Baptism and Confirmation and Eucharist - Assignment Example

College: Baptism and Confirmation and Eucharist Lesson 7 # Question Identify the matter, form, ordinary minister, andeffect of the sacrament of baptism. Describe the indelible mark received in the sacrament of baptism. Baptism as a sacrament plays a significant role in initiating new members into the congregation of Catholic faithful. Matter in baptism is water, administered through, sprinkling or immersion. Form, which constitutes the spoken word during baptism states "I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." The ordinary minister in baptism is a bishop, deacon or a priest. However, because baptism requires simply the matter (water) and form (words), there could be an extraordinary minister including baptized persons (The Catholic Liturgical Library n.pg). The overall effect of baptism is to remove both actual and original sin, lead to new birth also referred to as being “born again”, incorporate the baptized individuals into Christ, and finally to act as a doorway to the church. There is an indelible mark of being a Christian and a child of God associated with the sacrament of baptism. # Question 2 Explain the significance of the sign of the cross, the use of water, the use of oil, the prayers of exorcism, and the white garment in the celebration of the sacrament of baptism. Various elements used in the sacrament of baptism wield immense significance (The Catholic Liturgical Library n.pg). The water and oil are natural elements, created by God for cleansing and healing believers of anything capable of inhibiting the appropriate association with Him. While water cleanses one of sins and gives life, oil signifies being chosen or anointed for Christ’s work and also signifies being strengthened for Christianity difficulties ahead. Exorcism prayers prior to baptism are performed, so as to get rid of the devil and evil spirits while readying the baptism candidate to receive Christ. On the other hand, the sign of the cross serves as a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice for humanity. It also represents some form of branding, thus indicating that the baptized person belongs to Christ. Finally, the white garment emphasizes belongingness to Christ and a new life in him through being dressed like Him. # Question 3 Using evidence from the rite of baptism itself, explain in 2-3 paragraphs how baptism is a participation in the dying and rising of Christ. Baptism is in effect participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. This is made apparent by several symbols and actions involved during the crucial rite of Christianity. For instance, exorcism prayers point to the casting out of the devil or death of evil in the person being baptized. This notion of dying is reinforced by the pouring of water onto the candidate, showing that his past life of engaging in sin is over or has been washed away, further implying that his sinful self is dead. These actions are in synch with Christ’s crucifixion on the cross, for the sake of humanity. Additionally, having water sprinkled on the baptism candidate and being oiled shows the latter’s new lease of life, equivalent to the resurrection of Christ (Vyner n.pg). The analogy of baptism to Christ’s death and resurrection is emphasized by the fact that immersion symbolizes one’s descent into hell or death into an evil past, an occurrence which took place when Jesus died. After being cleansed with water hence coming to life like Jesus did, the baptized individual sets out to start a life free of sins. This is equivalent to being “born again” since it shows death of the old sinful existence and beginning of a Christ led life. The white garment also emphasizes the notion of being a new person, having died a sinful or wicked one. # Question 4 Identify the matter, form, ordinary minister, and effect of the sacrament of confirmation. Describe the indelible mark received in the sacrament of confirmation. Just like in the sacrament of baptism, there are several elements that characterize the confirmation sacrament. Matter consists of Holy Chrism or blessed oil, which is applied by the ordinary minister. The latter in the case of confirmation sacrament is a bishop, who is required to preside over the celebration. The form or words stated by the bishop during this sacrament are, "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit." The most outstanding effect of this sacrament is that it completes the grace of baptism, paves way for full expression of the Holy Spirit, and serves as a spiritual seal. Confirmation leaves an indelible mark of spirituality, since it symbolizes that the confirmed candidate has the Holy Spirit in them (RCL Benziger n.pg). # Question 5 Using evidence from the rite of confirmation, explain in 2-3 paragraphs the purpose of confirmation for the individual and for the life of the Church. Judging from evidence gathered on the confirmation sacrament, this celebration gives Christians the special gifts accorded by the Holy Spirit. It also marks confirmed persons as people with the Holy Spirit in them. In effect, this implies that such individuals must act in a manner that befits the Holy Spirit through portraying gifts such as piety, knowledge, fortitude, and fear of God, wisdom, counsel, as well as, understanding. An individual should be able to apply these gifts when interacting with other faithful and ordinary people. The confirmation sacrament also reinforces the graces ingrained by the baptism sacrament, empowering Christians to live lives characteristic of children of God. This paves way for belongingness to the union of Christ, hence being active participants of church in recognition of the fact that Christianity is greater than an individual or community. It is through such unity that confirmed members of the church can make significant impact in society. Lesson 8 # Question 1 Identify the matter, form, ordinary minister, and effect of the sacrament of the Eucharist. