A long, long list of vocabulary (8)

Eucharist

Definition- The Christian ceremony commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed

Transubstantiation- during the moment of consecration the bread and wine are and truly become the body and blood of Christ

Other Names for the Eucharist- Lord’s Supper, Breaking of Bread, Eucharistic Assembly, Memorial, Holy Sacrifice, Holy and Divine Liturgy, Holy Communion, Mass

Proper Matter- wheat based bread and pure grape wine

Correct words/form- “This is my body…this is the chalice of my blood”

Designated Minister- Bishop or Priest

Requirements for Reception- Baptism, to receive Communion worthily, you must be in a state of grace, have made a good confession since your last mortal sin, believe in transubstantiation, observe the Eucharistic fast, and, finally, not be under an ecclesiastical censure such as excommunication

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Confirmation

Definition- The rite at which a baptized person affirms Christian belief and is admitted as a full member of the church

Proper Matter- Anointing with Chrism

Correct Words/Form- “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”, oil on the forehead as a sign of the Cross

Designated Minister- Bishop

Fruits of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

Gifts of the Holy Spirit- Wisdom, counsel, piety, fortitude, fear of the Lord, knowledge, understanding

Pentecost- the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles

Effects/Implications- completes Baptism, roots us more deeply in the divine filiation, unites us more firmly with Christ, increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us, renders our bond with the Church more perfect, gives us special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith as witnesses of Christ and to never be ashamed of the Cross

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Baptism

Proper Matter- flowing water

Correct words/form- “I Baptize you in the name of the Father, and of  the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”

Designated Minister- Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, in cases of emergency, anyone

Catechumens- A Christian convert under instruction before baptism; A young Christian preparing for confirmation.

White Garment- “The white garment represents putting on Christ. Announcing that the believer has become a new creature, having been clothed with Christ, the Priest places the white garment on the new Christian. He then proclaims that this garment is the outward sign of the believer's Christian dignity. In the case of infants, with the help of the parents, godparents and friend, by their words and examples, it is proclaimed that the newly baptised child be allowed to bring that dignity unstained into the Heavenly eternal life” (Catholic Doors)

Baptismal Candle- “Taking the Easter candle, the priest says, "Receive the light of Christ."Then, when an infant is involved, the father or the godfather lights the child's candle from the Easter candle. The priest tells the parents and godparents that they have been entrusted with this light so it will be kept burning brightly. Having been enlightened by Christ, the child is to always walk as a child of the light. The flame of faith which is in his heart is to be kept alive at all time so when the Lord comes, he will go out to meet Him with all the saints of the Heavenly Kingdom” (Catholic Doors)

Oils of Baptism- “The Sacred Chrism is a perfumed oil that has been consecrated by the Bishop. (C.C.C. # 1241) When the Priest anoints the one to be baptised, he asks God to bless the believer with all the necessary graces to achieve a Christian life. The Word 'Christian' comes from the name of 'Christ' which means 'Anointed One'. The baptised person is admitted into the common priesthood of which Jesus is the High Priest” (Catholic Doors)

Water- “Water is used during the Sacrament of Baptism because it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It shows the actions of the Holy Spirit during the rebirth of Baptism in God. (C.C.C. # 1213) From the believer's heart will flow rivers of living water. [Jn. 4:10; 7:38-9]” (Catholic Doors)

Effects of Baptism- washes us of sin, die and rise with Christ/freed from original sin, adopted son or daughter of God, become a part of a family (the Church), indelible character, gives the gift of the Holy Spirit

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Holy Orders

Vicar- A representative or deputy of a bishop

Ecumenical Council- one of seven gatherings of bishops from around the known world under the presidency of the Pope to regulate matters of faith and morals and discipline

Infallibility- The doctrine that the pope is incapable of error in pronouncing dogma

Dalmatic- wide-sleeved overgarment with slit sides worn by a deacon or prelate

Bishops- “Bishops are the successors to the Apostles in an ‘unbroken succession going back to the beginning’” (“Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick”, Peter Kreeft)

Pope- the Bishop of Rome, successor of the Apostle, Peter, leader of the Catholic Church

