CATECHESIS

OPENING PRAYER (WELCOME GOD INTO OUR STUDY)

Heavenly Father, Eyes have not seen, Ears have not heard what you have prepared for those who love you.  We pray Father, that our bodies will rise in glory on the last day through the merits of your only begotten Son, Jesus, who goes before us to prepare for us a place in His Heavenly Mansion and who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

CATECHESIS (STUDY THE FAITH)

REFERENCES FROM CATECHISM OF CATHOLIC CHURCH 2ND EDITION

CCC 992 -1001 Christ’s Resurrection and Ours;

CCC 1002 -1004 What does it mean to rise and die in Christ

CCC 1006 -1014 The meaning of Christian Death;

CCC 1021 -1022 Particular Judgement;

CCC 1023 -1029 Heaven;

CCC 1030 -1032 Purgatory;

CCC 1033 -1037 Hell;

CCC 1038 – 1041 Last Judgement

CCC 1020 I believe in Life Everlasting

CCC 1042 – 1050 New Heavenly Jerusalem.

                                                                                                                                                              

HE IS RISEN!

St. Paul preaches in his first letter to the Corinthians, “How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ has not been raised and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”  Corinthians 15:12-14

Death is a consequence of Original Sin.  After death, each person faces a particular judgment before God.  After the particular judgment, the person will either immediately enter into the blessedness of heaven, purification in purgatory, or eternal damnation in hell.

To die in grave sin, without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love, means remaining separate from God for all eternity.  The state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and his blessed is called hell. . Only a free will choice on our part and a persistent state of unrepentance leads one to hell. Hell is the bitter fruit of a final no to God.

Those who die in the grace and friendship with God and perfectly purified from sinfulness will see God face to face as He really is and live with Christ forever. This perfect life with the Blessed Trinity, Mary, and all the saints is called heaven, a state of supreme and definitive happiness forever.

The resurrection of all the dead, the just and unjust, will occur just before the Last Judgment when all who died hear the Son of Man’s command to come forth.  Then the bodies will reunite with their souls.                                                                                                

 

 LAST JUDGMENT

In the resurrection we will have spiritual bodies. Our natural bodies came from Adam, our spiritual bodies come from Christ.    St. Paul says: “as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man [Adam], so we shall bear the likeness of the heavenly one [Christ]” 1 Corinthians 15:49

St. Paul says: “What is sown is perishable, but what is raised is imperishable; what is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; what is sown is weak, but what is raised is powerful; what is sown is a natural body, and what is raised is a spiritual body” 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

Everlasting Life refers to the perpetuity of happiness, blessedness, wholeness, and union with the Most Blessed Trinity in heaven.

“They shall no more hunger and thirst.  Neither shall the sun fall on them nor any heat.  God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and death shall be no more.  Nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Our essential happiness in heaven will be the Beatific Vision, to see God as He is, God who is the source of all goodness and perfection.

“Dearly beloved we are now the sons and daughters of God and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be.  We know when He shall appear we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is.”  I John 3:2

When the Church is present to a dying person, they absolve them from their sins, anoint their bodies, sealing them in holy oil for Christ, and give them Jesus in the Eucharist (Viaticum) for their journey home.  The Church sends them home with sweet assurance in the following prayer:

“Go forth Christian soul from this world in the name of God, the Almighty Father who created you.  In the name of Jesus, the Son of the Living God who suffered for you.  In the name of the Holy Spirit who was poured out upon you.   

 Go forth faithful Christian.  May you live in peace this day.  May your home be with God, with Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, with Joseph and all the angels and saints.  May you return to your Creator who formed you from the dust of the earth.   May Holy Mary, the angels and all the saints come to meet you as you go forth from this life.  May you see your Redeemer face to face.”  (CCC #1020)

CLOSING PRAYER   (PRAY THE FAITH)

Heavenly Father, You sent your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, not to condemn us but to save us.  Do not look upon our sinfulness and what we truly deserve, but in your mercy, forgive us. In Jesus’ name, we pray.

 LIFE APPLICATION (LIVE THE FAITH)

1. What experiences have I had that have strengthened my belief in the immortality of the soul  and life after death?
2. Am I frightened of death? Why?  If I knew I was going to die soon, would I make changes in my behavior?  If so, what?
3.  Since the body will rise on the last day, why do you think God would have such a plan that   body and soul would live for all eternity together.

