Transcript Guided Exercise - Midwest Theological Forum

Chapter 6:
The Church in the
Life of the Faithful
THE CHURCH: Sacrament of Salvation
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
Anticipatory Set
Examine questions under “In this Chapter” (p. 179).
Free write on the one you already know the most about.
Share responses briefly.
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
BASIC QUESTIONS
What is the proper response to the gift of faith?
Who is the People of God?
What is the difference between the common and the ministerial priesthood?
What is the vocation of the laity?
KEY IDEAS
Our proper response to God’s gift of faith is trust in him and belief in the truths he
has revealed because God can neither deceive nor be deceived.
The Church is the People of God, the communion of all the faithful in Christ,
composed of people of every race and nation on a pilgrimage of holiness and
redemption.
All members of the Church share in the common priesthood of the faithful and are
called by virtue of their Baptism to offer their lives to God. Some members of the
faithful are ordained to the ministerial priesthood for the service of the rest.
The vocation of the laity is to seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal
affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God.
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
Focus Questions
Are relationships among the members of the Church essentially
equal or unequal?
The Christian faithful are truly equal in regard to dignity and activity,
according to each one’s condition and function.
Why do Christians fall short of their calling?
Concupiscence, our human inclination to sin that is a result of Original
Sin, often clouds our discernment, distorts our intellect, and weakens our
will. Thus, we can become inattentive or lukewarm about the Faith.
How do we live our faith faithfully?
By conscientiously devoting ourselves to personal holiness in service to
God and neighbor.
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
Part I: The Universal Call to Holiness: FAITH REQUIRES A RESPONSE
What was the source of St. Peter’s faith in Jesus Christ?
It was a gift from God, coming not from “flesh and blood” but from Christ’s “Father
who is in heaven.”
What response does the gift of faith require of us?
God’s gift of faith requires from us the human act of trust in God and believing in
the truths he reveals.
On what authority should we believe what God has revealed?
We believe not because “revealed truths appear as true and intelligible in the light of
our natural reason.” Rather, we believe “because of the authority of God himself
who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.” Extension: This is not
to say that revealed truths are in any kind of opposition to human reason.
Even though St. Peter is the rock on whom Christ founded his Church, who
builds it?
Christ himself. It is his work.
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
THE CHURCH IS THE PEOPLE OF GOD
What is the Magisterium?
The Magisterium is the teaching authority given by Christ to his Apostles
and now vested in their successors, the Pope and the bishops in union
with him, who teach the truths of the Faith contained in Sacred Scripture
and Sacred Tradition.
What is the simplest meaning of the Church as the People of God?
The Church as the People of God means the communion of all the
faithful in Christ.
What is the Old Testament counterpart to the Church as the People
of God?
In the Old Testament, the Israelites are God’s Chosen People.
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
Where is the New Testament teaching of the Church as the People
of God found?
In the First Epistle of St. Peter.
Ethnically, who makes up the New Covenant People of God?
It is a race of Jews and Gentiles unified by the Holy Spirit. Extension: In
other words, any human being can be a member.
What did St. Peter mean when he wrote that the New People of
God would be born “not from flesh, but from water and the Holy
Spirit”?
They would not be God’s people because they are natural descendants of
Abraham but because they would receive the Sacrament of Baptism.
Why do the People of God comprise a Pilgrim Church?
The Church is a group of believers on a journey toward God, seeking
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
Guided Exercise
Think/Pair/Write/Share:
What is the relationship between the Church as the People of God and the Church
as a hierarchical body?
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
COMMON PRIESTHOOD OF THE FAITHFUL
What were the two priesthoods found in the Old Testament?
In the Old Testament, God said that all of Israel would be “a kingdom of
priests.” He also established elders and an order of priests, the Levites, to
offer sacrifices on behalf of this people.
According to Hebrews, what is the role of a priest?
Priests are called by God “to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to
offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.”
What are the two levels of the priesthood in the Church?
There is a common priesthood shared by all the faithful, and there is a
ministerial priesthood of ordained leaders at the service of the faithful.
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
Guided Exercise
Read the following quote of Christ (quoting Isaiah):
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to
preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release
to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those
who are oppressed to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
Write about how this quote can apply to you, too.
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
The Laity
What is the vocation of the laity?
The laity are called to engage in everyday family and professional
activities, evangelizing and sanctifying the world “from within” while
living in the secular world.
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
Guided Exercise
Complete the following table to articulate clearly the three distinct
vocations in the Church.
Vocation
Laity
Religious
Priests
The Three Vocations
Description
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
Vocation
Laity
Religious
Priests
The Three Vocations
Description
Laity seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs
and by ordering them according to the plan of God.
Religious live the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and
obedience in the spirit of the beatitudes.
Priests are ordained for the sacred ministry.
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
Closure
Write a paragraph summarizing the connection between the common
priesthood of the faithful and the vocation of the laity as members of the
People of God.
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
Homework Assignment
Reading:
The Universal Call to Holiness through The Liturgical Year.
Questions:
Study Questions 1–3.
Workbook Questions 1–8.
1. The Priesthood of the Lay People of God
Alternative Assessment
Free write for five minutes on an idea in this chapter that was difficult for
you to comprehend.
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
Anticipatory Set
1.Brainstorm all the kinds of activities in which you normally engage.
2.Eliminate all but the five on which you spend the most time each week.
3.Estimate approximately what percentage of each week you spend on each one.
For example:
 Sleeping: 30%.
 School and homework: 25%.
 Sports: 15%.
 Socializing with friends: 15%.
 Doing chores: 5%
These are the very activities God is calling you the most to sanctify (without
neglecting the rest).
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
BASIC QUESTIONS
What is the universal call to holiness?
What is the liturgy?
What is the liturgical year?
KEY IDEAS
All Christians in every state in life are called to holiness, which is the
fullness of the Christian life and the perfection of charity.
The liturgy is the Church’s official public worship, the worship of God
by the People of God.
The liturgical year is the calendar of celebrations that commemorates the
life and ministry of Christ, beginning in Advent and ending with the feast
of Christ the King, and what he had done in his holy ones.
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS
What is the universal call to holiness?
It is God’s call to every member of the Church, regardless of the circumstances of
his or her life, to become a saint.
What did Christ mean when he said, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is
perfect”?
He meant that we are to aspire to greater and greater holiness. All Christians in any
state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of
charity.
Does the universal call to holiness mean lay people should do more Churchrelated things?
To seek holiness as a member of the laity includes both Church-related activities like
attending Mass, prayer, and volunteer service but even more refers to all of our
everyday, secular activities.
When is it most appropriate for lay people to formally offer their lives and
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
Sidebar: Saint Gianna Beretta Molla
What was St. Gianna’s vocation?
To be a wife, mother, and doctor, especially one serving mothers with young children.
What dilemma did St. Gianna face in 1961?