Priest- “co-workers of the Episcopal order for the proper fulfillment of the apostolic mission” (CCC 1562)

Deacon- assist priest, ordained unto the ministry

Cardinal- A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and making themselves available individually or in groups to the pope if he requests their counsel. Most cardinals have additional duties, such as leading a diocese or archdiocese or running a department of the Roman Curia. (Wikipedia)

Three Degrees of Holy Orders-

1554 "The divinely instituted ecclesiastical ministry is exercised in different degrees by those who even from ancient times have been called bishops, priests, and deacons."³² Catholic doctrine, expressed in the liturgy, the Magisterium, and the constant practice of the Church, recognizes that there are two degrees of ministerial participation in the priesthood of Christ: the episcopacy and the presbyterate . The diaconate is intended to help and serve them. For this reason the term sacerdos in current usage denotes bishops and priests but not deacons. Yet Catholic doctrine teaches that the degrees of priestly participation (episcopate and presbyterate) and the degree of service (diaconate) are all three conferred by a sacramental act called "ordination," that is, by the sacrament of Holy Orders:

Let everyone revere the deacons as Jesus Christ, the bishop as the image of the Father, and the presbyters as the senate of God and the assembly of the apostles. For without them one cannot speak of the Church.³³ (CCC)

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Matrimony

 

Declaration of Nullity-

1626 The Church holds the exchange of consent between the spouses to be the indispensable element that "makes the marriage."¹²⁷ If consent is lacking there is no marriage.

1627 The consent consists in a "human act by which the partners mutually give themselves to each other": "I take you to be my wife" - "I take you to be my husband."¹²⁸ This consent that binds the spouses to each other finds its fulfillment in the two "becoming one flesh."¹²⁹

1628 The consent must be an act of the will of each of the contracting parties, free of coercion or grave external fear.¹³⁰ No human power can substitute for this consent.¹³¹ If this freedom is lacking the marriage is invalid.

1629 For this reason (or for other reasons that render the marriage null and void) the Church, after an examination of the situation by the competent ecclesiastical tribunal, can declare the nullity of a marriage, i.e., that the marriage never existed.¹³² In this case the contracting parties are free to marry, provided the natural obligations of a previous union are discharged.¹³³

The marriage is declared nullified and therefore ceases to exist

Adultery- infidelity of a partner in marriage to his or her spouse through the act of sex with a person the partner is not married to.

Annulment- A term in matrimony that means the marriage was invalid or never existed

Purpose of Marriage- Unity- the marriage must be unifying meaning the consent comes from both persons and if a child is born the child will learn who God is through male and female perspectives. Procreation- Sex in marriage must be open to creation and procreative meaning nothing can obstruct the reproductive organs such as contraception or should the organs be used in other ways such as oral or anal penetration.

Scriptural Basis of Marriage- Genesis 1:22, “be fruitful and multiply”-Procreation

1602 Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of

"the wedding-feast of the Lamb."(Revelation 19:7, 9)

⁸⁵ Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its "mystery," its institution and the meaning God has given it, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal "in the Lord" in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church.⁸⁶  (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Rites for celebrating marriage-

1621 In the Latin Rite the celebration of marriage between two Catholic faithful normally takes place during Holy Mass, because of the connection of all the sacraments with the Paschal mystery of Christ. [Cf. SC 61] In the Eucharist the memorial of the New Covenant is realized, the New Covenant in which Christ has united himself for ever to the Church, his beloved bride for whom he gave himself up. [Cf. LG 6] It is therefore fitting that the spouses should seal their consent to give themselves to each other through the offering of their own lives by uniting it to the offering of Christ for his Church made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice, and by receiving the Eucharist so that, communicating in the same Body and the same Blood of Christ, they may form but "one body" in Christ. [Cf. 1 Cor 10:17]

1622 "…It is therefore appropriate for the bride and groom to prepare themselves for the celebration of their marriage by receiving the sacrament of penance.

1623 In the Latin Church, it is ordinarily understood that the spouses, as ministers of Christ's grace, mutually confer upon each other the sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church. In the Eastern liturgies the minister of this sacrament (which is called "Crowning") is the priest or bishop who, after receiving the mutual consent of the spouses, successively crowns the bridegroom and the bride as a sign of the marriage covenant.

