Theology PDF

TOPIC DEFINITION EXAMPLE Sacrament as Celebration - Guzie refers as "peak moments of life" - We celebrate life, health/healing, forgiveness, communion, strength, leadership, witnessing and many blessing. - We celebrate what God did, is doing and will do for us. - Cordillerian danc...

TOPIC DEFINITION EXAMPLE Sacrament as Celebration - Guzie refers as "peak moments of life" - We celebrate life, health/healing, forgiveness, communion, strength, leadership, witnessing and many blessing. - We celebrate what God did, is doing and will do for us. - Cordillerian dance as celebration - Graduation - Birthday - Eucharist is the concrete example - Baptism because we celebrate the life of child. - Small or big achievements, we should at least celebrate it. Sacrament as commemoration - We come together to remember our common story (shared memories). - To express gratitude to one another and to God who gathers us. - By doing so, we preserve and strengthen the bonds that unite us. - Our lives are intertwined with those of the others. - Reunions - A depiction of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. - Death anniversary, we remember the life and presence of our beloved ones. Sacraments as Symbols - Humans are rational animals because we can think and gifted with the use of intellect. We can say that we are "symbolic animals" - Signs and symbols used in our celebrations of the sacraments externally reveal the hidden action of the holy spirit for the good of the individual and the community. - Symbols can say more than just words - Naalala niyo yung flower, ilagay natin sa concept ng panliligaw. Si Boy binigyan niya si Girl ng flower so anong sign and symbol ang mabubuo natin, LOVE. Pagmamahal. So dapat magpakatotoo ka sa LOVE yan. Maraming hindi minamahal oh. - Crucifixion- this reminds us about how Jesus saves us from our sin. - Act of sharing the bread and wine is not just an act of eating and drinking. It means God's call to make us one. - The act of sharing bread and wine during eucharistic celebration. Sacraments as call to action - We are called to do something - the mass is ended, our mission begins. This is one way of reminding ourselves that our celebration of sacraments is deeply linked to our daily life. - Rite means sequence or order to follow. - Ritual is a ceremony or action performed in a customary way. - We are both called to a mission and inspired to do the mission. - Service INITIATION - commonly used to refer to the formal process by which group celebrate and ritualize the entry of new members - giving orientation to the incoming member about the group, and at the same time an expression of acceptance by the group shown to the new member - These are common vocation of all Christ's disciples 1. Vocation to holiness 2. Mission of evangelizing the world 1. SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM - Gesture of welcoming new life - We welcome an individual to a community of believers - We celebrate the birth of a child Meaning of the symbols of baptism: - Water : symbol of new life and cleansing from sin - Candle : Jesus is the light of the world - Holy oil : symbols of healing and strength which comes from the holy spirit - White Garment : symbol of dignity, and of Jesus' resurrection which gives us new life Baptism is a gateway to cleanse us from our original sin. What is our Original Sin? **DISOBEDIENCE** **Rite of Baptism** 1. Gathering in the Baptism font. 2. Sign of the cross 3. Asking of name (A child is someone, not something, kaya giving a name is important) 4. Public declaration 5. Reminding of the responsibilities (Parents/Godparents) 6. The sign of the crossed traced into the child forehead (Priest, Parents, and God parents) 7. Reading of scriptures 8. Invocation of saints (Living guidance) 9. Blessing baptism of water 10. Exorcism (withdrawn from satan's dominion and it helps to prepare to receive Christ life.**)** 11. Anoints with the oil of catechumens 12. Celebrations of the sacrament begins 13. Invocation of God. 14. Baptismal vows/promises (I do) 15. Purification process. **Baptism** is understood as dipping or immersing oneself into the waters. **Sacramentum-** referred to a soldier's [oath and loyalty] (Baptism can be understood as our pledge of our loyalty to Christ.) **Baptism** calls us to a lifetime commitment to a new and renewed life as a Christian. 1. **Sacrament of Confirmation** - **Confirmation** is the second stage in the initiating or bringing of a person into the Christian Community. - During the **Easter vigil**, this initiation was done**. (Note:** 12 years old po ito nangyayari.) - **Confirmation** both celebrates and enjoys the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It celebrates the Holy Spirit's gift of strengthen to live our calling in every situation we find ourselves in like in the case of the apostle and the early Church - Here we receive the **7 gifts of Holy Spirit** (Just read the definition of each) - **"Ang ginagawa ng matatanda ay tama sa paningin ng mga bata"** 1. to help nurture in those confirmed values that Jesus lived and died; 2. to serve as models in how these values are to be practiced in concrete situations. 