Sacraments are Efficacious signs of Gods grace instituted
- Slides: 8
Sacraments are: Efficacious signs of God’s 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 is an Efficacious sign? (Symbolic signs and rituals handout) Efficacious means to cause an effect, to make something happen, to be effective The Sacraments are efficacious because of the Paschal Mystery So, an efficacious sign is something that not only points us to something greater, but the sign actually causes something to happen within us.
God’s grace (CCC 1996 -2005) Grace- A participation in the life of God. The favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God. Actual Grace- God’s interventions (like miracles) Sanctifying Grace- Habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul to enable it to live with God. Sacramental Grace- Gifts proper to the different Sacraments.
What does it mean to be instituted by Christ? Christ gave us the Sacrament He did not necessarily give us every word or action we do in all of the Sacraments He did give us the reality of the Sacrament and the Grace of the Sacrament. He also commanded us to do them. We will see in Scripture when Christ instituted each Sacrament
Who is the Church? Handout!!!!
Divine Life is dispensed to us What is the Divine Life? The Great Exchange If something is dispensed to us…it means that it is given to us. The Life of God is given to us by the power of Paschal Mystery and the Holy Spirit through the Sacraments
The work of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit was given to us at Pentecost Jesus promised that we would not be left alone. The Holy Spirit will guide us and protect the Church. The Holy Spirit inspires each of us to act and carry out our mission. He also guides the leaders of the Church to ensure that the teachings of God remain.
The Sacraments are gifts from Jesus to not only show us the love of God, but actually give us that love so that we can be more completely free to live in His divine life in this life and in the life to come. The Sacraments are God’s response to our question and desire to be able to live this life more completely.