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The Sacraments - Preparing for the Sacraments
The Sacraments, from the Latin "sacramentum" meaning "oath" or "pledge", are the ritual expressions through which Christians experience the love of God as it has been revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The original meaning of the word sacrament is quite broad, as it refers to any manifestation or revelation of the sacred (sacer). The Greek word "mysterion", which predates the Latin "sacramentum," also refers to the mystery, the hiddeness that is revealed in the sacrament.
The Roman Catholic Church, over the course of time, has added a more specific meaning to the word sacrament by defining certain Christian rituals as sacraments.
Since the twelfth century, we have articulated seven sacraments. These are the seven principal liturgical rites of the church through which participants experience the love and power of God (Grace) that flows from Jesus' Passion, Death and Resurrection. They can be grouped into three categories:
Sacraments of Christian Initiation
Sacraments of Healing
Sacraments of Vocation
The Parish runs a Sacramental Preparation Programme for those children in the Parish who attend non Catholic schools and who would not be prepared for the Sacraments in their respective schools.
Children who attend non Catholic schools must complete the Sacramental Preparation Programme before they can receive the sacraments of the Eucharist and Confirmation. Children attending the Sacramental Preparation Programme must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the course of the programme.
Baptism
History and Theology
In essence, the sacrament of baptism is the sacrament by which one becomes a Christian. The origin of the word is from the Greek "baptein," to dip, or immerse.
According to Saint Paul, baptism comprises three elements: baptism establishes a vital union with Christ in the saving events of His life, His death and His resurrection; baptism involves the reception of the Holy Spirit; baptism establishes the body of Christ, the assembly of the Christians.
The New Testament does not provide a precise ritual for the celebration of baptism. The only constant element is water (e.g., Acts 8:36-38).
The Christians gradually developed their baptismal rituals. At the end of the first century, baptism was performed in "living water," (i.e. streams or rivers). The preferred manner of baptizing was through immersion, although pouring was also accepted.
By the late third and early fourth centuries, the ritual for baptising was very much established. The great baptisteries of Northern Africa and Southern Europe are testimonies to the importance both of the rite and the sacrament in the life of the Church. The ritual involved immersion in lots of water and anointing with oil.
The sixth and seventh centuries brought the decline in the ritual as it gradually became privatised and minimised. The baptism of children became the norm and the amount of water that was reduced to a minimum.
The second Vatican Council returned to the great baptismal period of the Church (third-fourth centuries) and reintroduced the traditional ritual for baptism with immersion. In addition, baptism of adults again became the norm after which infant baptism was modeled.
Preparing for Baptism
We want to welcome parents - whether birth parents, or adoptive parents, whether couples or a single parent, whether their child is an infant or is already exploring their new world.
Baptisms may be booked after any Mass, in the Sacristy of Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Newcastle.
Bookings cannot however be taken without full details of the child and the child's long Birth Certificate.
It is a requirement of the Diocese of Down & Connor that at least one of the Godparents must be a Practising Catholic i.e. regularly attending Church.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
History
In the early Church there was a close connection between the sacraments of initiation and the sacrament of reconciliation. The Order of Penitents mirrored the Order of Catechumens. The former consisted of those who had sinned against God and the Church, were expelled from the Church and preparing to return. The latter consisted of those who were preparing to be received into the Church through the sacraments of initiation. The early fathers sometimes referred to reconciliation as a mini-baptism.
The ritual moments of the Order of Penitents was very public. Sinners were expelled from the Church, sprinkled with ashes, made to wear sackcloth and then received back into the Church by the bishop.
By the sixth century, the Order of Penitents had mostly disappeared and was gradually replaced with individual confessions and private penance, popularized throughout Europe by Irish monks. This shift in practice was accompanied by a shift in thinking. A highly communal understanding of conversion, penance and reconciliation was replaced with a much more individualistic view. It was not until the tenth century that absolution became part of the sacrament, as a way to mark the return of the penitent into the fullness of the Church.
In 1215, the Lateran Council imposed the requirement of an Easter confession or annual confession. It was not until the twentieth century that the communal aspect of this sacrament would be rediscovered. The theology of the revised rite of 1972 and the incorporation of communal celebrations of the sacrament testify to this.
Theology
The sacrament is known as reconciliation, penance or confession; each of these words have a slightly differing meaning. Reconciliation emphasizes the fact that a person is reconciled with God and the Church upon reception of the sacrament. Penance refers to the penitent's conversion, which is necessary in order to celebrate the sacrament fruitfully. Confession is derived from the part of the sacrament where the penitents confess their personal sins.