 

A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES ON EARTH AND IN HEAVEN

HEBREW 12:1

 OPENING PRAYER (WELCOME GOD INTO OUR STUDY)

Heavenly Father, you sent us your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to found a Church, a Communion of saints.  Grant us, your Pilgrim church, perseverance in our journey that we may join the saints in heaven in praising you, forever and ever. In Jesus’ name we pray.

CATECHESIS (STUDY THE FAITH)

 REFERENCES FROM CATECHISM OF CATHOLIC CHURCH 2ND EDITION

 CCC 946 – 953 How are we a Communion of Saints

CCC 954 – 962The Communion of the Church of Heaven and Earth

CCC 968 – 972 Mary the mother of Christ-Church

The “Communion of Saints,” is also called the Mystical Body of Christ or the Church, We are the pilgrim Church on earth still making our way back home.  We fight hard to overcome the World, the flesh, and the Devil.  We are sometimes called the “Church Militant.”

Another part of the Communion of Saints are souls purgatory,  not yet purified and perfected but will one day enter heaven.  They are members of the Church who have died and have not yet entered into the glory of God’s presence because of some unrepentant sin or effects of sin still remaining at the time of their death.

We believe that God in his mercy purifies Souls in Purgatory and purges them of their sins and effects so they may worthily enter into the presence of the all Holy God, “before whom nothing unclean shall enter.” Revelation 21:27

We call the souls in Purgatory, the Church Suffering.  It is painful in Purgatory just as it is here on earth when God breaks us from our addictions and willfulness.  The souls in Purgatory also suffer because they are separated from full communion with God.

We can pray for these loved ones in purgatory that they soon may be purified and perfected.  Souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves but can pray for us.  They can pray for us that we may have fortitude and perseverance in our journey home.   They pray for us now and will intercede for us when they get to heaven.

The final group of saints is already in heaven, already experiencing the Beatific Vision.  We call these saints, the “Church Triumphant.”   We, the pilgrim church, celebrate in liturgy the “Communion of Saints” here on earth on back to back Feast Days of All Saints and All Souls.

The communion of saints, the Church, is truly God’s family.  This should give us great encouragement.  We are vast in numbers, too many to comprehend.

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run the race, before us, with perseverance, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith who for the joy, set before Him, endured the cross, and is seated at the right hand of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

CLOSING PRAYER   (PRAY THE FAITH)

Lord God, you are glorified in your saints.  In their lives on earth, you give us an example. In our communion with them, you give us their friendship.  Around your throne, the saints, our brothers and sisters, sing your praises forever.  With their great company and all the angels in heaven, we, too, praise your glory, now and forever.  Amen.

LIFE APPLICATION    (LIVE THE FAITH)

1.Who are my favorite saints?

What is there about them that appeal to me?

2. How often do I pray for the souls in purgatory? My deceased family members? Those who have no one to pray for them?

3. Jesus is the one mediator and our Savior. Do we still pray to saints to intercede for us?

 COME FOLLOW ME

 JESUS IS THE WAY THE TRUTH THE LIFE

CATECHESIS HANDING ON THE FAITH

Jesus empowered the Church to continue His mission when He said, Full authority has been given to me both in heaven and on earth; go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know that I am with you always, until the end of time. Matthew 28:18-20

This great commission has been handed on to women and men, whom God has called, to proclaim the Good News. This ministry of teaching and forming has traditionally been referred to as catechesis.  Catechesis is the effort within the Church to make disciples, to help people to believe that Jesus is the Son of God…and to educate and instruct them in this life and thus build up the Body of Christ. (Catechesi Tradendae #1)

Knowledge of God

 OPENING PRAYER  (WELCOME GOD INTO OUR STUDY)

Almighty and Great God you created us out of love.  Jesus, your Son has taught us to call you Abba, Father.  You sustain us, Father and nourish us in your revealed Word.  Father lead us into a deeper knowledge of you who is love itself.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.

