chap 4 mccarty

The sacraments

Source of our Life in Christ

What does Jesus reveal in the Parable of the Prodigal Son?

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Christ reveals that the one true God is a Father who offers love and forgiveness to his children.

What is the "second conversion"?

The effects of Original Sin remain even after Baptism, resulting in the need for an on-going, life-long "second conversion"

Who can forgive sins?

Forgiveness of sins before and after Baptism comes through Jesus Christ who, being God, can forgive sins.

Why did Christ institute the Sacrament of Reconciliation, considering that Baptism forgives our sins?

Christ knew that even his most sincere followers would sin after Baptism. Therefore, he instituted this Sacrament and gave his Apostles authority to forgive sins.

What is the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Penance?

Jesus Christ, through the ministry of his church, forgives those sins committed after baptism

What is the key aspect of the nature of God that Jesus reveals in the Parable of the Prodigal Son?

The one true God is a Father who offers love and forgiveness to his children.

How is God like the father in the parable?

God gives us everything and even when we squander our inheritance he always welcomes us back with open arms and calls our brothers and sisters to celebrate our return.

Our inheritance is

Eternal life

Eternal life is

The promise of the New Covenant

What is the nature of the first sin?

By eating of the Tree of Knowledge, Adam and Eve questioned the justice of God and chose to be their own arbiters of right and wrong. They placed their own will before that of God.

What is the effect of Baptism on Original Sin?

Baptism cleanses the soul of Original Sin (i.e., restores sanctifying grace to the soul), as well as all personal sins, and turns us back towards God. However, we still experience the consequences of Original Sin in a fallen human nature that is weakened and inclined to evil (concupiscence).

What does Isaiah foretell and the angel confirm to St. Joseph about the Messiah?

The Messiah will save his people from their sins.

How did Jesus scandalize the scribes and the Pharisees?

By associating himself with sinners and claiming to forgive them.

Why did the scribes and Pharisees consider Jesus' claim of forgiveness of sins blasphemous?

They correctly understood that only God can forgive sins. If Jesus claimed to forgive sins, he was claiming to be God. Therefore, if he was not God, then he must be a blasphemer.

What sign did Jesus give to his critics to show that he really could forgive sin?

To show he could forgive sin, which could not be seen, Christ healed the paralytic man, something they could see.

When did Christ institute the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

Christ gave St. Peter and the Apostles his power to forgive sins, which they passed on to the bishops they ordained.

How was the Sacrament of Penance celebrated in the early Church?

The earliest form of the Sacrament of Reconciliation was public confession, followed by public penance, followed by public absolution, and was usually received only once in a lifetime and only for particularly grave sins.

How did private confession come about?

The Irish monks introduced the common form of the Sacrament of Reconciliation that we celebrate today with private confession and absolution followed by private penance: this rite could be repeated as often as needed.

What is an indulgence?

the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin that has already been forgiven

When do we see Jesus imparting his divine authority to forgive sins?

When Christ gives St. Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven with power to bind and loose

When do we first hear of keys as a sign of granting one's authority to another to act as his steward in his absence?

In Isaiah 22:22, Eliakim is made steward of Judah and Jerusalem ands given the "key of the house of David: he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open."

How are Christ's words similar to God's words to Eliakim?

In Matthew 16:19, Christ says to St. Peter, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

What is the difference between the keys given to Eliakim and those given to St. Peter?

Eliakim's keys were for the earthly city of Jerusalem while St. Peter's are for the New Jerusalem—the Church.

What is the second indication in the Scriptures of the authority to forgive sins?

Christ extended this power to all the Apostles the evening after his Resurrection when he said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven: if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

What evidence was there that St. Peter and the Apostles had the authority to actually forgive sins?

Just as Christ used physical healing to demonstrate he had the divine power to forgive sins, he also gave the power to heal to St. Peter and the Apostles.

Was the power to forgive sins limited to the Apostles alone?

No. Christ intended the Apostles to pass it on to their successors.

How did the Apostles pass on their powers?

Through Apostolic Succession, that is, through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Who has the primary authority to forgive sins?

The bishop has primary authority. Priests cooperate with him in this ministry.

Has the Sacrament of Reconciliation always been celebrated in exactly the same way?

No. It evolved during the first centuries of the Church.

What do we know about the practice of the Sacrament of Penance in the New Testament?

Sts. Matthew, Paul, and James urged members of the Church to confess their sins to one another and to avoid contact with those members of the Church who were guilty of serious sins.

