The Sacraments and Ongoing Faith Formation

The Catholic Church is a sacramental church.  The importance of the seven sacraments is undeniable.  Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick – each of these offers us the opportunity to encounter Christ.  The sacraments are signs that God is with us, and the grace they give strengthens us to live a life of faith.  While sacraments are important to our faith formation, they are not magic. Rather, they are part of an ongoing process.

When we celebrate Mass every Sunday with our parish family, develop a relationship with God through prayer, show our love for neighbor through service, and exhibit a willingness to learn about our Catholic faith, we are preparing for an encounter with Christ.  Our body, our temple, is a comfortable environment for God, our invited guest.  On the other hand, when we ignore Jesus’ admonition to remember Him, when we don’t pray, when we are selfish in our actions, and are unwilling to learn about our faith in order to share it with others, then we need to ask:  Are we really prepared for an encounter with Christ?

School is about more than rote learning and work is about more than a paycheck.  When we are in these environments, we are learning new skills, building on old skills, connecting with people, and forming relationships.  The same is true for church.  If we aren’t taking advantage of the opportunities for growth here, if we aren’t celebrating Mass at least weekly with our parish community, then what message are we sending?  Is our faith an integral part of our lives?

Over the years, there have been changes in the terminology we use when talking about the dedicated time spent learning about our faith.  Many of us attended CCD or catechism classes.  Then it became Religious Education.  Now, many parishes, including Risen Savior, prefer the title Faith Formation because it more accurately describes the end result: people formed in faith and living as disciples of Christ.

Sacraments are wonderful signs, but we need to live in a way that shows that our faith is important to us – even when we’re not preparing to receive a sacrament for the first time.  We need to maintain a level of involvement in our parish community after and between sacramental celebrations.  We need to show our children that faith is important all the time, throughout our lives, by bringing them to faith formation classes every year and encouraging them to get involved at church.  And perhaps the most important action adults can take is to set an example by using their gifts and talents in service to the parish.