Sacraments final Exam

literally "blessing" -saying good things about or speaking well of someone

benedictio

"one who worships"- the claim that worship is the distinctly human action

homo adorans

public work

leitourgia

the way in which all of creation flows forth from God

exitus

the way in which all of creation is in the process of returning to God

reditus

the dynamic inner life of the Trinity; dancing around together

perichoresis

self-emptying; pouring out

kenosis

dynamic in cooperation; working well together

synergy

the process of becoming more like God; the perfection of humanity's telos; similar to sanctification

deification

a theological explanation for the existence of evil

theodicy

God's all-consuming, all-redeeming peace

shalom

a holy place; a shelter, haven, or refuge

sanctuary

Why did Nouwen write "Life of the Beloved"?

he wrote it for his friend Fred

What does Nouwen think is the capital T truth about each of our identities, regardless of how we might feel at any moment?

we are each beloved by God, precious in God's eyes

What are the four movements in the life of the Beloved?

taken, blessed, broken, and given

What word is perhaps better to use to describe that first movement in the life of the beloved?

chosen

what are three things we should do to embrace our chosenness?

1. keep unmasking the lies the world tells us about ourselves; look for people who remind us of our deepest identity as a chosen one of God; celebrate our choseness by practicing gratitude

what does it mean to give or receive a blessing?

being told "it is good that you exist"

If God is good, then why is there brokenness in the world?

original sin, which undoes God's act of creation and reintroduces chaos and violence into the world

what should we do with our brokenness?

befriend it and put it under the blessing

what does Nouwen say will happen if we befriend and put our brokenness under the blessing?

it won't go away but it will no longer consume us

what is the telos of the life of the beloved? (where do the first three movements lead?)

to become men and women for others, whose lives become gifts to the world

what is the point of the fish story at the beginning of Wallace's speech?

the most obvious, constant realities are the easiest to overlook and the hardest to talk about

According to Wallace, what is the "default, hard-wired setting" of human beings?

to be deeply, literally self-centered

How does the "default, hard-wired setting" Wallace sees in human beings compare to the teachings of the catholic church?

original sin -our inherent tendency to choose ourselves

Wallace says it's important to "learn how to think". What does he mean?

learning how to control what you pay attention to and assign meaning in life

How does Wallace's idea of "learning how to think" connect to Catholic teachings about sacramentality?

attention and sacramental worldview -choosing to make an effort to see God's love present in creation

One of Wallace's key claims is that "everyone worships". What does he mean by worship?

an act of self-giving that engages the entire person: mind, body, and spirit

Why does Wallace think there's no such thing as atheism?

Because everybody worships something, everybody has something at the center of their lives

what is our first, most surface-level definition of liturgy?

the official, public, communal prayer of the church

if liturgy is "the people of God participating in the Work of God" then who are the People of God?

Christians -all the baptized

If liturgy is "the People of God participating in the Work of God" then what is the work of God?

reconciling creation to himself

what is the telos of liturgy?

participating in the life of God -returning to God to become like God to participate in God's life

Why do human beings need liturgy?

the participation in the life of God is the perfection of our human nature and fulfills our telos as human beings

why do priests wear all black?

its a sign of simplicity and a reminder of our eventual death

what does the white collar a priest wears represent?

chastity and intellectual authority

what is the name of the white robe that a priest wears during the mass, and what does it represent?

alb -it is a sign of baptism

what is a stole and what does it represent?

it's the colorful strip of fabric that a priest wears around his shoulders, represents yoke and work

what is a chasuble and why do priests wear them?

it is the colorful outer layer tunic-like garment that symbolizes the sacrifice of the Mass -in the old covenant, priests would wear it to protect the rest of their clothes while presiding over animal sacrifices

what are the 3 things that genuflecting represents?

reverence + humility -God is good, and I am not; Loyalty -pledging to use my talents and abilities to serve God; Love -proposing to give my life to a relationship with God

why does the congregation all stand together at the beginning of the Mass when the priest processes to the front of the church?

we're all on the journey together, a pilgrimage toward heaven

who is present and participating in the Mass each time it is celebrated?

all the angles and saints in heaven + everyone who is present in the church

What are the three things the sign of the cross reminds us of ?

the trinity; the cross is the price that Christ paid for my life, it is my worth and value; it is my purpose in life to know, love, and serve God

what does the call and response "the Lord be with you" "and with your spirit" signify?

what we are about to do is dangerous and risky. This is based on the way the Apostles greet each other in Acts

during the mass, we pray the act of contrition. Why is it important for all those gathered at mass to acknowledge their sins at the beginning of the liturgy?

we are all sinners; it's important to be honest and self aware about who we are so that we can offer our true selves to God; the grace of God is for the healing of sinners

who (or what) is the focal point of the mass?

the glory and praise of God

what is the difference between receptivity and passivity?

being receptive requires action + attention -passivity does not

what 2 things does Fr. Mike say we should do to be more receptive in the liturgy of the word?

look up the readings ahead of time and bring a Mass journal

what should I expect to happen when I go to Mass?