She was pregnant and discovered she had cancer. Her doctors recommended she have an
abortion so she could have surgery to save her own life.
What was St. Gianna’s response to this discovery?
She opted to try to save the life of her unborn baby rather than her own if it was really
going to be either one or the other.
What was the result of St. Gianna’s decision?
She died one day after giving birth to her healthy daughter.
How did St. Gianna’s earthly life end in an act of martyrdom?
She laid down her life for another, just as Christ did.
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
Guided Exercise
Why might people have said that St. Gianna should have had an
abortion?
How do you think St. Gianna would have answered each reason?
Reasons to abort her child.
St. Gianna
How Gianna may have responded.
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
St. Gianna
Reasons to abort her child.
How Gianna may have responded.
You can save your own life.
No one will live forever.
If you die, you won’t be able to take care That’s true. God and my husband will
of your family.
have to take care of them.
If you die, you won’t be able to heal your That’s true but killing my own baby
patients.
would be evil. You can’t do evil so good
can come of it.
But you’ll be dead!
I’ll have eternal life with God.
You are denying your children their
Maybe I can be a better mother by my
mother.
example than I could be now.
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
THE LITURGY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
To what two types of prayer is each Christian called?
(1) Personal, individual prayers and (2) communal worship.
What is the etymology and original meaning of “liturgy”?
It comes from the Greek ergos (“work”) and leiton (“of the people”), meaning
essentially “public work,” or any task performed for the common good.
How did the Septuagint (third-century BC Greek translation of the
Scriptures, i.e., the Old Testament) use the word leitourgia?
The worship led by the Levite priests of the Temple on behalf of the people.
What does “liturgy” mean in the Church?
Since the days of the early Church, liturgy has come to mean the Church’s public
and official worship of God, including the Mass and all its rites and
ceremonies—the worship of God by the People of God.
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
Guided Exercise
Think/Pair/Write/Share:
According to Avery Cardinal Dulles (material before footnote 26), how does Christ
exercise his threefold office as prophet, priest, and king in the liturgy of the Mass?
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
Sidebar: JESUS CHRIST, THE ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN
Why did Adam and Eve need a mediator after they had sinned?
They were no longer in communion with God and needed someone to restore
that relationship.
What in the nature of Jesus Christ makes him a perfect mediator between
God and man?
Christ was both God and man.
What aspect of Christ’s life was mediatory?
His entire life—in particular, his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension—
reflected one uninterrupted priestly action.
How does Christ’s priestly work continue today?
It continues in the liturgy of the Church, particularly in the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass, where he brings about the effects of salvation and accomplishes the
perfect worship of God.
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
THE LITURGICAL YEAR
What is the liturgical year?
It is the calendar of observances which celebrates the entire life of Christ,
from his Incarnation until the day of Pentecost and the expectation of his
coming again, beginning in Advent and ending with the feast of Christ
the King.
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
Guided Exercise
Complete the following table on
the liturgical year.
Season or event
Advent Season
Christmas Season
Lent
The Triduum
Easter Season
Ordinary Time
The Proper of Saints
The Liturgical Year
When it occurs
What its significance is
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
Season or event
Advent Season
The Liturgical Year
When it occurs
It begins on the fourth Sunday
before Christmas and ends on
Christmas eve, always including
four Sundays.
What its significance is
It is a time of prayer and
repentance to prepare us to
celebrate Christ’s first coming
at his Incarnation and his
Second Coming at the end of
time.
It helps us appreciate the birth
of Christ, his infancy and family,
and the universality of
salvation.
Christmas Season
It begins with the Christmas
vigil Mass and ends with the
feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
Lent
It begins with Ash Wednesday
and lasts forty days, culminating
with the commemoration of
Christ’s Passion.
It is “the” Church’s penitential
season of prayer, abstinence,
fasting and almsgiving,
recalling Christ’s forty days in
the desert.
The Triduum
The three days leading to
Easter, from Holy Thursday
through the Easter Vigil.
On these days, the Passion,
Death and Resurrection are
celebrated, including the
institution of the Eucharist.
Easter Season
The fifty days from Easter
Sunday to Pentecost.
Ordinary Time
It begins after the Christmas
Season and continues until
Tuesday before Ash
Wednesday, resuming on
Monday after Pentecost and
ending with Advent.
These take place throughout the
year.
This is a joyful season
celebrating Jesus Resurrection,
his post‐Resurrection
preparation of the Apostles,
and the coming of the Holy
Spirit.
Celebrates the mystery of
Christ in all its aspects rather
than some specific one.
The Proper of Saints
We celebrate and remember
Mary and the saints who have
suffered with and been glorified
by Christ.
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
Closure
Write a paragraph explaining the universal call to holiness, using
St. Gianna Beretta Molla as an example.
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
Homework Assignment
Reading:
The Seven Sacraments through Baptism of Blood, Baptism of
Desire, and Unbaptized Infants.
Questions:
Study Questions 4–6; 8–9.
Practical Exercise 1.
Workbook Questions 9–14.
2. The Universal Call to Holiness and the Liturgy
Alternative Assessment
Free write in response to the following statement:
Easter is the most important feast of the Church calendar, but most people prefer to
celebrate Christmas.
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
Anticipatory Set
Think/Pair/Share:
Based on Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 59 (the opening quote for “The Seven
Sacraments”), why is it smart for a person who wants to be holy to partake of the
Sacraments?
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
BASIC QUESTIONS
What is a Sacrament?
How do Sacraments correspond to human nature?
What is Baptism?
KEY IDEAS
A Sacrament is an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted
to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the
Holy Spirit.
One reason God uses Sacraments to confer grace to humanity is because their
use of visible signs to confer invisible graces corresponds to human nature which
is a composite of a visible, material body and invisible, immaterial soul.
Baptism is the first Sacrament received by a Christian, involving immersion in or
the pouring of water on the recipient’s head while pronouncing the invocation of
the Blessed Trinity. It forgives sins, including Original Sin; begins a new life in
Christ; and incorporates the new Christian into the life of the Church, the
Mystical Body of Christ. It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation.
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS
What Is a Sacrament?
What is a Sacrament?
It is “an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the
Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the
Holy Spirit.”
What did the early Church and what do Christians in the Eastern
Rites of the Catholic Church still call a Sacrament?
Mysterion, or mystery, “a sign of something sacred or hidden.”
What is the origin of the word “Sacrament”?
The Latin sacramentum, which means “oath.”
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
Guided Exercise
Perform a focused reading of the paragraph beginning “As Latin
increasingly” (p. 191) using the following question:
How does the Roman soldier’s sacramentum correspond to the idea of a Christian
Sacrament?
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
Ex Opere Operato
What does ex opere operato mean?
It means, “from the work performed,” or automatically.
Under what circumstances does a Sacrament give grace ex opere
operato?
