Theo.3 Topic 2

Theology 3: Celebrating God’s Presence as a Christian Community [1]
Topic 2: Church as Sacrament of Christ’s Life and Love
Student’s Copy B. Group Sharing: Our experience of what the church

is.
TH221 E CELEBRATING GOD’S PRESENCE
AS A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
Let us “DISCERN”
Topic 2: All religions accept a transcendental reality, one
THE CHURCH AS SACRAMENT OF who is supremely true, good, beautiful, loving and
CHRIST’S LIFE AND LOVE merciful. Most religion accepts that God is not just “out
there’ or “up there” but is present to and active in the
human heart and in human life. Not all religions agree on
Objective: At the end of this session the student is able to the nature of this world and the state of humans. Some
create a drawing/ illustration with a group of classmates would say the world is good. Some would say it is evil.
on what the church is like as a sacrament of Christ’s Life Some talks of “original sin” while some focuses on
and Love in terms of one’s culture using pertinent original goodness of humans and talks of a kind of
cultural virtues. “original blessings”. For us Christians, especially
Catholics, the question now is what do we hold on to as
our faith?
Let us “SEE”
A. Personal Reflection:
1. The Church-Community Remembers: The
You have five minutes to think/reflect on your Life and Love of God-in-Jesus
experience of the church. Then, complete the following
The following excerpt is taken from the
statement:
beginning of Eucharistic Prayer IV of the Liturgy. It
“The Church for me ______________________________ s a very good summary of what we remember about
_______________________________________________ .” ourselves as a community called “church”. It is a
summary of the history of salvation from where we as
Property of the Institute of Religious Education

Unauthorized reproduction and selling is not allowed.
First Semester 2014-2015.
church traced our roots. This is what we should not And to those in sorrow joy.
forget and are called to live out today (anamnesis).
In fulfillment of your will
“Father, we acknowledge your He gave himself up to death;
greatness: all your actions show your But by rising from the dead,
wisdom and love. You formed man He destroyed death and restored life.
in your own likeness and set him
over the world to serve you, his That we might live no longer for
creator... ourselves but for him,
(and for one another)
Even when he disobeyed you and He sent the Holy Spirit from you,
lost your friendship you did not father,
abandon him to the power of death as his first gift to those who believe,
but help all men to seek and find to complete his work on earth
you. Again and again you offered a and bring us the fullness of grace.”
covenant to man and through the
prophets taught him to hope for
salvation.
What can we get from this excerpt from the
Father, you so loved the world Eucharistic Prayer IV? Going back to our lessons in
That in the fullness of time you sent Theology 1 we can say the following:
your only son to be our savior.
a. Our God is a God who takes the initiative to
He was conceived through the
reveal Himself/Herself to us and to find us.
power of the Holy Spirit, and
b. Our God is a God already and always present
born of the Virgin Mary,
and active in our life and the world, even
a man like us in all things but sin.
before we recognize or accept Him, and
whether we like it or not.
To the poor he proclaimed the good
c. Our God is a God revealing, showing or
news of salvation,
telling us that He/She is the God of life and
To prisoners freedom,
love, and wants us to share in His/Her life,