2. **Sacrament of Eucharist** - The **eucharist** is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of the communion in the divine life and that unity if the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. - It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the father in the Holy Spirit. - **The Jewish roots of the Eucharist** - **A thanksgiving for Deliverance** - - **A celebration of hope and courage** - Jews believe that the celebration continues to be relevant because their hope that God is concerned with their suffering inspires them who work against all forms of oppression and discrimination. - **A celebration of unity** - a unifying bond from generation to generation. Whenever the Jews celebrate the feast, they feel their connection with their past and this constant remembering unites them as People with a common history, identity and aspirations. - **A meal -** eating is not just a biological process. It has social and religious meanings and functions. - **Passover** therefore is the Jewish religious festival commemorating God's deliverance of the Israelites from bondage. - **Pesah or Pesach** (Hebrew) -- to protect, to have compassion and to pass over. - **Eucharist** means thanksgiving. - In the very early years of Christianity- **Agape** (Love feast, Breaking of the Bread) - The **Eucharist** demonstrates God's continuous love for us. It is a constant reminder to us that God cares for us and comes to us in the most intimate way. - The **Eucharistic celebration** makes present and real the saving deeds that Jesus has accomplished. **WEEK 3** **The Sacraments of Healing and Reconciliation**           These two Sacraments were very much practice or shown by Jesus in His dealings with the people during His time. So, **these [two Sacraments of healing and reconciliation originated directly from the healing ministry of Jesus]** as Jesus has been healing people with sickness and forgiving people's sins with its peak in His passion until His crucifixion which will all be totally overcome by His resurrection. **1.** **The Sacrament of Reconciliation** / **Penance**             Experience tells us that [opening up one's problem to a trusted friend] is a very important act for us to [move on] in life. Problems if being kept in ourselves keeps us stagnant and so hard up to pick up our broken selves. This is the case in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, our very [trusted friend whom we open up our sins] is no other than [God]. The [priests or confessors] during the Sacrament of Reconciliation are just "[personifications"] of God or [instruments of God] for us to open up our sinfulness which will lead us to healing and moving on in life.          [Sin] [destroys] the [sinner] her/himself, [destroys our relationship with others], [with God], and sometimes our sinful acts also directly or indirectly destroy our [environment].  So, sin is not just personal, but has social and transcendental aspect. So, **[healing] or reparation is not just on our [broken selves] or personal level but also in our [relationship with God, with others] and with our [environment.] This is the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.**          Despite our sinfulness, [God is always ready to welcome us back] if we [repen]t and are [willing to amend our sinful ways]. This was the message of the parable of the [prodigal son] which others would like to call it [parable of the Loving Father]. God is always [compassionate] towards His creatures. The Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation stresses the importance of repentance or amendment of sinful life and reconciliation.  This personal conversion should lead to social transformation. J[esus] in His [healing ministry] focused on **[reconciling people with God and with the community]**. This was the [ultimate purpose] of His coming down to earth, **[to reconcile all people/things with God]**. He even died for this mission.          After the death of Jesus, **[God continues to forgive and reconcile people to Himself and to one another through the Church].** This was evident in Jesus' words during His appearance to His apostles, "[Peace be with you. **As the Father has sent me, so I send you...Receive the holy Spirit whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.** ](**[John 20:21, 23]**). The apostle James also reiterated this when he said, "...confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful." ([James 5:16]) **Parts of the Rite of the Sacrament of Reconciliation / Penance** Greetings between the confessor and the penitent Confessor is the priest and penitent is the sinner who will open up --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The penitent tells [when] was his/her [last confession] The penitent will now tell/confess his/her sins The confessor/priest will give some advice/counsel The confessor/priest will give the penance Penance is like a "punishment" or what to do. May be prayers which is the general practice or a sort of charity work. The Penitent will [pray the Act of Contrition] while the priest will pray for him/her which ends by giving him/her the [Absolution].  