The minister has to intend to convey the Sacrament and the participant must
intend to receive it. According to the Ecumenical Council of Trent, the
Sacraments “confer Grace on those who do not place an obstacle thereunto.”
What are dispensed in the Sacraments?
The mysteries of Christ’s life.
When did the Church begin celebrating the Sacraments?
The Seven Sacraments were part of the practice of the Church from the very
beginning and were understood to have originated with Christ.
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
Guided Exercise
Complete the follow graphic to clearly articulate the meaning of
“Sacrament.”
Term
Sign
Sign of grace
Efficacious sign of grace
Instituted by Christ and
entrusted to the Church
The Meaning of “Sacrament”
Explanation
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
Term
Sign
Sign of grace
Efficacious sign of grace
Instituted by Christ and
entrusted to the Church
The Meaning of “Sacrament”
Explanation
It points to a deeper reality, as pouring of water is a sign
of the deeper reality of being cleansed of sin.
It is a sign by which we receive God’s grace, if we are
properly disposed.
It automatically dispenses the grace it signifies
independently of the holiness of the celebrant or
recipient.
This is established by Scripture and Tradition.
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
Why the Sacraments?
Guided Exercise
Write a paragraph on how the Sacraments correspond to human nature.
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
BAPTISM
How was the baptism of Christ a theophany?
When he came up out of the water, having received St. John’s baptism,
there was a divine manifestation of all three Persons of the Blessed
Trinity: the voice of the Father spoke, the Son was visible in the Person
of Christ, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ “like a dove.”
How was St. John’s the Baptist baptism different from the one that
Christ instituted?
St. John the Baptist’s baptism signified repentance from sin but did not
forgive sin, whereas Christ’s Baptism was sacramental and efficacious.
During his public ministry, when did Christ speak of his Sacrament
of Baptism?
He told St. Nicodemus that one must be born of water and the Spirit to
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
When did Christ institute his Sacrament of Baptism?
At his Ascension he commissioned his Apostles, “Make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.”
What is one example of Baptism after Pentecost?
St. Peter baptized the centurion St. Cornelius.
What are the effects of Baptism?
It removes all sin, Original and actual; unites the recipient to the Death, Burial,
and Resurrection of Christ; and incorporates the recipient into the Mystical Body
of Christ, the Church.
Why is Baptism administered only once?
Baptism leaves an indelible, sacramental character, or seal, that configures the
recipient to Christ and his Church and remains throughout life. Therefore, it is
received only once. Extension: This “character,” or “seal,” can be likened to the
brand the Roman soldier received on his ear with the sacramentum; the brand was
permanent and never needed to be administered again.
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
The Catechumenate
What is the catechumenate?
It was the process in the early Church by which persons who wished to
become members were instructed and formed in the Faith to prepare for
the Sacraments of Initiation.
What is the current form of the catechumenate?
It is the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).
What does immersion into water make more explicit about the
theology of Baptism?
Because it is like drowning, it better symbolizes a sharing in the Passion,
Death, and Resurrection of Christ as one is immersed and then rises to a
new life.
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
How is the administration of the Sacraments of Initiation different
for the Eastern Church than the Latin Church?
In the Eastern Churches the three Sacraments of Initiation are given
consecutively, even to an infant, whereas in the Latin Church they often
are conferred simultaneously on an adult or older minor at the Easter
Vigil but separated in the case of an infant, who generally receives
Baptism early in life and the Sacraments of Confirmation and the
Eucharist after he or she will have reached the age of reason.
Why does the Church teach that the Sacrament of Baptism is
necessary for salvation even though we know people can be saved
without being baptized by water?
The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures
entry into eternal beatitude.
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
Baptism of Blood, Baptism of Desire, and Unbaptized Infants
What is Baptism of Blood?
Those who die for the sake of the Faith but have not yet received a sacramental,
water Baptism “are baptized by their death for and with Christ” in a Baptism of
Blood.
What is Baptism of Desire?
An uncatechized person of good will, under certain conditions, is said to have
received the benefits and effects of Baptism because such a one would have
desired Baptism explicitly if he had known its necessity.
What is the fate of unbaptized infants who die?
We hope that God has a way for unbaptized infants, who can neither willfully die
for the Faith nor implicitly desire Baptism, be saved without Baptism.
Extension: The same is true for unborn babies since they are human persons.
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
Closure
Write a paragraph summarizing the most important points about the
Sacrament of Baptism.
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
Homework Assignment
Reading:
Confirmation and Eucharist, including the sidebar, “The Eucharist:
The Source and Summit of the Church’s Life.”
Questions:
Study Questions 10–18.
Workbook Questions 15–26.
3. The Sacraments in General and Baptism in Particular
Alternative Assessment
Free write for five minutes on something in this lesson—in order to
understand it better—that you found hard to understand.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
Anticipatory Set
Opening Prayer: Christ’s feeding of the five thousand (Jn 6:1–13).
Free write for a minute on what surprised you most about this event.
Share responses.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
BASIC QUESTIONS
What is Confirmation?
What is the Eucharist?
KEY IDEAS
Confirmation is the Sacrament that completes the grace of Baptism by a
special outpouring of the Holy Spirit that “confirms” the baptized in
union with Christ and equips him or her for active participation in the
worship and apostolic life of the Church; one of the three Sacraments of
Initiation.
The Eucharist is the Sacrament by which bread and wine are consecrated
by a priest and become the true Body and Blood of Christ, which the
faithful consume in Holy Communion; one of the three Sacraments of
Initiation.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
CONFIRMATION
When was the Sacrament of Confirmation instituted?
When the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost.
How is the Sacrament of Confirmation usually described in the
New Testament?
It is called the “laying on of hands.”
With what other Sacrament is Confirmation usually associated?
Baptism. When the Apostles baptized a convert, they also laid their hands
on the new believer.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
How do we know from Scripture that Baptism and Confirmation
are distinct Sacraments?
When the Apostles were not present and other believers had baptized the
new followers of Christ, the Apostles would “lay hands on,” or confirm,
the newly baptized when they were in the area.
How does Confirmation “complete” Baptism?
Just as the Apostles were first baptized by Christ and later received the
Holy Spirit, at which time they became fervent evangelists, we are first
baptized and then in Confirmation receive the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit experienced by the Apostles at Pentecost.
Who is the ordinary minister of Confirmation?
A bishop, who is a successor of the Apostles.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
How is Confirmation celebrated differently in the East and West
today?
In the West the desire to reserve the completion of Baptism to the bishop
caused the temporal separation of the two Sacraments. The East has kept
them united in time, so Confirmation is conferred by the priest who
baptizes, but he can do so only with the Myron consecrated by a bishop.
What are the signs of the Sacrament of Confirmation?
They are the laying on of hands and the anointing with Sacred Chrism.
An anointing was an act added in the early Church to signify better the
gift of the Holy Spirit.
