J.C. R.E.-Section E

8/3/2019 J.C. R.E.-Section E

1/24


2/24


3/24

What have we learned?

We have an understanding of how particular places and times come to be

significant.

Common Characteristics of Places of Significance

Places of significance have at least three common characteristics:

They stand for or represent something.

Certain meaningful events happened there or are associated with them.

Because of what they represent, people continue to visit these places.

Common Characteristics of Places of Religious Significance

Places of religious significance are set apartbecause they are places ofsacredness.

They may be the birthplace or the burial place of a religious founder or

leader.

Apparitions or visions or other events of religious significance may have taken place

there.

People gather there to pray, to meditate and to celebrate, either alone or through

ritual.

They are places where people encounter God in a meaningful way, through prayer

and quiet reflection.


4/24


5/24


6/24


The Elements of Worship in the Sacrament of Baptism

People gather to celebrate:

The members of the community of faith gather together to participate

in the celebration of the sacrament of Baptism.

Rites and rituals:

The priest leads the people through the rite of Baptism, which involvesseveral different rituals. The main ritual is the actual baptism of the babywith holy water.

Actions of significance:

During the sacrament of Baptism, there are many actions of significance.For example, after the priest has baptised the baby with holy water, heanoints the baby's head with the oil of chrism. The anointing with chrismsignifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptised baby.

We can identify elements of worship.


7/24

In a holy place:

The celebration of Baptism usually takes place in a church. This isa sacred place within the Christian community of faith.

Special events and times of significance:Baptism is celebrated to welcome a new member into the Christiancommunity.

Experiencing God and others in a meaningful way:Participating in an act of worship such as the sacrament of Baptism

gives people the chance to take time out from their ordinary routine

to spend some special time in a special place doing something very

worthwhile and meaningful, i.e. welcoming new members into the

community of faith. During the celebration of Baptism, peoplecommunicate with God and with others through rite and ritual.

Afterwards, they go back to their ordinary routine, renewed and

regenerated as followers of Christ.


8/24


9/24


10/24


We have an awareness of the impact of theexperience of mystery in human life.

For example:

We learned of how Anousheh Ansari (the first female space

tourist) felt about her eight-day expedition into space.

As I gaze out I thank God once again for helping me be hereand experience this. I have been thanking him for letting myinner voice carry out to you all and ask him to give me thevision to see my path in life and the strength to pursue it. Theseare the most peaceful moments I have had in my life and I feel agreat source of positive energy. I have a hard time sleeping toolong because I keep forcing my eyes open to just see this beautyand take it all in only a second longer


11/24

We can identify participation in worship as a response to theexperience of mystery.

Worship as a Response to Mystery

For people of faith, moments of mystery build up their sense of God.

They react with awe and wonder, and they reflect on their experience.

This is also what happens during worship.

Worship is a response to mysteryin this case, the mystery of God.

Through their worship, people give thanks and praise for the gifts of

God, and so their worship becomes an expression of ultimate concern

or love. Acts of worship are a celebration of people's encounter with

God. When people participatefullyin rites and rituals (acts of

worship), they are entering into a religious experience with the whole

heart and mind. By so doing, they can encounter God or come face to

face with God in a meaningful way.


12/24

Reflection as a

Response to Mystery

Reflection involvestaking time out to

think about and try tomake sense of ourexperiences andactions. It is often onlythrough reflection thatwe can find ourdirection in life.

Pilgrimage as a

Response to Mystery

Pilgrimage is anotherreligious response to

the encounter withmystery. It involves aphysical, spiritual andemotional journey of

faith.


13/24


14/24

What have we learned? We are aware of the place of sign and symbol in human life and

in religious traditions.

Sign

A sign can be a word, a drawing or

an action that provides information,

for example, a road sign tells us the

direction we are travelling in andthat the next town or our destination

is a certain number of

kilometres/miles away. Signs should

be easy to recognise and their

meaning should be obvious.

