Ths 543 Sacramental Theology / Questions to Guide Your Reading / 1

ThS 543 Sacramental Theology / Questions to Guide Your Reading / 1

Lesson One

Mystagogical Reflection on Sacramental Experiences; Blessings

1. What happened [to/for the recipients, to/for the presider, to/for the assembly]? What were the significant . . . gestures? . . . postures? . . . words? . . . songs? . . . touches? . . . tastes? . . . smells? . . . sights? . . . experiences? . . . surprises? . . . connections?

2. What were you/they expecting?

3. What does all this say about . . . BEING A CHRISTIAN? . . . BEING A CATHOLIC? . . . BEING AN ADULT CATHOLIC? . . . THE CHRISTIAN MEANING OF THE CENTER OF MY LIFE? . . . BEING FORGIVEN? . . . BEING ANOINTED? . . . BEING A READER? . . . BEING AN ACOLYTE? . . . BEING A CANDIDATE FOR ORDINATION? . . . BEING A DEACON? . . . BEING A PRESBYTER? . . . BEING A BISHOP? . . . BEING MARRIED? . . . THE CHRISTIAN MEANING OF MY DEATH? . . . THE CHRISTIAN MEANING OF THE REST OF MY LIFE?

4. What has been reinforced for you?

CollR, 1Anthony Bloom on the Body

CollR, 2Sofia Cavaletti, “The Sign of the Cross”

CollR, 32 Kings 2:1–22

CollR, 4St. Leo the Great, Sermon Two on the Ascension, Office for Readings, Friday in the Sixth Week of Easter (the Friday after the Ascension), The Liturgy of the Hours, Volume II, p. 937–938

CollR, 5–16Ascension Texts and Chants

a.What is the significance for sacramental theology of the Solemnity of the Ascension:

i.as found in its use of Septuagint/Vulgate version of Psalm 68 (67V), especially v. 18 in the Entrance Psalm and in its Communion Psalms and in the Second Reading for Year B?

ii.as illuminated by 2 Kings 2:1–22, especially the “double share of your spirit” and the condition “only if you see me ascend”?

iii.as found in the second readings?

iv.as found in the prayer over the gifts, in Ascension Preface II, and in the prayer after communion?

v.as found in the reading from Pope St. Leo the Great?

TEXTThe Church at Prayer/Volume IV: “The Liturgy and Time,” pp. 28–29, 58–64, 72, 76, 106,

CollR, 17–32Chrism Mass Texts and Chants

Austin, Gerard. The Rite of Confirmation: Anointing with the Spirit. Chapter Five, “Rite of the Blessing of Oils; Rite of Consecrating Chrism,” 98–122

b.What is the significance for sacramental theology of the Chrism Mass:

i.as found in its Entrance Antiphons and Psalm, in its readings and chants between the readings and in its Communion Antiphons and (wedding) Psalm?

ii.as seen and sung about in the two processions with the oils?

iii.as found in the text of the blessing of the oil of the sick and in the preferred place of the Chrism Mass when this oil is blessed?

iv.as found in the prayer after communion?

v.as found in the placement of which ministers in Article 21 and in the preferred place of the Chrism Mass when the oil of the catechumens is blessed and the chrism consecrated?

vi.as found in the text of the blessing of the oil of catechumens and in Article 2 of the Introduction (Prænotanda)?

vii.as found in the invitation to pray in article 24?

viii.as seen in the gesture of all the celebrants in the Consecratory Prayer?

ix.as found in the text of the alternate Consecratory Prayer?

x.as found in the fact of and the text of the reception of the oils?

xi.as found in the Introduction (Prænotanda), especially Articles 1, 6, and 14?

c.Who are the priests of the Entrance Antiphon and of the second reading? What clarification does the Preface offer?

d.Who are the “us” of “you have given us a share in his consecration to priestly service in your Church” in the Opening Prayer?

e.What is distinctive about the renewal of priestly commitment?

