the blessed trinity

The Blessed The Blessed Trinity Trinity

and Our Christian and Our Christian VocationVocation

The Blessed The Blessed Trinity Trinity

Chapter 4Chapter 4

Chapter 4Chapter 4

The Life and The Life and Teachings of Jesus Teachings of Jesus

ChristChrist

Chapter Chapter ObjectivesObjectives

• The IncarnationThe Incarnation• The Blessed Virgin The Blessed Virgin

Mary’s role in the Mary’s role in the IncarnationIncarnation

• Sign of contradictionSign of contradiction• The Finding of Christ in The Finding of Christ in

the Templethe Temple• Christ and the EssenesChrist and the Essenes• Christ and ordinary lifeChrist and ordinary life• The Baptism of ChristThe Baptism of Christ• Christ’s temptation in Christ’s temptation in

the desertthe desert• The call of the ApostlesThe call of the Apostles• Christ’s healing ministryChrist’s healing ministry• Christ’s teaching methodChrist’s teaching method• The parableThe parable

• The Parable of the Good The Parable of the Good SamaritanSamaritan

• How to PrayHow to Pray• The Kingdom of GodThe Kingdom of God• The Apostles’ role in the The Apostles’ role in the

Kingdom of GodKingdom of God• The Sermon on the MountThe Sermon on the Mount• The BeatitudesThe Beatitudes• Christ’s Law of LoveChrist’s Law of Love• Purity of IntentionPurity of Intention• St. Francis and the St. Francis and the

Sermon on the MountSermon on the Mount• The Last SupperThe Last Supper• Christ’s Passion and DeathChrist’s Passion and Death• The Resurrection of ChristThe Resurrection of Christ

The student will be able to understand:

Keys to Chapter Keys to Chapter 44

•God the Son humbly emptied himself of God the Son humbly emptied himself of his divinity and took on a human nature.his divinity and took on a human nature.

•Christ is like us in all things, except sin.Christ is like us in all things, except sin.• Jesus’ mission was not to save the world Jesus’ mission was not to save the world

from suffering, but from sin.from suffering, but from sin.•The essence of Christ’s teachings is The essence of Christ’s teachings is

himself.himself.•Christ is the true Paschal Lamb who Christ is the true Paschal Lamb who

saves us from sin and death.saves us from sin and death.

For Discussion:For Discussion:•What do we know about the early life of Jesus What do we know about the early life of Jesus

Christ?Christ?

•What do we mean when we say Jesus is “the What do we mean when we say Jesus is “the Christ”?Christ”?

•What were the main events in Christ’s public What were the main events in Christ’s public ministry?ministry?

•What was Christ’s message? How did he teach?What was Christ’s message? How did he teach?

continuedcontinued

For Discussion:For Discussion:•What was the example that Christ gave his What was the example that Christ gave his

followers?followers?•What was the role of the Apostles and St. Peter What was the role of the Apostles and St. Peter

in Church?in Church?•What lessons does the life of Christ hold for us What lessons does the life of Christ hold for us

today?today?•What does it mean to be called by Christ, and What does it mean to be called by Christ, and

how do we respond to that call?how do we respond to that call?•What does the Sermon on the Mount teach us What does the Sermon on the Mount teach us

about love?about love?

Christ’s Christ’s IncarnationIncarnation

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•The IncarnationThe Incarnation•The Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in the The Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in the IncarnationIncarnation•Sign of contradictionSign of contradiction

Christ’s IncarnationChrist’s Incarnation

What is the mystery of the Incarnation?

Basic Questions

The mystery of the Incarnation refers to the infinite God, who is beyond the limitations of human comprehension, having emptied himself to become man in order to reconcile all people to himself.


How did the Incarnation come about?

Basic Questions

Christ’s Incarnation was announced by the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who humbly agreed to be the Mother of Christ.


How was Christ’s life a sign of contradiction from the beginning?

Basic Questions

As a sign of contradiction, Christ was born into poverty, and his life was in danger from the very beginning.

Anticipatory SetAnticipatory Set

Incorporate the Annunciation into the Opening Prayer.

Focus QuestionFocus Question

According to St. Athanasius, why was Christ the only one who could recreate man in the image of God?

Christ himself is the image of God. Angels are not created in the image of God, and man is only made according to the image of God.


Why did Christ take on human nature to recreate man?

He defeated death and bodily corruption through his Death and Resurrection.


According to St. Athanasius, from what and to what did Christ intend to raise the minds of people?

Christ intended to raise men’s minds from earthly, sensible things to the height of God.


What does Jesus mean?It means God saves.


Why was this common name highly fitting for Our Lord?

His mission was the salvation of man.


What is Christ’s hidden life?

It refers to the first thirty years of Christ’s life, especially the eighteen years from age twelve to thirty.


What is Christ’s public life?

It refers to the three years he taught and performed miracles.


What is the climax of Christ’s life on earth?It climaxed in his Passion, Death,

and Resurrection.