When do most people in the Latin Church receive Confirmation
today?
During the junior high or high school years.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
Guided Exercise
Perform a focused reading on the paragraph beginning “From these two
accounts” (p. 198) including the quote from the Catechism, no. 1290, using
the following question:
How has the relationship between the celebration of Baptism and Confirmation
changed over the centuries?
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
EUCHARIST
What Old Testament miracle foreshadowed Christ’s feeding of the five
thousand?
God fed the nation of Israel with manna from Heaven, and Christ fed five thousand
persons with only a few loaves and fishes.
How did the feeding of the five thousand foreshadow of the institution of the
Eucharist?
Christ related the multiplication of the loaves and fishes to the manna in the
wilderness, which was bread from Heaven. He taught that he himself was the living
bread that came down from Heaven, which gives eternal life. He also said he would
give his flesh for the life of the world.
How do we know that Christ wasn’t speaking symbolically or was not being
misunderstood?
When some in the crowd objected to this teaching, Christ became more blunt,
declaring, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have
no life in you.” At this point, many of his disciples who had followed him up to this
point left him, and he did nothing to dissuade them of their understanding that he
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
The New Passover
When did the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist occur?
At the Last Supper, during a Passover meal.
How did Christ give the Passover meal a new significance?
Using some of the unleavened bread and wine that was a part of the
Passover celebration, he broke bread, declared it to be his Body, and told
his disciples to eat it. He also took a cup of wine and told them to drink it
because it was his Blood, the blood of the covenant.
What is the relationship between the Sacrifice of Christ on the
Cross and the Eucharist?
They are the same Sacrifice with one in a bloody form and the other in an
unbloody.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
What does “Eucharist” mean?
Thanksgiving.
What is transubstantiation?
It is the technical term the Church uses to explain that, while the bread
and wine do not change in appearance or in any other observable
property, they are changed in their essence, or substance, into the Body
and Blood of Christ.
What does it mean to speak of the “Real Presence”?
It is the term used to describe Christ’s true and substantial presence under
the appearance of bread and wine.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
Sidebar: THE MASS IN THE EARLY CHURCH
Guided Exercise
Based on the early Father of the Church St. Justin Martyr, work with a
partner to develop an apologetic for the Mass showing how the same
Mass the Church celebrates today was celebrated in the first century.
Confine yourself to three concrete examples.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
“Do This in Memory of Me”
When was the Eucharist instituted?
At the Last Supper.
Why does the Church celebrate the Eucharist?
Christ commanded the Apostles, “Do this in memory of me.”
What is the Eucharist called in the New Testament?
It is called the breaking of the bread.
On what day did the Apostles celebrate the Eucharist?
On Sunday, the day of Christ’s Resurrection.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
What are the effects of receiving the Eucharist?
Holy Communion increases our union with Christ; it forgives our venial sins
and strengthens us against future temptations to commit mortal sins. Because
the Eucharist unites us more closely to Christ, it also unites us to the entire
Mystical Body of Christ, the People of God, our fellow members of the
Church. It “identifies us with [Christ’s] heart, sustains our strength along the
pilgrimage of this life, makes us long for eternal life, and unites us even now
to the Church in Heaven, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the saints.”
What are the requirements to receive the Eucharist worthily?
One must be in full communion with the Church and free from mortal sin.
Why does the Church require her members to attend Holy Mass every
Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation and to receive the Eucharist
at least once a year?
Communal prayer, listening to the Word of God, and receiving the Eucharist
are vital to the spiritual life.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
Sidebar: THE EUCHARIST:
THE SOURCE AND SUMMIT OF THE CHURCH’S LIFE
How is the Eucharist the source of the Church’s life?
The Eucharist is the real, sacramental presence of Christ, and Christ is the
source of the Church.
How is the Eucharist the summit of the Church’s life?
The faithful bring to the Eucharistic celebration all their prayers and good
works, their joys and sufferings. These modest offerings are united to the
perfect Sacrifice of Christ and are thus completely sanctified and lifted up
to God in an act of perfect worship.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
Closure
Write a paragraph summarizing the importance of the Eucharist in the
life of a Christian.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
Homework Assignment
Reading:
Penance through Anointing of the Sick, including Not Just
“Extreme Unction.”
Questions:
Study Questions 7; 19–21 .
Practical Exercises 2 & 6.
Workbook Questions 27–31.
4. The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist
Alternative Assessment
Work on your own to complete Practical Exercise 6 on your personal
relation to the Sacrament of Confirmation.
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
Anticipatory Set
Opening Prayer: Christ’s institution of the Sacrament of Penance and
Reconciliation (Jn 20:19–23).
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
BASIC QUESTIONS
What is the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation?
What is the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick?
KEY IDEAS
Penance is the Sacrament of God’s forgiveness that includes contrition,
confession of sins, and satisfaction or reparation, together with the prayer
of absolution by the bishop or priest.
The Anointing of the Sick is the sacramental anointing with oil
administered by a bishop or priest to a baptized person who begins to be
in danger of death because of illness or old age; it provides the recipient
with grace for healing; strength; forgiveness of sins; and, if near death,
preparation for death and the afterlife.
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
PENANCE
What is the difference between Original Sin and actual sin?
Original Sin is the weakened human nature we inherit because of the sin of
Adam and Eve. Actual sin is a personal sin freely committed.
What is concupiscence?
It is the inclination to sin from which we suffer because of Original Sin.
What is the principal purpose of the Redemption?
To release humanity from its bondage to sin and to bestow the possibility of
entering eternal life with God in Heaven.
When did Christ institute the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation?
He appeared to his Apostles on the evening of the day of his Resurrection and
told them, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins
of any, they are retained.”
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
What is the significance of the various names for the Sacrament of
Penance?
Penance, Reconciliation, and Confession emphasize different and
complementary elements of the Sacrament.
Can the Sacrament of Penance be seen in Scripture and Tradition?
Yes. Sts. John and Paul mention it in the New Testament. It is also taught in
the Didache, a document written during the first century.
What does binding and loosing mean in relation to the Sacrament of
Penance according to the Catechism, no. 1445?
The power Christ gave to St. Peter and the Apostles to bind and loose means
that those they exclude from their communion will be excluded from
communion with God and those they welcome back into communion with
them will be welcomed back into communion with God.
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
Guided Exercise
Complete the following table to identify the elements behind the various
names of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.
Name
Penance
Reconciliation
Confession
Names for the Sacrament of the Forgiveness of Sins
Significance
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
Name
Penance
Reconciliation
Confession
Names for the Sacrament of the Forgiveness of Sins
Significance
Emphasizes that a person is penitent, that is, aware of his sins
and has true sorrow for them.
Emphasizes that the Sacrament effects a reconciliation
between the penitent and God. Extension: The Sacrament also
reconciles the penitent to the Church, to the rest of humanity,
and to himself.