1624 The various liturgies abound in prayers of blessing and epiclesis asking God's grace and blessing on the new couple, especially the bride. In the epiclesis of this sacrament the spouses receive the Holy Spirit as the communion of love of Christ and the Church. [Cf. Eph 5:32] The Holy Spirit is the seal of their covenant, the ever available source of their love and the strength to renew their fidelity. (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Grace-

“Since the sacrament of Matrimony is to be a reflection of the selfless love of Christ for His Church, the principal grace of this sacrament is the gift of selfless love.

Christ our Lord has abundantly blessed this love, which is rich in its various features, coming as it does from the spring of divine love and modeled on Christ’s own union with the Church. Just as of old God encountered His people with a covenant of love and fidelity, so our Savior, the Spouse of the Church, now encounters Christian spouses through the sacrament of Marriage. He abides in them in order that by their mutual self-giving, spouses will love each other with enduring fidelity, as He loved the Church and delivered Himself for her….

Marriage and married love are, by nature, ordered to the procreation and education of children . . . true married love and the whole structure of family life which results from it is directed to disposing the spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will increase and enrich His family from day to day (The Church in the Modern World, 50).

The Church has summarized the graces of the sacrament of Marriage in two terms: “procreative love” and “unitive love.”

By the grace of unitive love, married spouses are given supernatural light and strength to remain united and grow in their mutual charity all the days of their lives. But they also receive the grace to share their very being with others, who are not yet conceived or born. Their love is, therefore, also procreative, going outside themselves to the children that God wants to send them. After the children are brought into the world, the sacrament further enables father and mother to provide for the bodily and spiritual needs of their offspring. (The Real Presence)

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Reconciliation

Penance- Penance (poenitentia) designates (1) a virtue; (2) a sacrament of the New Law; (3) a canonical punishment inflicted according to the earlier discipline of the Church; (4) a work of satisfaction enjoined upon the recipient of the sacrament. These have as their common centre the truth that he who sins must repent and as far as possible make reparation to Divine justice. Repentance, i.e., heartfelt sorrow with the firm purpose of sinning no more, is thus the prime condition on which depends the value of whatever the sinner may do or suffer by way of expiation. (New Advent)

Confession- acknowledging sins and acting the sacrament of reconciliation in which you tell a priest your sins and are absolved by God.

"something (“ion”) spoken (“fess”) in the presence of or with (“con”) someone else".-(Wikepedia)

Examination of Conscience- “all the thoughts, words, and deeds of the soul are brought to the surface, examined, and considered in conformity with the law of God” (Bishop Fulton Sheen, “The Sacrament of Penance”)

Absolution- “It is Christ Himself who, in the moment of absolution, forgives sins through the priest, because a sin is an offence against God and only God can forgive it.” (Confession PowerPoint) It is the washing away of sin in the sacrament.

 

Sin- a moral evil or act against God that poisons the body and soul

 

Mortal Sin- a severe sin that rejects the relationship with Christ. An act done in knowledge of its severity and causing spiritual death.

 

Venial Sin- a sin not resulting in the complete separation from God but still poisons the body and needs to be confessed.

 

Sacramental Seal- When a person unburdens his soul and confesses his sins to a priest in the Sacrament of Penance, a very sacred trust is formed. The priest must maintain absolute secrecy about anything that a person confesses. (Catholic Education Resource Center)

 

Concupiscence- the propensity or inclination to sin

 

Grace of Reconciliation-

1446 Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as "the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace." (CCC)

 

Who forgives sin?-God

 

What is the role of the priest?- the person “empowered by God with authority to forgives sins…train[ed] [by] the human heart to heal the wounds of others, and then seal his lips forever that what he has learned as God’s representative be never revealed to men” (Bishop Fulton Sheen “Sacrament of Penance”).

 

How often should one attend confession?- At minimum once yearly but if one has committed a mortal sin you must go before you receive the Eucharist. Otherwise, go as often as needed.

