Sacraments of Initiation

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Sacraments of Initiation

• Steve Surprenant, MBA, STB/MA
• Senior Vice President COO
• Mercy Community Health, CT

January 6, 2009
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Objectives

• Understand the biblical foundations of the
  Catholic Sacraments of Initiation
• Understand the impact of historical changes on
  the Sacraments of Initiation
• Understand the current sacramental theology of
  the Sacraments of Initiation

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Todays Agenda

• Introduction
• Sacraments of Initiation
• New Testament and in the early Christian
  communities
• The evolution of Catholic interpretation
• The Middle Ages and The Council of Trent
• The contemporary theology of the Sacraments of
  Initiation
• Following Vatican II

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Introduction

• Catholic Church
• Also called Roman Catholic Church
• catholic from Greek for universal
• All come under the jurisdiction of the Pope,
  successor of Saint Peter, Bishop of Rome
• Western Rite (Latin Rite)
• Eastern Catholic Churches (comprised of 22 rites)
• Byzantine, Coptic, Armenian, Maronite, Syriac and
  Chaldean
• Scope of Discussion

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What is a Sacrament?

• The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace,
  instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church,
  by which divine life is dispensed to us. The
  visible rites by which the sacraments are
  celebrated signify and make present the graces
  proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in
  those who receive them with the required
  dispositions. (1113)
• Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law.
  There are seven Baptism, Confirmation (or
  Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the
  Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony.
  The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all
  the important moments of Christian life they
  give birth and increase, healing and mission to
  the Christian's life of faith. There is thus a
  certain resemblance between the stages of natural
  life and the stages of the spiritual life.
  (1210)

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Signs and Symbols

• A sacramental celebration is woven from signs and
  symbols. Their meaning is rooted in the work of
  creation and in human culture, specified by the
  events of the Old Covenant and fully revealed in
  the person and work of Christ. (1145)
• The liturgy of the Church presupposes, integrates
  and sanctifies elements from creation and human
  culture, conferring on them the dignity of signs
  of grace, of the new creation in Jesus Christ.
  (1149)
• Signs of the covenant. The Chosen People received
  from God distinctive signs and symbols that
  marked its liturgical life. (1150)

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Signs and Symbols

• These are signs of the covenant, symbols of
  God's mighty deeds for his people. Among these
  liturgical signs from the Old Covenant are
  circumcision, anointing and consecration of kings
  and priests, laying on of hands, sacrifices, and
  above all the Passover. The Church sees in these
  signs a prefiguring of the sacraments of the New
  Covenant. (1150)
• Signs taken up by Christ. In his preaching the
  Lord Jesus often makes use of the signs of
  creation to make known the mysteries of the
  Kingdom of God.17 He performs healings and
  illustrates his preaching with physical signs or
  symbolic gestures. He gives new meaning to the
  deeds and signs of the Old Covenant, above all to
  the Exodus and the Passover, for he himself is
  the meaning of all these signs. (1151)

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Sacraments of Initiation

• The Sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism,
  Confirmation, and the Eucharist - lay the
  foundations of every Christian life. "The sharing
  in the divine nature given to men through the
  grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the
  origin, development, and nourishing of natural
  life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism,
  strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation,
  and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal
  life. By means of these sacraments of Christian
  initiation, they thus receive in increasing
  measure the treasures of the divine life and
  advance toward the perfection of charity.
  (1212) (Intro to RCIA Divinae consortium
  naturae)

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Sacraments of Initiation

• baptizein (Greek) for plunged into
• metanoia (Greek) for turning around
• Baptism was seen as a conversion/turning from
  life of the flesh to life in the Spirit
• Plunging into the life, death and resurrection
  of Jesus Christ
• Celebrate this conversion process through ritual
  ceremonies/actions within the Church
• Sacraments of Initiation are invitation to a
  life-long process of conversion

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The Early Church

• First Christians were those who had either known
  Jesus or were hearing about him from those who
  knew him personally
• We know from the Gospels and the Acts of the
  Apostles the Jesus sent his disciples out to
  preach, teach and baptize
• Baptism of John the Baptist, the same that Jesus
  himself experienced
• Through baptism that you became a follower of
  Jesus a Christian

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The Early Church

• In the early Church, adults and children were all
  baptized hear in the Acts that whole households
  were baptized
• From the earliest times, baptism was first and
  foremost for the forgiveness of sins
• Involved a personal commitment, metanoia, turning
  around, life-change
• This new start of life involved the presence of
  Jesus the newly baptized sharing in Christs
  passion, death and resurrection

