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And reflect on your Scripture reading and Padlet.

Explain this image in light of Baptism as a Sacrament.
The gate is open and it gives access to other opportunities and places to discover, but we must choose to go through ourselves. The gates gives us a sign and leads us towards a particular journey, but the gates do no force us to go through them. We must consciously choose where to go. Much as this gate is a means of discovering new lands, Baptism is a gateway towards a new way of life of opportunities. Baptism cannot be forced upon someone, it has to be a choice. When someone does make the choice to be baptized, new opportunities and chances to explore faith deeper arise. The gate is opening up to our relationship with God. It opens up to our relationship with the church so that we can grow closer to God and the church community around us.

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Rebirth. Regeneration.
A. How is water used in the ritual? Does water used in the ritual remind us of Spiritual rebirth and regeneration? Baptism uses water to symbolize the spiritual rebirth and regeneration that occurs. Baptize means to "plunge" or  to "immerse." When we take the plunge of baptism we are  reborn into a new way of life which calls of to live as Jesus did.  Water is a symbolic way to show that we have washed away our sins in favor of this new life.

B. From what are we reborn? And why do we need regeneration? The Baptismal immersement or plunge into water symbolizes the "catechumen's burial into Christ's death," and then the resurrection as a newly founded being.  We are reborn spiritually from our past life of sin.

C. How does the ritual help us physically experience what God through The Holy Trinity does for us Spiritually?  Baptism helps us physically experience what God, through the Holy Trinity, does for us spiritually. We are spiritually renewed through the Holy Trinity, and Baptism allows us to experience that physically through symbolic actions and materials.

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Enlightenment...
The baptismal candle is lit from the Easter candle's flame. It is given to the baby and family to take home.
A. What does this physical experience of lighting a small candle from the Church's large one show us and teach us about our Spiritual experience?
The baby becomes part of the Catholic community. The baby is now one with the Church. It teaches us that we are not alone but rather a communion of burning flames which means that our Spiritual experience is shared with the other people in our community so that we can all grow stronger in faith together.   The candle itself is representative of Christ and the teachings about him for example, beeswax: purity of Christ, candle wick: Christ’s humanity, flame: the divine nature, candle: Christ himself.

B.  Why is it a candle that is lit up and not a flashlight?
God ignites a fire within us. This fire drives us to be better people and live in the light of God. If we just flipped a switch, the symbolism would not be the same.  Also, the longer a candle burns the bigger the flames becomes showing that the longer and more actively we believe in God the bigger this fire will be.

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5. Read  1226-1228. Baptism and the Word of God.

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5. Read  1226-1228. Baptism and the Word of God.

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A.  Choose a quote from one of the saints noted in this section.
And quote it.
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household," - Saint Paul
B.  What does this quote mean?   In your own words.
This quote means that by believing in God and Jesus' message you will be saved. It means that when we believe this belief does not just affect us but it also spills over and has an effect on our community. This faith and goodness that comes with baptism is something that can help bring goodness to all of those around us.  When we believe in God we creating a connection with Him and this connection extends farther then just us.
C.  Why did you choose this quote to focus upon?
I chose this quote because it focuses on community and how God's message is for everyone.  Here Saint Paul is trying to say that God message is for everyone and he does not want only a few believers.  God's message is universal and through this act of spilling over it can be seen that way.
D.   Choose an image to remind you of what it's teaching us about having Gxd's Word within us.   This means God is always right with us.
God's message is like sunshine, washing over all of us and ever present.

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9. God gives us the Earth and all within it as a Sacrament too. 

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9. God gives us the Earth and all within it as a Sacrament too. 

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Do you see God around you in physical expressions of God's Love?
The beach is an exceptional example of a physical expression of God's love. The beauty of this place provides an outlet for the craziness of our day-to-day lives. There, the rolling waves and beautiful sunsets provide us with a place to reflect and mediate on our lives and our relationship with God and all of his beautiful creation. We feel most relaxed and at peace at the beach. The beach provides a place to truly connect with God with limited worries.

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6. Read  1234-1245. The Mystery within the Baptism Ritual. 

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6. Read  1234-1245. The Mystery within the Baptism Ritual. 

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A.  Choose three elements within the ritual to focus upon.
The sign of the cross, the baptismal water, and the candle.
B.  What physically happens within the ritual?
The Sign of the Cross is done physically of the threshold of the celebration. The baptismal water is consecrated with the prayer of epiclesis this water is later poured over the child's head.  The candle is lit from the Easter candle of the church.
C. What does each physical experience tell us about our Spiritual experience?
The Sign of the Cross marks with the imprint of Christ the one who is going to belong to him and signifies the grace of the redemption Christ won for us by his cross. The baptismal water signifies the church asking God that through his Son the power of the Holy Spirit may be sent upon the water, so that those who will be baptized in it may be "born of water and the Spirit."  The candle signifies that Christ has enlightened the neophyte. In him the baptized are "the light of the world."
D.  Using a google slide snap-shotted or using adobe collage, create a visually interesting, suggestive and unique combined-image (at least 3 images)  to post with your text.

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7. Read: 116 "Infant Baptism,"  A Popular History of the Church.

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7. Read: 116 "Infant Baptism,"  A Popular History of the Church.

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A.  Why does the Church baptize infants?
The Church baptizes infants so that they can be welcomed in to the church and wipe away the original sin committed by Adam and Eve. The reason why is done so early is because of the high infant mortality rate in the middle ages. Parents wanted their child to have been clean of original sin as fast as possible so if that child were to die young they could go to heaven.
B.  Is experiencing this ritual while so young a good practice?  Why or why not?
We think it is a good practice because it allows children to be a part of a loving church community from a very young age. By growing up in the church children will hopefully gain good role models and learn to be good human beings. Also, it is good to have original sin wiped away so that we as humans can live or lives freely without the weight of the original sin.

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8. Read, 17-18. "The Church as Sacrament," A Popular History.

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8. Read, 17-18. "The Church as Sacrament," A Popular History.

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A.  Why do we experience sacraments through our participation in the Church? We experience sacraments through our participation in the Church because other believers have the ability to guide us on our spiritual journey. It is through their help that we can form closer bonds with God.
B.  What is a sacrament? (You also have this definition in a handout.). A Sacrament is like a channel through which God supplies His grace to humanity.
C.  Post an image that reminds you of Gxd's Presence, + brings you Gxd's Love right with you, up close.