| Year Levels Focus: | The loving presence of Jesus is celebrated in the sacraments. (TCREK013) |
| Aims: |
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| Content Statement: |
Refer to specific content about essential elements, symbols, symbolic actions/words in teacher background on unit planner. See GNFL P - 6 Sacraments Essential Elements, Symbols, Symbolic Actions/Words Resource Document Signs of God’s loving presence i) in all of life ii) in the actions of Jesus Students will be offered opportunities to grow in appreciation of people and the world around us as signs of the presence of God. i) They will be supported to see how Jesus used words, actions and elements of the world (the natural world, children, gestures, water, oil and light) to communicate God’s loving presence) ii) Students will explore how Jesus‘ actions of welcoming and uniting (e.g. in gathering and blessing) are present in the Sacrament of Baptism. Sacramental aspects of God’s presence in and through the essential elements, symbols, symbolic actions/words. i) Students will note the three groups of the seven Sacraments: Initiation, Healing, Communion for Service (Becoming one, Becoming healed, Together for others) ii) They will explore the significance of water in human life and in the story of the Jewish people and will engage with the story of Jesus’ baptism, which is different from ours. From this account, the main focus will be on God’s words: “You are My beloved Son” Students will explore the use of water and light as symbols of God’s life and love. They will explore God’s love and his call within a community celebration. They will explore the essential elements, symbols, symbolic actions/words used in the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism. They will define Baptism as the name of Sacrament and Christening as its liturgical celebration and effect and be assisted to reflect on this Sacrament as the gateway to all the others. The Spirit’s action in the Sacraments: They will investigate Baptism as a Sacrament of Initiation, through which we become one with Jesus and share in his life as members of the Christian Church. Being signs of God’s presence to others: Students will consider the Sacrament of Baptism as the basis for Christian life. They will identify ways in which they can respond to its call to life in friendship with Jesus, with the world and with everyone, the people whom he loves. |
“Sacrament” is traditionally defined as a sign that is itself what it signifies. A sacrament is not a mere representation, therefore, but is, in some sense, itself the very thing it represents, just as, for example, a hug not only signifies affection: it is affection. Sacraments not only show God’s love: they are that love in visible and concrete form.
Every sacrament has four inseparable parts to it:
- it is an ordinary, earthly reality
- that points beyond itself
- making that to which it points truly and revealingly present in itself
- thereby transforming those who receive it
To properly understand the Church’s sacraments we must start with Christ as the “sacrament of God”, and with the Church as the “sacrament of Christ”. Christ himself is the “sacrament of God” because he is the sign (of God) that is itself what it signifies (he is God), and transforms us who receive him (we become the Body of Christ, and so one-with-God). Just as Christ points to God and makes God’s presence real, transforming those who receive him, so the Church is a sacrament that points to Christ and makes his presence real, transforming the world that receives it. In the same way the seven sacraments of the Church point to the Church’s own real nature as the Body of Christ. These seven sacraments realise the Church’s true nature as Christ’s Body.
The Church has “seven” sacraments because seven is the biblical number of completeness, or “perfection”. In the Catechism they are grouped in three categories:
A. Sacraments of Initiation:
(1) Baptism
(2) Confirmation
(3) Eucharist
B. Sacraments of Healing:
(4) Anointing of the sick
(5) Reconciliation
C. Sacraments of Commitment in the Service of Communion:
(6) Holy Matrimony
(7) Holy Orders
The seven sacraments of the Church are celebrated liturgically. The word “liturgy” means “public work”, and so refers to the actual celebration of the sacraments ritually, in a public way and for the sake of the world. The word “ritual” refers to a repeated and communally understood set of meaningful actions, which is the way in which we celebrate the Church’s sacraments liturgically.
In GNFL this understanding of sacraments is developed with these theological emphases:
- Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are called sacraments of initiation.
- They initiate us (lead us into) the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection, which reveals to us that God is the communion of love we call Trinity.
- Therefore they also lead us into the mystery of the Church, the community of all those who believe in Christ and know themselves as loved by God.