 

Who administers the sacrament?- Bishop or Priest

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Anointing of the Sick

Original Sin- Sin inherited in birth from Adam and Eve, eating of the tree prohibited by God because they were infused with doubt that God was withholding something from them and was therefore their master. Original sin is cleansed in Baptism but disintegrates intellect, will and emotions leaving us with the propensity to sin, otherwise known as ‘concupiscence’.

Who Administers the sacrament?- A Bishop or Priest

Who can receive the sacrament?-

1514 The Anointing of the Sick "is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived."¹³⁰

1515 If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person's condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced. (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Celebration of the Sacrament-

1517 Like all the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal celebration,¹³² whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital or church, for a single sick person or a whole group of sick persons. It is very fitting to celebrate it within the Eucharist, the memorial of the Lord's Passover. If circumstances suggest it, the celebration of the sacrament can be preceded by the sacrament of Penance and followed by the sacrament of the Eucharist. As the sacrament of Christ's Passover the Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the "viaticum" for "passing over" to eternal life.

1518 Word and sacrament form an indivisible whole. The Liturgy of the Word, preceded by an act of repentance, opens the celebration. The words of Christ, the witness of the apostles, awaken the faith of the sick person and of the community to ask the Lord for the strength of his Spirit.

1519 The celebration of the sacrament includes the following principal elements: the "priests of the Church"¹³³ - in silence - lay hands on the sick; they pray over them in the faith of the Church¹³⁴ - this is the epiclesis proper to this sacrament; they then anoint them with oil blessed, if possible, by the bishop. (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Grace Received-

1520 A particular gift of the Holy Spirit. The first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age. This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who renews trust and faith in God and strengthens against the temptations of the evil one, the temptation to discouragement and anguish in the face of death.¹³⁵ This assistance from the Lord by the power of his Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of the soul, but also of the body if such is God's will.¹³⁶ Furthermore, "if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."¹³⁷

1521 Union with the passion of Christ. By the grace of this sacrament the sick person receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ's Passion: in a certain way he is consecrated to bear fruit by configuration to the Savior's redemptive Passion. Suffering, a consequence of original sin, acquires a new meaning; it becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus.

1522 An ecclesial grace. The sick who receive this sacrament, "by freely uniting themselves to the passion and death of Christ," "contribute to the good of the People of God."¹³⁸ By celebrating this sacrament the Church, in the communion of saints, intercedes for the benefit of the sick person, and he, for his part, though the grace of this sacrament, contributes to the sanctification of the Church and to the good of all men for whom the Church suffers and offers herself through Christ to God the Father. (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Four Main Effects-

1.      1520 A particular gift of the Holy Spirit. The first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age. This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who renews trust and faith in God and strengthens against the temptations of the evil one, the temptation to discouragement and anguish in the face of death.

2.      This assistance from the Lord by the power of his Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of the soul, but also of the body if such is God's will.¹³⁶ Furthermore, "if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."¹³⁷

3.      Furthermore, "if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."¹³⁷

4.      1521 Union with the passion of Christ. By the grace of this sacrament the sick person receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ's Passion: in a certain way he is consecrated to bear fruit by configuration to the Savior's redemptive Passion. Suffering, a consequence of original sin, acquires a new meaning; it becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus.

(Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Apostolate- the office or mission of an apostle

Oil of the Sick- the olive oil blessed by the bishop of a diocese for use in the sacrament of anointing of the sick. Commonly abbreviated O.I. (oleum infirmorum, oil of the sick) on oil stocks used by priests. (Catholic Culture)

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Introductory Unit

 

Heart- “It is a muscle, but it is a strange muscle because it is a hollow muscle that contains in itself something other than its fivers, and also because unlike other muscles it isn’t directly dependent on my will and decision…Thus, the heart is the sign that our being is received, but also that our being is offered. It is the sign that I have not given myself life, but also that I need to offer it if I don’t want simply to lose it, because all the blood that flows must be shed” (Fabrice Hadjadj, “What is the Heart”).

 

X and Arrows-

The horizontal line is human history and the arrows are the various arrows attempting to reach the X or the unknown. Christians claim the unknown is God and that He has entered the world through his son, Jesus Christ. (“3. The Christian Claim: The Unknown Has Entered the World”)

 

Desire- unlimited dependence on things we want to become happy. There are four main desires, desires of Love, Justice, Beauty, and Truth.