love and happiness. What does the Christian community
d. Our God is a God who is pleased when believes in? The church initial proclamation
humans and the entire creation experience the was: “The Lord is Risen! He is alive!” Today it
fullness of life and love. is still the same proclamation as the mystery of
e. Our God is a God whose offer of life and love our faith: “Christ has died. Christ is Risen.
is free and unconditional, available to all, on- Christ will come again.”
going and never taken away.
f. Our God’s revelation of life and love is a. The Church-Community is a
known by us in and through our ordinary resurrection-faith community
human experience. The church was held together by a
g. Our God’s offer of life and love can only be shared faith-experience in Jesus’
seen and felt in our ordinary human resurrection. Christianity began as a people
experience through faith. who shared an experience of the risen one,
h. The same faith binds people together as shared a vision of what human life is all
church-community and makes us one through about, and shared Christ’s own Spirit. The
the power of the Holy Spirit. early Christian communities existed
i. Jesus through his life, death and resurrection evangelically; their very being proclaimed
gave to the entirety of human life and the gospel of God’s saving presence in
experience a new significance.. history. The earliest Christian communities
j. It is possible for us and it is God’s will for us were relatively small groups held together
that we live our life (and die) under the by their shared faith in Jesus’ resurrection
constant impact of God-in-Jesus’ friendship, and whose life revolves initially around
love, and life. the sharing of the Word and the breaking
of bread (Guzie). To remain alive and
fruitful the church must remain faithful
2. The Church-Community Believes: The and united to Jesus. In the Gospel of John,
Lord is Risen. He is Alive. the image of the vine and branches
expresses this truth beautifully. “I am the
vine, you are the branches. Whoever c. The Church- Community is a community
remains in me and I in him will bear much of virtues
fruit because without me you can do
The church-community exists as
nothing.”(John 15:5).
witness to Jesus and his resurrection. She
also exists as the proof for the existence of
b. The Church-Community is the body of
Jesus’ Spirit living with His people. As
Christ
such it is a necessity that the church-
Christ is the head of that body we community must live a life filled with the
call church (Col 1:18). As the body of Christ Spirit. Christians are expected to be living
the Christian community acts as a “body” sacraments of the spirit, living spirit-filled
to locate the risen Christ in space and lives. Paul in his letter to the Colossians
time. As long as the body remains faithful, admonished the early Christians to
moved by the head who is Christ, then the renounce vices when he wrote: (Col 3:5-10.)
body, the church, makes it possible for
“Put to death then, the parts of
people to come in contact with Christ. As
you that are earthly: immorality,
the body of Christ, the Christian
impurity, passion, evil desire,
community implements in the concrete
and the greed that is
circumstances of human life the vision
idolatry...now you must put
and purposes of the risen Christ. The
them all away: anger, fury,
Church becomes and should remain the
malice, slander, and obscene
clear sign and symbol through which Christ
language out of your mouths.
saving presence, his resurrection is made
Stop lying to one another...”
manifest and mediated to the world; a clear
perceptible manifestation of what and In the same letter and chapter (v.12-
who Jesus is as the risen Lord and what 17) Paul exhorts Christians:
his resurrection mean for us today.
“Put on then, as God’s chosen
ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt

compassion, kindness, humility, did mention Love as the bond of

gentleness, and patience, bearing perfection in virtue or virtuous living.
with one another, and forgiving
one another, as the Lord has
forgiven you, so must you also 3. The Church-Community Celebrates: the
do. And over all these, put on Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
love, that is the bond of
perfection. And let the peace of
What is the central myth (larger truth
Christ control your hearts, the
that gives profound and cosmic meaning to life)
peace into which you were also
for us Christians? It is the Paschal Mystery:
called in one body. And be
the mystery of Christ’s life, death and
thankful. Let the word of Christ
resurrection whereby “by dying he destroyed
dwell in you richly, as in all
death and by rising he restored life”
wisdom you teach and admonish
(Eucharistic Prayer IV-Acclamation). Jesus’ life,
one another, singing psalms,
death and resurrection transformed life’s
hymns, and spiritual songs with
meaning. This Christ’s meaning should
gratitude in your hearts to God.
transform a Christian’s experience of life and its
And whatever you do, in word or
meaning.
in deeds, do everything in the
name of the Lord Jesus, giving The Paschal Mystery and what it means
thanks to God, the Father, for us the church is the central focus of the
through him.” church celebrations. The communal
celebrations of the church enable us to have a
In all these we can see that for St.
communal “hermeneutics (interpreting) of
Paul the Church-Community is meant to
experience,” adding depths and richness to our
be a community of virtues, a community
understanding of life’s particular event or
where virtuous living is the practice and
experience. Through the communal celebration
where vice is shunned upon. And St Paul
humanity is transformed: the individual and
the community are provided with a deeper
understanding and appreciation of the meaning discussed individually in the coming chapters
involved in the particular event or experience. or lessons in class.
Most often, even after the celebration is over,
the celebration-experience continues to effect its
influence on ourselves and our life. 4. The Church-Community Live: Love of
The early Christians never thought of God and Love of neighbor as Christ has
going to church. What they knew was that of loved us.
“being a church” (Lode Wostyn). They did not
need to go to church. They are the church. They
The early Christians live a life of love of
gather together as a community to celebrate
God and love of neighbor. The book of the
their being church. They gather as a
Acts of the Apostles gives a brief but beautiful
community to express the fact that they were
description of the early church: (Acts 2:41-47)
graced, in ritual and sign. They saw their
communal activity as communal actions (of the “They devoted themselves to the
church) that celebrate the story of their teaching of the apostles and to the
wonderful relationship with God through communal life, to the breaking of the
Jesus. They did not go to church to receive bread and to the prayers. Awe came
something. They gathered together as a upon everyone and many wonders and
community to celebrate something: who and signs were done through the apostles.
what they are as church. All who believe were together and had
all things in common; they would sell
Today, the church’s official celebrations
their property and possessions and
of the Paschal Mystery are known as the seven
divide them among all according to each
sacraments; more specifically, the seven
one’s need. Every day they devoted
sacraments of the church. They are the
themselves to meeting together in the
sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation,
temple area and to breaking of bread in
Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick,
their homes. They ate their meals with
Matrimony and Holy Orders. They will be