What should a person do if he or she is not familiar with the life of Christ?Read at least St. John’s Gospel

and any of the other three (Matthew, Mark, or Luke) before proceeding with the text.


Why was the Blessed Virgin Mary greatly troubled by the Archangel Gabriel’s greeting?An angel appeared to her and

said she was full of grace and the Lord was with her.


How did Gabriel identify Jesus with the long-awaited Messiah?

He said God would give Mary’s son the throne of his father David with an eternal kingship.


How did Gabriel proclaim Mary’s son to be divine?

He said Christ will be called Son of the Most High and Son of God.


Why is it certain man had nothing to do with the conception of Christ?The Blessed Virgin Mary did not

have a husband.

Guided Guided ExerciseExercise

Free write comparing the Blessed Virgin Mary’s encounter with the

Archangel Gabriel to Eve’s encounter with the serpent.


What sign did the Archangel Gabriel give the Blessed Virgin Mary that he told the truth?Mary’s elderly, barren cousin St.

Elizabeth was pregnant.


How did Mary respond to Gabriel’s announcement?

She agreed and declared she was God’s servant.

Extension:This is called her fiat, Latin for “let it be done.”


What is the climax of history?The Incarnation is its climax.


What is the mystery of the Incarnation?The infinite God, who is beyond

the limitations of human comprehension, emptied himself to become man to reconcile people to himself.


How did Caesar Augustus help fulfill the prophecy the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem?

He called for a census in which each person was to return to his town of origin to be counted. Because St. Joseph was of the house of David, he and the Blessed Virgin Mary went to the City of David.


How was the Birth of Christ announced to kings and commoners?The Magi, Gentiles from the East,

came to see the newborn King of the Jews. Shepherds were the first to behold the newborn Savior.


How did St. Simeon foretell the Crucifixion of Christ?

He said, “A sword will pierce through [The Blessed Virgin Mary’s] own soul also.” Christ was pierced by nails and a lance.


Who are the Holy Innocents?The male infants in Bethlehem murdered by Herod, who wished to kill Christ.


How many children were murdered by Herod?There were probably about two

dozen.


Conduct a think/pair/share using the following question:

Why was Christ’s Birth a sign of contradiction or stumbling block?


Why did St. Joseph take Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary into Egypt?He was warned by an angel in a

dream that Herod intended to kill Christ.

Extension:The time Christ spent in Egypt recalls the centuries Abraham’s descendants were in exile there.

Christ’s Christ’s Hidden LifeHidden Life

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•The Finding of Christ in the TempleThe Finding of Christ in the Temple•Christ and the EssenesChrist and the Essenes•Christ and his Hidden LifeChrist and his Hidden Life

Christ’s Hidden LifeChrist’s Hidden Life

What is the significance of Christ in the Temple at age twelve?

Basic Questions

Christ’s greatness was revealed at age twelve in the Temple, but he lived in obedience and obscurity for the next eighteen years.


What is the relationship between Christ and the Essenes?

Basic Questions

Christ and St. John the Baptist have some common points of reference with the Jewish sect of the Essenes, but are essentially different from them.


What is the meaning of Christ’s hidden life?

Basic Questions

The sanctity of everyday life.


Incorporate the Finding in the Temple into the Opening Prayer.


During their return from Jerusalem to Nazareth, how could Christ have been missing from the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph?The group from Nazareth could

have included hundreds of people, and the men and women traveled in two separate groups. Because they were all friends and family, the children likely would have been playing and going between the two groups.


How long was Christ missing from the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph?They searched three days for

him.

Extension: The three days Christ was lost to his parents foreshadow the three days in the tomb before his Resurrection.


What is known about Christ’s hidden years besides obedience to his parents?He increased in wisdom and

stature and in favor with God and man.


According to the Catechism, no. 531, what else did Christ do during his hidden years?He did manual labor and lived the

religious life of a Jew.


What were the three major sects in first-century Judaism?

The three were the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes.


Why did the Essenes dwell in remote locations?

They broke with Jerusalem, rejecting the Temple built by Herod and the worldly lifestyle of the religious authorities there.


What is the meaning of Christ’s silence on the Essenes?

Some scholars take his silence as evidence of implicit approval. Others see it as evidence of the sect’s relative insignificance in Jewish society at that time.


How do the Essenes and Christ differ on the apocalypse?

The Essene apocalypse involves a literal war between the powers of light and darkness that restores the proper order in the existing world but does not involve the end of the world. Christ taught the end of the world culminates in the Final Judgment with the entrance of the faithful into Heaven and the damned into Hell.


How did Essene moral observance compare to Christ’s?

Many Essenes were devoted to lifelong celibacy and an austere lifestyle.


What was Christ doing when his parents found him?

They found him in the Temple, listening to and speaking with the teachers and rabbis.


What effect did Christ have on his learned listeners in the Temple?

All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.


What is the hidden life of Christ?

It refers to the eighteen years from his Finding in the Temple to the beginning of his public ministry, during which there is no information about him in Scripture.