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Sacrament of Confirmation

• Early Church, the ordinary ministry of all
  sacraments was the bishop direct connection with
  the Apostles
• By 4th C, with the growth and spread of the
  Church, priests began to baptize and preside at
  the Eucharist
• So, anointing after baptism (confirming) reserved
  for the bishop originally may have been
  separated by weeks or months, but soon became
  months or years
• True in the Western rite, not Eastern Rites

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Sacrament of Confirmation

• Interestingly, the Eucharist was still given to
  all newly baptized, even infants (either the
  bread or the wine, or both)
• Still true today in Eastern Rites
• So, by 4th C, in Western Rite, the original order
  of Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism,
  Confirmation and Eucharist, had changed to
  Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation
• True with the exception of the Easter Vigil
  celebrated by the bishop

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The Middle Ages

• Time passed and theology evolved
• Dark Ages Catholic theology and ritual were
  confined primarily to monasteries in the West
• Great Schism (1054 AD) between East and West
• All of these events impacted theology surrounding
  Sacraments of Initiation
• By 12th C, for example, Church stopped offering
  Eucharistic bread to infants because might spit
  up, then when cup was withdrawn for everyone,
  children now excluded

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The Middle Ages

• So, by 13th C, First Holy Communion would happen
  after a period of education, usually around the
  age of 14 or 15
• However, baptized children probably had already
  been brought to the bishop cathedral for
  confirmation before First Holy Community
• Original order of Baptism, Confirmation and
  Eucharist was again restored

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Pre-Vatican Council

• Pope Pius X (1906) allowed children to make First
  Holy Communion as young as age 6-7
• Now, order disrupted again Baptism, Eucharist
  and Confirmation
• Theology developed around Confirmation as a
  stand alone sacrament of strengthening
• Kiss of peace became a slap on the cheek those
  being confirmed with soldiers for Christ

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Contemporary Practice

• Vatican Council II (1962-1965) opened the
  Catholic Church to the modern age and new
  thinking and schools of theology
• One call from the bishops of the world was to
  reinstate the catechumenate time of preparation
  for adults preparing to come into the Church
• By 1972 promulgated by Rome 1988 became
  mandatory for all dioceses in the USA

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Duality of Practice

• For infants/young children, still have the
  practice of Baptism for infants, first Eucharist
  in 2nd grade, and Confirmation in high school
• Catechesis
• Parents are required to complete preparation
  classes for Baptism
• Child and parents complete classes before First
  Holy Community
• Child/young adult completes two year program of
  preparation for Sacrament of Confirmation
• Parish priest is ministry for Baptism and
  Eucharist Bishop or delegate for Confirmation

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Duality of Practice

• For adults, Rite of Christian Initiation of
  Adults (RCIA)
• Catechesis
• Extensive period of preparation usually
  accompanied by a sponsor
• At the Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday), candidate
  receives Sacraments of Initiation in original
  order
• Parish priest is ministry for all of the
  sacraments using Sacred Chrism blessed by the
  bishop

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Sacraments of Initiation Today

• The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace,
  instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church,
  by which divine life is dispensed to us. The
  visible rites by which the sacraments are
  celebrated signify and make present the graces
  proper to each sacrament. (1113)

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Sacraments of Initiation Today

• Whenever possible, Sacraments of Initiation
  should take place within the celebration of the
  Eucharist greatest of the Sacraments
• Liturgy of the Word is always celebrated
• Baptism (for infants)
• Anointing Oil of Catechumens (on the chest)
• Bless the Water and Make Profession of Faith
• Baptism either pouring water or immersion
• Anointing Sacred Chrism (on the head)
• Clothing with White Garment
• Lighting Baptismal Candle from Easter Candle

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Sacraments of Initiation Today

• Eucharist
• Liturgy of the Word
• Liturgy of the Eucharist
• Special involvement of the children in the
  liturgy
• Confirmation (for young adults)
• Celebrated by the Bishop (or designee)
• Invocation of the Holy Spirit
• Taking of a Name
• Anointing with Sacred Chrism
• Sign of Peace

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RCIA Today

• Begin as Candidates seeking membership in the
  Christian community of faith
• Welcome through a formal ritual and anointing to
  the Catechumenate now Catechumens time of final
  preparation for initiation into the Church
  finally become Elect with scrutinies
• Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday)
• Profession of Faith
• Baptism Rite
• Confirmation
• Participation in the Eucharist

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Closing Thought

• Gospels tell of that Jesus missioned His
  disciples to go out, preach the Good News of
  salvation to baptize in the name of the Father,
  Son and Holy Spirit
• Ritual process of Christian initiation is the
  beginning of a journey that concludes only with
  the vision of God. In other words, one is
  initiated into a way of life, a living out of the
  implications of baptism. Such a journey is not
  concluded until each Christian meets the Lord.