How was the Sacrament of Penance celebrated in the early Church?

A grave sinner would publicly confess his or her sin before the bishop, the bishop would impose a penance, and, once the penance was completed, the bishop would publicly pronounce absolution. Then the sinner would be welcomed back into the community.

Pros of Public Penance

-the process was public and severe, it discouraged repeat offenses

-the public celebration of the sacrament expressed the communal nature of the churches sacraments

Cons of Public Penance

-the sacrament was only usually celebrated once, if the penitent repeated the sin, he would be excommunicated for life

-many people put off baptism until death was imminent, rather than risk committing a serious sin after it. This was equivalent to gambling with their salvation

-many avoided baptism to avoid the embarrassment of confessing their sins

What new form for celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation was developed by the Irish monks?

The Irish monks developed a form of Reconciliation that was private and repeatable. The penitent's sins were confessed in private with absolution given at the same time. The penance was done later.

Why did private penances vary in intensity?

The Penance was determined by the gravity of the sin and the circumstances of the person who committed it. For example, if a priest and a peasant committed the same sin, the priest would receive a harsher penance.

How did private celebration of the Sacrament of Penance become the norm in the western Church?

Irish missionaries evangelized Northern Europe and brought this form of penance with them.

How do we remove the "inordinate attachment to created things that distorts the image of Christ in our souls"?

Through acts of penance on earth or in Purgatory after death. Hence suffering can be a path to holiness.

Why is penance necessary?

We must be perfected before we enter into the presence of God in Heaven. A soul with the stain of sin or owing satisfaction for sins already forgiven must be purified either on earth or in Purgatory before entering Heaven.

What is the proper motivation for undertaking penances?

We desire to repair our relationship with God and our neighbor, which we have damaged through sin.

"It cannot be doubted that the Fathers considered penance as not a mere expression of contrition, but as an act done directly towards God and a means of averting His anger."

Newman - Dev., Part II ch. 9, sec 3

In the first centuries of the Church, when the Sacrament of Reconciliation was celebrated publicly, how could an indulgence be applied to shorten one's penance?

If a person was assigned to fast for one year, for example, this period of time could be shortened by making a pilgrimage to a Christian shrine.

What are the two kinds of indulgences?

Plenary and partial

Why are most indulgences partial?

One of the conditions of receiving a plenary indulgence is the complete detachment from all sin. It is rare for a person to be completely detached from all deliberate sin.

What is the result of a person receiving a plenary indulgence?

If a person died after receiving a plenary indulgence (i.e., free from all attachment to sin), he or she would go straight to Heaven with no time of further purgation or purification in Purgatory.

Why are we morally responsible for our actions?

Because we have reason and free will, we are personally responsible for our good and bad actions and the effects they have on ourselves and others.

Free will

Having freedom to choose

What is sin?

Every sin violates the eternal and natural laws and is a form of idolatry.

Sin

Things that go against love of God and neighbor

Idolatry

Worshipping false gods

What does every sin do to our relationship with God?

Our sins personally damage our relationship with God.

What are venial and mortal sins?

Sins can be venial, damaging but not destroying our relationship with God, or mortal, depriving us of sanctifying grace and destroying our relationship with God. Mortal sins must be confessed.

What are the positive and negative consequences of free will on our relationship with God?

We can freely respond to God's love by loving him in return, sharing in his act of creation, and having a personal relationship with him. Alternatively, we can deliberately make a choice in opposition to God's moral law and his wisdom.

How does sin damage the sinner?

It damages our relationship with God, weakens our will, and clouds our intellect.

How does sin harm others?

Every sin hurts others, either directly, such as in stealing from others, or indirectly, by giving our neighbor bad example. Even our "secret" sins hurt others, because they change us for the worse, and therefore, negatively affect our relationship with others.

What is a sin?

A sin is any act, word, or desire that violates the eternal law of God.

What is eternal law?

It is the law of God that directs all creation according to God's divine wisdom.

How is man perfected or degraded?

We are perfected by freely conforming our actions to the eternal law, and we are degraded by freely rejecting that law.

What is the natural law?

It is the eternal law as applied to human conduct.

Natural law is usually defined as

Man's participation in the eternal law

What are the two sources of the natural law?

reason and divine revelation

Where are the ultimate expressions of the natural law in Divine Revelation?

