What is sacramental theology?
The study of living a sacramental life, "holy" being aware of God's presence in our everyday, ordinary lives
What happens with people who struggle with sacramental theology?
Most people struggle with this for many reasons that cause them an inability to hear the thunder or search for the sacred
What is sacramental awareness?
sees God as present in all of creation therefore holds all of creation as sacred.
What does sacramental awareness begin with ?
It begins with an attitude of wonder
To encounter the holy what must we be willing to do ?
We must be willing to open ourselves up to it and let it touch our life
What is sacramental blindness?
The inability to see God's presence in life and in the world
What are causes of sacramental blindness ?
1- being too busy or preoccupied with the daily routines of living to see the sacred
2- becoming overwhelmed by the pain and suffering that exist in life and in the world
3- not knowing where to look for the sacred or what to look for
What is Grace ?
- God's active loving presence in the world
- God's gift of self to us
� God loves us and cares for us unconditionally, and no matter what happens, God is active and present in our lives
How does God communicate with us ?
We believe as Catholics that God communicates through the people, places, events, and experiences that shape a person's life
What are the "ah hah" moments ?
They are sacramental moments
What are sacramental moments ?
Moments of God active and present in our lives and our recognition of them
How do human beings communicate with their bodies ?
- a person reveals what is going on "inside" by the way he or she acts on the "outside"
- our nonverbal, (body) messages often speak louder than our verbal messages
- our human flesh expresses our human spirit
What's God's body language?
Because we are creatures of flesh, God speaks to us using human language of physical reality
Examples of God's body language from the Bible ?
- Moses recognized God in a burning bush
- Samuel saw God in a dream
- Elijah heard God in a gentle breeze
- Jesus described God's grace using images from:
How do we experience sacraments ?
By recognizing the many hints of God's grace in our life, we experience sacraments, God's loving presence made visible and tangible in our life here and now.
What are the sacraments about ?
Sacraments are NOT about God, rather they are meant to provide an experience of God.
What are the two dimensions of a sacrament?
1. God's interaction: God acts and is present as grace
2. Our response: we respond to God's presence in faith and friendship
What is the primary message of sacraments?
The primary message then, is the good news that God is with is and for us, lovingly active in the affairs of human life. At the same time, we respond to that good news in our relationships and celebrate it as a community.
How do we celebrate as a community as a response to God's love ?
We celebrate using symbols and rituals
What is communicating through symbols?
Communicating through the use of symbols is a universal human characteristic and reveal us as living sacraments through which God is present and active
Symbols are doorways to ?
Symbols are doorways to the sacred
What are signs ?
Pointers or reminders that give us information/ day exactly what they mean
What a symbols ?
1. A sign or object with a deeper and more complex meaning
2. Helps us experience the real and true presence of God in our lives
3. Observable, physical realities the represent invisible qualities or elements
4. Help us to see beyond the surface of things
How to distinguish between symbols and signs ?
1. Symbols have more than one meaning
2. What symbols stand for is connected to what they are. Example: you would not use a rock to symbolize softness, a rock. Actually helps us to define our ideas of strength
3. Symbols generally evoke more than one kind
What does it mean to think symbolically?
To think symbolically means to take something tangible-something that we can perceive with our senses- like fire, and throw it together with something that has no material, physical form- like an emotion or a concept or an idea
How do symbols help us ?
Symbols help us to see beyond the surface of things, to search for deeper significance and levels of meanings for things
Why do we have different kinds of symbols ?
Not all symbols communicate meanings that will be the same for all people in all places or times
What re the two kinds of symbols?
1. Universal symbols: symbols clearly recognized throughout the world
2. Cultural symbols: symbols that are closely dependent on a specific situation, place, or group
What's God's original plan for us ?
For us to be in friendship with God, others, and ourselves
What's the most basic sacrament of God's saving presence ?
The most basic sacrament of God's saving presence to human life is the sacrament of human love and friendship
What do friendships do ? (4 things)
- sustain us
- nourish us
- keep us human
- identity us as who we are
What do our personal friendships reveal?
Our personal friendships reveal God's friendship with us
- God speaks through our friendships
How to maintain a strong, healthy friendship?
Maintaining strong, healthy friendships depends on honest communication. The same is true for establishing and maintaining a friendship with God
What do s our loving relationship with God do ?
Our loving relationship with him transforms the quality of our lives
How can we be in touch with our relationship with God ?
To be in touch with this we must be aware of the senses that lead us to experience sacramental moments
The ability to listen
- is not confined to our ability to just hear
- we must also have the ability to receive- to take in what has been sent our way
- is affirming and nonjudgmental
- occurs as a back and forth communication in a conversation
- responding signals that we have
What does the ability to listen require of us ?
It means letting go of ourselves and opening up to the outpouring of experiences through which God is constantly speaks to us
Is the listen comfortable ?