Emphasizes that the penitent confesses or tells his sins to a
priest who pronounces the forgiveness of Christ through the
words of absolution and who assigns the penance to be
performed.
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
Venial and Mortal Sins
What is the distinction between venial and mortal sin?
Venial sins are lesser offenses that harm our relationship with God;
mortal sins break our communion with God and his Church. Extension:
Venial literally means excusable, while mortal means deadly.
What are the conditions for committing a mortal sin?
A mortal sin is a sin of (1) a grave matter that we commit with (2) full
knowledge and (3) full consent of the will. Extension: In other words, it
is an act that is seriously evil that we know is wrong and we choose freely
to commit anyway.
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
Should a person who is conscious of having committed a mortal sin
go to Holy Communion?
No.
How does one regain communion with God and the Church and
the possibility of receiving the Eucharist?
The only way is through God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance.
What is the unchanging fundamental form of the Sacrament of
Penance?
Interior conversion, contrition, confession, absolution, and satisfaction.
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
What are the two main forms of confession we have seen in the
history of the Church?
In the early Church infrequent public confession and severe penance for
grave sins was practiced; later, private and frequent confession made it
possible for the Sacrament of Penance to be a regular part of the lives of
the faithful.
Who is the minister of the Sacrament of Penance?
Only a bishop or a priest who has received authority from his bishop can
pronounce the forgiveness of sins in Christ’s name.
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
Guided Exercise
Have a class discussion on the following statement based on the reading
in the Anticipatory Set of this lesson.
Some people believe all they have to do to be forgiven is to tell God they are sorry and
God will forgive them. They also object to telling their sins to a mere human being.
How does Christ’s gift of the power of forgiveness of sins to the Apostles imply oral
confession of sin?
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
What was the role of physical healing in Christ’s ministry?
It was an integral part of what he did, a foreshadowing of the coming of the Kingdom of
God, and a proof of his Messiahship.
What was the role of physical signs in Chirst’s healings?
He used concrete physical signs often to heal such as the laying on of hands, mud,
washing, and even his own spittle.
Did Christ share the power to heal with his Apostles?
Yes. He gave them the power to heal the sick and cast out demons. According Mark 6:13,
they used oil to heal many who were sick.
When did Christ institute the Sacrament of Healing?
Scripture and Tradition do not reveal when he did, but we do know that he did. During his
public ministry he sent his disciples out to heal. In the Acts of the Apostles we see his
Apostles healing. In his Epistle St. James tells the elders, or priests, to pray over the sick
person and anoint him or her with oil in the name of the Lord to heal and forgive sins.
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
Not Just “Extreme Unction”
How does the Church celebrate the Sacrament of Christ’s healing today?
Through the ministry of a priest, who confers the Sacrament by the laying on of hands
and the anointing with the Oil of the Sick.
Why is this Sacrament sometimes called Extreme Unction?
Following the Apostolic era, the anointing became more and more associated with
imminent death. Extension: The term extreme unction refers literally to anointing in extremis,
Latin for “at the end [of earthly life].”
What are the conditions for receiving the Sacrament?
The Church emphasizes that the Sacrament can be celebrated in response to any illness or
condition, even prior to surgery, where there is a danger of death.
Why does the Sacrament not always heal its recipient physically?
Physical healing is not always part of God’s plan. For example, Christ would not heal St.
Paul of his “thorn” even though St. Paul could heal other people. Extension: If the
Sacrament healed ex opere operato, then people would live forever, which is not God’s will.
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
Guided Exercise
Work with a partner to write a bullet-point summary of the many benefits
of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick based on the paragraph
beginning “There are several spiritual benefits” (p. 207).
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
Closure
Write a paragraph summarizing the Sacraments of Penance and
Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick.
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
Homework Assignment
Reading:
Holy Orders and Matrimony, including A Vocation of Service.
Questions:
Study Questions 22–23.
Practical Exercises 3–5.
Workbook Questions 32–35.
5. The Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick
Alternative Assessment
Free write on how in various ways the Sacraments of Baptism, Penance
and Reconciliation, and the Anointing of the Sick are Sacraments of
Healing.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
Anticipatory Set
Opening Prayer: Mt 19:1–8 (Christ’s being tested by the Pharisees on
divorce).
Write for a few minutes on how Christ’s view of marriage was different
from the Pharisees and from many people today.
Share responses.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
BASIC QUESTIONS
What is the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
What is the Sacrament of Matrimony?
KEY IDEAS
Holy Orders is the Sacrament by which the mission entrusted by Christ
to his Apostles continues to be exercised in the Church through the laying
on of hands in ordination; the sacrament has three distinct orders—
bishop (episcopate), priest (presbyterate), and deacon (diaconate)—and
confers an indelible character on the soul.
The Sacrament of Matrimony raises natural marriage to the dignity of a
Sacrament; it is a lifelong and exclusive bond between a man and a
woman, recognized by the Church.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
HOLY ORDERS
When did Christ institute the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
When he called together the Twelve Apostles and made St. Peter their
head.
How did the hierarchy develop during the era of the New
Testament?
It developed into the three orders of episcopate, presbyterate, and
diaconate—or bishop, priest, and deacon.
What is the etymology of the term “order” in “Holy Orders”?
It comes from Latin ordo, the ancient Roman term for an established civil
body, particularly a governing body.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
What sacramental powers and obligations did Christ confer upon
his Apostles during his public ministry?
The power and obligation to baptize, forgive sins, anoint the sick and
celebrate the Eucharist.
Why does the Church only ordain men to Holy Orders?
Because Christ chose only men to be his Apostles, the Church considers
herself bound to continue this example.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
Characters of Ecclesial Ministry
How does a man know he has a vocation to the priesthood?
First, he thinks he may have one, and then he goes through training which
is also a process of discernment; finally, his bishop makes the final
decision when he ordains him or not.
How is Holy Orders conferred?
The bishop lays his hands on the ordinand and prays that God will pour
out his Holy Spirit with the gifts of the Spirit that will be needed for the
ordinand’s ministry.
In whose Person does a priest act?
In the Person of Christ the Head, Shepherd and Bridegroom of his
Church.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
Guided Exercise
Complete the following graphic to understand the three characters which
ordination confers.
Character
Service
Collegiality
Personal
Three Characters of Ecclesial Ministry
Explanation
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
Character
Service
Three Characters of Ecclesial Ministry
Explanation
The ordained become “slaves for Christ” who are ministers of the word
and of graces that are not their own. They also freely become the
slaves of the Faithful.
Collegiality The ordained are bonded in a fraternal unity—priests serving
collegially among the presbyterate under the direction of their
bishops, and bishops serving collegially with one another and with the
successor to St. Peter.
Personal
The ordained are personally called by Christ to this life of service and
must bear personal witness to fulfill the mission they have been given
by Christ.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
MATRIMONY
What is the origin of marriage?
