As Per Module,
"Spiritual, Sacramental and Liturgical Life – Key Concepts
-understanding the importance of the sacraments in the Church and in Catholic life
-understanding the importance and role of the Word of God, prayer and liturgy in the expression of faith
-becoming familiar with components of liturgy
-understanding how one’s relationship with Jesus Christ is at the core of Catholic teacher spirituality
-critically reflecting on different spiritualties as reflected in Scripture, Tradition and the world
-critically reflecting on experiences connected to a quest for meaning.
Module Overview
1. The Celebration of the Christian Mystery
The Paschal Mystery
The Sacraments of Initiation
Sacraments of Healing
The Sacraments in Service of Communion
2. Traditional Prayers - The Catholic Source Book 3rd Ed (2000) pp 1-17, 4th Ed.(2007), pp 2-20
The Revelation of Prayer
The Tradition of Prayer
The Life of Prayer – Your Style of Spirituality
The Lord’s Prayer – A Basic Christian Prayer
The Apostle’s Creed – A Profession of Faith
Assignment #1 – Designing a School Liturgy
Read Text: Theology for Teachers. (1999). Chapter 15, pp. 214 - 232
The Catholic Source Book, Edition Three Chapter 1, pp. 2-17
The Catholic Source Book, Edition Four Chapter 1, pp. 2-20
Read Article: Catholic Update: Spirituality, What’s Your Style? March 2009 – See Resources
Websites:
Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
www.vatican.va (site map or archive)
Our Sunday Visitor – Teaching Catholic Kids, www.osv.com
Catholic Curriculum Cooperative – Sacramental Preparation for Students with Special Needs and Gifts of Love - A Collection of Prayer Services (2003) - York Catholic District School Board – www.ycdsb.ca/departments/InstructionalServices/ReligiousEd/giftsoflove.htm
Northern Ontario Catholic Curriculum Cooperative – Designing Prayer Centres, (2006) *There may be a minimum fee for this, it is not necessary to purchase, but is suggested.
www.noccc.on.ca/resources ~ members area
Assignment #1 – Designing a School Liturgy
The best prayer in the world is “Let thy will be done,” because God knows what you want. So say, “Don’t give me what I want; give me what I need.” - Aaron Neville, singer
Tasks:
Read through the submodules entitled The Celebration of the Christian Mystery & Traditional Prayers
After completing the readings, respond to the following questions in the discussion forum. Also read and respond to at least 2 of your classmates' posts.
What is your understanding of the principle of sacramentality: Give some examples from your own life of how you have experienced this principle in action.
Sacramentality is the way that one maintains a relationship and open line of communication between themselves and God. One may believe that it is also a line of communication between their physical circumstance and religious beliefs. If one reads Part Two of Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The sacraments, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, are efficacious signs of grace perceptible to the senses." (2005) From question 224 the reader will understand there is a divinity that extends beyond what people can touch and see through their basic nervous system perceptions. Furthermore, it is stated by the Vatican Library that "Christ has entrusted the sacraments to his Church. They are the sacraments “of the Church” in a twofold sense: they are “from her” insofar as they are actions of the Church which is the sacrament of Christ’s action; and they are “for her” in as much as they build up the Church."(2005) This excerpt demonstrates a connection between the individual and Christ. Finally as stated in Libreria Editrice Vaticana, "The sacraments not only presuppose faith but with words and ritual elements they nourish, strengthen, and express it. By celebrating the sacraments, the Church professes the faith that comes from the apostles. This explains the origin of the ancient saying, “lex orandi, lex credendi,” that is, the Church believes as she prays."(2005) As described, the sacraments in practice reinforce the perception and reality of the relationship as people commit to Christ. Without prayers, there is no praying, and without apostles, there is no church, making sacraments a lasting moment in one's development in which their faith deeply pinpoints a reflection of the past and the future in relation to one's path as it follows that of Christ's own. Overall, without being cryptic, it can be understood that sacraments are the ongoing affirmations of commitments made promised between Christ and the disciple/believer/patron/community member/etc.
