Sacraments II

November 3 & 17, 2007

Before Class

• Read Chapters 18-19, 35-36 in U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults
• Finish  On Evangelization in the Modern World and Catechesis in Our Time (if necessary)
• Read the following handouts:
  • Introduction to Prayer
  • Jesus: Our Exemplar in Prayer
  • Praying to Mary: Idolatry or God's Will?
  • Types of Prayer
  • The Battle of Prayer

Homework

• Read Chapters 20-22 in U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults
• Read the following handouts:
  • Confession to a Human Being
  • Continual Conversion and Penance
  • Reconciliation
  • Holiness and Joy

To Make Up an Absence

If you are unable to attend this class, please submit at the following class written responses to two questions from each chapter, for a total of eight questions. Each response should be 2-3 paragraphs in length and address the question completely. Please include the question that you are addressing at the top of each answer.

Chapter 18. Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation: God is Rich in Mercy

1. What are the names by which this Sacrament is known and its essential elements? How would you describe this Sacrament to others?
2. Describe the effects of this Sacrament and how they are signified by the signs and symbols in the Rite.
3. "One must appreciate the magnitude of the gift God has given us in the sacraments of Christian Initiation in order to grasp the degree to which sin is excluded for him who has 'put on Christ'" (CCC no. 1425). Describe the Sacrament of Penance in relationship to the sacraments of Christian Initiation. Why is there a Sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism?
4. "Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God" (CCC no. 1445). Explain, citing at least one passage from scripture in your answer. How does this Sacrament acknowledge the communal consequences of sin?
5. How are the Sacrament of Penance and indulgences related? Describe the eternal and temporal consequences of sin.

Chapter 19. Anointing the Sick and the Dying

1. Why did Jesus heal the sick during his earthly ministry? Why did he not heal all the sick? How did Christ give suffering redemptive power?
2. Describe the effects of this Sacrament and how they are signified by the signs and symbols in the Rite.
3. What is Viaticum, and how does it prepare the recipient for "our heavenly homeland" (cf. CCC no. 1525)?

Chapter 35. God Calls Us to Pray

1. Discuss the relationship between Holy Scripture and prayer, citing specific passages as examples.
2. How is all Christian prayer Trinitarian? What roles do each Person of the Trinity play in our prayer?
3. "Prayer internalizes the liturgy, both during and after its celebration" (p. 469). How is the Church's liturgy a source of prayer, both personal and communal?
4. Consider each way of praying described on pages 467-467 (adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise). What does it reveal about our relationship with God?
5. Why is prayer referred to as "spiritual combat"? What discipline does prayer require?

Chapter 36. Jesus Taught Us to Pray

1. "The Lord's Prayer is truly the summary of the whole gospel" (CCC no. 2774, citing Tertullian, De Orat.). Explain how this is true.
2. "[The Lord's Prayer] not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them" (CCC no. 2763, citing St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II, 83, 9). Discuss how the order of the seven petitions in the Lord's Prayer reflects the order in which we are to desire the things asked for.
3. Describe the role of the Our Father in the Church's liturgy.
4. What is the link between belief and prayer? How do the teachings of Christ and his Church enrich our prayer?