The penitent will now go to do the penance **2.** **The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick** **         **Aside from preaching, [healing] was one of the things that made people recognized something very important in [Jesus' personality and mission]. Christ has healed the physically and psychologically sick during His time [for them to experience liberation from the oppression of sickness and for them to be accepted back by the community] since people at that time looked at sickness as result of one's sinfulness, therefore the sick people were labelled as sinners. [Jesus] was [concern] with the [well-being of people] physically and spiritually. After Jesus, the apostles and now the Church continues this healing ministry through the Sacraments of penance and **[Anointing of the sick. This is practice by laying on of hand, and anointing with oil with a prayer.]**   The apostles practiced this and taught this to their successors as stated by the apostle James in his epistle ["Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven]" **[(James 5:14-15)]**          The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given to the [seriously sick], the [dying], those [terminally ill especially if bedridden], and the [aged] (too old). As we've said, this Sacrament stresses the importance of **[healing and well-being physically and spiritually]** since faith in God can be weaken by illness. On our part, we also need to opt for a [healthy life style;] we need to be conscious of our health. Sickness can make us feel isolated or sometimes even abandoned. Remember, doctors are highly paid and medicines are very expensive; **[health is wealth and life is worth living.  ]** **Parts of the Rite of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick** The priest blesses the room of the sick with holy water ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- The sick will confess (of sins) if he/she wishes Readings from the Word of God/Bible A short litany of intentions is said followed by [Laying on of hands] The sick is [anointed on the foreheads and hands (with oil) with a prayer] Communion rite, Lord's prayer, the sick and others present receive Communion Concluding prayer and final blessing **WEEK 4** **The Sacrament of Holy Orders** **The Meaning and Background of the Sacrament of Holy Orders** The word **\"order\"** means the group or body of those who carry on certain official functions such as teaching, sanctifying, and governing. **Ordination** is the act by which one is integrated into the orders of bishops, of priests and of deacons. **Holy Orders** is \"the Sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus, it is the Sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate\" (CCC 1536) Ordination tells us two things: **a. First, that becoming a priest entails a lot of preparation and we will understand a little later why.** **b. Second, that our communities today are challenged to promote this important vocation because very few young people are responding to the call to lead our Christian communities as priests.** **Holy Orders as Ministry of Christian Leaders** Holy Orders is primarily about a **ministry of Christian leadership.** The Church, has to have a direction so that its goals of bringing well-being to people\'s lives can be attained. \- Ancient biblical times, one of the well-known leaders was Moses who brought his people out of slavery in Egypt and prepared them towards reaching the promised land - a land full of milk and honey, symbolizing well-being. \- New Testament, Jesus led his followers towards a new way of life that is more compassionate, more liberating, and more inclusive. **Integration into one of these bodies in the Church accomplished by a was ordination, a religious and liturgical act which was a consecration, a blessing or a Sacramen**t "ordination\" is reserved for the Sacramental act which integrates a man into the order. It confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a \"sacred power\" (sacra potestas) which can come only from Christ himself through his Church. Ordination is also called consecratio, for it is a setting apart and an investiture by Christ himself for his Church. The word \"order\" was a Roman influence which has something to do with a \"hierarchical\" organization. **William Bausch describes Holy Orders as an exercise of Christian leadership in several ways.