- It is through these sacraments that the Church becomes Christ’s earthly presence, his own sacrament.
- The sacraments of healing, that is, Reconciliation and Anointing, are about enabling us to remain baptised, confirmed, united.
- They heal evil done (sin), through Reconciliation, and evil suffered (sickness), through Anointing.
- Reconciliation brings us back into right relationship with God, which begins the healing process of bringing us back into right relationship with other people, the world and even our own inner self.
- Anointing unites us in our suffering with the suffering Christ (the “anointed one”), revealing the potential transformation of suffering into holiness and wholeness, into compassion and love.
- The sacraments of commitment in the service of communion, that is, Holy Matrimony and Holy Orders, are there to remind us that our freedom is to grow in love in commitment and service.
- Holy Matrimony celebrates the life-giving nature of particular love, showing us that God loves us and invites us to love God with the spousal love that gives birth to life in the world.
- Holy Orders celebrates the self-giving nature of love as service to all humanity, thus revealing God’s universal love for all in order to rightly order all things towards their ultimate good: union with God and one another in God.
URL link to Theological Conversation chapter (PDF).
- God is present in people and the world around us.
- Sacraments are sacred actions and signs of the Church that celebrate God’s presence and action in our lives.
- Through the Sacraments, Jesus continues his actions of welcoming, healing and serving.
- Through Baptism, the first of the Sacraments of Initiation, we become one with Jesus and share his life as members of the Christian Church.
The loving presence of Jesus is celebrated in the sacraments. (TCREK013)
Refer to specific content about essential elements, symbols, symbolic actions/words in teacher background on unit planner.
See GNFL P - 6 Sacraments Essential Elements, Symbols, Symbolic Actions/Words Resource Document
Signs of God’s loving presence i) in all of life ii) in the actions of Jesus
Students will be offered opportunities to grow in appreciation of people and the world around us as signs of the presence of God.
i) They will be supported to see how Jesus used words, actions and elements of the world (the natural world, children, gestures, water, oil and light) to communicate God’s loving presence)
ii) Students will explore how Jesus‘ actions of welcoming and uniting (e.g. in gathering and blessing) are present in the Sacrament of Baptism.
Sacramental aspects of God’s presence in and through the essential elements, symbols, symbolic actions/words.
i) Students will note the three groups of the seven Sacraments: Initiation, Healing, Communion for Service (Becoming one, Becoming healed, Together for others)
ii) They will explore the significance of water in human life and in the story of the Jewish people and will engage with the story of Jesus’ baptism, which is different from ours. From this account, the main focus will be on God’s words: “You are My beloved Son”
Students will explore the use of water and light as symbols of God’s life and love. They will explore God’s love and his call within a community celebration.
They will explore the essential elements, symbols, symbolic actions/words used in the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism.
They will define Baptism as the name of Sacrament and Christening as its liturgical celebration and effect and be assisted to reflect on this Sacrament as the gateway to all the others.
The Spirit’s action in the Sacraments:
They will investigate Baptism as a Sacrament of Initiation, through which we become one with Jesus and share in his life as members of the Christian Church.
Being signs of God’s presence to others:
Students will consider the Sacrament of Baptism as the basis for Christian life. They will identify ways in which they can respond to its call to life in friendship with Jesus, with the world and with everyone, the people whom he loves.
