ECOL, SHENNA C.

September 2, 2020
BS-Criminology 301 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
TOPIC : THE CHURCH AS MYSTERY AND AS A SACRAMENT
HOURS : 3 1/2 hours
LEARNING OUTCOMES Doctrine: Share their understanding about the mysteries or divine truth that has revealed
by God in the Church,
Moral: Show creatively how the Church Becomes a Sacrament and Mystery,
Worship: Appreciate and gave thanks to God for making the Church a sacrament through
prayers.

TEACHING- :
LEARNING
ACTIVITIES

1. Collage Making
-Students will make a collage on how the church becomes a sacrament to themselves and to others.

2. Understanding the Message: Read the following Text.

A.) Sacred Scripture: Jn 16: 12-15- The Church as Mystery
Mt. 5:13- 15,15- The Church as Sacrament
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BS-Criminology 301 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
B.) Church Teaching: CFC 1356-1365 - Affirmation of the Church as Mystery; Church as Mystery of Communion;
Church Relationship to the Blessed Trinity
CFC 1366-1372 - Church as Sacrament

Integration: The Church is a means of salvation for all; in the Church, all are called for holiness. Christ, who is the
model of perfection calls all people to holiness. Christ, who is the model of perfection calls all people to be one with
God and with others that all will be gathered in His Kingdom, everyone will inherit the promised eternal life in the final
judgment.
REFLECTION : Write your Insight: “O Body of Christ, holy Church, let all your bones say “Lord, who is
there like You?” (St. Augustine)
 What does Jesus’ action tell us? Christ tells us by his action that we must
show respect for our Church where the Eucharistic sacrifice is celebrated
every day and where Jesus, God and man, is really and truly present in the
tabernacle. To show respect for our places of worship, we should dress
properly when coming to church; make proper liturgical gestures and
postures that include genuflections and reverence of the tabernacle.
ASSESSMENTS : A.) Recall and Recognize: Answer the following questions briefly.
1. Write about the essential nature of the Church.
 First, to learn how to live with joy and not become cynical about
life. Second, to be in the presence of the God who made us and who
redeemed us despite our failings. We get a much more realistic view of
human nature when we know that we are only fully human when we are
closer to God. Third, to experience forgiveness when overcome with guilt.
Lastly, to most effectively encourage and be encouraged by other humans
who are seeking to be close to God.

2. What advantages are in thinking of the Church as a “sacrament”?

 The definition of a sacrament is a visible sign of a Grace that was instituted by
Christ. So, by that definition, Jesus instituted the Catholic Church which is visible,
& you can obtain Graces there. There are seven sacraments of the Catholic
Church, which according to Catholic theology were instituted by Jesus and
entrusted to the Church. Sacraments are visible rites seen as signs and efficacious
channels of the grace of God to all those who receive them with the proper
disposition. The sevenfold list of sacraments is often organized into three
categories: the sacraments of initiation (into the Church, the body of Christ),
consisting of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist; the sacraments of healing,
consisting of Penance and Anointing of the Sick; and the sacraments of
service: Holy Orders and Matrimony. Hence, it is a sign and instrument of God’s
self-revelation to the world throughout history. It reveals, or at least should reveal,
the offer of love and in particular forgiveness, to those who seek it.

3. How is the Church referred to as a “mystery”?

 The mystery is God's eternal purpose, it is the Church. The mystery is
discussed on several levels. There is the mystery of the body as a spiritual
body with many pieces and Jesus as the head. The mystery of the
resurrection that happens when we die to ourselves and are raised in
baptism. There is also the mystery of several ‘stages’ of resurrection.
There is the mystery of us always having been part of Christ from the
beginning and ‘sent’ as light through a prism. The ‘one bread’ that Paul
talks about in 1 Cor is directly connected to Jesus holding a loaf of bread
and saying ‘this is my body’. He was using a metaphor to describe a
powerful reality of those of us who had been darkness now becoming light
ECOL, SHENNA C. September 2, 2020
BS-Criminology 301 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
in the Lord and walking as sons of light. Different facets of light through a
prism and fragments of bread from one loaf are a powerful mystery that
few have received. Finally, the primary mystery that had been hidden for
ages was ‘Christ in you, the hope of Glory’. God becoming man and
imparting his mind so that we have the opportunity to be ‘as He is, so are
we in this world’.
4. Why is the Church considered people that is priestly, kingly, and prophetic?
 There are three main “offices” spoken of in the Old Testament—prophet,
priest, and king. The church considered people that is priestly, kingly and
prophetic since Jesus fulfills all three of these roles. A priestly person is he
who represents people to God. First, a priestly person offers prayers and
sacrifices to God brought by people. In Israel every year the high priest
goes into the presence of God to ask forgiveness for the whole nation.
Even before Jesus’ death on the cross, he said Father forgive them, they do
not know what they do. Through his sacrifice we are forgiven. Thus,
Jesus is the Priest. Second, a kingly person is he who has authority in the
Name of God. He rules, judges and make political decisions among the
people. The nature obeyed Jesus, he walked on water. He commanded the
roaring sea to be quite and it obeyed. He commanded the dead to raise and
they came back to life. The Angels served him. Thus, Jesus is the King
with authority over all creation. Lastly, a prophetic person is he who
represents God's word to his people. Through whom God convey his
message to his people. It can be a about present or future. Jesus foretold
everything about near future and far future. According to the book of
Isaiah, his name is Immanuel, means God among us. Thus, Jesus is the
Prophet.

