Church
Founder of the Catholic Church
•Jesus Christ gathered His followers and and placed them under the direction of St Peter and the apostles
Prayer
•Prayer is raising our hearts and minds to God
•Conversation between friends
Faith requires
Faith Requires:
•The acceptance of a truth our reason alone cannot attain
•Asking questions; Seeking answers and trusting.
Covenant
A solemn agreement between God and His people, or between two human beings, that involves mutual commitments for the good of the relationship.
Trinity
A mystery of the one true God in three Divine persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
We know God is triune from Jesus Christ – He speaks of His Father; He prays to Him and sends the Holy Spirit
Pentecost importance
•The 50th day after the Resurrection when the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary and the Apostles filling them with grace.
•It is the BIRTHDAY OF THE CHURCH
The necessity of prayer
Prayer is necessary in order to grow; in our faith in God, in our hope in him, and in our love for him and to receive the grace necessary to be united with him in heaven.
Free Will
"Free will" recognizes that God has given men and women the capacity to choose good or evil in their lives. Free will is the capacity to act with moral responsibility; it is not the ability to determine arbitrarily what constitutes moral right.
Resurrection
The rising from the dead of Christ on the third day after his death and burial. Christ's Resurrection is a basic truth of Christianity,
•He rose through his own power.
•Is expressed in all the Creeds and in all rules of faith of the ancient Church.
Immaculate Conception
The Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God was preserved free from all stain of original sin
Mystical Body/Communion of Saints
•Church Triumphant: In Heaven
•Church Suffering: In Purgatory
Church Militant: Us on Earth
Contemplative prayer is
Prayer which is love, silence, listening and being in the presence of God
Creed
A Creed is a concise summary of the principle truths, the main ideas, the core tenants that we agree on as a Church. A sign of recognition and communion between believers
•Nicene Creed.
•Apostle’s Creed
Moral Values
•The criteria that helps us determine the goodness or evil of human acts based on the nature, intention and circumstances in which the action was taken
Annunciation
God’s announcement to Mary through Archangel Gabriel that she was chosen to be the Mother of the Son of God
Definitions of Marks of the Church
1.One: One Faith (doctrines, creeds and moral teachings); one worship, liturgy, and Sacraments; one Sacrifice of the Mass; One membership in the Mystical Body; One Magisterium
2.Holy: Origin Holy (Christ founder of the Church); purpose is Holy (to teach and sanctify); Teachings Holy (Sacraments means of grace)
3.Catholic: Universal; for all people and for all time
4.Apostolic: Teaching of the apostles that has been handed down through the ages under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Can trace can be traced back to the Apostles
What are the 5 types of prayer? Define each
1.Blessing and Adoration ("Adoration is the acknowledgement of God as God, creator and savior, the Lord and master of everything that exists as infinite and merciful love." (CCC #2096) "Adoration is homage of the spirit to the King of glory, respectful silence in the presence of the ever greater God." (CCC #2628))
2.Prayer of petition (Asking God for what we need both physically and spiritually)
3.Prayer of intercession (Asking God to intervene for us or someone else)
4.Prayer of thanksgiving (Thanking God for all that we have since everything comes from God)
5.Prayer of praise (Expressing delight in God because he exists and is good/love)
Conscience
The act of the intellect by which we judge right form wrong according to what we have learned from faith and reason. For a person to have a good conscience, he must study the Bible and the teachings of the Church and put them into practice.
Grace
•Grace is the free and undeserved gift of God’s divine life that helps us to conform our lives to God and His will for us. (CCC 1996).
•It is a gift of love that invites us into relationship with God.
• It is not forced upon us. We must be open to receiving it, and there are many ways that grace is commonly received.
Two Types of Grace
•“Sanctifying grace is a habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love” (CCC 2000).
•Actual grace is God’s push or encouragement. It’s not a permanent state like sanctifying grace, but a little nudge from God to do good and avoid evil.
The foundations of the Church
•Sacred Scripture: Collection of writings written by human authors and accepted by the church as inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is faithfully handed down and interpreted by the Church’s Magisterium
•Sacred Tradition: The living transmission of the Church’s Gospel message found in the Church’s teaching, life and worship. It is faithfully handed down and interpreted by the Church’s Magisterium
•Magisterium: The teaching office or authority of the Church. The bishops united with the Pope are entrusted with guarding and handing on the Deposit of Faith and authentically interpreting God’s Revelation in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.
The ways we pray with examples
•Contemplative Prayer – Is love, silence, listening and being in the presence of God (Youcat 503)
•Liturgical – The Mass; Liturgy of the Hours; Benediction; The Creed
•Devotional Prayer – Holy Hour; Rosary; Stations of the Cross; Novena
•Scriptural Prayer - Lectio Divina; Our Father; Psalms
Seven Characteristics of Faith
•Faith or Belief is Knowledge and trust – it has seven characteristics
1.Sheer gift of God
2.Supernatural power necessary for salvation
3.Requires free will and clear understanding
4.Absolutely certain
5.Incomplete unless leads to active love
6.Grows when we listen more and enter a lively exchange with God in prayer
7.Gives us a foretaste of the joy of heaven
Paschal Mystery
•God’s plan for the salvation of mankind, as fulfilled in the passion (suffering), death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
Reason
The power by which human beings:
•Can think and grow in our understanding of the truth.
•Have thoughts that are based on empirical evidence and logic rather than emotion.
•Have the capacity of consciously making sense of things, applying logic, and adapting or justifying practices, institutions, and beliefs based on new or existing information.
•Able to learn many things about God.