January St. Dominic’s RCIA Program Disciple Sacramental Worldview & 8 Baptism and Confirmation 5 Goal • Today we will review more of the mission, meaning, and terminology of the Church as the Body of Christ, and then start exploring a key Catholic understanding of how Christ continues his work through the Church, the Sacraments. The broad meaning of sacrament is a physical reality that reveals to us, and helps us to truly encounter, a spiritual reality. The Catholic Church has seven core Sacraments, but we also understand the world through this sacramental awareness of reality. Agenda • Welcome/Housekeeping (5) • Questions and Answers • Opening Prayer: Vatican II Prayer (5) • Followup slides and questions on Disciple 3—Body of Christ(15) • Discussion (15) • What is the best gift you ever got? What made it so great? Does it remind you of the giver? • What is the best gift you ever gave? What made it so great? • Have your group agree on a definition of “gift?” How do gifts work? • Presentation: Sacraments – Part 1 (15) • Break (10) • Presentation: Baptism & Confirmation – Part 2 (35) • For Reflection (5) • Pick a Gift of the Holy Spirit. How can you cultivate it in your life this week and in the New Year? Housekeeping • Next week: • We’ll go back to Disciple 4 and explore Church History. • Rite of Acceptance & RCIA Dismissal • Sunday, February 10th, at the 11:30am and 5:30pm Masses. • Dismissals are for folks who have not been baptized or baptized in another denomination • Track down your Baptismal Certificate (only people for reception and confirmation): • Please request a copy of your baptismal certificate from the place you were baptized • If they don’t keep records, get a letter from a family member. • Catholics: If records were lost, talk to us. • Candidates: Tell Michael who your chosen sponsor is. If you know who you want to ask, ask them ASAP. If you need help in finding one, email Michael ASAP. Handouts • Session Overview (this sheet) • Slides: Sacraments • Gifts of the Holy Spirit—Worksheet • Rite of Baptism for Children • Optional Bible Journey (At Resource Table): Jewish Roots of the Eucharist Note: Blessing over the Baptismal water • Father, you give us grace through sacramental signs, which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power. In baptism we use your gift of water, which you have made a rich symbol of the grace you give us in this sacrament. At the very dawn of creation your Spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness. The waters of the great flood you made a sign of the waters of baptism, that make an end of sin and a new beginning of goodness. Through the waters of the Red Sea you led Israel out of slavery, to be an image of God’s holy people, set free from sin by baptism. In the waters of the Jordan your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Spirit. Your Son willed that water and blood should flow from his side as he hung upon the cross. After his resurrection he told his disciples: “Go out and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Father, look now with love upon your church, and unseal for her the foundation of baptism. By the power of the Holy Spirit give to the water the grace of your Son, so that in the sacrament of baptism all those whom you have created in your likeness may be cleansed from sin and rise to a new birth of innocence by water and the Holy Spirit. We ask you, Father, with your Son to send the Holy Spirit upon the waters of this font. May all who are buried with Christ in the death of baptism rise also with him to newness of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Preparing for next week (Topic: CHURCH—History and Teaching): • Reflection Questions • If the Church is The Body of Christ, what does this mean for Christ’s presence in the world through history and in the world today? • What do I admire about the Catholic Church’s activity in history? Does any part of the Church’s activity in history disturb or upset me? • How do I (might I) listen to what the Church has to say today? What is my approach/attitude to the Church as “Teacher”? Questions and Answers: January 06, 2019 Total questions: 75 Questions answered: 41 No new questions from last week Questions Answered on January 08, 2019 (Disciple 4) Answers Does the historical record support the proposition that the Catholic church is the one true Christian church? Is the Catholic church the oldest Christian church? (Importance: Important, Topics: Church and History) The Catholic faith proposes that the universal Roman Catholic Church, which includes many rites and churches in communion with the bishop of Rome (the pope), expresses the fullness of the faith taught by Christ. In words, the Roman Catholic Church believes that this fullness subsists in itself, by virtue of visible expression of the four marks of the Church that we hear in the Nice Creed: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Using the language "one true church" can be misleading, because it implies that can be interpreted as meaning that other Christian churches that are not in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church do not express any of the truth of Christ. That is not what we believe as Catholics. There is much of Christ's truth and saving work in other churches. But the fullness and unbroken connection to the Church that Christ founded resides in the Catholic Church. It can be said that the Orthodox Church, to name just one of the ancient churches not in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, is just as old as the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, they were united as one church until the East-West schism in 1054 A.D. Therefore, there is a common apostolic lineage shared with Eastern Orthodox Church. So what sets the Roman Catholic Church apart? The fullness of truth claim that Roman Catholics make is not simply based on being the oldest. Rather, it is based on unity and fidelity with Christ through the apostolic tradition which he founded. Roman Catholics are visibly united most authentically to this tradition (which includes what we believe, how we worship, and how we live) because we can point to the primacy of Peter, the first bishop of Rome, who was given the role and responsibiilty by Jesus to be the "rock" upon which Christ would build his Church. Therefore, Peter, and all his successors (the line of popes all the way down to Pope Francis today) are the visible sign of unity for Christ's Church, holding together the tradition of al the apostles and all the Christian communities and faithful that profess, worship, and follow Christ in this world. More generally, we believe that other Christian faiths contain some, even most, aspects of the Church. It is also true that many non Christian faiths can have authentic aspects of Christ's teaching even if they did not come to those beliefs through Christ. The Vatican has groups with the responsibility to foster dialog with the worlds major religions. Other regional diocese my open up avenues of dialog with groups that are strong within those diocese. The goal of this dialog is to foster understanding, to find common ground, and to work together for a more just world. What are the biggest challenges the Church faces today (not related to recent "bombshell")? What can regular Catholics do to help (except for prayer)? (Importance: Curious, Topics: Church) The Church has faced challenges from the very beginning. Just think of persecution under the Roman empire as well as under modern secular states, the Arian and Donatist heresies, the Avignon papacy, the various wars of religion between Christian countries as well as with aggressive expansions of Islam, periods of egregious corruption and lack of education among the clergy. The Church's presence throughout most of the world today is really quite a miracle. Today, there are many challenges the Church faces, and there are different perspectives among Catholics not to mention non-Catholic observers regarding which are the biggest. I think the most pressing challenges differ depending on which Church community and region you are in the world. The scandals of abuse among clergy and bishops in the Church in the U.S., in Chile, and in Ireland, to name just a few of the most highly publicized cases, are certainly something that effects the universal Church and its credibility, but the Church in other countries might recognize threats to religious liberty, civil unrest and poverty, collusion with unjust regimes, or a lack of vocations as equally pre-eminent. All Catholics are certainly called to pray for God's will to be done both locally and globally, for the Church to be faithful to the mission given us by Christ, and for ongoing spiritual renewal. This vocation to pray is not to be take lightly, since all our other endeavors will likely falter without it. But we also must discern what attitudes, words, and actions God calls us to do in our particular context as individuals and communities of faith in order to carry forward Christ's mission. This discerning path requires a way of prayer that listens to God's word and the stirrings of Holy Spirit, that follows the guidance of our critical reason and the wisdom of the Church, and that relies on the gifts and virtues of the Holy Spirit so that we might have courage and consistency in doing what's right and just.