It was part of God’s plan from the beginning.
What is the proper relationship between a husband and a wife in
God’s plan?
Equality and complementarity. Extension: This means that husband and
wife are equal in dignity but not the same. Each has something the other
doesn’t but needs; this is complementarity.
What was the effect of Original Sin on marriage?
Original Sin broke the communion between man and woman, opening the
way for actual sins of lust, domination, disrespect, and discord between
men and women.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
How can married couples restore God’s original intent?
Only through God’s grace.
Was marriage restored to its original dignity in the Old Testament?
No. Polygamy and divorce were tolerated in some cases.
What are common sins against marriage?
Adultery, fornication, prostitution, homosexual behavior, and acts of
bestiality.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
How does the Old Testament prepare the way for the restoration of
God’s original vision for marriage according to the Catechism, no.
1611?
The prophets portrayed the covenant between God and Israel as an image
of exclusive and faithful married love; the Books of Ruth and Tobit
contain an elevated sense of marriage, fidelity, and tenderness between
spouses; and the Song of Solomon is a unique expression of human love
as a reflection of God’s love.
When did Christ raise the state of marriage to a Sacrament?
Scripture and Tradition do not reveal when he raised marriage to the
Sacrament of Matrimony, but we do know he did it.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
“One Flesh”
What did Christ teach about the permanence of marriage?
He taught that “from the beginning” marriage was to be lifelong and that
divorce was evil, a form of adultery.
How did St. Paul portray married love?
He compares the love between husbands and wives to the relationship
between Christ and his Church. Extension: For St. Paul, Christ did not
found his Church in the image of a husband and wife; rather, marriage is
made in the image of Christ and his Church.
How does the Church see marriage between Christians?
The Church considers Christian marriage to be elevated by Christ to its
former sacred dignity.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
A Vocation of Service
What is the vocation of the Sacrament of Matrimony?
Like Holy Orders, the Sacrament of Matrimony is a vocation of service:
husbands and wives are to assist each other in living the Faith, helping each other
to grow in sanctity so as to someday enter eternal life. If blessed with children,
they are also called to raise them lovingly in the Catholic Faith.
What grace does the Sacrament of Matrimony confer?
The grace proper to the sacrament of Matrimony can perfect the couple’s love
and unity, helping each other become holy and to welcome and educate children,
if God bless them with them.
Who are the ministers of the Sacrament of Matrimony?
The man and woman themselves are in their vows. The Church, through a priest
or deacon, merely blesses the marriage covenant that the couple freely enters.
Extension: In the Eastern Rites, the bishop or priest is considered the minister.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
Guided Exercise
Think/Pair/Share:
Why do some Christian marriages end in divorce?
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
Closure
Write a paragraph summarizing the Sacraments of Holy Orders and
Matrimony.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
Homework Assignment
Reading:
A Life of Prayer through Sacrifice and Self-denial.
Questions:
Study Questions 27–32.
Workbook Questions 36–37.
6. The Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
Alternative Assessment
Free write on connections you can think of between Holy Orders and
Matrimony.
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
Anticipatory Set
Opening Prayer: The Lord’s Prayer.
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
BASIC QUESTIONS
What is prayer?
In what types of prayer can a Christian engage?
What is mortification, and what is its value?
KEY IDEAS
Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life in which God helps us
raise our minds and hearts to him in conversation.
Just as Christ prayed in many ways, the ways a Christian can pray are
myriad.
Just as an athlete must train him- or herself to compete successfully,
mortification, or self-denial, is an essential part of growing in holiness and
pursuing the goal of the Christian life.
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
A LIFE OF PRAYER
What is a basic definition of prayer according to St. John
Damascene?
Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of
good things from God.
According to Pope Bl. John Paul II, when we pray, who should get
the most credit?
God is the true protagonist when we pray: he takes the initiative to
motivate us to pray.
What should be the main subject of Christian prayer?
The mysteries of Christ, so we can get to know him, to love him, and to
be united to him.
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
What was the role of prayer in Christ’s life?
Christ was devoted to prayer, especially before the great events in his life.
What is the most important prayer in the life of the Church?
The Lord’s Prayer.
What forms of prayer did Christ practice?
The formal, or traditional, prayers of Judaism. Spontaneous prayer.
Personal prayer alone in silence. Communal prayer with friends. Prayerful
reading of the Scriptures. Prayer using the Psalms. Celebration of holy
days. Pilgrimages. Attendance at the Jewish liturgy. Fasting as “prayer of
the senses.”
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
Guided Exercise
Work with a partner to come up with reasons to support the ideas of
Tertullian and St. Thomas Aquinas that the Lord’s Prayer is (1) “perfect”
and (2) a “summary of the whole Gospel.”
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
TYPES OF PRAYER
Guided Exercise
Work with a partner to create a Graphic Organizer that lists and defines
or explains what you consider the ten most important types of prayer.
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
Type
Petition
Adoration
Contrition
Thanksgiving
Formal
Memorized
Vocal
Types of Prayer
Definition or Explanation
Asking God for things we or another need, whether material or
spiritual.
Praise of God for his beauty, truth and goodness.
Expressing sorrow for one’s own and others’ offense against God
through sin.
Showing gratitude to God for his gifts and blessings.
Reciting prayers like the Our Father or Hail Mary.
Praying aloud.
Meditation
Engaging thought, imagination, emotion and desire when praying
about some aspect of the faith.
Contemplative Silently and wordlessly fixing our attention on God.
Devotions
Completing fixed popular forms of prayer like the Rosary, Stations
of the Cross, or novenas.
The Mass
Participating as much as possible in the words and actions of the
Mass, according to what is proper to our state in life.
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
SACRIFICE AND SELF-DENIAL
What is the literal meaning of “mortification”?
It means “dying to the flesh.”
What is mortification?
It is a means of seeking holiness through self-discipline and self-denial.
What is the purpose of mortification?
To avoid sin and to subdue the body so as to strengthen the soul.
How is growth in the spiritual life like the training of an athlete
according to St. Paul?
Both require difficult discipline and both have a prize at the end.
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
How can mortification help us avoid “near occasions” of sin?
If we see an immodestly dressed person, it takes an effort not to look, but that
effort helps us avoid what could easily turn into a sin. Extension: To give up
looking at what could lead us to sin is a kind of small “death” to earthly pleasure.
What is the point of denying ourselves innocent pleasures?
Extension: It helps us grow in self control and it can be offered to God for a
myriad reasons, for example to say thank you, to say one is sorry for something,
and to benefit someone you care about who needs God’s grace.
What is the connection between bearing suffering voluntarily and
mortification?
One can offer up little and big hardships to God as a sacrifice.
What should self-denial be united to?
Self-denial will be more precious if it is united to charity, for example, fasting and
offering it for someone who is suffering.