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist bread and wine constitute matter. These two elements represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ respectively. Form, in this case comprises of words that further reinforce the symbolism of matter and why consumption of the same by Christians is important. The words expressly stipulate that the bread is the body of Christ that he gave up for his followers, while the wine represents the blood he shed and an indicator of the new and eternal covenant. Form in Eucharist stresses the importance of the ritual in remembering Christ’s sacrifice, so that people could be cleansed of their sins. The ordinary minister in sacrament of the Eucharist is a priest; while the effect of this sacrament is that it transforms people and initiates them into a Christ led life, thus enabling them to uphold their identity as God’s children. # Question 2 In 2-3 paragraphs, explain how bread and wine came to be used in the celebration of the Eucharist. How is this consistent with the Catholic sacramental worldview? Bread and wine are used in the celebration of Eucharist to represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The use of these contextual meals in celebrating the Eucharist can be traced back to the making of sacrifices described in the Old Testament, where believers used to offer sacrifice to God, as way of atoning for their sins. For example, during the Passover, families were required to sacrifice a lamb and eat it all with unleavened bread. In the New Testament, Jesus split bread and shared a cup of wine with his disciples before presenting himself as the ultimate sacrifice for forgiveness of human beings. Consumption of bread and wine during Eucharist, therefore, serves as a Holy Communion that allows Christians to have an intimate union with Christ. Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is present and remains present in the Eucharist bread and wine, thus ensuring that Christ’s memory remains alive in the church. The spirit of sharing also characteristic of this Holy Communion continues in the modern Catholic Church. Through celebration of the Eucharist, the Church reaches out to other followers of Christ and enables the faithful to share Christ’s love with all people, irrespective of their background (Vatican (b) 54). Celebration of Eucharist using bread and wine is consistent with the catholic sacrament in many ways. # Question 3 In 3-4 paragraphs, explain how Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is related to the sacrifice on the altar in the celebration of the Eucharist, including how the baptized exercise their royal priesthood. Use evidence from The Order of the Mass Worship Aid and Ecclesia de Eucharistia to support your answer. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is related to the Eucharist sacrifices on the altar, since his sacrifice represents the ultimate, hence the only acceptable offering to God. As indicated, the inception of Eucharist sacrifices is linked to the Passover, where a sacrificial lamb was slaughtered and eaten. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross gives a new perspective to this celebration, since Jesus is the son of God and the sacrificial lamb crucified to free humans from their sinful lives and giving them a chance at everlasting life. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross also cleanses believers and marks them as followers of Christ. Through baptism, therefore, every Christian is considered a first son since he or she becomes a part of God’s royal family. This implies that the offering expressed during Eucharist Sacrament is united with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, which makes it acceptable to God. It is through offering oneself through Christ that baptized Christians are able to fully submit their hearts to God and love Him genuinely, hence exercising their role as royal priests. The Eucharist also allows the baptized to join their lives to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and share its advantages of complete forgiveness, as well as, eternal life with others. # Question 4 In 3-4 paragraphs, explain how the celebration of the Eucharist is a meal. What are the fruits of Holy Communion? What is expected of someone who is sent out from the celebration having received Holy Communion? Use evidence from The Order of the Mass Worship Aid and Ecclesia de Eucharistia to support your answer. The Eucharist also referred to as the Paschal Banquet or the Last Supper is usually celebrated within the context of a meal. Sharing is the principal attribute of an ordinary meal, where people present at the table apportion and eat the served food. During Passover, Israelites shared the sacrificed lamb and baked bread not just among family members, but they were also asked to invite neighbors and consume the food together, to make sure there were no remnants. In the Last Supper, Jesus broke the bread and shared wine among disciples in attendance. In both cases, the sharing of food is accompanied by a blessing, and just like ordinary meals, the bread and wine are seen as sources of nourishment. Celebration of the Eucharist is, therefore a meal, taking into account the sharing of wine and bread, the blessing, and the purpose of nourishing Christians in their journey. Celebrating the Eucharist unites Christians with Christ. This means that the greatest fruit of the Holy Communion is the intimate spiritual union with Christ (CCC 1391). Another fruit of the Eucharist is the unity it brings between Christians (CCC 1398). The communion further cleanses Christians and separates them from a sinful life (CCC 1393-95). After celebrating the Eucharist, Christians are supposed to embrace the nourishment and transformation of the sacrament and, in turn, act as the same to the rest of the community (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 12). This means that they should strive to change and inspire others just like Jesus Christ did, since Christ lives in them (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 20). Works Cited RCL Benziger. Walkthrough of the Confirmation Rite. 2011. Web. 17 September 2014. The Catholic Liturgical Library. Rite for the Baptism of One Child. 1969. Web. 17 September 2014. Vatican (a). The Order of Mass Worship Aid: Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 11-20. 2003. Web. 17 September 2014. Vatican (b). Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1322-1419. Web. 2013. 17 September 2014. Vyner, Owen. The Sacrament of Baptism as Participation in the death of Christ. 2011. Web. 17 September 2014. Read More