Part 1 – Outline what you discovered about the Sacraments in general from your perusal of the prescribed web-sites listed below:
From my reading and examination of the prescribed websites, I feel that I have gained a valuable insight into the meaning and relevance of the seven Sacraments of the Catholic church. I think that an excerpt from the americancatholic.org website defines succinctly in layman’s terms what exactly the Sacraments are. It states that the “seven sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Christians. They are special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence. That's what theologians mean when they say that sacraments are at the same time signs and instruments of God's grace.” I found the point about the sacraments being instruments of God’s grace to be particularly interesting as it suggested that these ceremonies can be utilised to bring us closer to God as his children. I did not believe that they played a merely symbolic role in our faith but that they in fact were a tool and a source of connection to God.
I also discovered the importance of informing pupils of the Sacraments and this is evident from the extent of coverage that is given to it in the Primary school curriculum. “The Seven Sacraments of the Church are explored in Alive-0 8 Term 1 Lesson 12: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony”.- The material is provided for by the Alive-O series with the intention of educating the children about the Sacraments so that in understanding them, they can celebrate them fully. This will make the Sacraments more relevant to the children and enable them to obtain a more profound connection with their faith during the times of such Sacraments.
The importance of these Sacraments to practising Catholics became clear to also. They provide a guideline to living a life of faith and closeness to God. This can prove to be extremely...