CATECHESIS (STUDY THE FAITH)

 REFERENCES FROM CATECHISM OF CATHOLIC CHURCH 2ND EDITION

CCC 27 -30 Man’s desire for God

CCC 31 – 35 Ways of coming to know God

CCC 36 -38 Knowledge of God according to the Church

CCC 39 – 43 How we can speak about God

The first Roman Catechism was commissioned in 1546 by the Council of Trent.  It prevailed for four centuries and was still highly recommended by Pope John XXIII in 1960. On June 25, 1992 Pope John Paul II officially approved The Catechism of the Catholic Church now in its second edition.  The Roman Catechism of Trent and the recently published Catechism of the Catholic Church are the only official Catechisms published by the Catholic Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1992 is broken into four parts like the Roman Catechism of Trent: The Creed (Faith Professed) Sacraments (Faith Celebrated) Commandments (Faith Lived) and Our Father (Faith Prayed.)

Our Creed begin with the words “I believe.”  To believe does not mean to think, to suppose, or to be of the opinion of but rather it is an expression of a person with the deepest conviction and of unhesitating assent to all God has revealed and taught through his Son, Jesus Christ. 

The knowledge derived from faith is NOT to be considered less certain than knowledge derived from physical objects and sense experience.  Our Faith is given to us by a God who can neither deceive nor be deceived and testified to by Jesus Christ and his disciples. 

The desire for God is written in the human heart because man is created by God, for God.  God never ceases to draw us to Himself.  God loved me into existence. We can forget God or reject God, but God never ceases to call everyone to seek Him and to find eternal life.

There are many ways to know or approach God.  Beginning with Creation, its beauty, and order, we can come to the knowledge of an intelligent First Cause.  There is a first cause that exists outside of ourselves that most people call God.  Nothing in Creation is necessary.  All is contingent. Something exists in creation because God loved and willed it into existence.

Our holy Mother, the Church, holds and teaches us that God is the first principle and last end of all things and can be known with certainty from the created world and by the natural light of human reason. When we speak about God it is always limited because God is infinite and we are not. 

It is easier to say what God is not. God is always more than we can know or say about Him.  We may speak about God, even if our knowledge is limited and our human words always fall short of the full mystery of God

CLOSING PRAYER:  (PRAY THE FAITH)

Loving God, I praise you for the gift of divine Revelation which helps my reason discover you in creation and in my conscience.  Thank you for giving me a capacity for your presence within the depths of my heart.  Cleanse my heart of any obstacles to your loving presence. In Jesus’ name we pray.

 LIFE APPLICATION:  (LIVE THE FAITH)

 1. Is my curiosity about God and the world still alive and well or am I too grown up to be amazed in awe and wonder?

2.  Do I sense a spiritual restlessness in my soul?  What have I done to satisfy this restlessness that makes me feel a deepening need of God’s presence in me?

3. What am I most passionate about in life? Where do I place my enthusiasm and energy?

4.  We make plans and God laughs! What is God’s plan for me?

    

 

 

WHO IS GOD?

 OPENING PRAYER (WELCOME GOD INTO OUR STUDY)

God of Truth, help us to know your revealed Word.  Merciful and loving Father, help us to love you in the same abundance as you have loved us.  Let us care for our neighbor as you have cared for us, in Jesus’ name we pray.

CATECHESIS (STUDY THE FAITH)

 CCC 189-195 Different Creeds  

Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

Apostles Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty the Creator of Heaven and Earth

CCC 201-202 One God  

CCC 203-206 God’s Name

CCC 210-211 Merciful   

CCC 215-217 Truth   

CCC 219-226 Love

 “I believe in God,” is the first affirmation in the Apostles Creed and the most fundamental of all beliefs.  Nine out of ten Americans believe in the existence of God.

But do they believe what God teaches in Scripture and in His son, Jesus Christ. Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will be saved but those who do the will of my Father. Matthew 7:21

The Apostles Creed is considered a summary of the Faith of the Apostles.  It is the ancient baptismal creed of the Church of early Rome. The Apostles Creed is broken into three parts in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The first part speaks of the 1^st divine person and His wondrous works of Creation.  The second part speaks of the 2nd Divine Person, Jesus, our Redeemer.  The 3rd part speaks of the 3rd Divine Person, the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, Lord and giver of Life.