** i. First, through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a member of the community is officially designated (through ordination) to embody the believing community\'s values. ii. Second, through the Sacrament of Holy Orders the priest acts as a living reminder that God loves and cares for his people. But God\'s love and care for his people is fully seen in the life and ministry of Jesus. iii. Finally, the priest, as a community symbol-bearer and a living reminder, thereby becomes a magnet to the community to gather. He leads in the shaping of the great Sacrament, the Church, which in turn is the sign of Christ. He leads in the formation of the community \"always-in-the-making\". Priesthood in Christ goes back to the Old Testament usage ​Old Testament, a priest was someone appointed to act in behalf of the people. (Hebrew 5:1-4) o priest was to act as a representative of people before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for their sins. o a mediator between God and humanity. o a life of self-giving love that had its climax when \"he offered himself as a sacrifice on the cross.\" **Jesus\' unique priesthood is present in the Church today in two modes or faces:** 1. common priesthood of all who are baptized; and 2. in the ministerial priesthood of the ordained or those who received the Sacrament of Holy Orders. **Note: The priestly ministry is intended to make the faithful aware of their priesthood and to live it out.** All of us in the Church, ordained or not, are equal in dignity even if we have different ministries and functions. **This equality does not mean that we can do away with hierarchy in the Church.** The existence of our hierarchy (the clergy) does not mean that they are better Christians than we are because of their positions. (Challenge on clericalization). As a true leader, Jesus demonstrated this in his life and in his death. Every Holy Thursday, we in the Roman Catholic Church re-enact a very memorable action of Jesus recounted in the Gospel of St. John 13: 2, 4-5, 12-15) (happens during Maundy Thursday -- "maundy" -- 'mandatum' meaning command \[Last supper event\]) PCP II sees the priesthood in terms of "servant leadership": - Ordained ministers are servant leaders of the community - As leaders, they have the task of ordering and coordinating all gifts of the community for the good of all. The Sacrament of Holy Orders is entrusted by Jesus to his apostles to continue his missionary works by spreading the good news. The Sacrament of Holy Orders makes sense only in the light of exercising the priestly mission, a radical imitation of Jesus\' life of priesthood. The priests must serve as mediators\*\* by bringing God to the people and bringing people to God through offering sacrifice and thanksgiving. **\*\*Alter Christus -- another Christ \*\* In persna Christi -- in the person of Christ. Members of the priesthood must be witnesses of the good news as embodied in the person of Jesus. Church leaders will serve as constant inspiration and challenge for all those to whom leadership functions are entrusted especially in the political and economic area of our life as a country, as a people. As Luther said, the Church (and that includes both leaders and members) is at the same time holy and sinner so it needs constant conversion.** **Week 5** **Sacrament of Matrimony** - According to St. Paul. God gift to married couples was based on the intimate relationship established between union of the husband and the wife and the union of Jesus Christ and the Church. - Marriage without the kind of love of Jesus has shown for His Church is no marriage at all. **THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY: The meaning and Background** - \"The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.\" (CIC, can. 1055 § 1; cf. GS 48 § 1) - "God who created man out of love also calls him to love" and this is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. - 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.' (CCC 1604) - Marriage is an act of faith and not just social or legal contract. - Both 'covenants' as mirroring a "very great mystery." - Greek word "mysterion" which would in later times be translated as "Sacrament" - St. Tertullian first used "Sacramentum" to refer to Baptism. St. Augustine first applied it to marriage - St. Paul quoted Book of Genesis 'man and his wife become "one flesh", when husband and wife make up "one body" it speaks about unity in their whole person +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Shifts in understanding of | | | MARRIAGE:** | | +===================================+===================================+ | **Topic** | **Definition** | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 1. From contract to Covenant. | - Marriage is all about two | | | people exerting constant | | | effort to love one another in | | | all things. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 2. From primary and secondary | - It speaks about the communion | | ends to a twofold mission. | of life between spouses and | | | the procreation and education | | | of children. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 3. From social function to | - An act of faith and worship. | | expression of faith | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 4. From static to dynamic | - All about duties and rights | | understanding | of the spouses. