Sacraments – Period 4, 5, 7

Encountering Christ:  Meeting Jesus in the Sacraments

Students will learn the biblical and historical foundations of the Sacraments; significant historical developments in the Formal Sacraments will be emphasized. Also, the Sacramental presence of Christ throughout each sacrament to empower our lives through grace will be given a prominent place in the course. The purpose of this course is to help students understand that they can encounter Christ today in a full and real way in and through the sacraments.  Students will first examine the principles of sacrament and learn to see the world sacramentally, then they will examine each of the formal sacraments in detail so as to learn how they may encounter Christ throughout life.

Following Jesus:  Life In Christ

Lastly, during the second half of the year, students will learn the foundations of Christian morality. “Life in Christ”: Foundations in Catholic Morality focuses on the essential message of Christ’s moral teaching, the importance of love of God and neighbor. The text covers the major points from the “Life in Christ” section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, pulling together these elements by developing nine essential steps for living a Christian moral life in the Catholic tradition. These steps include:

1. Understanding the nature of being human
2. Guiding moral decision-making with intellect
3. Understanding the law’s relationship to freedom and being responsible for transgressions
4. Imitating Jesus and living the Beatitudes
5. Forming the conscience and strengthening resistance to peer pressure
6. Repenting and forgiving others
7. Thanking God for life by loving God above all else
8. Loving yourself
9. Loving your neighbors