Indeed, the sacrament of reconciliation relies upon a sense of ongoing conversion, a desire to repent and a need to be reconciled with God and the community. These three movements will free an individual from the alienation and isolation caused by sin.
Preparation
Children of our parish are prepared for their first Communion by the dedicated teachers in our primary schools. The children will make their first confession, or the Sacrament of Penance, the year before receiving their First Communion. This normally occurs at the age of 7 in their fourth year at primary school. The children receive their first Communion at the age of 8 in their fifth year at primary school.
The Eucharist
The Eucharist is rooted in the Last Supper and Jesus' command to do this in His memory. Because the Last Supper was the last time Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples, the Eucharist has strong Jewish roots.
The simplicity of the celebration in the early Church, consisting of the telling of the story and the blessing of the bread and wine, was adapted to meet the needs of the local communities and throughout time, has become more ritualised.
The symbolic thinking about the Eucharist turned into a more mechanical or instrumental type of thinking, which was characteristic of the medieval Church. It became less important "why" Jesus gave us the Eucharist than "how" the bread becomes His Body and the wine becomes His Blood.
Additionally, the symbolic understanding also gave way to a literal understanding of the way that Christ is present in the Eucharistic Bread and Wine. This resulted in a decreased level of participation, less frequent reception of the Eucharist and a greater devotion to the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass. This trend is reflected in the ritual and architecture, which became more complex and grandiose.
In light of the second Vatican Council, there was a major return to the original theology and celebration of the Eucharist. Today's celebration is characterised by full, conscious and active participation of the entire assembly. The emphasis on the presence of Christ has shifted away the Eucharistic Bread and Wine only, to include the assembly, the priest and the Word.
The celebration of the Eucharist is at the heart of the life of the Church. The Christian community gathers to celebrate the mystery of God's love as it is revealed in the sacred Scriptures and in the sacrificial meal. Those who gather are fed by the Word and by the Body and Blood of Christ.
First Communion is considered one of the holiest and most important occasions in a Roman Catholic's life. It means that person has received the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The children of our parish are prepared for their first Communion by the dedicated teachers in our primary schools. The children will make their first confession, or the Sacrament of Penance, the year before receiving their First Communion. This normally occurs at the age of 7 in their fourth year at primary school. The children receive their first Communion at the age of 8 in their fifth year at primary school.
Confirmation
Although the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian initiation is clearly testified in the Scriptures, there is no record of a particular rite of confirmation. Similarly, the early Christians left no evidence about their specific understanding of a rite of confirmation, although there is some testimony that the bishop used the same oil during the initiation rites.
By the fifth century, the connection was made between anointing and the coming of the Holy Spirit. However, at that time, the anointing happened in conjunction with the water bath and the celebration of the Eucharist - the three rites of initiation. As Christianity spread, the rites of initiation changed in different parts of the Church. In general, the Church in the West felt that the connection between the bishop and the anointing was more important than the sequence and connection between the sacraments of initiation.
The sacrament of confirmation is the second sacrament of initiation, following baptism. It essentially consists of a prayer to call down the Holy Spirit and an anointing with sacred Chrism. Through this sacrament, a Christian is given strength and promised the gifts of the Holy Spirit to live out the baptismal responsibilities. The sacrament of confirmation complements baptism, while both lead to the Eucharist. The faithful are born anew in baptism, strengthened by confirmation and sustained by the Eucharist
Anointing of the Sick
To support and strengthen those who are sick, the Church gathers to pray and anoint those who are ailing with the healing oil of the sick. This oil symbolises the presence of God at a time of great physical and emotional need and assures the recipient of Gods love and healing presence to give strength and hope.
The authentic tradition of the Catholic Church regarding the anointing of the sick is reflected in the theology of the Council of Trent, which states that anointing was for the sick and the dying. However, because this anointing was often connected with Viaticum, the last communion one receives before dying, this sacrament was commonly referred to as part of the last rites. Since the second Vatican Council, great progress has been made to return the sacrament of the sick to its original theology.
According to the Letter of James 5:14-16, the people are to bring the sick to the priest so that they can be anointed and prayer can be offered on their behalf. Jesus showed great care for those who were sick and was concerned with their bodily and spiritual well being.