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **Some important Symbols, Gestures, and Elements of the Marriage and Rite:** - **The scrutiny**- Proclaims to the community that all conditions have been so that marriage can be contracted. - **The consent**- joining of hands which symbolize their intention to be one in all things. - **Confirmation of the marriage bond**- couple should understand that they are the ministers of the sacrament and the priest just confirms this and blesses them. - **Blessing of the arrhae and rings**- **Rings** are constant reminders that the power of the holy spirit is in the couple. The **Arrhae** are symbols of sufficiency and material possessions which the husband offers to his wife. - **Participation in the Eucharist**- shows the connection between the sacrament of marriage and the sacrament of the Eucharist. - **The Veil and the Yugal (cord)**- veil is to cover the shoulders of the groom and the head of the bride to show that as Christ is the head of the Church, so is the husband the head of the wife. **The Sacrament of Holy Orders** **The Meaning and Background of the Sacrament of Holy Orders** - The word \"*order*\" means the group or body of those who carry on certain official functions such as teaching, sanctifying, and governing. - **Ordination** is the act by which one is integrated into the orders of bishops, of priests and of deacons. - **Holy Orders** is \"the Sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus, it is the Sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate\" (CCC 1536) - *Ordination tells us two things:* a. **First**, that becoming a priest entails a lot of preparation and we will understand a little later why. b. **Second**, that our communities today are challenged to promote this important vocation because very few young people are responding to the call to lead our Christian communities as priests. **Holy Orders as Ministry of Christian Leaders** - Holy Orders is primarily about a ministry of Christian leadership. The Church, has to have a direction so that its goals of bringing well-being to people\'s lives can be attained. - *Ancient biblical times*, one of the well-known leaders was Moses who brought his people out of slavery in Egypt and prepared them towards reaching the promised land - a land full of milk and honey, symbolizing well-being. - *New Testament*, Jesus led his followers towards a new way of life that is more compassionate, more liberating, and more inclusive. Integration into one of these bodies in the Church accomplished by a was *ordinatio*, a religious and liturgical act which was a consecration, a blessing or a Sacrament. - **"ordination\"** is reserved for the Sacramental act which integrates a man into the order. - It confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a \"sacred power\" (*sacra potestas*) which can come only from Christ himself through his Church. Ordination is also called *consecratio*, for it is a setting apart and an investiture by Christ himself for his Church. - The word \"**order**\" was a Roman influence which has something to do with a \"*hierarchical*\" organization. - **William Bausch** describes Holy Orders as [an exercise of Christian leadership in several ways]: i. First, through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a member of the community is officially designated (through ordination) to embody the believing community\'s values. ii. Second, through the Sacrament of Holy Orders the priest acts as a living reminder that God loves and cares for his people. But God\'s love and care for his people is fully seen in the life and ministry of Jesus. iii. Finally, the priest, as a community symbol-bearer and a living reminder, thereby becomes a magnet to the community to gather. He leads in the shaping of the great Sacrament, the Church, which in turn is the sign of Christ. He leads in the formation of the community \"always-in-the-making\". **Priesthood in Christ goes back to the Old Testament usage** - Old Testament, a priest was someone appointed to act in behalf of the people. (Hebrew 5:1-4) - priest was to act as a representative of people before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for their sins. - a mediator between God and humanity. - a life of self-giving love that had its climax when \"he offered himself as a sacrifice on the cross.\" - Jesus\' unique priesthood is present in the Church today in two **modes or faces**: 1. common priesthood of all who are baptized; and 2. in the ministerial priesthood of the ordained or those who received the Sacrament of Holy Orders. - The **priestly ministry** is intended to make the faithful aware of their priesthood and to live it out. - All of us in the Church, ordained or not, are equal in dignity even if we have different ministries and functions. This equality does not mean that we can do away with hierarchy in the Church. - The existence of our hierarchy (the clergy) does not mean that they are better Christians than we are because of their positions. (Challenge on clericalization). - As a true leader, Jesus demonstrated this in his life and in his death. Every **Holy Thursday**, we in the Roman Catholic Church re-enact a very memorable action of Jesus recounted in the Gospel of