Symbol

Symbols are more powerful than

signs because they affect the way we

feel. Symbols communicate

experience where words are often notadequate. We don't usually just

decide that something will be a

symbol; it has to work for many

people and draw a response from

them because of the meaning it holds.Also, for a symbol to have any effect,

its meaning must be understood.

When faced with strong symbols, we

discover new meanings in life.


15/24

The Use of Symbols in Religious Traditions

Symbols and symbolic acts are used within religioustraditions. They help people to appreciate and recognisethe depth of their faith because:

they remind each religious tradition of their story(their religious history);

they help each person to encounter the divine in a more

meaningful way, e.g. they can act as aids to prayer or

communication with the divine;

they enable each person to overcome the limits of

language;

they bring about a change in the person who responds to

them.


16/24

We have an understanding of the power and

meaning of religious symbols.

Christianity The Crucifix

The crucifix is an important symbol of

faith, hope and love for all followers

of Jesus Christ. It symbolises their

faith in the Trinity.

Judaism The Menorah

The Menorah is a very old symbol ofJudaism, which was originally usedin the Temple in Jerusalem. It is aseven-branched candlestick. The centralbranch represents the Sabbath, the day Godrested after creating the world.

Islam The Star and Crescent Moon

The five points of the star symbolisethe five pillars of Islam. The moonand the stars remind Muslims of God,the creator of everything.

Hinduism

This symbol is the written form of thesacred sound om. Om is a Hinduword used at the beginning of prayerand meditation. For followers of Hinduism,Om is a sacred syllable and it representsBrahma, an important Hindu God.

Buddhism

The wheel is the oldest of Buddhistsymbols. The eight spokes representthe Eightfold Path to enlightenment.The circular shape represents the continuouscircle of life and death.


17/24

We are familiar with the Christian understandings of

sacrament and have a detailed knowledge of the place of

sacrament in two Christian denominations.


18/24


19/24


20/24


21/24


We understand the importance of prayer in thelives of individuals and in religious traditions.

Prayer Communication with God

Prayer is a two-way process of communication between the pray-er andGod. God is no longer in the third person, but is now addressed directly.

This is a key characteristic of prayer. Prayer is not talking about God,prayer is talking to God. In other words, prayer is communication withGod.

The Importance of Prayer in Religious Traditions

Prayer strengthens people's awareness of God in their lives. We know that

all the major world religions communicate with the divine through prayer.In Section B, we learned of how Jesus taught people to pray. In Section C,we explored the Shema prayer and the prayer life of the Jewish people.We also explored the practice of prayer in the Islamic faith.


22/24

We are able to differentiate between different types of prayer.

Praise

Christians praise God through

prayer. Catholics praise God

especially at the Sunday Mass.

Jesus prayed prayers of praise

and thanksgiving: 'At the same

hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy

Spirit andsaid, I thank you,

Father, Lord of heaven and

earth'(Luke 10:21).

The Nature and Function of Prayer in the Christian Tradition

Christians divide prayer into four separate types:

Thanksgiving

To thank God for the blessings

received and for the happiness

life can bring is another formof Christian prayer. Jesus

prayed: 'I thank you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

because you have hidden these

things from the wise and the

intelligent and have revealed

them to infants(Matthew 11:25).


23/24

Penitence

Penitence is about saying

sorry. Christians say sorry forthe times they have hurtothers or made the wrongchoices. Before asking forforgiveness they must realise

the wrongdoing and beprepared to make amends.

Petition

'Petition' means to ask for

something. Christians ask Godto help them with problems.Prayers of petition are alsosaid during the celebration ofthe Eucharist, for people in

need all over the world. Jesusprayed prayers of petition.When he was in the garden ofGethsemane, he asked God tohelp him: My Father, if it is

possible, let this cup pass fromme; yet not what I want butwhat you want

(Matthew 26:39).


24/24

A Time to Pray

Sometimes people find it hard to pray. Prayer needs practice,

patience and persistence.

Examples of important people in the spiritual traditions

St Ignatius St Teresa

of Loyola of Avila

Documents

J.C. R.E.-Section E