THE BETA COURSE: THE SACRAMENTS
THE CHURCH
THE CHURCH?
• What is the Church?
• Why have a Church?
• What are Sacraments?
• What are the Works of
Mercy?
• What are the saints?
THE CHURCH IN THE NEWS
TOUGH TIMES FOR THE
CHURCH!
TOUGH TIMES
- BIG ISSUES
• What do you think are the
major issues facing the
Church today?
WHY CHURCH? 1
WHAT IS THE
CHURCH?
?
PEOPLE OF
GOD
• The Church is made up of
People!
• It is to be found in all parts of
the world!
• A “holy nation” like the Israel in
the Old Testament
• Has an organisational structure
- so looks like other human
organisations
• ... But there is more ...
THE BODY OF
CHRIST
• St Paul calls the Church
the ‘body of Christ’ (Eph
1:22-23).
• Like any other body, she
has an organisational
structure.
• As Christ’s body, the
Church is not only a human
organisation, but is given to
humanity by God.
Saint John Paul II - Pater Noster
WHY CHURCH? 2
WHY HAVE A
CHURCH?
FOUNDED BY
JESUS
• Jesus Christ formed a
group of followers under
twelve leaders he called
‘Apostles’.
• He put one of them, Simon
Peter, in overall charge.
• He said “You are Peter,
and on this rock I will build
my church”
TEACHING
THE TRUTH
• He gave his disciples the
gift of the Holy Spirit to
carry on his work.
• The Church passes on his
teaching under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• This teaching is found in
Scripture and Tradition, and
is interpreted by the Church
with the authority of Christ.
CARRYING
ON THE
WORK
• The Work of the Church - to
care for the sick and the poor,
and spread the Gospel -
come from her mission to do
the work of Christ in the world
and build up his Kingdom.
• The Catholic Church is one of
the major agencies in the
world providing health care,
education and promoting
justice and peace.
THE CHURCH? 3
WHAT ARE
THE
SACRAMENTS?
THE WORD
MADE FLESH
• Sacrament means
“Mystery” - this means it is
the entry of God into our
world and our lives.
• So Christ is the Sacrament
of God …
• … and the Church is the
Sacrament of Christ
THE SEVEN
SACRAMENTS
• “Sacrament” also refers to
seven ceremonies of the
Church
• These are ways, given by
God, in which he acts in the
world
• They cause what they
signify; they are much more
than signs or symbols of
his work.
THE
SACRAMENTS
• Baptism
• Confirmation
• Eucharist
• Matrimony
• Orders
• Reconciliation
• Healing
THE CHURCH? 4
WHAT ARE THE
WORKS OF
MERCY?
THE WORKS
OF MERCY
• The “Works of Mercy" are
easy to remember ways in
which the Church - us -
shows the love of Christ to
the world.
• They are the ways in which
the Saints (the Church) acts
in the name of Christ
• They are grouped into the
Corporal Works of Mercy and
the Spiritual Works of Mercy.
THE CORPORAL WORKS OF
MERCY
THE SPIRITUAL WORKS OF
MERCY
THE CHURCH? 5
WHAT ARE
THE SAINTS?
THE CHURCH
IN HEAVEN
• The Church is part of
God’s plan for humanity,
so it exists in heaven as
well as on earth
• The Church in heaven is
also called “the
Communion of Saints”
THE HOLY
ONES
• The word saint means
‘holy one’, a title of honour
given to those who are
now in heaven.
• Most saints aren’t known
to us, but the Church has
named men and women,
from all ages and states of
life, as examples for us
and who we ask to pray for
us.
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
HOW MANY SAINTS CAN YOU
NAME?
The Saint Song (Paul Camarata)
http://youtu.be/Fnt-P38ykc4
JOINED IN
PRAYER
• We in the Church on earth
are joined in prayer with the
saints in heaven.
• We therefore honour them
and pray for their intercession
in our earthly pilgrimage.
• In Scripture, the Church in
glory is described as the
‘bride of Christ’ and the ‘new
Jerusalem’.
THE MASS -
WITH ALL THE
SAINTS
• At the Mass, we believe that
the Church on earth is joined
to the Church in heaven
• The Heavenly worship of the
Saints and Angels is joined
with the worship of the
Church on earth
• The Mass is, then, a
foretaste, of the joys of
heaven