exultation and sincerity of heart presence and love (Casel). The sacraments
praising God...” do not produce something. We do not go to
the sacraments so that something is done to
Jesus himself would tell his followers us or so that we are able to get or to receive
“By this everyone will know that you are my something. We come together to celebrate
disciples, if you have love for one another” our being church and sacrament.
(Jn13:35). In another verse Jesus says “A new
commandment I give to you, that you love one The sacraments are celebrations,
another, even as I have loved you, that you communal activity by which the
also love one another” (v. 34).In another verse community manifests, symbolizes and
Jesus tells his followers: “Greater love has no makes present to the individual and the
one than this, that one lay down his life for his community the reality of a joyful,
friends” (Jn15:13). The writer of the First Letter consoling, enriching event (Worgul). The
of John writes:””This is how we know what reality or joyful event the community
love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. celebrates is the Great love of God
And we ought to lay down our lives for our manifested definitively and uniquely in the
brothers and sisters” (1Jn 3:16) People will say person of Jesus Christ. Thus, what is
that this is a tall order. But this is how we, the happening in the celebration is more
church must live: love God and love of important than any particular object.
neighbor as Jesus have loved us. Sacraments are symbolic activities,
expressing in ritual form the presence of a
5. Sacraments as the Church’s Celebration of living God offering himself to the
God’s Transforming Love and Action towards a community; at the same time they are
Community of Virtues acceptance of God’s love by the community
in their act of worship.
A. Sacraments are celebrations.
Sacraments are festive actions in
The sacraments are celebrations,
which the Christians assemble to celebrate
communal act of worship (liturgy) that
their lived experience and call to heart their
celebrates something already given-God’s
common story (Guzie). Such event or God. As a kind of dialogue the encounter
common story is the life, death and demands mutual acceptance, gratuity and
resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth and what freedom. There is also the need for
God has done to humans through it. personal involvement, commitment and
Christians gather to celebrate their Central faith. Self-giving, active involvement, and
Myth- the Paschal Mystery, the life, death love is demanded of a person who
and resurrection of Jesus and attempt a participates in the sacrament. Since it is
communal interpretation of human life almost impossible to have totally passive
based on the same life, death and interpersonal relations, we can also say that
resurrection of Jesus. The Paschal mystery, sacraments do not function automatically,
the central Christian Myth, serves as a kind mechanically and magically.
of “Hermeneutic of Experience” adding
When two persons in love deeply
depth and richness of meaning to the
encounter each other, they discover
Christians’ understanding and appreciation
something of the mystery of that person.
of human life. Even after the celebration is
Sacraments so to speak gives people a
over, we become determined to live or
chance to fall in love with God through
continue living a truly and fully human life
Jesus and the Church (Schillebeeckx).Jesus
patterned after that of Jesus.
is the sacrament through people encounter
B. Sacraments are Encounter with God the mystery of God’s love and presence in
and Encounter with Jesus the world.
The sacraments are encounters with D. Sacraments as Transformation of

