Sacraments

[Lil Red]

With my youth group, we're going to be talking about one sacrament one Wednesday a month. What order would you go in?

I want to start out with the Eucharist, of course.

[StColette]

Eucharist
Reconciliation
Confirmation ( especially if this youth group hasn't been confirmed yet )

Those are the most important ones for around the age category of say umm 13-18 in my opinion. Many young Catholics aren't even really aware behind the meaning of the Eucharist or Confirmation. And many of them tend to ignore Reconciliation. These three I think are some of the most important in trying to understand.

Holy Orders is another very important Sacrament to discuss. Then I would discuss Baptism, First Communion, and Anointing of the Sick. Not that they are less important in any way, shape, or form. Because we know we can't get to Confirmation without Baptism and First Communion. But with certain age groups, especially those who will be confirmed this coming Spring it's good for them to understand the meaning behind Confirmation. The Eucharist and Reconciliation are two of the most wonderful Sacraments and should be understood greatly.

Anyway that's just my opinion.

God Bless,
Jennie

[phatcatholic]

if i were you i would just go in the order in which the sacraments are most often received:

1. Baptism
2. Confession
3. Eucharist
4. Confirmation
5. Marriage
6. Holy Orders
7. Anointing of the Sick

of course, the order of 5-7 vary depending on your vocation, and when you are near death. but, this is the order i most often see them in.

also, you can show how one gradually progresses closer to God as they grow up in the church. baptism intiates them into the family of God and provides for them access to the remaining sacraments. confession is ur first taste of sacramental forgivness. Eucharist, your first taste of the Body of Christ. Confirmation equips you to go out, feed off the Spirit you have received thru that and the previous sacraments, and live ur faith. Marriage unites you to ur spouse. Holy Orders unites you to the Church. Anointing of the Sick prepares you for death.

from infancy to the elderly years, we are constantly fed thru the Church in a natural progression that is really quite romantic. so, it hink presenting them in order shows how God is w/ us every step of the way.

anyway, that's my 0.02

pax christi
phatcatholic

[Lil Red]

interesting plan, phatcatholic!

[Lil Red]

anyone else?

[Apotheoun]

I would connect Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, because in a special way these three sacraments together form a single whole, i.e., a single complexus, for they are the rite of initiation into the Christian way of life.

As the Catechism puts it, "Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the 'sacraments of Christian initiation,' whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For 'by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.'" [[u]Catechism of the Catholic Church[/u], no. 1285]

1. Baptism
2. Confirmation
3. Eucharist
4. Penance
5. Unction (Anointing of the Sick)
6. Holy Orders
7. Marriage

The first three sacraments are the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist), the next two sacraments are sacraments that are restorative in nature (Penance and Unction), and the last two sacraments are sacraments that concern a person's state of life within the Church (Holy Orders and Marriage).

As a side note, it is sad that the sacrament of Confirmation is given at a later age in the United States. The universal norm of the law is that one should be confirmed upon reaching the age of discretion (i.e., around 7 or 8 years of age), but the norm instituted by the Bishops in the United States has extended the period of time in which Confirmation can be given. Here is the norm issued by the U.S. Bishops:

[quote name='Decree on Age of Confirmation' date=' 21 August 2001']The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in accord with the prescriptions of canon 891, hereby decrees that the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Latin Rite shall be conferred [b][i]between[/i][/b] the age of discretion and about sixteen years of age, within the limits determined by the diocesan bishop and with regard for the legitimate exceptions given in canon 891.[/quote]
This norm is often misinterpreted and is used in order to delay Confirmation until a child is 16 years old, but that is not what the norm requires; instead, the norm merely extends the period of time in which the sacrament of Confirmation can be conferred, so that it can be received from the age of discretion (7 or 8 years of age) until the age of 16 years. It is preferable, especially in the hedonistic culture of the West, to give a child the additional graces of the sacrament of Confirmation at as early an age as possible, because in this way they will be strengthened by the sacramental graces received and will thus be better able to resist the temptations against the faith presented in Western culture.

[Lil Red]

actually, in my diocese, they are doing confirmation with first eucharist. they've been doing that for 5+ years now.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='Sep 15 2004, 12:09 PM'] actually, in my diocese, they are doing confirmation with first eucharist. they've been doing that for 5+ years now. [/quote]
That is wonderful news.

[Lil Red]

thanks for the input, btw!

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='Sep 15 2004, 12:17 PM'] thanks for the input, btw! [/quote]

[toledo_jesus]

wow I wasn't confirmed until i was 17...took a two year class.

[StColette]

I wasn't Confirmed until I was 17 either, but I only had one year of class. After my Confirmation group they began doing two year classes.

[phatcatholic]

red, let us know what you decide and how your presentations go

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='StColette' date='Sep 15 2004, 02:18 PM'] I wasn't Confirmed until I was 17 either, but I only had one year of class. After my Confirmation group they began doing two year classes. [/quote]
In the Eastern Catholic Churches you are confirmed as a baby, right after you are baptized.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='phatcatholic' date='Sep 15 2004, 03:31 PM'] red, let us know what you decide and how your presentations go [/quote]
definitely! i'll be starting them next month. the hard part is that half of the youth group goes to the Catholic high school and the rest to the public schools. so it's hard to present information that isn't beneath them or over their heads either.