THEOLOGY 3 PRELIM EXAM REVIEWER

Faith • Human beings receive information from

• is often discussed in terms of believing verbal and non-verbal statements from our
God's promises, trusting in his faithfulness, peers and from nature, so it can be said
and relying on God's character and that we live in a world of signs that transmit
faithfulness to act. information to us.
• encompasses both belief and trust. SYMBOL
• It plays a foundational role in the • It is the perceptible representation of an
understanding of the relationship between idea that is associated with it by a social
humans and God. convention.
Belief in God and Revelation • It has a conventional link between its
• in Catholic theology, involves believing in meaning and what it denotes.
God as the ultimate source of all reality and • A symbol serves to represent an idea that is
recognizing God's self-revelation to perceived through the senses.
humanity. • It allows us to externalize or reflect a
• This revelation is believed to be found in thought or concept through a social
both Sacred Scripture (the Bible) and convention, that is, it is arbitrary.
Sacred Tradition (the teachings handed • A symbol is that which represents and
down by the apostles and the Church). embodies certain values.
Divine Grace How do the majority of us encounter
• Faith is a gift from God. Scripture?
• It is infused in the believer's soul by the • We hear it read in church.
Holy Spirit through divine grace. How do we learn about theology?
• This grace enables individuals to believe • We make inferences based on the words
and respond to God's call. and actions we experience around us every
Trust and Surrender Sunday.
• Faith is not merely an intellectual exercise How do we form a Christian moral compass?
but also entails a deep trust in God's • Hopefully the sermons we hear guide us in
promises and a surrender to God's will. the right direction.
• It involves entrusting one's life and eternal So, what if the way we did Christian
destiny to God's loving plan. formation in our congregations followed this
Intellectual Assent same pattern?
• Faith involves an intellectual component,
• Yes, indeed, because we follow liturgy as a
where individuals assent to the truths of
framework.
faith.
• This includes accepting the teachings of the Defining Liturgy
Church on matters such as the Trinity, the
Incarnation (the belief that Jesus is both Historical Background:
fully human and fully divine), and the Jerusalem
salvation offered through Christ. • The bulk of the written evidence dates from
Salvation the 4th and 5th century.
• Faith is considered essential for salvation. • From Jerusalem, the birthplace of
• Justification-being made right with God-is Christianity, we have evidence of liturgical
through faith and the grace of God. practices and understandings that reflect
• This faith is lived out through good works the multilingual and multicultural center of
inspired by love (as emphasized by the Christian pilgrimage, resulting in liturgical
concept of "faith working through love" practices both influenced by and influential
mentioned by St. Paul in Galatians 5:6). throughout the Christian churches in late
SIGN antiquity and beyond.
• A sign is that which takes the place of Examples:
another thing and object, that is, it • Synagogues
represents a certain reality or concept for • Burnt offerings/sacrifices
those who interpret it. • Last supper
• Signs are those signals whose purpose is to Liturgy
communicate something that can be • is the celebration of the mystery of Christ
perceived by humans and other living and in particular His Paschal Mystery [Jesus
beings if necessary. Christ’s passion, death, Resurrection, and
Ascension].
 THEOLOGY 3 PRELIM EXAM REVIEWER
• Through the exercise of the priestly of Essential Qualities of Liturgy
Christ, the liturgy manifests in signs and 1. Trinitarian and Paschal
brings about the sanctification of • In the Trinitarian sense, all of the Church’s
humankind. Liturgical endeavors invoke the presence of
• The public worship which is due to God is the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy
offered by the Mystical Body of Christ, that Spirit.
is, by its head (Christ) and by its members • CFC (Catechism for Filipino Catholics)
(humanity). explains, the Church’s liturgical prayer is
Usually brings to mind the following images: directed to the Father, through His Son, in
• a priest presiding a Mass, people seated the Holy Spirit.
listening to the priest, actions of kneeling, • The Church’s entire liturgy also celebrates
standing, raising of arms, making Sign of the Good News of our salvation worked by
the Cross, receiving Holy Communion, and the Blessed Trinity through Jesus Christ’s
many more. Paschal Mystery (CFC 1506)
• Essentially, liturgy is the “official public The Father as the Source and Goal of the
worship of the Church,” or “the full Liturgy
public worship performed by the • Through the liturgy, the Father in Heaven
Mystical Body of Christ, that is, by the fills us with His blessings in the Word made
Head (Christ) and His members”. flesh who died and rose for us and pours
into our hearts the Holy Spirit.