 

Reality- The world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them: "he refuses to face reality". (Google)

 

Four Truths of the “I”-

1.      I didn’t make myself

2.      I have unlimited desires

3.      My abilities are limited

4.      Everything I do is to attain happiness

 

Religious Sense- the nature of reason expresses itself in the ultimate need for truth, goodness, and beauty. These needs constitute the fabric of the religious sense, which is evident in every human being everywhere and in all times. So strong is this sense that it leads one to desire that the answer to life's mystery might reveal itself in some way. (Google) Luigi Giussani wrote a book about the religious sense, the desire or looking for the answer to life.

Ontology- from the word roots, ‘ontos’-“being”, existence and ‘logos’-word, “reason”;meaning. Ontology is the study of being or existence.

 Being- being is existence which is structured by the four truths of “I”.

I Confess (Extra Credit Assignment)

Christ bears the cross and the Priest was bearing the difficulty of keeping the seal of confession

           Only God can forgive sins and he does so through man, or a priest. Confession is a divine institution therefore it is God’s will that priests hear confessions and through priests God forgives sins. The priest remained faithful to his vow of not revealing anything from a confession because he understood the sacrament of Penance. The priest understood that he was just a body to fill the ears of God and receive the humiliation from the man who committed the murder. Had he revealed the information the confession would no longer be between the murderer and God.

            The end of the movie demonstrates that Hitchcock understood the sacrament of Penance and captured the difficulty of the seal of confession well. I read an article in which a Deacon studying to become a priest looks at the movie with admiration. He likes how Hitchcock is able to show that it is no easy task to bear the vows of a priest but it is possible to keep those vows. Hitchcock must have viewed God in an understanding light and understood his power and figure over priests, particularly the main character of the movie. Though it seems difficult, the priest never loses his truth and vow to God.

            While I was watching the movie I was really hoping that the priest would not break his seal. I would have been disappointed with Hitchcock if he had let the priest do so. Therefore, I would have ended the movie in a similar way in that respect. However, I would have liked there to be more concrete resolution. I would have liked either the wife to incriminate her husband or the husband to have confessed to the police himself. I wanted justice, not in a harsh way but just for closure purposes. However, the key part was that the priest never broke the seal of confession and was known by the audience to be not guilty. 

In-Class Essay Critique

           The first issue is the point of view and the perspective that the essay takes. The perspective is from someone outside of Christianity, not even someone very well-educated on the topic that is written about. Writing from the opposing view may help see the concepts in a different way but this essay failed to do so accurately. The ideas presented are distorted and do not line up with the focuses that have been presented in class.

            The next issue is the essay’s relativity to the prompt that was provided. A quote by Luigi Giussani was provided and a few questions to aid in developing a focus or topic. This essay seemed to diverge from that path and take its own path that was inaccurate and strange. The essay created an analogy about the relationship between God and reality. The analogy might have initially had a clever intention, but looking back on it, it was not good.  It was trying to get at God’s covenants with his people in the Old Testament and how each time they failed; God gave people another chance until he sent his son, Christ. However, the way the argument was put forth was weak and not well planned or reflected upon.

            Overall, the essay seems sort of cynical or at least negative towards Christianity. The analogy was clever but executed poorly and inaccurately. Compared the works and things the class has addressed, this essay seemed to negate most things. The point of view taken kindled the negative approach and helped create a cynical view. The essay got on a roller coaster ride but was not harnessed securely to the seat and took a fall to imminent death.

A Universal Call to Holiness

Universal Call to Holiness

“…If I need something, I chase after it if it goes away”

            I take numerous things for granted and I see this quote parallel with that because it correlates with the phrase, “You don’t know what you have until it is gone”. For instance, Jesus Christ lived on earth for approximately thirty-three years and then he was gone. At first the Apostles were at a loss and kept themselves locked up in a room until Christ came and told them not to be afraid but to go out and teach. In a way they began ‘chasing’ Christ because they wanted to attain his state of divinity or perfection. This is the Universal Call to Holiness, to ‘chase’ after Christ and the perfection and beauty he embodies.