Because of this, the Church has developed a ritual to pray with and for those who are ill. It is our belief that through the sacrament of the sick, Christ strengthens those who are ill so that they might be at peace and have the courage to fight their illness
In the Letter of James in the Bible, James writes, Is anyone among you sick: He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord, the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise them up. The words of St. James are still true today the Sacrament which is the Anointing of the Sick is the Churchs way to continue the healing work of Jesus.
As the Anointing of the Sick is a Sacrament, it means that through the rite and ritual (the prayers and actions) of the sacrament, the Real Presence of God is present. The experience of the Sacrament varies from person to person. For some, it may be reassuring; for others it may be comforting to know that in their illness, the Church remembers them and prays with them and reminds them - they are not alone but part of the Church community; for others the anointing can bring healing to them at different levels from the physical to mental to the spiritual.
Marriage
According to our Catholic faith, Jesus lifted marriage to the level of a sacrament - revelatory of the love of God for us. The fact that his first miracle occurred at a wedding and his view on the unbreakable marital bond are sited as arguments for this. Nevertheless, it took the church more than 1,000 years to develop a ritualized and codified sacrament of marriage. And it was not until the twelfth and thirteenth centuries that marriage became a universally recognized sacrament.
The council of Trent iterated that a marriage could not be valid unless it was celebrated in the presence of a priest and two witnesses. It had to be publicly announced several weeks in advance and was to be registered in the parish records. In light of the second Vatican Council, the wedding liturgy, which had been very rigid and clerical became much more individualized and called for greater participation by all present.
The 1983 Code of Canon law describes the sacrament of marriage as a "covenant by which a man and a women establish between themselves a partnership of their whole life and which of its own very nature is ordered to the well being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children (Canon 1055)."
As an assembly of believers, we focus our lives on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By seeking the sacrament of marriage, a couple indicates that they intend Jesus' message to be the guiding factor of their life together. The community, in turn, commits itself to support the couple in this pursuit.
The celebration of the sacrament of marriage, which is rooted in the Sunday assembly, is not a private family function, nor is it merely a social affair or a personal expression of your love for one another. Rather, it is an action of the entire Church, in whose presence two people commit themselves to one another. Because the sacrament of marriage is worship, it is above all, congregational. And because it is congregational, every effort should be made to enable the assembly to participate in a full and active manner.
The liturgy is neither a show nor a performance and it is not enhanced by the presence of passive observers. Everyone present should be able to hear, see, speak, sing and pray.
Preparing for Marriage
The Sacrament of Marriage is celebrated following an extended program of marriage preparation. This program is designed to assist a couple in developing a healthy and spiritually sound relationship. Arrangements should be made before the wedding date is set, and at least three months prior to the anticipated date. Please contact one of the priests of the parish.
Holy Orders
Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles is exercised in the Church until the end of time. It is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate and diaconate
The word ordo or order is taken from the Roman times, when it designated a group of people. It was mostly used to refer to a governing body. The Latin word ordinatio means incorporation into such an ordo.
The Catholic tradition has numerous such orders: the order of catechumen; the order of virgins; the order of spouses; the order of widows; religious orders that denote groups of monks or nuns who live according the same religious rule. There also is the ordo episcoporum (bishops), the ordo presbyterorum (priests) and the ordo diaconorum (deacons).
The Latin verb ordination, or ordering, was used to incorporate a person into a specific order. These ordinations could be elaborate or simple ceremonies comprised of a consecration or blessing.
Today the word ordination is only used when referring to the sacramental act by which a man is integrated into the order of bishops, presbyters, or deacons. Through the laying on of hands, a consecratory, and an anointing for bishops and presbyters, the ordaining bishop(s) confer(s) a gift of the Holy Spirit that allows for the celebration of the sacraments proper to the respective order of bishop, priest and deacon.
Bishops, presbyters and deacons are ordained for sacred ministries that differ, one from the other.
A bishop, by virtue of his ordination, is the direct successor of the Apostles. His principle task is to teach, sanctify and shepherd the members of the Church.
A presbyter is ordained to assist the bishops in their ministry, and are tasked with celebrating the Eucharist, administering the Sacraments and spreading the Good News.
A deacon is ordained to assist the bishops and priests. They assist at the Eucharist, distribute Holy Communion, baptise, bless marriages, proclaim and preach the Gospel, preside over funerals and above all, dedicate themselves to ministries of charity.