B.) Express yourself:

1. The nature of the Church is that of a qahal or ekklesia. Choose one image that you
can relate from your experience of the Church. Expound on the reason for
choosing such.
 Both my parents are religious so I grew up being an active member of the
church. As time passed by it really made me realize that it’s always great
when a family worships and grow in God’s Word together. My parents,
especially my father brought me closer to God. One of my father’s way is
that he encourages us to attend mass since the church is a holy ground
because of God's presence in it. In particular, Jesus is present in the
reading of the Word, the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus, in the Priest
and congregation. This practice of ours secured the bond of our family.
Despite of the challenges, hardships and struggles that we encountered we
were unmoved nor our faith was shaken instead, it was honed stronger
than it was before.
ECOL, SHENNA C. September 2, 2020
BS-Criminology 301 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

2. Upon learning about the nature and the mission of the Church, you wish to be a
way or a source of unity in your community. How will you relate to nonpracticing
Catholics to be able to bring them back to active service in the Church?
 We can encourage them by telling them how Jesus wants us to think about
church. “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who
are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). From
this passage and similar ones in the other gospels, Jesus has been called
“The Great Physician.” He cares for us and he cures us — if not here on
earth, then with the ultimate cure of eternal life. The more you consider
Jesus to be your doctor, the more you will want to be in church. Instead of
the focus being on us — our worship, our witness, our serving God —
church would be much better if centered on Jesus. The best church service
would be when we come as desperate, helpless sinners in need of a great
and mighty Savior, and we open ourselves to receiving his gifts. Go to
church looking for the only Doctor who can cure you. Then you will want
to be there.

ASSIGNMENTS
Journal Writing: Ephesians 2:12-22
Ephesians 2:12-22
 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of
Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But
now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he
himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of
hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in
himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in
one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you
who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one
Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,[a] but you are fellow citizens with
the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined
together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a
dwelling place for God by[b] the Spirit.
REFLECTION:
 The passage above simply reminds and tells us that we need to REMEMBER that we were once
strangers to the covenants of promise, but now, through Christ we are the recipients of all God's
promises, which are “YES' and “AMEN' in Christ Jesus our Lord, and we are to REMEMBER that
before salvation we had no hope in the future and were without God in the world - but now we have a
blessed hope in Christ and have become children of God, who have the right to call Him “Abba' -
“Father.'

EXPANDED Your family and relatives decided to reach out to the victims of the natural
OPPORTUNITY calamities as your family’s legacy to the next generation. You sit together and plan
what help you would offer to answer the immediate needs of the victims. You
coordinated with your parish priest and presented your plans to other Church
organizations that will also do the same activity. Present your plan in writing.
ECOL, SHENNA C. September 2, 2020
BS-Criminology 301 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
 First and foremost, we will write and disseminate letters of request for
donations to the members of the church and other people who are
capable of donating. Our letter goes like this:
From:
Mr. and Mrs. Ecol, Family and
San Vicente Ferrer Parish
San Juan, Surigao City 8400

Date: September 2, 2020

To:
(Name of member)
San Juan, Surigao City 8400

Subject: Request for a donation for calamity victims.

Dear Mr./Mrs.,

We would like to make you aware of the recent calamity that struck the people on
Butuan City which uprooted them off of their family homes due to the water
flooding during the Monsoon season.

In light of these events, my family’s organization together with the , would like
to help the victims by providing them essential amenities such as foods, clothes,
sanitary items as well as healthcare kits until they get settled into their new lives.

I would like to request for your assistance in our work in whichever way you deem
possible and help us in providing a better life to the poor souls that have been
struck by such awful calamities and are suffering.

Thanking you for your precious time and consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Shenna Ecol

(Parish Priest)

 The total amount of donations that we will be receiving will be utilized

in buying canned goods, rice, shampoo, soap, alcohol and first aid kits.
We will also be accepting and asking for used and old clothes from the
people and will be distributed evenly on the victims.
 The breakdown of the total donations and where it is allotted will be
posted on the church’s bulletin board for transparency purposes.
ECOL, SHENNA C. September 2, 2020
BS-Criminology 301 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
RESOURCES: Bible, CFC, CCC, Vat.II,
Cuyos, Fanny A.,et. Al., Journey With Jesus: God Builds and Unites His People (II)
Sr. Maquiling, Christie P. , AR – Our Way to God (7), Phoenix Publishing
Sr. Faypon, Mary Rosella U., SPC- Maturing in Jesus Christ (IV), Rex Bookstore
Galicia, Jane S. – Echoes of God’s Love (8) Rex Bookstore
Koch, Carl FSC- A Holy Nation- Phoenix Publishing