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Sharing in the Eucharist
Confirmation Class
Overview

First Thoughts

Opening Ritual

Solidarity

Passover

“The Lamb of God”

An Offering of Love

Eucharist: Life Changing Encounter

Sacrifice

One Mind and Heart with Christ

Confirmation and Eucharist

The Church Lives the Faith

Living the Faith
First Thoughts

In the Eucharist Jesus comes to us and offers us the
strength to transform our lives

Through the Lord’s Supper we receive the grace to
transform our lives in Christ
Opening Ritual

Turn to page 107 for the Opening Ritual

Need one volunteer (reader) in the Opening Ritual

Show reverence during the ceremony and during the
Sharing of Bread ritual

Once finished with the Opening
Ritual have a seat
Opening Ritual
What was your experience as you shared
the bread and connected it with those
who are suffering?
Do you remember where you were when
you heard of the 9/11 terrorism activities?
Do you recall any solidarity, or
connection, with the victims or with your
own families? Please explain.
In what way does your experience of solidarity,
with those who suffer, help you better
understand the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins?
What is Passover?
Passover

The Hebrew word for Passover, pesah, is
translated pascha in Greek

Gospels clearly link the Paschal Mystery with
Passover
The Lamb of God

Turn to page 78 and read, “The Lamb of God”
• Highlight the key points
The Lamb of God

Slaughter of the Passover lamb
• Blood marked the doorposts of the homes of the
Israelites. This signaled the Lord to “pass over that door
and not let the destroyer come into your houses (Exodus
12:23)

Jesus is “the Lamb of God”
• “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”
(John 1:29)
• Innocent blood of Jesus delivered humanity from the
slavery of sin and power of death
The Lamb of God
In the Eucharist, we share in the
Body and Blood of Christ, the Lamb
of God who takes away the sins of
both the living and dead
An Offering of Love

Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)
• Nicodemus came to Jesus in the darkness of night
• Jesus told Nicodemus he couldn’t enter the kingdom of
God without being born of water and Spirit
• The symbolism used was one of lightness and darkness

In your reading, we have another either-or choice, one
of light and darkness
• Judas faced an either-or decision: Should he betray
Jesus and hand him over to certain death, or treat Jesus
as would a loyal and faithful disciple?
An Offering of Love

After Judas makes his choice, John very
deliberately states, “And it was night” (John
13:30)
How does a history of innocent suffering link
the Jewish Passover and the Eucharist?
Eucharist: Life-Changing Encounter

The Bible is filled with account of people’s life-changing
encounters with God
• Many took place during a meal or were followed by or
commemorated in a meal
• For example, the two disciples who recognized the Risen
Lord in breaking of the bread
• Read Luke 24: 29-31
What is a sacrifice?
Faith Vocabulary - Sacrifice
The free offering, out of love, of
something of great value, for
example, one’s life
Faith Vocabulary - Sacrifice

Old Testament
• Sacrifice was a festive time of thanksgiving to God
• The larger the sacrifice, the greater the joy one
expressed towards God

Creation of the Temple
• The purpose of the Temple was to house God, to feed
God in exchange for God’s protection
• Annual trip to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple
Faith Vocabulary - Sacrifice

Destruction of the Temple
• Worship shifted from sacrificial offering to prayer

New Testament
• Sacrifice becomes key way to understand the death of
Christ and the celebration of the Eucharist
• In participating at Eucharist we participate in the
Paschal Mystery
• We offer ourselves as a living sacrifice
• Holy and pleasing to God
Group Exercise

Read silently …
• “Eucharist: Life-Changing Encounter” on page 80
• “One Mind and Heart with Christ” on page 81
How does sharing in the
Eucharist transform our lives?
Eucharist: Life-Changing Encounter

There are two sides to every life-changing encounter
with the Mystery of God
• God’s part and
• Our response

God is present and active at every Eucharist celebration
in many ways
• In the Scripture
• The assembly
• The priest
• In the Body and Blood Christ
One Mind and Heart with Christ

The power of the holy Spirit is at work in the
Eucharist to …
• deepen our union with Christ,
• deepen our unity the Church,
• separate us from sin,
• and commit us to the poor
One Mind and Heart with Christ

Externally
• Listen
• Respond to prayers
• Singing

Internally
• Lift your mind and heart to God
• Let God guide you to be aware of what is happening
inside you
Small Group Exercise

Break into groups of 3 or 4

Individually and silently read the Bible verses
assigned to your group

Once everyone is finished reading, complete the
“Life-Changing Encounters” worksheet, as a group

Each group will share their responses with the
whole group
Noah and the Flood
Genesis 9:1-13

Who is having an encounter with God?
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What is God doing in the encounter?
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What is the person or people doing in the encounter?
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Describe the result of the encounter. How was it
life-changing, or transforming?
Abraham and Isaac
Genesis 22:1-14

Who is having an encounter with God?

