Opening Worship Song: Your Grace is Enough (Chris Tomlin): Watch for the 7 Sacraments
Greetings Confirmation Preparation Families:
We will actively engage with our CHOSEN Lesson 8: "How Do I Get There" (The Power and Purpose of the Sacraments) on Monday, May 9 or Friday May 13 @ 6:30 PM.
Take time to view the videos and take the quizzes before our session:
REVIEW LESSON 7
Be sure to complete your CHOSEN Challenge for Lesson 7:
CHALLENGE of the WEEK for LESSON 7 REVISED
Send a text to Ms. Sue sharing what you did and the results BEFORE the lesson!
Pray a Hail Mary for the souls who died in a state of grace in Purgatory as they are being purified and prepared on their journey toward their final destination: eternal life with God in heaven.
Practice a simple examination of conscience at least two times before the next CHOSEN session.
Is there someone who needs your apology or forgiveness? Ask God for guidance in making this relationship right in God’s eyes.
Examination of Conscience: REQUIRED PRACTICE for CONFIRMATION
Think about the last 24 hours:
Think about the times you made good choices that took you closer to a right relationship with God.
Think about when you were not the “best version” of yourself
Experience sorrow from your heart for your sins
Ask God for forgiveness (Practice the Act of Contrition)
Think about ways to avoid making wrong choices in the future
Ask God for His GRACE to help you make good choices
Experience His PEACE
Thank God for his guidance
ACT OF CONTRITION
My God,
I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong
and failing to do good,
I have sinned against you,
whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help,
to do penance, to sin no more,
and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ
Suffered and died for us.
In his name, my God, have mercy. AMEN.
CHOSEN: REVIEW of LESSON 7
DEATH is a part of of our life’s journey. As faithful believers of Jesus, it is the doorway to our ultimate happiness: eternal life with God, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and all believers, saints, and angels.
ETERNITY is real after death for ALL: either in heaven as believers or hell for those who reject God.
PURGATORY is God’s merciful way of purifying our souls after death for the blessing of our ultimate happiness in heaven for eternity.
JUDGMENT: Every human being who has ever lived will stand before God and receive a particular judgment after we die as to how we lived our life on earth and the choices we made toward a life with God or a life apart from God.
God is LOVE and wants us all to be with him in paradise forever. But he will not force himself on anyone. Those who willingly reject him will get what they choose: eternal separation from God.
CHOSEN LESSON 8
Important Points:
God created us to share in his divine life and gave us the sacraments to impart that grace to us.
The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.
There are SEVEN Sacraments: Three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Holy Communion (Eucharist), Confirmation; Two sacraments of healing : Reconciliation or Confession and Healing of the Sick, and Two sacraments of Service: Matrimony and Holy Orders.
INTRODUCTION:
This week we are going to meditate on the story about Jesus and Zacchaeus, a despised tax collector. He collected money from his own people for the Romans and stole a bit for himself. Note how Jesus approached this man. He could have shouted, "Repent, you sinner". Instead he said, "I want to come over for dinner." AND THAT CHANGED ZACCHAEUS' LIFE.
Read Luke 19:1-10. The Story of Zacchaeus.....most of you know this story! Read p. 64 and/or watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R59GTcEnR2U
Think about what it must have been like for Zacchaeus to encounter Jesus. Imagine Jesus' expression, finding him up in that tree. That is how Jesus looks at us, comes to us, and invites us.
Now, in the silence of your heart, thank him for his love in your own words.
TODAY, we will see how Jesus comes to each of us in that same loving manner through the sacraments of the Church.
DIVE IN: The Doldrums. p. 66
The doldrums is a region stretching around the world's equator that, due to low air pressure has very calm winds, sometimes no wind, trapping sailors for weeks at a time in the blistering heat. Sailboats needed the external "power source" of an engine to get through these dangerous waters!!!
We too need an external "power source" to become who we are meant to be and to fulfill our purpose in life. We need the power of God. We need God's undeserved help....his GRACE to function the was God intended.
TODAY, we're going to talk about what grace is and how God gives it to us.