How was Christ’s relationship with his parents after he was found in the Temple?He was obedient to St. Joseph

and the Blessed Virgin Mary.


How did Christ and the Essenes differ concerning contact with others?The Essenes avoided contact with

strangers, Gentiles, and anyone impure or unclean. They were concerned with ritual purity and the Sabbath. In contrast, Christ was close to sinners and the sick, had contact with Samaritans, ignored some ritual purity laws, and worked miracles on the Sabbath.


How is St. John the Baptist similar to and different from the Essenes?

Both lived extreme asceticism and practiced baptism. However, the Essenes lived in community.


What apparent contradiction exists between the final events in Christ’s life in St. John’s Gospel and in the Gospels of Sts. Matthew, Mark, and Luke?St. John’s Gospel seems to

indicate the Last Supper was on Tuesday and the Crucifixion on Wednesday, The Eve of the Passover. The synoptic Gospels present the Last Supper on Thursday with the Crucifixion on Friday.


According to St. John’s Gospel, what was occurring in Jerusalem at the time Christ was dying on the Cross?The Passover lambs were being

slaughtered in the Temple.

Graphic Graphic OrganizerOrganizer

Complete the following table about lessons to be learned from Christ’s hidden life.

Topic Lesson

Ordinary life

Humility

Vanity

Pride

Obedience and detachment

The Baptism The Baptism and Temptation and Temptation

of Christof Christ

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•The Baptism of ChristThe Baptism of Christ•Christ’s temptation in the desertChrist’s temptation in the desert

The Baptism and Temptation The Baptism and Temptation of Christof Christ

What is the significance of Christ’s Baptism by St. John the Baptist?

Basic Questions

Christ was baptized by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan to fulfill the Father’s will; he identified himself with sinful man and revealed himself to be the Messiah of Israel and Son of God.

The Baptism and Temptation The Baptism and Temptation of Christof Christ

What is the significance of Christ’s temptation after fasting forty days and forty nights in the desert?

Basic Questions

In keeping with the biblical model, Christ fasted in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights before beginning his public life; in his trial by the Devil, Christ successfully recapitulated Adam’s and Israel’s temptations.


Incorporate Christ’s temptation in the desert into the Opening Prayer.


What are some examples of Christ fulfilling the Mosaic Law?

He was circumcised into the Abrahamic Covenant and consecrated to God in the Temple according to the Mosaic Covenant.


Complete the following table about why Christ, though he was without sin, was baptized by St. John the Baptist.

Who gave the reason

Reason given

Christ

The Catechism, no. 536

St. Maximus Turin (cf. p. 126)


Complete the following table about the meaning of forty in the Scriptures based on “Forty Days and Forty Nights” (p. 128_

Episode Significance

The Flood

The Desert

Moses on Mt. Sinai

Christ in the Desert


What event begins Christ’s public life?He was baptized in the Jordan

River by St. John the Baptist.


How is the Baptism of Christ an epiphany?Christ was manifested as the

Messiah of Israel and the Son of God.


What was the mission of St. John the Baptist?He prepared people to receive

the incarnate Lord.


What was the nature of St. John’s baptism?It was symbolic, signifying

repentance from sin, not a Sacrament.


Complete a focused reading on the excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI

and the Catechism, no. 539 (p. 129), using the following question:

How is Christ the New Adam?


What did Satan hope to gain by tempting Christ?

He wanted to find out if Christ was truly the Son of God.


What was Christ’s first temptation?It was to satisfy his hunger by performing a miracle.


What was Christ’s second temptation?It was to achieve worldly acclaim,

to become the Messiah without the Cross.


What was Christ’s third temptation?It was to worship a false god in

exchange for worldly powers and possessions.

The Call of the The Call of the Apostles and Apostles and

Christ’s Healing Christ’s Healing MinistryMinistry

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•The call of the ApostlesThe call of the Apostles•Christ’s healing ministryChrist’s healing ministry

The Call of the Apostles and The Call of the Apostles and Christ’s Healing MinistryChrist’s Healing Ministry

How did Christ call his Apostles?

Basic Questions

Christ called his Apostles individually, personally, and by name to proclaim him. He does the same today through his followers.

The Call of the Apostles and The Call of the Apostles and Christ’s Healing MinistryChrist’s Healing Ministry

Why did Christ heal the sick?

Basic Questions

Christ healed sickness out of compassion and to reveal his divine ability to forgive sin.


Incorporate Christ’s healing of the paralytic (Mk 2:1-2) into the Opening

Prayer.


How did Christ call his disciples?

He called them individually, personally, and by name.


What does it mean to say the Apostles “were not to proclaim an idea but to witness to a Person”?

The most important message of the Gospel is not the various teachings or doctrine but the Person of Christ.


According to St. John Chrysostom, was St. Peter’s acceptance of St. Andrew’s announcement made without thinking?St. John’s Gospel does not say St.

Peter believed immediately, but Andrew was to introduce St. