Sacraments of Healing
In this unit we are learning about the two Sacraments of Healing offered by the Catholic Church.
What are the sacraments?
The Road of Life
Think about some significant events in your own life. Some of them may be joyful and some may be sad. Write the event and the date or year of at least 6 significant events in your life. Colour the happy events yellow and the sad events blue.
Sort the events according to which of the seven sacraments they might be connection with.
- Birth
- Birth of a sibling
- Wedding
- Moving to a new place
- Changing schools
- Family changes
- Loss of a pet
Sort the events according to which of the seven sacraments they might be connection with.
Footprints in the Sand
One night I dreamed a dream. As I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, One belonging to me and one to my Lord. After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints. This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it. "Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me." He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you Never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you." - by Mary Stevenson |
|
Anointing of the Sick
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is one of the two Healing Sacraments in the Catholic Church.
Read the notes about how the sacrament is celebrated. Use these notes to write a short information report about the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. |
Healing Stories in Scripture
The Five Stages of the Healing Miracles
In the New Testament, most "healing miracles" are narrated according to a fairly regular pattern that typically consists of five stages:
1. Introduction - The sick person’s condition is described; the healer encounters the sick person, the sick person is brought to the healer, or at least someone tells the healer about the sick person.
2. Conflict - Often the healer first investigates what the sick person wants or needs; sometimes the healer hesitates or tests the sick person’s readiness to be healed; sometimes other persons intervene or delay the healing.
3. Action - The healing itself can be brought about either verbally, or through simple touch, or through more elaborate therapeutic means. Sometimes the healing action is only implied, but not explicitly described.
4. Confirmation - The fact that the healing has taken place is either asserted by the narrator or demonstrated through some action performed by the person who has been healed.
5. Reaction - Usually some reaction is reported for those who witnessed the event. In the Gospels, this response is often positive, involving praise given to God. Sometimes there are negative reactions from some opponents.
In the New Testament, most "healing miracles" are narrated according to a fairly regular pattern that typically consists of five stages:
1. Introduction - The sick person’s condition is described; the healer encounters the sick person, the sick person is brought to the healer, or at least someone tells the healer about the sick person.
2. Conflict - Often the healer first investigates what the sick person wants or needs; sometimes the healer hesitates or tests the sick person’s readiness to be healed; sometimes other persons intervene or delay the healing.
3. Action - The healing itself can be brought about either verbally, or through simple touch, or through more elaborate therapeutic means. Sometimes the healing action is only implied, but not explicitly described.
4. Confirmation - The fact that the healing has taken place is either asserted by the narrator or demonstrated through some action performed by the person who has been healed.
5. Reaction - Usually some reaction is reported for those who witnessed the event. In the Gospels, this response is often positive, involving praise given to God. Sometimes there are negative reactions from some opponents.
Select three of the following passages. After reading the story, use the retrieval chart to identify which verses belong to which of the five stages of the healing miracles. Which stage is emphasised in each story?
Healing Simon Peter's Mother-in-law
Mk 1:29-31 / Lk 4:38-39 Cleansing a Leper Mk 1:40-45 / Lk 5:12-16 Healing a Paralytic Mk 2:1-12 / Lk 5:17-26 Restoring a Man's Withered Hand Mk 3:1-6 / Lk 6:6-11 Healing a Woman's Bleeding Mk 5:25-34 / Lk 8:43-48 Giving Sight to a Blind Man (Men) at Jericho Mk 10:46-52 / Lk 18:35-43 Raising Jairus’ Daughter from the Dead Mk 5:21-24,35-43 / Lk 8:40-42,49-56 |
Jesus heals a Man with Leprosy
Read Together
Read the account of the story of Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy from Luke's gospel.
Discuss
In this story, what action does Jesus take to heal the leprosy? Why might this have been shocking to people who witnessed this event?
How does this story link to the Sacrament of Healing in the church today?
Watch
Watch the animated interpretation of this story. What parts of the story are mentioned in Luke's account? What details were added by the animators?
Read the account of the story of Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy from Luke's gospel.
Discuss
In this story, what action does Jesus take to heal the leprosy? Why might this have been shocking to people who witnessed this event?
How does this story link to the Sacrament of Healing in the church today?
Watch
Watch the animated interpretation of this story. What parts of the story are mentioned in Luke's account? What details were added by the animators?
Reflect
Complete a crossword using words and ideas from the story. (See worksheet)
Complete a crossword using words and ideas from the story. (See worksheet)
MAking Connections
Use a T Chart to record words, symbols and actions of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (on one side of the T) and words, images and actions depicting Jesus engaged in his healing ministry (on the other side of the T)
We are learning to:
Make connections between Jesus’ healing ministry, as expressed in a scripture text, and the Church’s healing ministry, as expressed in one of the Sacraments of Healing.
What I’m looking for:
I can match words, symbols and actions of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick to the actions of Jesus in his healing ministry
We are learning to:
Make connections between Jesus’ healing ministry, as expressed in a scripture text, and the Church’s healing ministry, as expressed in one of the Sacraments of Healing.
What I’m looking for:
I can match words, symbols and actions of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick to the actions of Jesus in his healing ministry
Penance
The Sacrament of Penance is also called the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Sometimes it is also know as Confession. It is one of the Healing Sacraments in the Catholic Church.
You will learn about the Sacrament of Penance in the Catholic Church, how this sacrament is based on the stories about Jesus, and how this sacrament relates to our everyday lives.
You will learn about the Sacrament of Penance in the Catholic Church, how this sacrament is based on the stories about Jesus, and how this sacrament relates to our everyday lives.
After watching the video:
- What is the purpose of the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
- Why is Reconciliation nor about "being in trouble"?
- Who gave the church the authority to perform the sacrament?
The Parts of the Sacrament
Besides the greeting and the farewell, there are four main stages within the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Read about the stages of the sacrament and create a Typographic to show the different stages of the sacrament.