God in Jesus. The sacramental encounter Human Reality
between God and man is a dialogue of the
The sacraments are Church’s doors
sacramental relationship between God and
into a new realm of meaning, a
humankind (Semmelroth). The response to
transforming meaning made available to us
this offer is the actualization or the
by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
deepening of man’s relationship with
(Cooke). Christianity is basically an
invitation to a new way of life that leads to one another. But still they have to celebrate
happiness and fulfillment (salvation). even if their unity is imperfect because
Jesus as the sacrament of the Father perfect unity is what they hope to be.
transformed the meaning of human
The sacraments are symbolic
existence and thereby transformed the very
figures allowing us entry into and
reality of human life and experience. The
empowerment to live out that
sacraments are effective rituals or truly
sacramentality (God’s presence, love and
sacramental if they make the saving
life)that is the very essence of life and
significance of the risen Christ truly
Christian existence; and mediating to us
present.
humans what is really important and
E. Sacraments as symbolic actions of the meaningful for us as humans and
church Christians (Chauvet).The sacraments as
community behavior serves as a kind of
The sacraments are symbolic “stylized behavior” that signify something
activities of the community wherein they about the group, helping transform the
express collectively what they are and individual and the community to make it
what they are becoming more fully (Karl what it is and what it should be
Rahner). In every human action human (Christians).This the sacraments does by
being symbolize what they are. At the same giving us a memory of what it means to be
time every time they perform such action like Christ; helping in the process of
people go beyond or transcend what they initiation, full membership, and full
were before. The sacraments enable people Christian identity (Burgeois).
in celebration to express who they are and
at the same time become a challenge for
them to become who they should be. For
F. Sacraments as symbols of human
example, the Eucharist is a symbol of unity.
meaning
But it does not follow that people who
celebrate the Eucharist are fully united with

The sacraments are symbols of G. Conclusion: Sacraments as celebration

human meanings and as such are doors to of God’s Transforming Love and
an experiential awareness of what is Presence (action) in transforming the
meaningful and precious, that is sacred, in church into virtuous people and
human life (Martos). In a way the community. Sacraments as celebration
sacraments are symbolic representation of of Virtues.
basic human meanings and values. Thus,
sacraments are a call and a challenge for
The sacraments presents the good
us to be fully and truly human, to live up
news of Jesus Christ that God is at work in
to the ideals that the ritual celebrations
the world through the church; standing
present. At the same time they are also
over the world for the sake of the world,
ritual affirmations of basic human needs
lives by the grace of God, and is called into
and desires to be human. The purpose of
existence by the work of God in the Holy
the sacrament is to open our eyes to see
Spirit (Wilson).The sacraments celebrate
what is always there in human life and
the process of our being and becoming
experience (God’s love, life and presence)
human (and Christians) through the love
and to challenge us to live accordingly
and action of God in Jesus in the world
based on what on what we “see” together
through the power of the Holy Spirit. The
as a church.
sacraments are not accidental to life; they
This process of sacralisation (seeing are celebrations of God’s action, God’s
God in the ordinary and everyday) is blessing in the world (Osborne).
enhanced by the sacramental celebration of
The blessing that God gives to us is his
the community, resonating in our feelings
love, life and presence transforming us into
and thoughts (Martos) and revealing to us
the kind of people we should be and God
what God has done and is doing for us
wants us to be. As a Christian community
(Bausch).
our goal is to become fully and truly
human and living our life, our relationship,

our community in the world in a truly and A. Group Sharing: What the church should be?
fully human way. As a community our goal
.
is love and togetherness starting with the
love of God for us and our response of love B. Class Sharing :
to God and neighbor which brings about
the kingdom of God on earth (Keenan).
Such love and togetherness can only

be brought about by the development of Prepared for IRED by:
virtues as good habits, or the habits of
being human, or the habits of a loving Gabriel M. de los Santos
heart. What we celebrate in the sacraments
is the church for what it is and for what it
should be: a virtuous community of
virtuous people being shaped and
perfected by God’s transforming love and 3441
presence (action) in the world through the
power of the Spirit.
The Sacraments celebrate the

process of our being and becoming a
virtuous community (Church) composed
of individuals becoming virtuous people
(Christians), and slowly transforming the
world into a virtuous world (Kingdom of
God).
Let us “ACT”/PRAY

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Theology 3: Celebrating God’s Presence as a Christian Community [1]

Topic 2: Church as Sacrament of Christ’s Life and Love

Student’s Copy B. Group Sharing: Our experience of what the church

Property of the Institute of Religious Education

love, and wants us to share in His/Her life,

Property of the Institute of Religious Education

compassion, kindness, humility, did mention Love as the bond of

Property of the Institute of Religious Education

The sacraments are encounters with D. Sacraments as Transformation of

Property of the Institute of Religious Education

The sacraments are symbols of G. Conclusion: Sacraments as celebration

Property of the Institute of Religious Education

Such love and togetherness can only

The Sacraments celebrate the

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