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
Guided Exercise
With a partner to complete the following table to think of everyday forms
of self-denial that teens like you can practice.
Type of Sacrifice
Avoiding a sin
Avoiding a near
occasion of sin
Sacrificing an
innocent pleasure
Offering up an
unwanted suffering
Joining a sacrifice with
charity
Examples of Teen Self‐Denial
Example
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
Type of Sacrifice
Avoiding a sin
Avoiding a near
occasion of sin
Sacrificing an
innocent pleasure
Offering up an
unwanted suffering
Joining a sacrifice with
charity
Examples of Teen Self‐Denial
Example
Wanting to go out with your friends but not joining them
because you would all end up getting drunk.
Going to the beach early in the morning when it is empty
rather than in the middle of the day when it is full of people
of ten immodestly dressed.
Having a regular rather than a jumbo order of fries.
Getting up in the morning right away even though one is
dying to go back to sleep.
Offering a headache for your friend’s mother who has
cancer.
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
Sidebar: THE ROLE OF THE YOUTH IN THE CHURCH
Guided Exercise
Complete a focused reading of the sidebar “The Role of Youth in the
Church” using the following question:
What do you think are the two top reasons the Church values young people today?
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
Closure
Write a paragraph summarizing how the Christian is called to imitate
Christ’s example of prayer and self-sacrifice.
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
Homework Assignment
Reading:
Living Witnesses of Jesus Christ through Finding Holiness in our
Work.
Questions:
Study Questions 27–32.
Practical Exercise 7.
Workbook Questions 38–40.
7. Prayer and Sacrifice
Alternative Assessment
Free write on the form of prayer you consider the most important and
why.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
Part II: Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
Anticipatory Set
Free write for a few minutes using the following question:
How do you think it might be possible to make your work as a student help you
become a better person, i.e., more holy?
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
BASIC QUESTIONS
How do we evangelize?
What are the various Christian vocations?
How does family life contribute to holiness of life?
How can we sanctify our work?
KEY IDEAS
We carry out Christ’s mandate to evangelize by the witness of our
Christian lives and our ability to explain our faith at the right time.
The three primary vocations to the Christian life are Holy Orders, the
consecrated life, and the lay state.
Marriage and family life provide special opportunities to grow in
holiness.
Through our work, we can sanctify it, others, and ourselves.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
LIVING WITNESSES OF JESUS CHRIST
What is the basis of the Church’s missionary work?
Christ commissioned his Apostles, “Go… and make disciples of all
nations.”
What is the evangelical call today according to the Second Vatican
Council?
The Church today is “urgently called upon to save and renew every
creature, that all things may be restored in Christ and all men may
constitute one family in him and one People of God.”
Whose responsibility is missionary work?
While it is organized by the institutional Church, it is part of the
baptismal vocation shared by all Christians.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
What is the first and foremost method of carrying out missionary
activity?
It is Christian witness in the midst of society in which the followers of
Christ show understanding and acceptance of others and a willingness to
share in their lives in solidarity with all that is good and noble. This
witness shows non-Christians that God’s values surpass the values of the
world, and it raises questions in their hearts that only Christ can answer.
How did St. Francis describe Christian witness?
He said, “Preach the Gospel always; if necessary, use words.”
What is another thing a Christian must possess to evangelize
effectively?
A person must also know the Faith and be prepared to explain it if he or
she is to transmit the message of Christ effectively.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
Sidebar: Evangelizing Truths
Guided Exercise
Think/Pair/Share:
According to the sidebar “Evangelizing Truths,” why should the Church try to
convert every person to Christianity?
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
HOLINESS WITHIN OUR STATE OF LIFE
What is a vocation?
It is a specific, permanent state of life to which God calls a person.
What is the most common vocation in the Church?
The vast majority of the members of the Church are the laity, both
married and unmarried, who are called to live as Christ’s witnesses in
every activity according to their states of life—in family life, in ordinary
daily work, in the lay apostolate, and in the public square.
What is the connection between the common priesthood of all the
faithful and the lay state?
Lay people are to offer all the ordinary circumstances of their lives to
God.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
Guided Exercise
Complete the following table to identify the three major Christian
vocations.
Vocation
Holy Orders
Religious life
The Laity
Christian Vocations
Description
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
Vocation
Holy Orders
Religious life
The Laity
Christian Vocations
Description
The call to be pastors and shepherds of Christ’s flock, as bishops,
priests, and deacons.
The call to witness to the Gospel by permanently embracing
poverty, chastity, and obedience in the consecrated life,
sometimes in conjunction with Holy Orders.
The call to engage in everyday family and professional activities,
bringing the light of Christ to all one encounters.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
HOLINESS IN FAMILY LIFE
What is the vocation of married couples?
Husbands and wives “find their proper vocation in being witnesses of the
Faith and the love of Christ to one another and to their children.”
Who are the primary educators of children?
Their parents.
What is the most important educational job parents have?
To raise their children in the Faith through example and word.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
What virtues can children learn in family life?
Endurance, the joy of work, fraternal love, generous—even repeated—
forgiveness, tenderness, respect, fidelity, disinterested service, self-denial,
sound judgment, and self-mastery.
What are some duties of children toward their parents?
Children living at home are to regard their parents with love and gratitude,
showing their respect by docility and obedience. Grown children must
look after their sick or aging parents and provide both material and moral
support to them.
Should parents force their children to adopt a particular profession
or state in life?
No. They may give advice, but it is up to the child.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
Sidebar: ST. PAUL’S TEACHINGS
CONCERNING THE UNMARRIED
Guided Exercise
Based on the sidebar “Concerning the Unmarried,” discuss St. Paul’s
advice on marriage, trying to distinguish what he is saying about the
nature of marriage from what he advises about it.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
FINDING HOLINESS IN OUR WORK
Why is work able to be made holy?
It is the vocation God has given man from the beginning.
How can we sanctity our work, ourselves, and others when we work?
By performing our duties well, maintaining a cheerful and positive attitude,
and exercising Christian virtues, we can sanctify our work, ourselves, and
those who may find in us inspiration and exemplary behavior.
What are some virtues we can develop through our work?
Fairness, ethics, courtesy, kindness, and friendship. Extension: The natural
human virtues can be developed through work: for example, justice,
prudence, temperance and fortitude, just to mention the cardinal virtues.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
How can our work draw others to Christ?
If we are Christ-like in our work, others will be drawn to us and wonder
why we are this way. This provides an opportunity to explain to them why.
How can work be redemptive?
We can offer the difficulties of our work in union with the life of Christ,
both his own work and his Passion.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
Closure
Write a one-sentence summary of each of the sections of our text
discussed in this lesson.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
Homework Assignment
Reading:
The Lay Apostolate through Conclusion.
Questions:
Study Questions 38–41.
Practical Exercise 8.
Workbook Question 41.