Handout, 1Apostles’ Creed, Articles Eight through Twelve

Handout, 2–4Hallowed Be This House

Handout, 5Semmelroth on Sacraments / Chart

The Sacramentals

CollR, 33–36Ford, Overview of the General Introduction to The Book of Blessings

f.About what three interrelated realities is Ford talking?

g.Why is it significant to see the General Introduction to The Book of Blessings as a mature document of the liturgical renewal?

h.Why must every blessing be celebrated with a liturgy of the word?

CollR, 37–54The General Introduction to The Book of Blessings

i.To what three realities do blessings refer, involve and apply?

j.Why does Part II of the General Introduction to The Book of Blessings begin with an emphasis on the cup of blessing?

k.Who or What is blessed?

l.Why? What is this “chief effect”?

m.Why are our [the recipients’] faith, hope, and love necessary?

n.Why is “some assembly required”?

o.Who may bless?

p.How (what are the essential ingredients)?

CollR, 55–60The Universal Prayer or Prayer of the Faithful

q.What are the three noteworthy characteristics of the Universal Prayer?

r.Why are catechumens not to take part in this prayer?

s.Why is the Universal Prayer part of every liturgy of the word and thus a part of every sacramental and sacrament?

TEXTThe Church at Prayer/Volume III: “The Sacraments,” pp. 263–284

t.What is the “twofold movement proper to blessing”?

u.What, in the earliest days of the Church, are the words which are to be used in every blessing?

v.What is the prayer “Per Quem haec omnia” of the Roman Canon (hint: see b iii, above)?

w.What focus, respecting blessings, do we need in a technicized world?

TEXTVorgrimler, pp. 314–323

x.How does the 1983 Code of Canon Law distinguish between sacraments and sacramentals?

y.What kinds of blessings are there?

z.If sacramentals are not mere signs, what are they?

TEXTThe Catechism of the Catholic Church §§1667–1679

aa.How does the Catechism distinguish between sacraments and sacramentals? (Compare §1677 with §1131)

bb.What are exorcisms?

cc.What wisdom about popular piety does the Third Puebla document offer?

______

Lesson Two

The Mystery of Death and Rites for the Dead

ReferThe Ceremonial of Bishops, §§ 821–839

a.What is the significance of the difference in the placement of the coffin of an ordained person from the placement of the coffin of a layperson?

b.What is the “first type of the celebration [of funerals] provided in the Roman Ritual” and what recommendation does the Ceremonial make to bishops?

c.What role does psalmody play in the celebration of funerals (see “j” in the next section of questions)? Why?

d.Why does the bishop preside at every liturgy of the word at a funeral, even if he is not the celebrant of the funeral?

TEXTThe Rites of the Catholic Church, Volume One, pp. 844–895

TEXTThe Church at Prayer/Volume III: “The Sacraments,” pp. 221–240

e.How important is it to receive viaticum?

f.What is the “true sacrament of death”? (recall Rites I, p. 847 [§174] and p. 849 [§181])

g.What is the significance of the revised commendation of the dying?

h.What is the significance of the prayers of commendation? (Rites I, pp. 865–868 [§220])

i.What is the significance of the apostolic pardon? (recall Rites I, p. 854 [§195] and p. 856 [§201])

TEXTThe Rites of the Catholic Church, Volume One, pp. 844–895, 909–1118, paying particular attention to pp. 924–944 (§§1–67), 955–956 (§§98–103), 959 (§§109–111), 963 (§§119–120), 967–974 (§§128–154), 992–994 (§§204–215), 1064–1069 (§§348–372), and to pp. 1108–1118 (§§1–25, the original Prænotanda)

j.From where does the power for all the Church’s activity come and what makes this power present?

k.What is the central celebration of the Christian funeral? What does it accomplish (see the original Prænotanda, §10) and what do the rest of the rites accomplish (see the General Introduction, §6)?

l.Who are the ministers of the Order of Christian Funerals (compare the original Prænotanda, §§16–20, to the General Introduction, §§9–15)?

m.What is the significance of §21 of the General Introduction?

n.What are the readings of the Word of God designed to accomplish?

o.What does psalmody accomplish?

p.Why is music integral to the funeral rites?

q.What is the significance of the vigil?

r.What is the significance of the receiving of the body at the funeral liturgy?

s.What is the significance of the song of farewell?