“Has the Church failed mankind, or has mankind failed the Church?” “…Both, both, because first and foremost it is mankind who failed the Church, because if I need something, I chase after it if it goes away. No one chased after it…The Church began to fail mankind, as I see it…because she forgot who Christ was, she did not rely on…, she was ashamed of Christ, of saying who Christ is.”

            T.S. Eliot finds fault with Catholics and the Church because they have failed to respond and encounter holiness. Instead of attaining perfection and beauty or truth, the same truth and beauty that Jesus possessed, mankind has remained stagnant in his desires and evil. For everyday Catholics this implies the necessity for improvement and a reinvigoration to the call to holiness. Instead of continuing to submit to the antagonist of beauty, that is, evil, Catholics must reject evil and look to the epitome of truth, Jesus Christ. Catholics are at an advantage too because they already possess the initial grace given to them at Baptism. To take it just a step further and make the effort to become perfect is the solution to the call to holiness.

“…she was ashamed of Christ, of saying who Christ is.”

            Shame is weakness. Christ endured persecution to the point of death on the cross and he expects us to be able to endure pain and tribulations with hard hearts. To be ashamed of saying who Christ is punctuates the inability to dedicate ourselves to the cause. To say who Christ is without shame is to take on the challenge of receiving blows and derogatory comments but still holding the message above pain and showing confidence in what we are fighting for. This is also incorporated in the call to holiness because it is another facet of perfection. Perfection encompasses purity of heart, compassion, love, obedience, and conformity to Father’s will. The ultimate goal is to love God and love our neighbor. God sent his son who was the perfect model of perfection. He possessed all the facets of perfection and loved his neighbor. He said who his Father was with no shame and expects his followers to do the same in his name.

Universal Call to Holiness

            The goal is to imitate Christ because he was perfect. Likewise, his mother, Mary, followed the call to holiness and sets the same example as her son. There were/are others to, the ones called saints who were able to embrace holiness and work for perfection in their lives. The

Church is holy because Christ is holy, therefore as members of the Church in Baptism, the Church’s members are also holy. In order to achieve the level of holiness Jesus had we have to “become what we are”. We are the Church and the Church is holy. The arrow always points to the “X” which for the case of Catholics is the Father, Son and Spirit. The arrow points in an infinite direction upward because the nature of the call to holiness is everlasting. Perfection is a high goal, a goal that will make us happy and hard in our hearts. No matter how difficult, to be united with God is truly worth it.

"She Went by Gently"-Paul Vincent Carroll, Responses

A gift of Baptism is the ability to love others as God loves us. How is this ability seen in the women’s treatment of the girl?

God loves unconditionally and irrevocably with commitment and self-sacrifice. He does not judge anyone on the basis of any discriminatory factors such as race or cultural background. In a similar way the woman is able to love everyone around her. She expresses love even for the girl who was bearing a child because of promiscuous behavior. She expresses it in her firm but kind actions toward the girl. The woman comforts her in a time of distress and encourages a continuation of life and reform. Then the woman baptizes the child so that the child may too have the ability to love in its life.

At the end of the story the woman says in regard to the infant, “I saved him.” What does she mean by that statement?

The woman has saved the infant through Baptism meaning that the infant has been cleansed of original sin and welcomed as a child of God and member of the Mystical Body of Christ. In addition with reference to the first question, she has bestowed upon the infant an ability to love as God loves. The infant is given not only the life from his mother but also life from the Baptism because now the infant can grow in the Church and love with commitment. I saved him. The woman saved the infant in the spiritual sense dictated by the church.

The author describes the journey of the woman to her own home. What is the purpose of this section of the story? What is he trying to convey about the woman through his descriptions?

This section of the story elaborates on a deeper level the woman’s connection with God and her spiritual sense that she applies to all the things in her life from feeding her husband to the scenery around her. She is able to pinpoint God and his goodness in everything and holds no contempt for anything. She has such spiritual awareness that she can look at the stream and the flower and interpret it as she did in relation to Baptism. The author is conveying her thorough understanding of the sacrament of Baptism and also the importance of this sacrament. The end emphasizes the woman’s faith and love.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Me

In my life the gifts of the Holy Spirit are present through my personal prayer and reflection and the prayers and reflections that occur at school. I try to bear these gifts outside of school and I attend mass to give me a renewal of the liturgy and word of God. School helps me learn of these gifts. Religion class is centered around building a better understanding of the faith. I see the gifts in others around me too, especially the faculty and staff at school and church. Most of the people I surround myself with are always encouraging that I practice these gifts, not explicitly but I can determine it by the meaning of each gift in relation to what they are saying. Not long ago I saw piety at work when we did adoration at school because I was able to stop for a moment and fully focus on Jesus and my needs. There are people in my life that seem to embody a gift or more in themselves. They are the people who give me courage and teach me about God and the way to God. The gifts are working in my life not just outside of me but inside of me too. I possess each to some degree although I strive for a fuller possession of the gifts.

In my life today the gift I need most is piety. There are so many distractions that I create in my head and outside my head that I have trouble managing. I am often accused for thinking too much about the things that distress me. Then I think that if I didn't think as much I might stop caring and I don't want to stop caring. There I go again. The gift of piety helps me not only to be at peace during the hectic times but also to love others. I think this is also a great challenge to me because I try to love others but never feel like I am doing a good job or someone does something and I get upset. Piety offers a patience and acceptance of others and of the distractions. If I can understand others and be clear of anxiety I can focus more effectively on other aspects of my faith like fear of The Lord. Having a better sense of the gift of piety would allow me to be at a peace and therefore more able to think not of anxieties but of God. Today the world around me seems so busy and full of distractions I hardly feel I have time to slow down and reform my thoughts and actions.

"Are Sacraments Narrow?" Mark Shea

1. What is Ludwig's problem?
Ludwig does not understand why Catholics narrow the idea of grace down and confine it to the sacraments. In his view grace is much more simple and is not constricted to the sacraments.
2. Explain what the Church is not thinking about when it comes to "sacramentality":
The Church is not thinking when it comes to "sacramentality" that the sacraments prohibit or restrict any of God's love. Neither is it thinking that anyone who has not received the sacraments cannot be saved.
3. Explain what the Church is thinking about when it comes to "sacramentality":
The Church is thinking when it comes to "sacramentality" that other doctrines that state that God has not saved every one are untrue. It tries to support the idea that God redeems or saves every one and the sacraments are  prayers, gestures, and materials that bring us closer to that redemption and therefore closer to God the Father.
4. "How does God reveal and give to each individual human being his universally offered grace?"
God sent the ultimate symbol of himself, he sent his son Jesus who is considered a sacrament of the Father. Jesus represents and presents God and Jesus provides us with the sacraments which are the continuation of his life and teachings.
5. Which Christian doctrine is the foundation for the sacraments?
The life of Jesus Christ is the foundation for the sacraments because not only did he establish the sacraments but he also was a sacrament that paved the way toward salvation. His work is continued n the sacraments.
6. Explain what the gobs of modern "spirituality" tells us:
This modern spirituality tells us that God wouldn't spend his efforts by becoming human or revealing himself n the human way that Christians believe. The modern view sees it as below God to become a savage human.
7. Explain the Chritian repudiation of  "such spiritual snobbery":
The Chruch rejects the notion that God is condescending and so superior to humans. Instead, he likes the idea of joining us in human history through his son. That way he can try and accomplish his covenant in a way that humans can relate to and understand more fully than previous attempts.
8. "But that was so he could put this gross body of flesh to death on the cross and revert it back to pure spirituality, wasn't it?"
The is not what Jesus came for. He came as a human to emphasize that we too can resurrect and make it to heaven. Also, since he resurrected body and soul, we too can resurrect in our human state not just our souls. This is sort of comforting to know that we stay whole.
9. Explain: "That is why the Sacramental worldview see more than just a symbol in a sacrament."
This worldview sees that sacraments not only represent and present something but also sacraments are the incarnation of something. And they do something for us, mainly bringing us closer to Christ or heal or give power or reconciliation from our sins.
10. Explain what G.K. Chesterton said:
Chesterton said that real presence in the Eucharist and the universal grace of God are different.  Sacraments are God touching us through the son he sent, not just the idea that God universally decided to save everyone just because. He saved everyone when he sent his son and when his son established the sacraments.
11. What does grace do?
Grace, through the sacraments, touches us in the same way that Jesus touched and healed people 2000 years ago. In the sacraments we are able to participate in grace and since the sacraments are material and tangible they touch us with God's hand for salvation.