Components of Liturgy • At the same time, the Church blesses the
Liturgy is the personal meeting of God with Father by her worship, praise and
the Church and with the total person of each thanksgiving and begs for the gift of His
one of her members.: Son and the Holy Spirit.
• Our encounter with God in the liturgy 1.2. The Work of Christ in the Liturgy
begins with Baptism, continues with the • With His own Paschal Mystery, Christ’s
other Sacraments and culminates in the signifies and makes present Himself in the
Eucharist. liturgy of the Church.
• Liturgy brings back that time when God • By giving the Holy Spirit to His Apostles, He
came to meet us in the person of His Son entrusted to them and their successors the
Jesus Christ. Thus, in the liturgy, especially power to make present the work of
in the Eucharist, God encounters us and we Salvation through the Eucharistic sacrifice
encounter God through Christ. and the Sacraments, in which He (Christ)
Under the veil of the Holy signs: Himself acts to communicate His grace to
• The material signs used in the liturgy do not the faithful.
only symbolize Christ’s presence but actually 1.3. The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Liturgy
effect it. of the Church
• In the Sacraments, the signs used like • The Holy Spirit prepares the Church to
water, oil, host, and wine do not only signify encounter God. The Holy Spirit recalls and
grace but actually communicate the grace manifests Christ to the faith of the Church
they symbolize. by making the mystery of Christ really
With the total person of each one of the present and uniting the Church to the life
Church’s members: and mission of Christ, as well as, making
• In the community gatherings of the earliest the gift of communion bear fruit in the
Church, the “breaking of the bread was for Church.
all, done in sacrificial manner.” 2. Ecclesial
• In the liturgy today, the priest performs a • The liturgy is not piously individualistic but
ministering function, but there is the rather, is communal.
priesthood of the universal Church • It is an activity of the whole Church –Christ
community. being its head and we as members.
In the unity if the Holy Spirit: • It is an action of Christ, the High Priest, and
• Through the liturgy, we more intensively at the same time, an activity of the
respond to and become aware of the community of believers, a gathering
presence of the Holy spirit in the Church together in an orderly assembly and
and the intervention of the Spirit in our lives communion of the baptized.
on our journey to holiness in God.
 THEOLOGY 3 PRELIM EXAM REVIEWER
The liturgical assembly is arranged according to Liturgy’s Eschatological Qualities: as seen in
various roles: priests, deacons, acolytes, Catholic celebrations
lectors, lay ministers, etc. Furthermore, the Liturgical Year/Celebrations
entire community that shares one common Advent Season:
celebration of glorifying and praising God, have • This season refers to the four weeks
diverse talents, gifts, and charisms. In spite of this preparation before Christmas. During this
diversity, each contributes and shares in forming a period, the lay faithful commemorates the
community of God and in working for the good of time of waiting for the coming of the
all. (CFC 1507) Messiah.
3. Sacramental Christmas Season:
• The liturgy is said to be sacramental since it • This is the season of joy, peace and
uses signs, symbols, and verbal formulas. prosperity. We celebrate the coming of the
• All of these are sacred signs instituted by Messiah “Emmanuel” Jesus Christ.
the Church as a devotional aid. Lenten Season:
Sacramentals span the whole range of • This season is for penance, contrition, and
words and actions, objects and gestures, reparation for all the sins we committed.
and times and places. Easter Season:
• Included are various blessings, religious • The most significant of all seasons of the
objects (holy water, crucifixes, and Church for it celebrates the resurrection of
rosaries), liturgical ceremonies and seasons Jesus Christ from the dead and the triumph
and sacred places. of our Christian faith.