TEXTRutherford and Barr, The Death of a Christian: The Order of Christian Funerals, pp. 115–211

t.From what does the word “funeral” come?

u.How does Rutherford analyze the spiritual help and the consolation of hope of the Order of Christian Funerals?

v.What are a priest’s two most powerful tools in ministering to the sick, to the dying, and to the bereaved?

w.What is the harm in replacing the reading of Scripture with any other reading?

x.What does Rutherford think psalmody accomplishes?

y.What is the significance of the nightwatch vigils?

z.How and why does Rutherford give new meaning to the gathering in the presence of the body?

aa.What is the meaning of “Amen”?

bb.Which two basic elements of the liturgical renewal are operative in the final commendation?

TEXTThe Catechism of the Catholic Church §§1680–1690

cc.What are the four elements of funerals common to all liturgical traditions?

Lessons Three and Four — Theological and Magisterial General Sacramental Theology

Theological Preconditions for Sacramental Theology

Themes: Experience of God and God’s Revelation • Images and Symbols of God • The “Sacramental Principle” in Jewish-Christian Tradition • Christian Theology, “Old Testament Sacraments,” and “Natural Sacraments” • Christological, Pneumatological, and Trinitarian Presuppositions

CollR, 114–115Vorgrimler’s Themes

TEXTVorgrimler, pp. 1–19

a.In Vorgrimler’s Introduction, what are:

i.his assumptions about the cultural climate in which to discuss sacramentology?

ii.his own assumptions?

iii.his definition of faith? (take note of every refinement of this definition throughout the first five chapters!)

iv.his method?

v.his answer to the basic Protestant worry about sacraments? (take note of every discussion of magic throughout the first five chapters!) (What, by the way, is the Lima document?)

b.In section 1.1 of Vorgrimler’s first chapter:

i.In what two ways does God reveal himself?

ii.What is the process of this revelation?

iii.In what two places does this revelation occur?

iv.What is the two-fold content of this revelation?

v.What should be our response to this revelation?

c.In section 1.2 of Vorgrimler’s first chapter:

i.What does mediation mean?

ii.What is the sacramental structure or principle?

iii.Distinguish between sign and symbol.

iv.What does symbolic expression mean?

v.How can our whole being be understood as the fundamental sacrament?

d.In section 1.3 of Vorgrimler’s first chapter:

i.What are the two basic kinds of symbols?

ii.In what ways are human beings the image of God?

iii.How is the sacramental structure principle also realized?

e.In section 1.4 of Vorgrimler’s first chapter:

i.What are the “Old Testament sacraments” (see also Chapter Three, Section 3.1)?

ii.What are the “natural sacraments” (see also Chapter Three, Section 3.1)?

f.In section 1.5 of Vorgrimler’s first chapter:

i.What are his Christological presuppositions?

ii.What are his seven Pneumatological presuppositions?

iii.What are his Trinitarian presuppositions?

Determining the Place of the Sacraments

Themes: The Sacraments as the Church’s Liturgy • The Subject of the Church’s Liturgy • The Presence of Jesus Christ in the Liturgy

TEXTVorgrimler, pp. 20–26

g.In section 2.1 of Vorgrimler’s second chapter:

i.What is he saying and what is he not saying when he says that “the sacraments are an essential part of the Church’s liturgy”?

ii.What is St. Thomas Aquinas’s famous dictum about the sacraments?

iii.Hinted at on p. 19, the katabatic and the anabatic aspects of liturgy are defined on p. 22—how would you describe these to Joe Six-pack and Juana Corona?

h.In section 2.2 of Vorgrimler’s second chapter who are the subjects of the Church’s liturgy?

i.In section 2.3 of Vorgrimler’s second chapter:

i.How does liturgy “work”?

ii.Who is being made present to whom?

iii.Vorgrimler mentions Jesus mysticism for the second time (the first was on p. 4, the third will be on p. 63, the fourth on pp. 80–81)—what is he talking about?