In my own experience, believing in the sacraments certainly develops a sense of reality to the beliefs I hold and that much is demonstrated through conversation in the most basic example. My wife is of a secular nation (in the most basic way of describing), when we discussed the baptism of my son there was a moment of concern/uncertainty in which although she has adopted some aspects of Catholic belief, she is not exactly certain what it means for herself to get baptized at this particular moment. Growing up the way she did, there is a noted romance of religion and a developed reluctance to indulge wholesomely. One concern that she held was the choice of the child to be baptized, and I explained that the baptism is a commitment that the parents makes not entirely on behalf of the child, but to allow the child to see that the parents cared enough that the child recognize the importance of Catholic belief in their life-as the child grows there is a sense of self-fulfilment in regards to belief that the Vatican describes above. My wife understood then that it was not predestination that our son needed to commit every living moment to the beliefs we hold, that is impossible to wish, as the child grows up they will ultimately develop their own sense of belief, and if they notice the commitments/actions of the parents, then its likely the child may develop a sense of identity through that and continue to practice along with the parents-if they so choose.
Describe some ways in which you would attempt to put the principle of sacramentality into practice in your teaching career.
In my career I would attempt to include sacramental principle in a number of ways-in regards to literature studies (LTS) there are so many different aspects of novels and texts that are built around this context of devotion. It would make for an excellent pre-reading in regards to what one knows and what one thinks they will learn.
In regards to first nations perspectives, there are a number of occasions within one's own life as an indigenous person that make for a positive understanding as sometimes may benefit from the use of analogy to better understand the belief system and practices of indigenous culture.
As a HPE educator, there is a sense of leadership and connection that depends on one's commitment level to a team, to the individual when trying to reach goals. Sacramental principle is something that branches into a fundamental idea of self-fulfilment and commitment making it extremely applicable to multiple subject areas.
Discussion Feedback:
You have all explained your rationales for the model of church that appeals to you the most; community, sacrament, herald, discipleship, body of Christ.
All these models are grounded in scripture and is in keeping with Jesus’ words “where two or three have gathered in my name, I am there in their midst” (Matt 18:20). Certainly, this model recognizes that we all, regardless of race, creed, gender or socioeconomic status, all have gifts, assets to contribute for the good of the community. And in the words of Pope Francis…” The Church is or should go back to being a community of God’s people, and priests, pastors and bishops, who have the care of souls, are at the service of the people of God.”
These models recognize that regardless of race, creed, gender or socioeconomic status, we all have gifts, assets to contribute for the good of the community. Pope Francis has reiterated this in Evangelii Gaudium 104 “The configuration of the priest to Christ the head – namely, as the principal source of grace – does not imply an exaltation which would set him above others. In the Church, functions “do not favour the superiority of some vis-à-vis the others”. Everyone is viewed as equal, regardless of their roles and responsibilities.
The institutional model has been the traditional model of church for many centuries, and as Knox has stated, is “undoubtably the model that most dominates the present-day church.” It emphasizes the hierarchy of Pope, cardinals, bishops, priests and finally the laity. This model highlights the external and organizational features of the church by giving a one-sided emphasis to the church’s constitution, to its set of rules (canon law), to its governing body, and to the members of the church as subjects of the authority of its bishops, priests and deacons. While it makes much of the rights and powers of its officials, it tends to downplay the rights and entitlements of its other members and as has been noted, the rights and entitlements of women.
It is often the very nature of a hierarchy, which can create “an institution which wields extensive power within a parish”. One of the first enquiries into child abuse by clergy was the case of Mount Cashel Orphanage. The report stated that the church “chose to accept repeated denials of the allegation and allowed the abuses to continue” (The Report of the Archdiocesan Commission of Enquiry into the Sexual Abuse of Children by Members of the Clergy, St. John’s, Nfld 1990). Although this report was presented to the Vatican 30 years ago, we have seen these abuses to continue to the present day. On November 11, 2020, Pope Francis pledged to rid the Church of sexual abuse, a day after the release of the report on former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. https://apnews.com/article/sexual-abuse-by-clergy-sexual-abuse-pope-francis-prayer-17191e15292dff26fae1fe01739d92d1
As is written in the Catechism of the Catholic Church “The church is a mystery of faith”. This is not a model unto itself as Knox explains further. “Since the church is essentially a mystery, we cannot fully understand the church any more than we can fully understand God…We shall always be searching for new ways to lead to better understanding.” (p 168) The models of church (Body of Christ, People of God, Institution, Sacrament, Servant) are to help us understand some of the “mysterious reality that is the church.” (p. 168)
As you have recognized, all these models work together. There are many different models of church and as Avery Dulles himself insists no one model by itself is sufficient for an adequate understanding of the complex mystery of the church in all its dimensions. He has said: ‘In order to do justice to the various aspects of the church, as a complex reality, we must work simultaneously with different models. By a kind of mental juggling act, we have to keep several models in the air at once.” The different models must complement one another and compensate for the deficiencies of each.
Feedback on Assignment #1 "School Liturgy"
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