What is God doing in the encounter?

What is the person or people doing in the encounter?

Describe the result of the encounter. How was it
life-changing, or transforming?
Moses and the Covenant
Exodus 24:1-8

Who is having an encounter with God?

What is God doing in the encounter?

What is the person or people doing in the encounter?

Describe the result of the encounter. How was it
life-changing, or transforming?
What excuses do some teens make for not
fulfilling their responsibility of taking part
regularly in Mass on Sundays and
holy days of obligation?
Holy Days of Obligation
Date
Holy Day
Comments
1 Jan
Mary, Mother of God
Honors Mary as the mother of Jesus
Christ
16 May
Ascension of the Lord
40th day after Easter commemorating
the Ascension of Christ into heaven
15 Aug
Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin (T)
(1) The happy departure of Mary from
this life; (2) the assumption of her body
into heaven
1 Nov
All Saints
To honor all the saints, known and
unknown
8 Dec
Feast of the Immaculate
Conception
Immaculate conception of Mary
25 Dec
Christmas
Birth of Christ
Liturgy Link
One of the special graces of the Eucharist
connects us to the poor and suffering and
demands that we stand in solidarity with them
and act on their behalf.
The Eucharist commits us to the poor. To
receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ
given up for us, we must recognize Christ in the
poorest, his brethren
Ref: CCC 1397
Confirmation and Eucharist

Sacraments of Christian Initiation
• Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist
• Foundation of Christian life

In the Beginning
• Preparation for celebrating these sacraments lasted for
many years and took place in a process known as the
catechumenate
Confirmation and Eucharist

Centuries later
• Confirmation became separated from Baptism and the
Eucharist; infant Baptism became the norm; sharing in
the Eucharist was not allowed until the child had first
been confirmed (o/a 12 yrs of age)

Beginning of the 20th Century
• Baptized as infants; permitted to receive Communion at
the age of reason, or discretion, around the age of 7;
Confirmation was celebrated at a later age
Transformed into the Body of Christ

Confirmation stresses the connection of this
sacrament to the Eucharist
• You must have a genuine desire to fully, consciously
and actively share in the Eucharist
• You’re transformed into the Body of Christ as a full
member of his Church
Individual Exercise

On page 83, read the Lifelinks section at the bottom
of the page

Close your eyes in prayer asking the holy Spirit to
show you how to participate in the Mass each
Sunday more fully, actively, and consciously
How can you more fully, actively, and
consciously participate in the
Mass each Sunday?
The Church Lives the Faith
Catholic Relief Services

The bishops of the US recognize Christ in the poorest by
participating in the work of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

CRS stand in solidarity with the poor of the world in their work
in Niger, since 1991, one of the poorest nations in the entire
world
• Smaller than Alaska
• 63% of 12.5 million people
live on less than one US
dollar a day
• 40% of children are
malnourished
• 84% of adults cannot read
or write
The Church Lives the Faith
Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) include the following:
• Food for Work: Help over 40,000 household learn
sustainable agriculture techniques, improve local
infrastructure, and feed their families
• Food Security: Promotes sustainable agriculture, natural
resource management, and improved health and
nutrition in 120 villages
• Nomad Education: Runs an education project helping
nomad children access quality primary education
Living the Faith

The Sermon on the Mount presents a vision and
summary of how the disciples of Jesus are to bear
witness to their faith in him

These actions are key to what it means for you to
participate in the Eucharist at a deep level (fully,
actively, and consciously participating in the
Eucharistic celebration)
Faith Decision
The Beatitude
Beatitude in
Contemporary Language
Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for theirs is the
Kingdom of heaven.
People who have faith and
trust in God above all else
know God loves them.
Beatitude in Action
Keep God first in their
lives.
The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:3-11
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter
every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me.
Summary

First Thoughts

Opening Ritual

Solidarity

Passover

“The Lamb of God”

An Offering of Love

Eucharist: Life Changing Encounter

Sacrifice

One Mind and Heart with Christ

Confirmation and Eucharist

The Church Lives the Faith

Living the Faith