The Sacramental Economy of Salvation

Themes: Creation and Election as Sacrament • Jesus Christ as the Primordial Sacrament • Church as Fundamental Sacrament • Individual Sacraments as Actualizations of the Fundamental Sacrament

TEXTVorgrimler, pp. 27–42

j.In the preamble of Vorgrimler’s third chapter:

i.What is sacramental thinking?

ii.How does Vorgrimler distinguish institutional from non-institutional “sacraments”?

k.In section 3.1 of Vorgrimler’s third chapter:

i.How different is God’s presence to human beings from his presence to creation?

ii.What refinements does Vorgrimler add to his descriptions of faith and of magic?

iii.When it comes to Old Testament sacraments in contrast to natural sacraments, what two outstanding sacramental structures come into play?

l.In section 3.2 of Vorgrimler’s third chapter, how is Jesus Christ the Primordial Sacrament?

m.In section 3.3 of Vorgrimler’s third chapter;

i.How is the Church the Fundamental Sacrament?

ii.What claim/temptation is being avoided in this designation?

n.In section 3.4 of Vorgrimler’s third chapter:

i.How, in a general sense, are the individual sacraments actualizations of the Fundamental Sacrament?

ii.What are the renewed understandings of sacramental theology which ‘solve’ what problems in previous thinking about and experiencing sacraments?

The Sacraments in General

Themes: The General Concept of a Sacrament • History of General Sacramental Theology • New Testament • The Church Fathers • Middle Ages • The Sacramental Theology of the Reformers • The Church’s Official Sacramental Teaching • The Development of Sacramental Theology after Trent • Limits and Structure of General Sacramental Theology and Doctrine of the Individual Sacraments

TEXTVorgrimler, pp. 43–67

o.In section 4.1 of Vorgrimler’s fourth chapter who are the two most important scholastic sacramentologists and what were their definitions of a sacrament?

p.In section 4.2 of Vorgrimler’s fourth chapter:

i.what two legacies from Jewish thought inform our Catholic sacramentology?

ii.what are our seven legacies from St. Augustine?

iii.what are then ten decisive forks in the journey through the Middle Ages to our Catholic sacramentology? (account for the technical terms opus operatum, sacramentum, res sacramenti, and res et sacramentum)

iv.what is the central premise of Protestant sacramentology?

v.characterize the journey from the Council of Florence through the Council of Trent to the Second Vatican Council (account for the technical term obex);

vi.what are the two most important movements in the field of sacramental theology between the two world wars?

TEXTThe Church at Prayer/Volume I: “Principles of the Liturgy,” pp. 266–272

q.In section 4.3 of Vorgrimler’s fourth chapter what is St. Thomas Aquinas’s helpful “warning”?

Fundamentals of General Sacramental Theology

Themes: Symbolic Liturgical Actions as Mediation of the Presence of God • Effective Symbolic Event • Jesus Christ as Author of the Sacraments • The Number Seven and the Inequality of the Sacraments • Sacrament—Event of the Word of God • Sacrament, Prayer, and Discipleship • Sacraments of Faith • Sacraments as Mediation of Divine Grace • Sacrament and History • Sacraments of the Church

TEXTThe Rites of the Catholic Church, Volume One, pp. vii–xvi

TEXTVorgrimler, pp. 68–101

TEXTThe Church at Prayer/Volume I: “Principles of the Liturgy,” pp. 229–280

CollR, 119–123Sacrament as an Event of the Word of God / Lectionary for Mass Introduction

r.In section 5.1.1 of Vorgrimler’s fifth chapter:

i.account for the terms sign, symbol, real symbol, myth, and performance utterance

ii.what is Vorgrimler’s operational definition of sacrament?