TCREI004
Responding to questions about religious ideas, events or rituals and recording our thoughts and feelings (TCREI004)
- developing questions about the Mass, its meaning, structure and symbols
- at a class/parish Mass making a photo story of the parts of the Mass using information and communications technology (ICT), and sharing this with parishioners at a morning tea
- brainstorming questions about how to pray, and inviting people from the parish to tell us how they pray
- remembering that whenever we pray, Jesus is praying within us through his Holy Spirit uniting us with God the Father in love
- researching the story of our parish church: using a photo time line, make a noticeboard display for the front office to tell the story of our parish
- using the “Explain Everything” app or equivalent to devise a question for God and give an answer in images and text drawing on Scripture or church teaching
TCREI005
Listening to and viewing stories from the Scriptures, and discussing characters (TCREI005)
- gathering Scripture quotations around a series of themes and making a class mural, story maps or a class big book
- using glossaries to learn the meaning of religious and theological terms
- choosing verses from the Psalms that inspire thanksgiving prayers
- exploring the first creation story (Genesis 1) as though it were a ritual (which it was!) and bringing out the symbolism in the numbers 3, 6 and 7 (first 3 days mirrored in the second 3 days; 6 days of creation; the 7th day, the Sabbath, as containing all time—past, present and future)
TCREI006
Expressing personal responses and ideas in various ways (TCREI006)
- creating Godly play dolls
- sharing Godly play with other classes
- creating artworks that reflect spiritual ideas or religious questions
- ritualising biblical stories and noting how they are full of symbolism
TCRED004
Cultivating a spirit of reflective silence and stillness, and naming important ideas or questions (TCRED004)
- using an icon or cross, inviting written prayers for the world on sticky labels and placing them under the cross or icon (to include in class prayer)
- asking hard questions and posting them on a “Mood Wall” in the classroom
- writing reflective responses to lines of Scripture (e.g., “be still and know that I am God”, “Speak Lord, I am listening”, “Come, follow me”, “ ‘I have called you by your name, you are mine’, says the Lord”)
- using Christian meditation to practise openness to God’s love
- expressing gratitude following meditation, e.g., by singing songs of thanks and praise
- learning to listen in silence and stillness to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, minds and bodies, leading us to discover God’s loving purpose for us
TCRED005
Listening to and responding to others’ ideas and thoughts, and wondering and asking questions about ourselves and how we are connected to God and our world (TCRED005)
- examining individually and in small groups questions and thoughts about God
- being open to the Holy Spirit by listening to each other share ideas, thoughts and feelings in circle time
- singing songs that give thanks to God and acknowledging the connectedness of all things in his Holy Spirit
- resting in silence, pondering how God loves us and wants us to know him embraced by his Holy Spirit
TCRED006
Sharing some ideas and helping design plans of action that might lead to making loving choices towards improving specific situations at school or beyond (TCRED006)
- sharing and discussing how classroom rules and attitudes encourage, protect and guide everyone for the good of all
- constructing posters and signs to build a culture of gratitude in the classroom
- pondering how to be more loving, generous, forgiving, joyful, patient by relaxing into the loving embrace of the Holy Spirit
- creating affirmation paper bags / envelopes to affirm when others have made loving choices towards us as their response to God’s love for them
- exploring ways that the mystery of God’s love, the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit, is revealed through the community of faith in the Church (e.g., by exploring, using the web, Pope Francis’ humility and kindness)
- creating a blessings meter or a gratitude box in the classroom to encourage kindness, positive attitudes and gratefulness
By the end of Year 2, students can identify God’s Holy Spirit as giver and sustainer of all life and recognise that his love for us is revealed in the Person of Jesus, the centre of faith for Christians. They can acknowledge that we experience God’s loving presence in prayer, in Scripture, in themselves and other people and in the world around us. They are aware that we are invited to grow in relationship with God and to care for ourselves, others and all of life. They can identify the Gospels as the Good News about Jesus, telling us about Jesus’ life and the people who believed in him. They can reflect on Jesus’ example in making loving choices that show care and respect for all life. They can describe the Church as a believing community that celebrates Jesus’ presence in the sacraments and witnesses to him by sharing his love. They can recognise the Sacrament of Baptism and identify its symbolic elements as the basis for the Christian life and as an invitation to live in friendship with Jesus.
Students can reflect on and respond to experiences of prayer, engagement with sacred texts and stories, their own experiences, people and the world around them and record observations, thoughts, feelings and ideas. In diverse ways they can express their emerging understanding of and engagement with religious events and rituals. They can practise stillness, reflect on their connection with God and their world and develop a response to apply at the personal level, within and beyond the school setting.