I should expect something good/important/beautiful to happen, so I can be receptive when it does

What does Fr. Mike describe as the telos of worship?

to give God what God wants

what is "ersatz worship" (true worship for Catholics)?

ersatz \= fake/false -so something other than God like entertainment, profit, human desire, etc.

why are the gifts of bread and wine brought from the back of the church?

it is symbolic of the offerings of the community being brought to the alter

why does the priest mix water into the wine?

it is a symbol of the mingling of the humanity and divinity of Christ -two natures in one person

what is a "kingdom priest" and who is included in this "kingdom priesthood"?

anyone who has been baptized is included in the kingdom priesthood

why is participating in and receiving the eucharist dangerous?

because it is a true encounter with the real presence of God, whos is fierce and powerful and awesome and scary and good and not safe

what is the great "Amen"?

the congregation's affirming prayer at the end of the eucharistic prayer -we are declaring that we agree with everything that happened during the prayer

why do we make the sign of peace before receiving communion?

based off Matthew's gospel -Jesus tells the disciples to reconcile with anyone they have a problem with before going to offer sacrifice at the temple

why do we kneel during communion?

it's a sign of reverence to the real presence of Christ in the eucharist

when we receive the body and blood of Christ, what does our "Amen" mean?

we are saying we believe the bread and wine have become the body and blood of Christ

What does baptism have to do with our first moments of waking up before we actually begin our day?

I don't need to do anything at all to earn God's love

what part of the gospels suggests that God might care about the boring parts of our lives?

the hidden years of Jesus' life

How does Warren say we become "a radically alternative people, marked by the love of the triune God in each area of life"?

to be formed differently by taking up daily practices and habits that aim our love and desires toward God gradually over time

what would it mean to believe in the gospel, not just in my brain, but also in my body?

using our bodies the right way, in a constant and ever present offering of myself as a living sacrifice

what does the church teach us our bodies are for?

our bodies are instruments of worship -designed for the purpose of giving and receiving love

how is brushing my teeth a nonverbal prayer?

it's an act of worship that proclaims the hope of the resurrection of the body

why use a go-between for confession?

I need to verbally hear that I am forgiven even though I have sinned and that I am still welcome here and am still part of this community

Warren says that the focus of worship should be that which nourishes us. What two things does she suggest?

word and sacrament -the scripture and the eucharist

how dose eating leftovers shape the way we should understand or think about liturgy?

sometimes liturgy doesn't have to be deeply memorable or emotionally fulfilling -it just needs to nourish us

what does worship have to do with the simple, ordinary work that each of us has to do each day?

the work we do together in gathered worship transforms us and sends us into that simple, ordinary daily work

what is the simple, ordinary work that is most urgently put in front of each of us, which no one else can do for us?

to grow in holiness by getting better at our specific vocation; to become holy students, friends, teammates, etc.; to seek God in /through our particular vocation and place in life

why are Christians people who wait?

we wait for the second coming of Christ

what are we trained to do?

to properly delight in the pleasures of creation

what is the difference between worship and pleasure?

pleasure is a gift that could become and idol or false god, the gift looses its enjoyment. worship is already having something at the center of our lives. God alone can be both worshiped and enjoyed

what is disordered sleep and what does it have to do with my relationship with people and the things of the world?

sacrificing much needed rest to prioritize amusement/work/someone over the basic needs of my body is disordered sleep because it reveals that I am idolizing this stuff.

How does Warren think we should view human limitations and finitude?

learn to appriciate and embrace our finitude, our natural limitations as human beings aka Memento Mori

the self-giving gift of God found in creation, or outside the trinity

Grace

the kind of love that God is

Agape

the ultimate purpose of a being or object

Telos

a tangible, outward expression of something abstract or non-physical

sign

a process of being made holy

sanctification

the state of having been transformed into a new creature, one which can perfectly participate in the devine life

holiness

a sacred sign of God's love

sacramental

the word became flesh, taking human nature to himself and being found in human form

incarnation

Literally, "mystery", the term from which we get the English word "sacrament"

sacramentum

the sign itself -that which engages the senses

sacramentum tantum

what we mean when we talk about signs -both tangible and intangible realities together

Sacramentum et res

the reality of itself -the hidden meaning which the senses cannot grasp

res tantum

given out freely and abundantly

dispensed

established or set in motion

instituted

given with great care; assigned responsibility

entrusted

producing the desired affect

efficacious

what is the sacramentum tantum of the American flag?

the fabric sewn into red and white stripes and a blue field of white stars

what is the res tantum of a stop sign?

the idea that you should stop here

How does grace affect my nature as a human being?

grace perfects my human nature

what makes sacraments exceptional among other signs?

sacraments do something to the person who receives them

how could giving a hug to a friend who is having a bad day be considered a sacramental action?

a) its a visible sign of an invisible reality

b) it mediates God's love to them

c) it is always and everywhere true that you love them; the hug makes it true at a specific time and place

d) it uses your body to communicate

e) all of the above

what metaphor does C.S. Lewis use to best describe the process of being made holy?

a living house having its walls torn down and roof caved in during a massive renovation

What kind of love is God?

Agape -self giving

where/when can grace be found?

a) in the mass

b) in Dylan O'Brian

c) in Nantucket

d) in the wise words of Morgan Wallen

e) all the above

e

what is the primary effect of grace on human beings?

it transforms us into a new kind of person