Rylee Kopchak

Mrs. Finney
Honors Religion 11
September 9, 2016

This article explains sacramentality and how it affects our everyday lives. The author

states that the sacramental principle is a significant part of why we call ourselves Catholic.

Sacramentality does not relate exclusively to the sacraments were receive in church, but is a

large component of life. It explains the working relationship between God and humankind and

Gods presence in all of creation. Jesus was Gods gift of salvation and because of Jesus loving

sacrifice, the sacramentality of life increased. The author then describes the power of the Holy

Spirit and the sacraments in encountering Christthey bring us closer to Him and strengthen our

relationship with God. By receiving the sacraments, we gain specific virtues that symbolize

Gods love. The article reminds us that in order to acquire the grace poured out for us, we must

respond to Gods call to holiness.

By realizing God is present in everything, we can have a more optimistic outlook on life.

Each time we receive a sacrament, we also receive special graces and must use them to do Gods

will. These graces give us the power to live the life God planned for us and experience Him in

everything we accomplish. Because of the graces we receive, we are able to better serve the

Lord and make our own, good decisions. The sacramental principle teaches that God makes

even the ordinary aspects of life extraordinary. Gods grace empowers us to see all creation in a

positive light and appreciate all that He has done for us. It fills our hearts with Gods love and

helps us detach ourselves from the material things that often come between our relationship with

Him.

In the article, the author quotes poet Gerard Manley Hopkins writing, The world is

charged with the grandeur of God! It will flame out, like shining from shook foil. All of Gods

creations contain great beauty and we are often amazed by what He has placed on this earth.
Rylee Kopchak
Mrs. Finney
Honors Religion 11
September 9, 2016

Realizing the beauty and attention God put into each thing he madebig or smallinspires us

to do our best to follow Gods plan and achieve the goals set for us. We wish to share the beauty

and wonder of creation with others and in the process, glorify God. The author also states, In

fact, the great sacraments are simply climatic celebrations of the sacramentality of life. The

sacraments energize us to go out into the world and do Gods will. They are celebrations that

encourage us to see the good in life and be thankful for all that God has given us. We experience

sacramentality throughout our lives, not only during the sacraments. The graces we receive in

the sacraments help us to stay positive even through adversity and realize that God is always

with us.

If our world was not sacramental in nature, people would not realize the presence of God

in creation. We would believe the only way to receive grace is through the sacraments, although

we have the ability to receive Gods grace every day. We encounter Christ through ordinary

things, however if our world was not sacramental in nature, we would only be able to experience

Gods presence in the sacraments. Everything in our world can be a sign of Christs grace.

Without the sacramental principle, we would be unable to worship God in the many different

ways we often do. The only way to worship Christ would be to go to mass and receive a

sacrament. As we know, though, because our world is sacramental, we can worship and give

thanks to God in our everyday lives by offering a small sacrifice, saying a prayer, or even

showing kindness to others. The seven sacraments are not separate from our everyday lives,

rather they are synonymous. As long as we are willing and responsive to Christs call, we can

receive His grace and love.