St. John 13: 2, 4-5, 12-15) (happens during **Maundy Thursday -- "maundy" -- '*mandatum*' meaning command \[Last supper event\])** - PCP II sees the priesthood in terms of "servant leadership": - Ordained ministers are servant leaders of the community - As leaders, they have the task of ordering and coordinating all gifts of the community for the good of all. - The Sacrament of Holy Orders is entrusted by Jesus to his apostles to continue his missionary works by spreading the good news. - The Sacrament of Holy Orders makes sense only in the light of exercising the priestly mission, a radical imitation of Jesus\' life of priesthood. - The priests must serve as *mediators*\*\* by bringing God to the people and bringing people to God through offering sacrifice and thanksgiving. - - **Alter Christus** -- another Christ - **In persna Christi** -- in the person of Christ. - Members of the priesthood must be witnesses of the good news as embodied in the person of Jesus. - Church leaders will serve as constant inspiration and challenge for all those to whom leadership functions are entrusted especially in the political and economic area of our life as a country, as a people. - As Luther said, the Church (and that includes both leaders and members) is at the same time holy and sinner so it needs constant conversion. **Matters and Forms of the Seven Sacraments**         Before going to the last two Sacraments which are the Sacrament of Matrimony/Marriage and the Sacrament of Holy Orders, let us first present the Matters and forms of the Seven Sacraments. These [matters and forms] refer to the [Main symbols] (matter) and the [Formula] (form/prayer) of the Seven Sacraments. These are the **[indispensable] symbols in the Seven Sacraments. ** **Sacraments** **Matter** **Form** ----------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baptism Water/Pouring of Water "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Confirmation Laying on of hand and [Anointing with chrism] "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit" Holy Eucharist Bread and Wine "This is my body...this is my blood..." Reconciliation The verbal confession of sins "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy spirit." Holy Orders Laying on of hands "We ask you, Father, give this servant of yours the dignity of the presbyterate and renew the spirit of holiness with him..." Matrimony / Marriage Man, woman, and their consent The vow the man and the woman pronounce to each other Anointing of the Sick Anointing with oil "Through this holy anointing may the Lord in His mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit..." These are the sacraments when **grouped according to "functions".** **Sacraments of Initiation** --------------------------------------   Baptism Confirmation Holy Eucharist **Sacraments of Healing** Reconciliation Anointing of the Sick **Sacraments of Commitment/Service** Holy Orders Matrimony / Marriage          The arrangement will be different if we see when they should be given or received by the candidates (those did not yet receive them). The two columns below are the arrangement as to when should these Sacraments be given or received. The [**arrangement** on the **second column**] [below] is the one which is most commonly practiced since we need to be worthy to receive Jesus through His body and blood (Communion), that is why the Sacrament of Reconciliation comes first before the Holy Eucharist and Confirmation.  [Anointing of the Sick is also not necessarily at the last part since it can be given to a young person who is seriously sick.]  **Sacraments** **Sacraments** ----------------------- ---------------------------   Baptism **Baptism** Confirmation **Reconciliation** Holy Eucharist **Holy Eucharist** Reconciliation **Confirmation** Holy Orders **Holy Order** Matrimony / Marriage **Matrimony / Marriage** Anointing of the Sick **Anointing of the Sick**         You might be asking [why] the [Seven Sacraments are arranged in this way] (in [column 2] above)? As we've said, the **[Sacraments are celebrations of our peak moments of lives]** and the **[channels of God's grace which will accompany us in our journey through life].**   [Through the Sacraments, God or God's grace is accompanying us **from infancy / babyhood until our death**]**,** as you can see, the [Sacraments are following our **stages of life**.] In Baptism, we are welcome into the family of God, Confirmation will strengthen our life with God and with one another, Eucharist will nourish this life with God and others, when we commit sin but willing to repent and undergo conversion, God will welcome us back through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, if you are willing to "fully" serve God and people, then enter the Holy Orders, Matrimony comes when we are ready to raise a family, and if we are seriously sick or are too old, God is ready to heal us or welcome us back through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the sick.      **"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters..." --- Colossians 3:23**