The ultimate expression of natural law can be found in the Ten Commandments and in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Why is sin a form of idolatry condemned by the First Commandment?

God is supposed to be first in our lives. Every sin is a disordered love of creatures over God. It is disordered because we want the supposed good, which we think that a created thing will give us, more than we want the ultimate good, which is God.

The Sin of Adultery: An offense against reason, truth, and right conscience

Adultery is unjust to one's spouse and one's accomplice's spouse, hurts the child who might be conceived out of wedlock, and almost always involves a cover up

The Sin of Adultery: a failure in genuine love of God and neighbor

I disregard God's law and take from my neighbor what belongs to him, his spouse's affection

The Sin of Adultery: a word, act, or desire against the natural law

The 6th and 9th Commandments prohibit it. Christ condemned even adultery in one's heart.

The Sin of Adultery: An offense against God

One's desire for pleasure is put before God's will

How did Adam and Eve's behavior reveal they had damaged their relationship with God?

They hid themselves from God

How does the Old Testament prophet Hosea portray the sin of the nation of Israel?

He said Israel is like a wife who commits adultery against her husband. (God)

How does sin become a personal offense against God in the New Testament?

Christ became man and suffered his passions for the actual—not theoretical—sins of man. Our actual, personal sins and original sin are the cause of his actual, personal suffering and Crucifixion.

What are the three conditions for committing a mortal sin?

The act must involve a serious matter; one must have full knowledge, i.;e., know it is seriously wrong,; and one must have complete consent, i.e., freely commit the act or allow it to happen.

If the the act is not a serious matter, what is the sin?

A venial sin

Who ultimately decides if a sin is mortal or venial?

God

What should we assume, if we are not sure a sin is mortal or venial?

Assume it is a mortal sin and confess it.

What is the effect of a mortal sin?

It is a willful separation from God and his sanctifying grace. If one dies in a state of mortal sin, it will result in eternal separation from God.

What is the name for freely chosen eternal separation from God?

Hell

What are ways in which venial sins can be forgiven outside of Sacramental Confession?

Repentance, acts of contrition, prayer, works of charity, reception of Holy Communion, and participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass forgive venial sins.

How are a Catholic's mortal sins forgiven?

Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation

What are the components of a good confession?

Examination of conscience, sorrow for sins, purpose of amendment and the resolution to avoid sins in the future, actual confession of sins, the act of contrition, and penance or satisfaction.

What are the two types of contrition?

Perfect or imperfect contrition are both valid forms of expressing sorrow for sins

How must mortal sins be confessed?

Mortal sins must be confessed in kind, number, and sufficient detail.

What is an examination of conscience?

It is a review of your moral conduct since your last confession. It includes acts (thoughts, words, actions, and omissions) and intentions.

What is a good template to use in examining one's conscience?

The Ten Commandments and the Precepts of the Church

Precepts

Laws/teachings

Can there be forgiveness of sin without sorrow?

No

What can we do if we have a hard time seeing what is wrong about a particular sin?

Reflect on our sins and their true consequences, including how Christ has suffered for them. Also, a person can seek spiritual direction or counsel from a priest over these concerns.

Is sorrow, or contrition, primarily a feeling?

No. Sorrow is primarily a judgment of the will that one has done wrong.

What is perfect contrition?

It is sorrow for sin out of love for God.

What is imperfect contrition?

It is sorrow for sin out of fear of punishment.

Are both kinds of contrition valid?

Yes, even though perfect contrition is better in the same way as love is superior to fear.

What is scrupulosity?

It is the error of judging something evil when it is not.

Scrupulosity is the opposite of

A lax conscious

Why should you mention how long it has been since your last confession?

It helps the priest understand your situation better.

To what degree of specificity must you confess your sins?

It is a balance between not being vague to hide what you did and offering unnecessary details. You should confess your sins with sufficient detail to allow the priest to assess the gravity of your sins and to offer advice on how you can avoid these sins in the future

Why must you confess mortal sins in kind and number?

The priest can make a true assessment of your sins (Trent). For example, stealing one dollar from your mother's purse on one occasion is different from stealing twenty dollars from your employer on ten occasions.

Why is it good to identify the root of our sin and then expand upon it?

Identifying the root of a sin helps us overcome it.

How does the Act of Contrition on page 120 include both perfect and imperfect contrition?

Imperfect contrition is expressed in the words, "because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell." Perfect contrition is shown in the words, "most of all, because they offend you my God, who are all good and deserving of my love."