8. Seeking Holiness in Daily Life
Alternative Assessment
Pick an occupation you know something about and then free write for
five minutes on how you might sanctify that work, that is:
1.serve God and neighbor;
2.perform your work in an exemplary manner; and
3.exercise human and Christian virtues.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
Anticipatory Set
Class discussion:
What are you views about how involved you should be in politics now
and when you are an adult?
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
BASIC QUESTIONS
What is the apostolate of the laity?
What is the responsibility of the laity in public life?
What is the consecrated life?
What are the main forms of consecrated life today?
KEY IDEAS
The lay apostolate is the laity’s work of building up the Church according to
their gifts and talents in the family, the workplace, the Church’s formal work,
and culture and politics.
In public life the laity have the responsibility to promote the common good.
Some persons are called to live the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty,
and obedience in an exemplary way by the consecrated life.
The three main types of consecrated life today are religious orders and
congregations, societies for apostolic life, and secular institutes.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
THE LAY APOSTOLATE
What is the apostolate?
It is the task of building up the Church, which is shared by all her
members according to the gifts and talents God has given them.
What is the basis of a fruitful apostolate?
The fruitfulness of a person’s apostolate depends on his or her union with
Christ.
What is the source of the various gifts that Christians possess to
help build up the Body of Christ?
The Holy Spirit.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
What Sacraments give each member of the Body of Christ the right
and duty to work so that the divine message of salvation may be
known and accepted by all people throughout the earth?
The Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
What is a work of service, or charity?
It is any good done to or for a person in need.
Under what circumstances should Christians perform works of
charity?
Whenever they encounter anyone in need.
How do Christians make their works of charity unexceptionable?
A Christian’s work of charity will be beyond criticism in appearance as
well as in fact if he considers his neighbor as a person made in the image
of God and as another Christ.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
Guided Exercise
Think/Pair/Write/Share:
If it is true that God’s will is that each person’s apostolate primarily consist of
carrying out the duties of his state in life (“the fulfillment of those duties proper to our
own God-given vocation”), then how can you best do your apostolate now?
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
Sidebar: Saint Thomas More
What was St. Thomas More’s state in life?
He was a layperson who was married with children.
What were some of St. Thomas More’s religious practices?
He attended daily Mass, prayed, fasted, and wore a hair shirt under his splendid
robes as a mortification.
What were St. Thomas More’s “crimes”?
He refused to sign the Act of Succession, which said that the children of Henry
VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, were rightful heirs to the throne, and he
refused to acknowledge Henry as the supreme head of the Church in England.
How did St. Thomas More show great trust in God?
Even though he was afraid of facing death, he believed that whatever God sent
him would be “the best.”
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
Sidebar: THEY WILL KNOW YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES
How will non-Christians recognize disciples of Christ according to
Christ himself ?
By the love they have for one another.
Based on Pope Bl. John Paul II’s words, what has the Church done
better than any other religious society?
No religious society has every inspired as many works of charity as the
Church.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
LIVING OUR FAITH IN THE MIDST OF THE WORLD
What four areas of life do the laity have the responsibility to shape
according to the will of God?
The (1) family, (2) the workplace, (3) the apostolate, and (4) culture and
politics. Extension: These are areas in which the clergy have no direct
responsibility.
What is the difference between the duties of the clergy and the laity
when it comes to public policy?
The bishops and clergy address issues of public policy insofar as they
involve questions of morality and the common good. The laity get
involved in the political and policymaking process at every level of
government and society. Extension: The Magisterium teaches principles;
the laity put them into effect in secular society.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
According to Catholic social teaching, what is legitimate political
authority?
That which is committed to the common good and seeks to attain the
common good by morally acceptable means.
What are the common good and its three essential elements?
The common good is the sum total of social conditions that allow people,
either as groups or individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and
more easily. Its three essential elements are respect for and promotion of
the fundamental rights of the person; prosperity, or the development of
the spiritual and temporal goods of society; and the peace and security of
the group and of its members.
Whose responsibility is the promotion of the common good?
It is the responsibility of the government and every individual member of
society.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
Guided Exercise
Work with a partner to identify ways in which the lay faithful are to
promote the common good.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
VOCATION TO THE CONSECRATED LIFE
What is the consecrated life?
It is a permanent state of life characterized by the profession of the
evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
What are some examples of consecrated life?
Women religious (often referred to as sisters or nuns), religious brothers,
clergy who are members of a religious order or institute, and consecrated
virgins.
What do the different forms of consecrated life have in common?
The commitment to a radical imitation of Christ that bears witness to the
Gospel and serves the Church’s mission.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
What are three of the greatest natural gifts that God has given us?
Our possessions, our sexuality, and our freedom.
What three thing does the world “worship” most highly?
Money, sex, and power.
What kind of life did Christ embrace in obedience to his father?
Material poverty, chastity, and obedience to the Father.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
What form of chastity do those who follow the evangelical counsels
embrace?
Celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
How does the consecrated life give prophetic witness of life in
Heaven according to the Catechism, no. 933?
The consecrated state of life reveals more clearly to all believers the
heavenly goods that are already present in this age, witness to the new and
eternal life that we have acquired through the redemptive work of Christ,
and prelude our future resurrection and the glory of the heavenly
kingdom.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
Guided Exercise
Free write on the following prompt:
The Church teaches that every follower of Christ is called to live chastity, poverty, and
obedience appropriate to his or her state in life. How can Catholic teenagers carry out
this responsibility?
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
TYPES OF CONSECRATED LIFE
Guided Exercise
Complete the following graphic to identify the three major forms of
consecrated life.
Type
Religious Orders and
Congregations
Societies for Apostolic
Life
Secular Institutes
Three Main Types of Consecrated Life
Description
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
Three Main Types of Consecrated Life
Description
Communities whose members make public vows of
poverty, chastity, and obedience and strive to live a life of
holiness in community. In addition to a special focus on
prayer and penance, some orders may be involved in
particular works of mercy, such as service to the poor,
education, and preaching.
Societies for Apostolic Members serve society and the world outside of the
Life
traditional cloistered life (the monastery or convent) by
embracing the evangelical councils privately and being
involved in the world, performing works of service, such as
missionary activities, charity, social work, education, and
health care.
Secular Institutes
Institutes of consecrated life in which the Christian Faithful
living in the world strive for the perfection of charity and
work for the sanctification of the world, especially from
within.
Type
Religious Orders and
Congregations
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
Closure
Write a paragraph summarizing the vocation that lay people are called to.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
Homework Assignment
Questions:
Study Questions 40–41.
Workbook Questions 42–47.
9. The Responsibilities of the Laity; Consecrated Life
Alternative Assessment
Free write on the following:
(1)which of the three states in life (clerical, consecrated, or lay) is
intrinsically the highest calling; and
(2)which is the most appealing to you personally.
The End