Seeking the Sacred

Spanning the Ages

On the eve of his death, Jesus invited his closest followers to share a parting meal with him. This meal looked both to the past and to the future. It recalled the escape of the Jewish slaves from Egypt when the doors of their homes had been smeared with the blood of a lamb that each family shared as food for their dangerous journey to freedom.

This meal would also prepare his followers for the next day when Jesus himself would become the lamb, his body broken on a cross. When he then rose from the dead they tasted great freedom. For they saw that death was not the end of Jesus� life and mission � nor of theirs. They came to see that the refusal to retaliate, to take revenge, or to scapegoat also brought about deep inner freedom; it was sacrifice but likewise liberation.

At that last supper Jesus had invited them to share his life and mission by eating his body and drinking his blood in the form of bread and wine. Within a few years of his death small Christian groups throughout Israel and Asia Minor were doing just that.

Marriage

This sacrament is unique in that it is built on a human contract, seated in the need for love and sexual fulfilment. It is the couple who create the relationship and sacrament; the Church comes to witness and support it. From the dawn of humanity men and women have sought a mate for companionship and family. Christ blessed children and defended the enduring nature of the marriage bond. As our civilizations have grown more complex the need for romance, compatibility and unreserved acceptance by another have, if anything, become more central. In marriage the Church blesses and stands by such unions.

Holy Orders (priesthood)

This is the sacrament of servant leadership. After careful and long training and discernment, certain men are anointed and consecrated as priests. They are called to lead but not dominate, to teach but not control, and to provide strength for their people out of a sense of their own weakness and needs.

Eucharist

In many ways this is the foundation on which all the other sacraments are built. It exists in many dimensions. It is the consecrated bread and wine which Catholics believe is the very body and blood of Christ hidden under the forms of bread and wine. It is also the Mass in which this bread and wine are consecrated and transformed into the body and blood of Jesus. This sacrament is a multi-faceted jewel: it is the bringer of deep relationship with Jesus, a wedding feast for the Church, a sacrifice of personal egoism, and a foretaste of heaven, all at the same time.

Anointing

In time of serious illness or the approach of death Catholics can receive strength and comfort from the sacrament of anointing. It is a reminder of baptism but also a time of preparation for another passage. The prayers, anointing and support given in the rite assure the sick person of total forgiveness and strength for what is to follow, the passage into the unknown.

Conclusion

Each of these seven sacraments is an assured moment of Christ�s presence and action. Regardless of the merit or talent of the minister, Christ guarantees his all-powerful presence; those who receive will be blessed at the level of their faith and desire. Each of these sacraments is focused on the individual Catholic here and now yet each is also geared to the growth and commitment of the supporting Church community. Each uses symbols: oil, water, salt, to bring out the inner meaning of what is happening within. Each is a moment of revelation of God but also a reminder of that moment of total illumination when the faithful disciple will finally come face to face with their God.

Playing in the orchestra

Even child prodigies have to learn to play the piano. So too does each human being learn to pray. Parents are often the first teachers, then simple formulas learned at school or church.

Prayer draws us outwards, from learning to see our own needs, to seeing the needs of others. We encounter numerous models of prayer in ancient formulas, liturgies and books of prayers. Prayer is an art; like any art it demands practice and discipline. Just as star athletes need 10,000 hours so as to become able to compete at the highest level, so too does prayer require long practice. There will be times of discouragement, boredom and dryness.

But for those who persist, anyone who prays can eventually become like Yehudi Menuhin on his violin or Jacqueline du Pre on her cello playing soaring melodies without the need for a score. So too Christians gradually absorb the stories told by Jesus, the teachings of the Bible and the lessons of the saints. After long reflection there is less and less need of words, and prayer can become just sitting in the presence of our best friend. In time even the need for outcomes and affirmation can cease and prayer becomes its own reward. We become part of the music of creation.

Prayer Card

Our fast-paced 21st century can make it difficult to find time for prayer. For centuries Catholics have been using simple prayers which mark different times of the day. We encourage you to make these prayers part of your day.

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�� whether you pray alone or as part of a community, you should always expect your prayer to take you out of yourself and lead you to where the love of Jesus is most experienced. Prayer opens your heart to the Holy Spirit who will surprise you not only with the direction suggested for your travelling, but � and especially � the gifts you need to make the journey.�

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Prayer in the Busyness of Life, published by New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference

Greeting the day that lies ahead

• Take a moment of thanksgiving for the gift of this day.
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• Look forward to the key moments of this day: family relationships, work, recreation.
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• Be aware of anything that may cause stress.
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• Place the day in God\'s hands.
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• Set out confident that all the people I meet, all I do and say, are God\'s gift to me this day.
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Lord I give you today my prayers,
thoughts, works and actions,
that they may be for your glory
and for the good of the world.\n

E te Ariki, ka tuku atu ki ?�koe, ng?�?noi,
ng? whakaaro, ng? mahi katoa o t?nei r?
hei whakakor?ria I ? koe
?, hei painga m? te ao t?roa nei.

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From \"Prayers in Common Use\" Catholic Publications Centre

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to your word.

Hail Mary....

And the Word was made Flesh; and dwelt among us.

Hail Mary....

Pray for us. O Holy Mother of God, that we be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen

• Thank God for the good times. Ask pardon for the times I did not recognise God, and for help to change.
• Look forward to tomorrow with hope. It will be another day to grow in love.

The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Divine Mercy

Divine Mercy, based on the writings of St Faustina Kowalska who was canonized 30 April 2000, concentrates on the mercy poured forth in Christ's death and resurrection, fount of the Holy Spirit who forgives sins and restores joy at having been redeemed. This devotion is particularly relevant in connection with the octave of Easter, specifically the Second Sunday of Easter, which is Divine Mercy Sunday.

Blessing for Expectant Parents and their Children in the Womb

This Rite of Blessing invites Christian families to rejoice in the dignity of the expectant mother and the child she carries in her womb, to joyfully welcome the gift of the child to be born as a gift from God, a "treasure to be cherished, blessed and greeted by the family of the Church".

The Rite can be ordered through the National Liturgy Office. Sample blessing cards can also be found through the link.

Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina (Latin for "Divine Reading") is a traditional Benedictine practice of scriptural reading meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's Word.

Find Lectio Divina leaflet in the related links box to the right.