Last Sunday's Cathechism class was on Sacraments. Applying to be a Cathechist was really a good decision because for someone who had never attended Cathechism and did not know the functions of the church, I really learnt a lot due to the lesson preparations.
I learnt about the Ten Commandments back when I was doing baptism classes but now, in order to ensure the kids get the message, the teaching instruction had to cater to them. Which means quite a lot of prior reading and research had to be done.
But it was a successful lesson! At the end of the hour-long lesson, the kids know what Sacraments are and they could even list out all of them verbally! Teaching smart kids are really different as compared to those I had years ago!
In any case, the seven Sacraments are as follows :
1. Baptism
Baptism is for those born into the faith. They were baptized as babies when they were just a few weeks to a few months old.
2. Reconciliation / Penance
Also known as going for Confession. Normally kids who were baptized as babies would start going for confession at the age of eight.
3. Eucharist
Also known as Communion. When I was baptized as an adult, the first time I received Communion was the night I was baptised. But for the kids who were already baptised, they received their Communion at the age of nine.
4. Confirmation
This is to accept the Holy Spirit being bestowed upon a person, confirming the faith. Normally this occurs at the age of sixteen, after four years of Confirmation classes.
For adults who got baptised, some were baptised and confirmed on the same day, some confirmed a year later. In my case it was two weeks later.
These four Sacraments above are what every Catholic have to go through. The other three below, not every Catholic will go through as it would be a case of either / or.
5. Matrimony
Also known as Marriage. Yes, marriage is a Sacrament. Being in Holy Matrimony means being married in the eyes of God, which is why for Catholics, we are asked to marry in church.
Of course the law here requires us to legalize the marriage. Hence even if we marry in the church the marriage will not be legalised if we do not sign on the dotted line.
Which is why some chose to solemnise their marriage first then go through a church ceremony and some chose to solemnise in church and go through the ceremony at the same time. There are also some who just chose to solemnise their marriage without going through a church ceremony, especially if one partner is not a church-goer.
Our priests, being religious leaders, automatically have the power to let the marriage be recognized both under common / civil law and canon / religious law. So many couples nowadays just do everything in church and get their marriages legalised both under law and in God's eyes.
Not everyone will get married. Some may get called or have a yearning to be a religious leader, like priest, Sister or Brother, which brings us into the next Sacrament.
6. Holy Orders
Some may answer a call to a higher being - leading a religious vocation. Some may become priests, some Brothers, some Sisters. They will give their lives to God and serve the people faithfully.
I always wonder, why are priests males? Why are there no female priests? Why can a woman not become a priest but only a religious Sister?
Once someone answered the call to Holy Orders, it is normally a lifelong thing. They remain celibate. But there were rare instances where someone stopped being a priest and left to get married. In which case he would have fulfilled both the fifth and sixth Sacrament.
7. Anointing The Sick
Again, not everyone will fulfil this. Only if someone fulfils the sixth Sacrament and answers the call to Holy Orders will they get to anoint the sick. The religious leaders will visit those who are old and dying and pray over them.
So these are all the seven Sacraments! I will be covering a module on Sacraments in my Catholicism class later on in the year. Hopefully I will get to know more about this! Meanwhile, for those who are interested and feel may be useful, do grab a copy of the Cathechism of the Catholic Church to know more about the faith and how to teach Cathechism!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I learnt about the Ten Commandments back when I was doing baptism classes but now, in order to ensure the kids get the message, the teaching instruction had to cater to them. Which means quite a lot of prior reading and research had to be done.
But it was a successful lesson! At the end of the hour-long lesson, the kids know what Sacraments are and they could even list out all of them verbally! Teaching smart kids are really different as compared to those I had years ago!
In any case, the seven Sacraments are as follows :
1. Baptism
Baptism is for those born into the faith. They were baptized as babies when they were just a few weeks to a few months old.
2. Reconciliation / Penance
Also known as going for Confession. Normally kids who were baptized as babies would start going for confession at the age of eight.
3. Eucharist
Also known as Communion. When I was baptized as an adult, the first time I received Communion was the night I was baptised. But for the kids who were already baptised, they received their Communion at the age of nine.
4. Confirmation
This is to accept the Holy Spirit being bestowed upon a person, confirming the faith. Normally this occurs at the age of sixteen, after four years of Confirmation classes.
For adults who got baptised, some were baptised and confirmed on the same day, some confirmed a year later. In my case it was two weeks later.
These four Sacraments above are what every Catholic have to go through. The other three below, not every Catholic will go through as it would be a case of either / or.
5. Matrimony
Also known as Marriage. Yes, marriage is a Sacrament. Being in Holy Matrimony means being married in the eyes of God, which is why for Catholics, we are asked to marry in church.
Of course the law here requires us to legalize the marriage. Hence even if we marry in the church the marriage will not be legalised if we do not sign on the dotted line.
Which is why some chose to solemnise their marriage first then go through a church ceremony and some chose to solemnise in church and go through the ceremony at the same time. There are also some who just chose to solemnise their marriage without going through a church ceremony, especially if one partner is not a church-goer.
Our priests, being religious leaders, automatically have the power to let the marriage be recognized both under common / civil law and canon / religious law. So many couples nowadays just do everything in church and get their marriages legalised both under law and in God's eyes.
Not everyone will get married. Some may get called or have a yearning to be a religious leader, like priest, Sister or Brother, which brings us into the next Sacrament.
6. Holy Orders
Some may answer a call to a higher being - leading a religious vocation. Some may become priests, some Brothers, some Sisters. They will give their lives to God and serve the people faithfully.
I always wonder, why are priests males? Why are there no female priests? Why can a woman not become a priest but only a religious Sister?
Once someone answered the call to Holy Orders, it is normally a lifelong thing. They remain celibate. But there were rare instances where someone stopped being a priest and left to get married. In which case he would have fulfilled both the fifth and sixth Sacrament.
7. Anointing The Sick
Again, not everyone will fulfil this. Only if someone fulfils the sixth Sacrament and answers the call to Holy Orders will they get to anoint the sick. The religious leaders will visit those who are old and dying and pray over them.
So these are all the seven Sacraments! I will be covering a module on Sacraments in my Catholicism class later on in the year. Hopefully I will get to know more about this! Meanwhile, for those who are interested and feel may be useful, do grab a copy of the Cathechism of the Catholic Church to know more about the faith and how to teach Cathechism!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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