“We firmly believe and confess without reservations that there is only One True God, eternal, infinite, unchangeable, incomprehensible, almighty, and ineffable, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons indeed but one essence and substance.” Lateran Council IV DS 800

God revealed Himself progressively under different names to His people but the revelation that is fundamental for both the Old and New Testament was the revelation to Moses in the burning bush, “I AM WHO AM.” Exodus 3:4-14

God had no beginning and has no end.  No one made God.  He always was and always will be.  God is always present, faithfully caring for His people.  God is just as present in the world today as He was in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:8

After the Israelites turned away from God and worshipped the “golden calf,” God reveals Himself as a God of Mercy, “Yahweh, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:1-9

…Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God, For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment   Joel 2:12-13

God is also the God of Truth. The sum of your word is Truth as the Psalmist sings, “Your every word is enduring;“ Psalm. 119:160

God is Love. “Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. I John 4:8 “God’s love is everlasting.” Isaiah. 54:8    Remain in my love.” John 15:9

 CLOSING PRAYER   (PRAY THE FAITH)

I believe in you, my God.  You are a God of Truth and Love.  O my God, you know my poverty and weakness, and that I am unable to do anything good without Thee;  I give you thanks for caring for me.   In return, I ask only that you give me your grace to never to refuse you anything.  All Glory and praise be to you Almighty God, in Jesus’ name we pray!

 LIFE APPLICATION    (LIVE THE FAITH)

1.Why is belief in God important in my life?

2. Generally what do I know about God? What don’t I know about God?

3. Does it bother me  that God is beyond all understanding… incomprehensible and ineffable a mystery in so many aspects?

4. How does the Church help me with my faith? How do my family and friends help me with my faith in God?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CATECHESIS cat·e·che·sis /ˌkadəˈkēsəs/

Jesus empowered the Church to continue His mission when He said, Full authority has been given to me both in heaven and on earth; go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations.

 Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know that I am with you always, until the end of time. Matthew 28:18-20

 

ORIGINAL SIN

 OPENING PRAYER (WELCOME GOD INTO OUR STUDY)

Father of Mercies, we thank you for the waters of Baptism that cleansed us of Original Sin.  We beg you to grant us the grace to avoid personal sin, to repent when we fall, and turn back to you, in Jesus’ name we pray.

CATECHESIS (STUDY THE FAITH)

THE FALL FROM GRACE

The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it Genesis 3:6

 REFERENCES FROM CATECHISM OF CATHOLIC CHURCH 2ND EDITION

CCC 385 – 390 The Fall from Grace

CCC 391 – 395 The Fall of the Angels

CCC 396 – 409 Consequences of Original Sin

CCC 410 – 412 God’s Promise – “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more”

In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve In His image and likeness, He endowed them with intelligence, love, freedom, and conscience.  He gave them the grace of “original holiness.”

Man and the world began in harmony and grace, not sin. The inner harmony between man and woman, and the harmony between man and all of creation comprised the state of “original justice.”

This harmony of “original justice,” God’s original plan for man, is lost by the sin of our first parents.  It is called Original Sin.  God “tested” our first parents by forbidding them to eat of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  The tree, off limits to man, was a symbol of the limits humans have as creatures to choose.

TREE OF GOOD AND EVIL

Our freedom to choose means we are free to choose good.  To choose evil is enslavement to sin and means estrangement from God.  God’s moral laws govern our freedom.  To step outside these moral laws is to assume a freedom never granted to man.  One of the consequences of “original sin” is the loss of grace, a sharing in God’s divine life.

All descendants of these first parents also inherit concupiscence which is a darkened mind, a weakened will, and disordered passions.

We did not commit “original sin.”  But we are born with its effects, a wounded human nature in body and soul and estrangement from God’s divine life.  Our plight is not hopeless, however.  Baptism restores us to friendship with God but the wounds of original sin remain.

To ignore the fact of sin in human history is plain foolhardy.  By any other name we may call it, character flaw, mistake, or weakness, an offense against God is a sin, plain and simple.

Before the fall of man was the spiritual fall of the angels. God, too, as in the case of man created the angels good.  Satan and other demons became evil by their own doing, choosing to reject God.

Due to their “spiritual” nature the Angels’ choice was singular and irrevocable.   “The fall of the angels consists in the free choice of these created spirits to radically and irrevocably reject God and his reign.” 2 Peter 2:4

The tempter of our first parents, says to Adam and Eve, “You will be like Gods.” Genesis 3:5.  The devil, a sinner from the beginning is a liar and Father of lies.