It can be uncomfortable and even painful- what we hear when we pause and listen may not be what we want to hear
What is the result of true listening has occurred ?
If true listening has occurred, genuine responses flow out of us naturally
What are strategies for authentic listening? (It's a lot ??)
- close your mouth
- don't predict or judge the outcome, or argue with the speaker mentally. Get out of your head and get into his
- watch your body language
- ask questions
- put on his/her shoes
- control your emotions
- listen to what is NOT being said
Are responses important?
Responses are critical! They tell the other person that you heard what he/she said to you
What do sacramental experiences call for ?
They call for a response
What happens when someone encounters God through you ?
You then become a living sacrament
How many sacraments are there ?
Catholics believe there are seven sacraments and they all involve receiving (receiving healing, receiving Jesus in communion)
How can listening help you receive sacraments ?
By developing the skill of listening those who experience life sacramentally or participate in the seven sacraments fully are making themselves fertile ground in which grace can bear fruit
What is communication by way of symbols based on ?
It's based on human ability to think symbolically
What is symbolic thinking?
- allows us to grasp the significance and value of intangible experiences such as the: emotional, spiritual, intellectual
- provides a deeper insight into meanings
What is literal thinking?
It involves observable, measurable data
What are symbols?
- powerful carriers of meaning
- communicate experiences of faith
When does symbolic thinking become sacramental awareness?
When the experiences of faith being communicated are experiences of God's presence
What could symbolic actions become ?
Symbolic actions can become rituals
Rituals
- help us express our beliefs, values, and concerns
-
How are rituals different from routine?
Unlike routines, symbolic actions carry many levels of meaning. As rituals, celebrations of the sacraments communicate deep religious meaning for those who participate in them.
Example: walking down the street to get to school is a routine. Walking down t
What do all rituals involve?
All rituals involve movements or gestures that convey meaning.
What are the characteristics of rituals ? (8)
1. Involve movement and gestures that convey meaning. (ex. Shaking hands, waving, applauding)
2. Are often repeated (ex. Family reunions, picnics, class reunions)
3. Can be called symbolic celebrations (wedding anniversaries, birthday parties, fiestas)
4.
Prayer is worshiping in what ?
Worshipping in word, in act, and in silence
How do teens pray without realizing it ?
- they may have had positive experiences with prayer but seldom take the time to pray intentionally, except in a pinch
- they may discover that what thy have been doing all along was really a way of talking to God. Ex: journaling
- also taking time and sp
How does prayer occur ?
Prayer is not only formal recited words, we recognize that it occurs in the many diverse ways of RESPONDING to God's gift of love
What is prayer ?
A wholehearted faith response to God
What does becoming attuned to God's presence in our life require ?
- time for prayer; making ourselves available to God
- physical space for prayer
- inner space; cultivated through silence
What does making time and sacred space do to us ?
Making time and sacred space brings us into a consciousness of God's constant presence with us
Why is silence important for inner peace?
- we live in a world in which silence is a stranger, our world is noisy. In all that noise we cannot hear God
- people need inner space in order to pray, a space for their consciousness to make room for God. This can be cultivated by silence
How does silence draw us inward?
- it enables us to listen to God
- it allows us to be attuned to what is going on inside us so that we can discover how God is present in our life at any given moment
When can silence be peaceful?
Silence can be peaceful when we are comfortable with what is going on inside us
When can silence be disturbing?
Silence can be disturbing if we are uncomfortable with our feelings or memories
Is God present during the disturbing encounters ?
God is present with us in disturbing encounters with ourselves as well as in peaceful times.
What does as uncomfortable encounter signal ?
An uncomfortable encounter signals us to pay close attention to what is going on inside and not to run from it
What are three methods of prayer ?
1. Vocal prayer
2. Meditation
3. Contemplation
What is vocal prayer ?
It involves expressing needs and hopes directly to God or Jesus in a "conversation" that is often an interior kind of talk
What's the most common form of vocal prayer ?
Spontaneous prayer when we pour out our honest feelings and deepest concerns, usually in prayers of petition, thanksgiving, and contrition
What is meditation?
Quieting the mind and body and focusing one's attention on an idea, a story, or a particular object
What are types of meditation prayer ?
- guided meditation
- praying with scripture
- praying with a pen
What is contemplation ?
It's simply "being with God." This prayer method relied on a person's being receptive, open, and able to quietly perceive God's presence. Neither words nor focused thoughts are necessary, just an appreciation of God's presence
What does praying "all ways" mean ?
Prayer can take many forms, and praying "all ways" means using all of ourselves- our senses and abilities- in prayer
How can we pray with our eyes ?
We can take in God's splendor in all of creation and see the objects of the world as instruments of prayer and reflection
How can we pray with our ears ?
We encounter contemplative or meditative experiences by attending to the sounds around us. Music is one of the most ancient forms of prayer.