God is not identical with creation: God _______________ creation - is beyond it as the loving source of it all
transcends
Catholic belief is that God communicates through what 5 different things?
People, places, actions, events, and experiences that shape a person's life
Do we have to respond to God's grace in order to receive it? If so, how would you respond?
Yes - Answers will vary on part II
Every sacrament has two dimensions: What are they? (An action and a response)
God acts and is present as grace
We respond to God's presence in faith, friendship, and love
Give 2 examples of how God communicates with us.
Through nature
Through other people (friendships)
How should we listen?
By letting go of self and opening up. It is receptivity that goes beyond hearing. It should be affirming and non-judgmental. It can be uncomfortable or painful.
How is God's Body language revealed through the sacraments?
Sacraments offer special graces. It's God's loving presence made visible and tangible in the here and now. They are meant to provide an experience of God.
How is God's body language revealed through friendships?
We experience Him in a tangible way through freindships. Friendships sustain us, nourish us, and keeps us human.
Give Examples of how a few of the sacraments can be linked to the everyday life.
Welcoming a stranger into a community
Helping out a sick friend
Sharing a meal
2 skills necessary for real communication = 2 skills necessary for sacramental awareness. What are they?
listening and responding
The Christian vision is that God created us, and the entire world, out of love, and that this makes all of creation _________________.
sacred
The Sacraments are meant to be experiences of being _______________, leading to a positive response in people's treatment of God, others, and __________.
touched profoundly by God, themselves
The seven Sacraments involve receiving - give three examples:
Receiving forgiveness
Receiving healing
Receiving Jesus in Communion
What are the causes of sacramental dullness?
Busyness
Noisiness
Ego
Pain and Suffering
Confusion
What are the cures of sacramental dullness?
Drop Ego
Take a closer look to see what has been missed
Develop a sense of awe and wonder
Be open to others in friendship
What does God's body language reveal?
That God speaks to us through the material and social world
What does human body language reveal?
What is going on "inside" by the way a person acts "outside
What does maintaining strong, healthy friendships depends on?
Real, honest communication
What does responding signal?
Receptive listening
What does Sacramental Awareness begin with?
An attitude of wonder
What does true listening naturally inspire?
Genuine responses
What is a Sacrament?
God's loving presence made visible and tangible in the here and now communicated in a heightened special way.
What is a sacramental moment?
Event in which God graces a person's life in a special way
What is Grace?
God's loving presence in the world. It is the creative, sustaining, and transforming self-gift of God that is always being offered to us.
What is one thing that is Important in overcoming sacramental dullness?
By taking a closer look - seeing what we missed.
Or By understanding that God created us and the entire world out of love, and that this makes all of creation sacred.
What is Sacramental Awareness?
Appreciation of the sacred in the world
What is Sacramental Dullness?
Inability to perceive the sacred in the world
What is sacramentality?
Awareness that God's love and presence can be experienced in all aspects of life and that all moments of life have the possibility of being sacred.
What is the definition of profane?
1. To treat something sacred with abuse, irreverence, or contempt; desecrate
2. To debase by a wrong, unworthy, or vulgar use.
What is the definition of Sacred from the dictionary?
Set apart for or dedicated to religious use.
Related to deity or religion.
Entitled to reverence or respect
What is the definition of Sacred from the textbook? How does it differ from the dictionary definition? In one word, name one thing you consider sacred.
The holy, that which is of God.
(Answers will vary on Part II)
What is the opposite of sacred?
profane
What is the primary message of any sacrament?
That God loves us, is with us, and is for us
. What offers special graces?
Sacraments
Where is God?
everywhere