WATCH IT!!!!
Let's review the three videos and take the quizzes together.
Segment 1: The Gift of Grace
Segment 2: What is a Sacrament?
Segment 3: The Seven Sacraments
READ: To the Heart with Sister Amelia this week's video presenter. p. 68
On pages 68-69, Sister Amelia helps us to realize that God is always willing to come to us. The Sacraments: Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation bring God directly to US!!! God becomes tangible and accessible. We receive the GIFTS OF THE Holy Spirit into our souls.....
On page 70 we read about the HERO OF THE WEEK: St. Therese of Lisieux, known as the Little Flower. She teaches us to do small things DAILY with GREAT LOVE to show our love to God who loves us.
CHALLENGE FOR WEEK #8: Choose one, describe what you did and how it felt.
Do something small for God. LOVING AND SERVING OTHERS
Ask God to help you to sincerely forgive someone who has hurt you. Offer a spiritual gift to God for this person's well-being: e.g. dedicate prayer time, extra chores, LOVING RELATIONSHIPS
Experience the Sacrament of the Eucharist at MASS this week! LEARNING TO BE LOVED BY GOD MORE DEEPLY
CLOSING PRAYER:
"I can do all things in him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
Lord, you strengthen us with your grace through the sacramental life of the church. In the sacraments, we encounter you in a PERSONAL and intimate way and receive a share in your divine life.
Walking with you in this way changes everything, as we begin to see ourselves and our lives more clearly, with greater hope and with a holy joy. Give us the grace to cling to the sacraments all the days of our lives and to become the best people we can be. AMEN.
SUMMARY
Taking It Home: pages 72
God established 7 sacraments, transforming channels of grace that fill us with his divine life: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist (Holy Communion), Penance (Confession), Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.
Our spirit and soul yearn to encounter God in real and tangible ways. The sacraments allow us to experience this internal transformation through the spiritual grace of the sacraments.
What's That Word? p. 73
GRACE: is God's GIFT of his divine life. We don't deserve it. God gives us his grace freely. This grace needs to be graciously RECEIVED by us to become effective. We can receive God's ACTUAL GRACE when we ask for help in avoiding sin and in pursuing holiness. The SACRAMENTS offer us the gift of SANCTIFYING GRACE to learn and grow into holiness of life.
A SACRAMENT is a sacred outward sign of Christ's transforming work deep in our souls!!
SALVATION: is the restoration of our broken relationship with God (because of the sin of Adam and Eve.). We are SAVED from sin and death as we make choices in life and we are SAVED for life with God on EARTH now and in HEAVEN. "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved." Mark 16:16.
When we receive Jesus in the sacraments, we receive his SANCTIFYING GRACE. When we receive the sacrament of CONFIRMATION, we BEGIN a deeper life of faith.
Any Questions.
If anyone asks you "Where do you find the 7 Sacraments in the Bible," you can point them to p. 74 in CHOSEN to see for themselves:
Anointing of the Sick: The prayer of faith brings healing and forgiveness. James 5:14-15.
Baptism: Our mission: to make disciples and BAPTIZE them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19-20
Confession (Penance): If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven. John 20:22-23.
Confirmation: The apostles laid hands on those baptized and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:14-17.
Eucharist: Jesus instituted the Holy Communion at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30). This Sacrament was celebrated from the beginning of the early Church. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
Holy Orders: The ordination of clergy (including deacons) is found in Acts 6:2-6 and 2 Timothy 1:6
Matrimony: Ephesians 5:25-32 speaks of the "great mystery" or sacramentum of the relationship between Christ and the Church, revealed through MARRIAGE, a lifelong sacred covenant between a man and a woman.
REFLECTION QUESTION: How do Sacraments help us grow stronger in living out our faith?
The sacraments transforms us deep in our souls to be all we were created to be if we believe and receive this gift from God.
We grow closer to God and can hear and obey His voice.
The Holy Spirit connects all of us to be the powerful Body of Christ continuing his Mission to share His Love with others.
In your own words......
Comments