iii.what two errors (mistaken thinkings) is Vorgrimler trying to address?

s.In section 5.1.2 of Vorgrimler’s fifth chapter how is Jesus Christ the Author of the Sacraments?

t.In section 5.1.3 of Vorgrimler’s fifth chapter how may we understand the number seven and the inequality of the sacraments?

u.In section 5.2 of Vorgrimler’s fifth chapter what are we saying when we call a sacrament an event of the Word of God?

v.Connect the foregoing question to the theology of the Lectionary for Mass Introduction; what do you notice?

w.In section 5.3 of Vorgrimler’s fifth chapter how are sacraments connected to prayer and discipleship?

x.In section 5.4 of Vorgrimler’s fifth chapter:

i.what are the four problems connected with the faith of the minister?

ii.what are the five problems connected with the faith of the recipient?

y.In section 5.5 of Vorgrimler’s fifth chapter:

i.what does ex opere operato mean?

ii.how and why are the sacraments necessary for salvation?

z.Connect section 5.6 of Vorgrimler’s fifth chapter to CCC 1130.

aa.In section 5.7 of Vorgrimler’s fifth chapter:

i.in what ways are the sacraments the Church’s?

ii.what light is shed on the meaning of “sacramental character”?

Magisterial Overview

CollR, 101–105Neuner/Dupuis Points

TEXT“Christian Worship and Liturgy” (Chapter XII of The Christian Faith in the Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic Church)

a.Why do Neuner and Dupuis discuss the sacraments after they discuss Christian worship and liturgy?

b.What emphases and nuances do you discern in your reading of the magisterial statements on “Christian Worship and Liturgy”? Take note of the following:

i.the two ends of worship in the italicized Introduction to the chapter

ii.the theology of the word in 1202, 1240, 1242, and 1336

iii.the theology of the preaching in 1203

iv.the place of culture and diversity in 1207, 1213, 1235, 1237, and 1245

v.the theology of the active participation in 1208

vi.the place of dispositions in 1209/2 and 1209/4

vii.the extraordinary statement about the liturgical year in 1211 and echoed in 1333

viii.compare 1212 to 1223 and to 1228—what do you notice?

ix.the place of the communion of saints in 1214

x.the famous definition of liturgy in 1218

xi.the passion in 1232

xii.the modesty about what in 1234 (compare to the Catechism 1085)?

xiii.the place of Sunday in 1250a–e

TEXT“The Sacraments of the Church” (Chapter XIII of The Christian Faith in the Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic Church)

c.What emphases and nuances do you discern in your reading of the magisterial statements on “The Sacraments of the Church”? Take note of the following:

i.the worthiness of the minister in 1301, 1303, and 1304

ii.matter, form, and minister in 1305–1307

iii.the theology of obex in 1309 and 1316

iv.the cruciality of 1324

v.compare 1306 to 1328—what do you notice?

vi.the place of dispositions in 1332, 1335, and the Catechism 1098

vii.compare 1331 to 1334 and the Catechism 1088—what do you notice?

CollR, 37–38Catechism Contents

CollR, 38aCCC 1127 & Luke 11: The Father Always Hears the Prayer for the Holy Spirit

TEXTThe Catechism of the Catholic Church §§1066–1209

d.In CCC 1066–1068 and 1071–1072, why does liturgy exist?

e.In CCC 1069–1070, what does “liturgy” mean?

f.If CCC 1074 says that “the liturgy is the privileged place for catechizing the People of God,” how does this catechizing take place?

g.In CCC 1076, what is the sacramental economy?

h.In CCC 1077–1083, how is the Father’s work in the liturgy connected to the theology of the Book of Blessings?

i.In CCC 1084–1090, how does Christ work in the liturgy?

j.In CCC 1091–1109, connect in detail the work of the Spirit in liturgy to the work of the Spirit in the incarnation, CCC 723–725, and in the work of the Church, CCC 737–739, in the new life of Christians, CCC 740, and in the prayer of Christians, CCC 741?