought-provoking and
stimulating and soul-stirring all at once. . (E.g.
Christmas Lights or Candles – symbolizing the brightness of the holiday
season with its good cheer or the coming of Jesus as the light of the world)
Jason T. Junsay - NDDU
RE 115 ppt
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8

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10

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Sacraments and Symbols

Reality is Symbolic

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Signs and symbols are all around us…
 Things: Philippine Flag (freedom,
democracy), color blue (love and
friendship), stop sign (better brake
or risk hurting someone)
 Events: Christmas (gift giving,
family fellowship), Birthdays,
Anniversaries
 Persons : Pope Francis
(represents Roman Catholicism),
Mother Teresa of Calcutta (sign of
God’s love for the poor)
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Reality is Symbolic

 Human beings use symbols to

convey meaning, to get what is
real.

 Human beings make symbols to

communicate about themselves
and what they think is important.

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Sacraments and Symbols

Symbols as
The Language of Faith

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 Symbols, as powerful conveyors of
meaning, are well-suited for
communicating experiences of faith.

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Jesus, in his preaching testifies to the appropriateness
of symbols as the language of faith:

 Parable Prodigal Son: God as a

forgiving father…
 Jesus often called himself the
Good Shepherd.
 God’s Kingdom: mustard seed
that becomes a tree with many
branches, treasure hidden in a
field, and wedding feast.
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They describe faith realities in terms of
more understandable, physical realities….

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The Church throughout its history has built upon and
added to the symbols present in the Scriptures:

crucifix, candles, altar, tabernacle,

assembly of people…
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Sacraments and Symbols

Sacraments as Symbols

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The most important symbols
of the Catholic Church are the
seven sacraments.

…it is almost impossible to

talk about sacraments apart
from symbols.

Example:
Confirmation – reception of
the gift of the Holy Spirit;
Confession – absolution/
forgiveness… Jason T. Junsay - NDDU
RE 115 ppt
 Sacraments can
be defined as
symbols of God’s
grace.

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Meaning of Sacrament

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 A Sacrament is an
outward/sensible sign
instituted by Christ to
give grace…

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1. A sacrament is an outward/sensible sign

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A sacrament is an outward/sensible sign…

A sacrament is a special visible

(outward/sensible) sign that presents a divine
reality.

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As symbolic acts, sacraments are performative
word events (like Jesus’ own ministry of words and deeds) - real
happenings that make present the spiritual reality
they express.

Examples:
 Eucharist (makes the Last Supper
present and sacramental);

Baptism (immersion in water of

baptism represents conversion
and death to sin)
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The seven ritual sacraments are signs which re-
enact and re-present what has taken place in the
past. They make present and real today what
Jesus has accomplished by his saving deeds.

Examples:
 Sacrament of Reconciliation
(forgiveness);
 Eucharist (unity of the community);
 Anointing of the Sick (healing)

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2. A sacrament was instituted by Christ

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2. A sacrament was instituted by Christ

The sacraments are traceable to Jesus…

In His own ministry, Jesus often
came to people at the time of their
greatest need:
• when people are sick
• when they needed forgiveness
• when they were beginning
married life.
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Jesus “instituted” the sacraments by first being
the sacrament of his Father through his whole life
of word and action… (CFC 1525)

Each of the sacraments celebrated by the Church

re-enacts certain acts of Jesus’ own public
ministry. RE 115 ppt
Jason T. Junsay - NDDU
3. A sacrament gives grace

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3. A sacrament gives grace…

The sacraments give grace ex opera operato…

 depends only on the “proper performance”

of the sacrament
 does not depend on the godliness of the
minister or the faith of the recipient.
 All that is required of the minister and the
recipient is:
o the minister must have the proper intention
o Recipient must set up no obstacles to receiving
grace (such as contempt or gross disbelief)
Jason T. Junsay - NDDU
RE 115 ppt
All the sacraments have their special graces since they all
manifest the different ways in which Christ comes to us…

Sacrament Grace
Baptism:  The Baptized One (grace of faith)
The Confirmed One (grace of
Confirmation  
perseverance)
Reconciliation The Reconciler (grace of penitence)
The Really Present One (grace of self-
Eucharist 
giving)
Anointing of the
The Healer (grace of wholeness)
Sick  
Orders The Priest (grace of service)
Marriage The Lover (grace of love) JasonRET. Junsay
115 ppt
- NDDU
The effect of the sacraments is twofold:

1. To draw us into a closer relationship to

the Church (thereby to a relationship to Christ, in
the Holy Spirit, and to the Father)

2. To be celebrated in Faith

• For without faith, no saving personal relationship

can be established or strengthened.
• Sacraments presuppose faith and by their very
celebration evoke greater faith in the participants.
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Jesus as the Primordial
Sacrament

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 As SOURCE,

Jesus is the one in whom all the

sacraments are rooted and from whom
they derived their efficacy.

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As PRIMARY AGENT,

Christ is the one who, through the actions and words of

the minister celebrating the various sacraments:
baptizes, confirms, forgives and reconciles, heals, offers
himself in sacrifice, binds in faithful love and
consecrates for service.
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 Jesus in his humanity is the
sacrament of God’s saving
love for all

 Jesus took on material form and became

fully human; yet he remained as well fully
God
 God is seen most fully in and through Jesus
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Church as the Foundational
Sacrament

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 …the Church is called to be
Christ presence in the world.

 The Church is the Sacrament of

Jesus

 The seven ritual sacraments are

sacraments of the Church: they
visibly manifest and effectively
enact the Church’s mystery and
mission of making Christ
present... RE 115 ppt
Jason T. Junsay - NDDU
 As a Church, we Christians are
Living Sacraments...

“…when any one of us chooses to act as

Jesus was known to act, we too become
living sacraments in our world. When I
forgive my brother or sister from my heart, I
become a sacrament of forgiveness; I unveil
the face of God who forgives, just as Jesus
himself did.”
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 Jesus, Primordial Sacrament

The Church, Fundamental Sacrament

The Seven Ritual Sacraments

Christians as Living Sacraments

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An Overview of the Seven
Ritual Sacraments

Jason T. Junsay - NDDU

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These sacraments lay the foundation of every
Christian life.

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BAPTISM: In Baptism we receive new life in
Christ. Baptism takes away original sin and gives us
a new birth in the Holy Spirit. Its sign is the pouring
of water.

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CONFIRMATION: Confirmation seals our life
of faith in Jesus. Its signs are the laying on of hands
on a person’s head, most often by a bishop, and the
anointing with oil. Like Baptism, Confirmation is
received only once.

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EUCHARIST: The Eucharist nourishes our
life of faith. Its signs are the bread and wine we
receive—the Body and Blood of Christ.

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These sacraments celebrate the
healing power of Jesus.

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PENANCE: Through Penance we receive God's
forgiveness. In Penance we receive Jesus' healing
grace through absolution by the priest. The signs of
this sacrament are our confession of sins and the
words of absolution.
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ANOINTING OF THE SICK: This
sacrament unites a sick person’s suffering with
that of Jesus and brings forgiveness of sins. Oil,
a symbol of strength, is the sign of this
sacrament. A person is anointed with oil and
receives the laying on of hands from a priest.
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These sacraments help members
serve the community.

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MATRIMONY: a baptized man and woman
are united with each other as a sign of the unity
between Jesus and his Church. Matrimony
requires the consent of the couple, as expressed in
the marriage promises. The couple and their
wedding rings are the signs of this sacrament.
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HOLY ORDERS:
In Holy Orders men are ordained as priests,
deacons, or bishops. The signs of this sacrament
are the laying on of hands and anointing with oil
by the bishop.
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