In the Garden, Man, tempted by the devil, abused his freedom and disobeyed God’s command.  Immediately Adam and Eve lost the state of original harmony.  They became afraid of God and hid from Him.

The union of man and woman became subject to tensions, lust, and domination.  The rest of creation became hostile and alien to man.  Death enters into human history.  Because of man’s act of disobedience, all of creation is now subject to death and decay.

Why God permitted sin in the first place remains a mystery.  But we do know God can bring a greater good from evil. To quote St. Thomas Aquinas, “God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good.”

CLOSING PRAYER   (PRAY THE FAITH)

Father, how wonderful that you care for us!  How boundless your merciful love!  Lord God, we praise you for creating man and still more for restoring him in Christ Jesus your Son who shared in our weakness that we may share in His glory now and forever.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.

LIFE APPLICATION    (LIVE THE FAITH)

 1. When I look back on my life where do I see the effects of original sin most apparent? ie. darkened mind, weakened will, disordered passions.

2.At the end of each day, what do I notice about the difference between what I intended to do and what I actually did?

3. How can I develop the habit of choosing good?

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL PRAYER

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Be our protection  against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;

and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,

by the Divine Power of God, cast into hell Satan

and all the evil spirits who roam throughout the world 

seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen

OPENING PRAYER (WELCOME GOD INTO OUR STUDY)

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending us your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.  With grateful hearts, send us your Spirit to enlighten our minds and enflame our hearts to know and love your Son more deeply through our study of the teachings of your holy Catholic Church. Amen

JESUS CHRIST SAVIOR OF THE WORLD

CATECHESIS (STUDY THE FAITH)

 REFERENCES FROM CATECHISM OF CATHOLIC CHURCH 2ND EDITION

CCC 422 – 429 The Person of Jesus Christ

CCC 430 – 435 The Name of Jesus

CCC 441 – 445 The Only Son of God

CCC 446 – 451 Jesus the Lord

“And the angel Gabriel came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”…”and behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son and you will call his name, Jesus.”

…”and Mary said to the angel, “How can that be since I have no husband?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you, therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” Luke 1:28, 31, 34-35

 JESUS IS SON OF GOD. SON OF MARY. 

TRUE GOD AND TRUE MAN.

The Son of God worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind; he acted with a human will; and he loved with a human heart.  Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like us in all things, except sin. 

Vatican II, Gaudium Spes #22

It is true Jesus was a human being like us in all things but for sin.   But we must not diminish His divinity by placing a disproportionate emphasis on his humanity.

. There are a lot of great men in history.  We revere Abraham Lincoln but we worship Jesus because He is God.  .Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the Most Holy Trinity.

MOST HOLY TRINITY FATHER SON HOLY SPIRIT

In Hebrew, the name Jesus means, “God saves.”  The name, “Jesus,” expresses both his identity and his mission.   “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow.”

It was because He was God and Man that his sacrificial offering on Calvary could redeem us from our sins and restore us again to life in the Father.

Christ is not Jesus’ last name! The word Christ comes from the Greek and is a translation of the Hebrew, Messiah, meaning “anointed one.”  The name Christ became proper to Jesus because he perfectly accomplished the divine mission that His Father gave him.

Another title Jesus goes by is Lord. In the Old Testament God’s name in Hebrew was Yahweh.  That Hebrew name is translated in the New Testament into the Greek as Kyrios, and then Lord into English.   At his birth, Jesus was announced by the angels to the shepherds, “To you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11!

CLOSING PRAYER   (PRAY THE FAITH)

 All praise and thanksgiving be given to Jesus Christ, the only Son of God.  At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend and every tongue confess, Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, in the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

LIFE APPLICATION    (LIVE THE FAITH) 

1. Jesus became man to live among us, to reveal to us what it means to be sons and daughters of  the Father.    What transformations do I think I have to make in my     life to pattern my life more after the life of Jesus?

2 Why is it important to me to express my faith in Jesus’                 divinity as well as his   humanity?

3. When I meditate on the name of Jesus, what kinds of                   thoughts and images come to my mind?