Religious Ritual
Define the term Religious Ritual.
Religious rituals use symbolic actions, such as movement, gestures and words to express and promote what is important about faith. In the faith life of Catholics rituals helps people enter into the mystery of their faith. Rituals play an important role in Catholic worship, including celebrations of the sacraments.
Define Religious Practice.
Religious practices are a recognised way of doing something religious. Religious practices refer to a broad range of experiences that relate to many aspects of religious life. Religious practices might include ways of praying, styles of religious worship, and at set times and in specific places religious ways of doing things.
What three realisations about the Word of God did the people of Israel have?
The Word of God creates, reveals and gathers.
The Sacrament of Penance is an example of a Religious Practice or Religious Ritual?
Ritual.
How do people damage their relationship with God?
By sinning.
Typically, Religious Rituals involve what?
Movements, gestures, symbols of faiths, significant words.
What do Religious Practices often use?
Religious signs and Symbols
Where can people feel the freedom to resist human weakness?
God
What does the Sacrament of Penance restore?
Penance is a Sacrament for restoring fully a person’s relationship with God and the Church.
Define sin.
A sin is a deliberate thought, word or action against the law of God. Being deliberate, a sin cannot be committed accidentally or in genuine ignorance of God’s teachings.
What do Religious Ritual express or deepen?
What might Religious Practices include?
praying, styles of religious worship, and at set times and in specific places religious ways of doing things.
Such freedom (to resist human weakness), comes from?
People experience this freedom gradually as they relate with God as Jesus taught, and God’s influence and power in their lives gradually grows.
What does the Sacrament of Penance include? (Rite).
The ritual includes confession of sins and receiving the forgiveness of God through the ministry of the priest.
Which type of sin 'leads to death'? (The death involved is the breaking of the relationship with God.)
Mortal sin.
What do Religious Rituals call for Catholics?
Participation, not just observation.
Religious Practices usually use..?
Religious signs and symbols.
Together, Religious Rituals and Practices allow Christians to do what?
Christians draw upon, express and deepen their faith through a variety of rituals and practices.
Choose 2 examples from the Rite of Penance and explain.
The rite of Penance involves the following steps:
Before going to confession the person examines their conscience to reflect on how they have failed to love God and others
The priest welcomes the penitent
A reading from the Word of God emphasises God’s love and forgiveness.
The penitent is invited to confess their sins. The priest may give counsel and proposes an act of penance which the penitent accepts to make satisfaction for sin and to amend his or her life
The penitent expresses his or her sorrow, with act of contrition, for example, “Dear God, I am sorry for my sins because you are so good and I resolve with your help not to sin again.”
Then the priest extends his hands over the penitent's head and says the words of absolution. After the absolution the priest dismisses the penitent, telling them to go in peace.
How does the Sacrament of Penance relate to the lives of people?
The Sacrament of Penance (also commonly called ‘Reconciliation’ or ‘Confession’) relates to the lives of people by offering the hope of freedom from human weakness and sin.The Sacrament of Penance also relates to the lives of people by restoring their relationships with God and the Church.
What is typical for Religious Rituals during important celebrations?
A set of steps are repeated during important celebrations. They include the use of significant words that form part of the ritual action.
What could be an additional important part of Religious Practices?
Religious Rituals.
One important way in which people can find guidance and support for living the Christian life is through participating in rituals or practices that involve the Word of God, such as:
Sacramental liturgies
Liturgies of the Word
Scripture reading and prayer
Meditating on scriptural passages
When did Jesus institute (introduce/estabolish( the Sacrament of Penance?
When he gave his Church the power to forgive sins.
How does God's grace relate to the Sacrament of Penance?
Penance is a Sacrament for restoring fully a person’s relationship with God. As the Catechism explains:
‘The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God’s grace and joining us with (God) in an intimate friendship.’ [CCC 1468]