Session 2: Encountering Christ in the sacraments Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, What are you discussing together as you walk along? They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? 19 What things? he asked. About Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they Baptism by water is the new birth. Baptism of the Spirit renews that birth and is a conscious awareness and a powerful experience of its meaning and its potentialities. We need to discover what we have become in baptism in order to understand what we ought to do in life. Our duty flows out of 9
crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus. 25 He said to them, How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over. So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us? They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon. 35 Then the two told what had happened on the 10
way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. Lk. 24:13-3 These are not drunk, as you suppose..peter preaching to the crowd after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:15). I. The road to Emmaus, Lk. 24:13-35 is a model of sacramental worship in the Catholic Church. A. The sacraments are encounters with the risen Jesus Christ. The basis of this encounter is a covenant the Lord makes with us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1. A covenant is a bond between the Lord and his people in which he promises to bless, provide, forgive, heal, protect his people. 2. In turn, the people of the Lord promise to obey him, worship him and put their trust in him exclusively. 3. The sacraments of the New Covenant are encounters with the risen Christ. 11
They are meetings with the Lord Jesus, risen and exalted, conqueror of sin and death. In this, they bring grace to transform and heal our wounded natures. B. In a sacrament, it is Jesus Christ acting in the midst of his people. 1. The sacraments are living encounters with the risen Lord. In one sense, it is an encounter with the risen Lord like people 2000 years ago encountered him in Galilee and Jerusalem. 2. In those encounters, Jesus healed, forgave, reconciled, saved and rescued people from evil, sickness, death, sin, destruction. It was the word he spoke, a word of restoration, that restored men and women s lives. 3. In a similar way, but even greater now, Jesus Christ, the risen and exalted Lord encounters his people in the sacraments. He comes to do what he did 2000 years ago but now as the risen, exalted Lord who has conquered sin, death and Satan. C. As in the The Scriptures are inspired by God and committed once and for all time to writing, they impart the Word of God himself without change, and make the voice of the Holy Spirit resound in the words of the prophets and apostles Dei 12 Verbum, Vatican II.
road to Emmaus, the Lord prepared the hearts of the two disciples (a model of church) with the word of God from the Old Testament Scriptures. 1. This preparation was an explanation of the work of the Lord in the Old Testament. This built faith in their hearts. This led them to a fresh, new encounter with the risen Lord at the inn they were going too through the breaking of bread. 2. Today, the canon of revelation is the whole of the Scriptures-Old and New Testaments. The Holy Spirit uses the whole of the canon of Sacred Scriptures to build faith in our hearts. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes from the word of Christ. Romans 10:17. 3. As the disciples responded to the Lord Stay with us longer - so to we respond to the Lord with surrendering our hearts to all the Lord wants to do in this sacramental encounter. II. Sacramental worship and Covenant family life A. Covenant family life is the foundation of sacramental worship. 1. In baptism we are brought into the family of God. Adopted as sons and daughters, we are justified by the blood of Jesus. 2. We are anointed with His presence and we become royalty-heirs of God, co-heirs of Christ. Let us drink the sober intoxication of the Spirit with joy. St. Ambrose 13
3. We have the life of the Trinity of love in us. We are temples of the Spirit and sharers in Jesus ministry as priest, prophet and king. 4. Our covenant is with the Lord and with each other. The characterizing life between us is charity. Jesus said, A new commandment I give you, Love one another as I have loved you. We are servants of one another, brothers and sisters in Christ. III.The Sacraments in brief A. Baptism: 1. A person is brought from darkness to light, from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of Christ. They become a son/daughter of the Father. They are adopted into a new family. 2. The Trinity of love comes to live within us. We become sisters and brothers to one another. The fire of the Spirit is ignited within us. This fire is meant to consume our life-transforming us. The old man -the flesh is being transformed by the life of the Trinity of love. This is called grace. B. Confirmation 1. A person receives the fullness of the Spirit-a new Pentecost in their life. This encounter with Jesus as the baptizer in the Spirit is to fill a person with the Lord s fire of love to change them and propel them into the world as witness to the risen Christ. 2. The Spirit gives gifts to grow in holiness, that is our relationship with the Lord. We grow in Jesus character. The Spirit gives gifts to serve the Church. These are called Charismatic gifts because they are manifestations of the Holy Spirit to build up the body of Christ and give witness to Jesus. 14
C. Eucharist 1. This sacrament is an encounter with the Lord who heals, feeds, nourishes and strengthens our life. 2. Jesus, the bread of life, gives us his life to transform us, body and soul. This heals our nature body and soul and in one sense prepares us for the resurrection of the body. D. Reconciliation 1. Jesus is encountered in this sacrament as the one who forgives and reconciles us to God. 2. Reconciliation is a pouring out of the Spirit to heal our wounded nature due to sin. This restores charity in my heart to the Lord and others. E. Sacrament of the Sick 1. Jesus is encountered as the healer. He heals in body and soul. HE heals the wounds of sin and the wounds of disease and brokenness of our lives. 2. The healing ministry of Jesus on earth is in a sense continued sacramentally in the Church. F. Marriage 1. Jesus builds and seals the relationship of man and woman. Through this relationship, the domestic church, the family is built and cultivated. 2. In this sacrament, there is an outpouring of the Spirit to bring a new power and wisdom to help two people, man and woman, grow in charity and build a family rooted in charity. G. Holy Orders 1. Jesus calls and leads men into the priesthood to specifically carry on his ministry and equip others for the work of ministry in the Church. 15
2. He calls shepherds after his own heart to do the works he did, speak and form his people in his words and equip the members of the Church to grow in holiness. IV. Summary A. Sacraments are encounters with the risen Christ. They are meetings of grace to transform us in body and soul. B. Sacraments are covenant encounters, meaning that they are worship of the Lord with the community that are NEWNESS ITSELF MUST BE RENEWED. joined together in the ORIGEN Spirit of Christ. Charity is the key way they are called to relate. C. Sacraments are visitations of the Holy Spirit that are fresh outpourings of grace to renew, empower and transform us. 16
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