The Divine Sense of Humor...and other things

"A Divine Sense of Humor"

A divine sense of humor is not what it may seem, not some funny thing about God or Christianity, look through the words and then you’ll understand what it is. And it is just that, it is the ability to see through objects or people or nature. All objects with divine sense of humor are translucent to some other more significant meaning than its surface appearance. In Christianity, the divine sense of humor is directly linked to a sacrament. A sacrament is a tangible or audible thing with more than just a surface meaning. Sacraments present and represent something else. It is important to remember this so that one does not forget that God is an ultimate symbol, the thing itself of nature. It is important to make these connections of things in nature and God to have a divine sense of humor as it is to understand the double meanings of sacraments.

 "The Bible is a Sacramental"

The Bible is like a sacrament because it has as Sheen writes, a “foreground” and a “background”. Again it is this idea of two meanings or a deeper sense of the things presented in the foreground found in the background. It is also written that a sacrament is a mystery. Jesus is a sacrament because he is a mystery; he represents something divine, his father and presents something human because he was human. God becoming human was the best option for man because man is not divine like God; man is human…like man. So Jesus came and after he went man was left with the sacraments, signs of what he hopefully taught some of man.

 "What the Sacraments Bring to Man"

The sacraments are gifts from God, brought to man through Jesus. The sacraments are the most direct way to link human and divine together and be filled with grace. This leads Sheen to explain three levels of living, “the sensate, the intellectual, and the divine”. The most important level of course is the divine because that is where man is filled with grace and truth. God is giving himself and ourselves to us when man begins to understand the divine sense/aspect of life. A further understanding of the divine sense understands that man can prove Jesus saves because he left the sacraments. Sacraments are an almost permanent symbol of what Jesus was and what he continues to be on the divine side.

 "Seven Conditions of Life"

  There are two different aspects to these conditions of life. There are the practical ones:

Ø  Birth

Ø  Nourishment

Ø  Maturity/growth

Ø  Healing (of physical or mental wounds)

Ø  Diseases rid of

Ø  Live under government

Ø  Reproduce

Then the ones related to a Christ-life

Ø  Baptism

Ø  Eucharist

Ø  Confirmation

Ø  Penance

Ø  Anointing of the Sick

Ø  Holy Orders

Ø  Matrimony

These are the seven sacraments, signs of the conditions of life. They are instituted by Jesus, they are outward signs and have power of giving grace/divine life.

 "The Power and Efficacy of the Sacraments"

The power and efficacy of the sacraments is found in Jesus’ life and the end of his life and his resurrection back to life. He suffered and shed blood. Blood is vital to the survival of humans therefore blood can represent life. Jesus gave his life and he was human and divine therefore his blood was significant. His suffering was a sacrifice and made the sacraments all more powerful because Jesus was divine.

 "The Application to the Sacraments"

The sacraments convey grace because of Jesus’ divinity and bloodshed for man. Then, the sacraments are given out and are received and applied differently to each person during each circumstance in their life. Jesus set the ball rolling and has made the sacraments, not it is up to man receiving them to interpret them and receive them well.

What is the Divine Sense of Humor?

The Divine Sense of Humor is that which relates to a opaquness of things and in the religious sense of those things in the Bible, the Bible itself, and all that Jesus taught. Jesus prepared his followers with numerous parables and teachings in order to instill in them this divine sense of humor. It is to see through things as if they are clear not in physical attributes but in the meaning of things. Archbishop Fulton describes the different teachings of Jesus that alluded to this divine sense of humor.

Fulton Videos on the Divine Sense:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxLdrE7WTaA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGVmc95Byl8&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyfSiaz-q7w&feature=relmfu