Christian Symbol, Ritual and Sacrament
1. How and why do we call Jesus the “primordial sacrament” and the Church the “fundamental sacrament”? What is the relationship between the “primordial” and “fundamental” sacraments, and how do they relate to the “seven sacraments”?
2. Explain why we sometimes call Confirmation a sacrament with a confused theology. Include historical and theological reasons to support your answer. In spite of the confusion, describe at least one way in which the sacrament’s theology can be understood and celebrated coherently.
3. What does it mean to live a sacramental life? In answering this question, draw upon Joseph Martos’s four dimensions of a sacramental spirituality as well as at least two other authors we have read this semester. Relate your answer specifically to one of the sacraments we studied this semester: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation.