• Thus, by participating in the liturgy’s Ordinary Time:
sacramental symbolic activities, the Church • These are Sundays in between feasts; the
members both expresses faith in Christ and “Ordinary Time” is between Pentecost and
their desire to deepen it. They also benefit first Sunday of Advent.
from the reality signified, namely, salvation
through forgiveness and communion with Members Participation
the Risen, glorified Christ in the Spirit. (CFC Be part of the Liturgy and not apart from it.
1509) • We should participate in every liturgical
4. Ethically Oriented celebration actively and consciously and
• Liturgy moves us into a deeper relationship consider ourselves part of the liturgy by
with God and with one another. being one with God and the people in the
• It is the source of grace for all of us, celebrations.
purifying our mind, soul, and hearts aw we Have a sense of unity and community.
carry out our day-to-day endeavors. • The Catholic Church is a community of
• One aspect is expected from us is, to live a believers. Hence, in every liturgical
moral life, moral in the sense that we do celebration everyone should be involved, for
everything, in accordance with God’s holy the liturgy is a community celebration and
will and in congruence with Christ’s own not an individual undertaking.
way of life. Be well-disposed.
• Liturgy should move us to care for our • To be well-disposed in the liturgical
neighbors and perform acts of charity most celebration, means, approaching it with
especially to the poor, needy, oppressed, proper intention. This means that we
less fortunate, and marginalized. participate in the liturgy not out of habit or
5. Eschatological we are simply forced to. Instead, we
• Means, “pertaining to “the last things” participate because we want to worship God
(death, judgment, heaven, and hell), and be one with Him.
especially the coming of the Kingdom of Participate actively in the Church’s
God. evangelizing work.
• It commemorates Christ’s past saving • The liturgy becomes a center of our lives
mystery, demonstrates the present grace not only when we actively participate in the
brought about by Christ and points to the Christian community’s acts of worship but
future glory yet to come. (CFC 1511). also when we proclaim by words and deeds
the love of God for all.
Be of service to others.
• When we serve others, especially the
needy, the poor, and the hungry, we show
that the liturgy has borne fruit in us.
 THEOLOGY 3 PRELIM EXAM REVIEWER
Share the Good News. 1.b. Form of a Sacrament:
• When we live a life of honesty, sincerity, • The Form is the essential words
and respect for others, we share the Good pronounced by the one who administers or
News through our words and actions. performs the Sacrament. Thus, in Baptism
the form is “I baptize you in the name of
The sacraments the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Historical Backgrounds: Spirit.” And in Penance, “I absolve you from
Old Law your sins.”
• There were equivalent sacraments in the Unity of Matter and Form
Old Law. They were ceremonies such as • To constitute a sacrament, the Matter and
circumcision, the eating of the Paschal Form must be joined together in a single
lamb, and numerous sacrifices and action. The same person must unite the
purifications. matter and form, without notable
New Law interruption between using the matter and
• The sacraments of the Old Law signified pronouncing the words.
grace to come that would be bestowed 2. Christ Instituted the Sacraments
through the Passion of Jesus Christ. The Seven Sacraments
• The sacraments of the Old Law did not • Baptism (Matthew 28:19)
produce grace of themselves in virtue of the • Confirmation (John 14:15–26)
rite being performed, but by faith in God. • Holy Eucharist (Matthew 26-28; Mark
Christian sacraments, however, confer the 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20 and 1 Corinthians
grace they symbolize in all, who place no 11:23-25)
obstacle in the way. • Penance/Reconciliation (John 20:22-23)
Sacraments • Anointing of the Sick (James 5:14–15;
• Are instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Matthew 10:8; Luke 10:8–9 and Mark 6:13)
Church, which are efficacious signs of grace • Holy Orders (Matthew 18:18; Luke 22:19;
perceptible to the senses through which, Luke 24:47; Acts 6:6; Acts 20:17, 28;
the Church are bestowed with the Divine Timothy 3:1-7)
life. • Matrimony (Matthew 19:6)
• Literally: Sacrament means something Christ instituted the Sacraments from the Sacred
sacred or in Catholic, a mystery of faith and Traditions and the teachings of the Church. Only
the external sign of an interior grace. Christ can infallibly join grace to the performance of
Elements Constituting a True Sacrament a sensible sign.
1. Sensible Sign • “Cut off from me”, Christ tells us, “You can
• A sensible sign is something perceived by do nothing”. Jn. 15:5
the senses that leads one to know 3. Power to Produce Grace
something else not perceived by the senses. • The Sacraments produce or increase
(Example: pouring of water in Baptism is sanctifying grace, and they give a distinctive
perceived by the sense; the internal sacramental grace which differ with each
cleansing of the soul from sin is known only sacrament.
by faith). Sacramental Grace
• Sensible Sign consists Matter and Form • It is the grace of the Holy Spirit which is
of the Sacrament. given by Christ and is proper to each
Sacraments as Signs, in two ways: sacrament.
• They indicate externally what takes place • This grace helps the faithful in their journey
within the soul of the one receiving the toward holiness and so assist the Church as
sacrament. well to grow in Charity and in her witness to
• They actually produce the grace which they the world.
signify. Sacramental grace it confers
1.a. Matter of a Sacrament: • Baptism
• The Matter of a Sacrament is the external ➢ Helps us to live as children of God,
action performed by the minister of the makes it easier for us to believe in God
Sacrament. It normally involves the use of and to act accordingly, and lessens our
some material thing like oil, water, bread, or inclination to evil.
wine.
 THEOLOGY 3 PRELIM EXAM REVIEWER
• Penance or reconciliation Sacraments Efficacy
➢ Helps us to cure the deeper inclinations • Sacraments are efficacious since sacraments
to evil that actual sins have put in our are ex opera operato (“by the very fact
soul and makes it easier for us to keep that the sacramental action is performed”)
out of sin in the future. because it is Christ who acts in the
• Holy eucharist sacraments and communicates the grace
➢ Nourishes our love of God and one they signify. The efficacy of the Sacraments
another and helps us overcome our does not depend on the holiness of the
natural self-love or selfishness. minister; instead, the fruits of the
• Confirmation Sacraments do depend on the disposition of
➢ Gives us strength to profess our faith the one receiving it.
even under difficulties and persecutions Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), No.
and to give good examples to others. 1131
• Anointing of the sick • The sacraments are the efficacious signs of
➢ Helps us to accept sickness as a grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to
purifying cross sent by God and even to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed
accept death willingly from his hands to us. The visible rites by which the
whenever he chooses to send it. sacraments are celebrated signify and make
• Holy orders present the graces proper to each
➢ Helps priest to fulfill his sacred duties sacrament. They bear fruit in those who
and to be a good priest. receive them with the required dispositions.
• Matrimony F. Christ as the Original/Primordial
➢ Helps married people to bear with each Sacrament
other’s defects and to fulfill the duties of • Jesus Christ is the Sacrament or Sign of the
their state, chiefly bringing children into Father, so there is no need for any other
the world and rearing them for God. sign to make them believe. Though no
longer physically present, Christ continues
Characteristics of sacraments
to be present in the Church through the
a. Christ and the Sacraments Sacraments.
• The mystery of Christ’s life are the • Jesus is the Original Sacrament because in
foundations of what He would henceforth His humanity, became the Visible Sign of
bestow in the sacraments, through the God’s saving love for all. (CFC 1524).
ministers of His church. Church as the Foundational Sacrament: “By
b. Sacraments and the Church her relationship with Christ, the Church is a kind of
• Christ has entrusted the Sacraments to His sacrament of intimate union with God, and of the
Church in two-fold sense: unity of all mankind, that is, she is a sign and
➢ “From her”: insofar as they are instrument of such union (Dogmatic Constitution of
actions of the Church which is the the Church).
sacrament of Christ’s actions. • The Church is the people of God and we,
➢ “For her”: inasmuch as they build up the Church, to the extent that we work for
the Church. unity and love among all of us, we become
c. Sacramental Character signs that points to the union between God
• Is a spiritual “seal” bestowed by the and us, a union that Jesus achieved by His
sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and death. Furthermore, the church is the
Holy Orders as a promise and guarantee of instrument, that means or the way through
divine protection. which we achieve intimate union with Jesus.
• By virtue of this “seal”, the Christian is g. Sacraments are Necessary for Salvation
configured to Christ, participate in a variety • As believer in Christ, the Sacraments, even
of ways in His priesthood and takes His part if they are not all given to each of the
in the Church according to different states faithful, are necessary for salvation because
and functions. they confer sacramental grace, forgiveness
Sacraments and Faith of sins, adoption as children of God,
• Sacraments not only presuppose faith, but conformation to Christ the Lord and
with words and ritual elements they membership in the Church. The Holy Spirit
nourish, strengthen, and express. heals and transforms those who receive
the Sacraments.
 THEOLOGY 3 PRELIM EXAM REVIEWER
Sacraments and Symbols Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC), No.
• Life is full of symbols. To understand and 1521
appreciate life, we have to know the kinds • Taken as symbolic acts, sacraments are
of symbols we encounter and even use in performative word events—like Jesus’ own
our lives. To understand symbols, the ministry of words and deeds – real
followings are its kinds: happenings that make present the spiritual
➢ Conventional reality they express.
➢ Accidental Becoming Signs and Symbol
➢ universal Be a person for others.
1. Conventional • It is indeed difficult to be other-centered
• Such symbol has meaning for a particular because of our strong tendency to be self-
group of people with the same beliefs and centered. However, it is not impossible.
culture. In the Philippines, we have symbols There are many people who are in need of
that mean same for us Filipinos, such as our our help. Let us be Christ’s hands to
national flower, Sampaguita, stands for comfort them in loneliness and allow them
purity that Filipino women possess and to experience the love of God in you as we
Narra which symbolizes our strength of share our blessing to them.
character. Be forgiving.
2. Accidental • In our relationship with others, it is
• This kind of symbol is something that has inevitable that sometimes others hurt us.
special meaning for one person, but may And, if this caused us too much, it is
not have any meaning for another. sometimes difficult to forgive. But, if we are
• A rose given by a man to the woman he authentic in showing the presence of Christ
loves carries so much meaning for that man in us, the right course of action for us is to
–as it symbolizes his deep affection for that forgive and stop harboring hatred.
woman. For others who are not in love –a Be courageous and faithful.
rose is simply just a rose. • Christ never lost His faith nor discouraged.
3. Universal He faced suffering and death, but with His
• A symbol that is something that has the faith in God and fulfilling His mission
same meaning for all people in all places at according to God’s will He remained
all times. steadfast with His faith. We too can be
• Water is seen by people from different sacraments of Christ’s presence if our faith
cultures as symbolizing life and cleansing; remains strong especially in the face of
fire as strength and life; bread as temptations and sins.
nourishment and life. Be hopeful and cheerful.
• The universal symbols are used by the • Problems do happen, crises do occur, yet
Church in the Sacraments. we know that our father is always in our
Sacraments make use of the universal symbol. midst. We can be signs of Christ’s presence
• St. Augustine believe that, a Sacrament is if we will always look at the bright side of
a sign of a sacred reality, or points to a life, if we remain joyful in the midst of all
deeper reality other than what we see or trials that come our way.
feel. Be humble.
• Example, in Baptism, water is used for • It takes humility for us to recognize our
cleaning and is important to our existence. sinfulness before God. It takes humility for
But, in a deeper sense, in Baptism, it us to seek forgiveness from God and from
symbolizes the grace that we received in those we have wronged. But, the humility of
the Sacrament which is we are freed from Christ (by becoming one of us) will inspire
our original and personal sins. Thus, the us too be humble before God and for our
reality that we do not see (grace) is salvation.
symbolized by a reality which we see Be generous.
(water). • No one is too poor so as not to share. Even
Which is why Sacraments are not just ordinary if we may not have to share, we can be
symbols, but efficacious symbols generous as we are eager to share with
• for the Sacraments do not merely point to others the time and the talents we have.
the reality of grace. They are real
performative word events, which means
they make present the spiritual reality they
symbolize, that is, the saving presence of
the Risen Christ (CFC 1573)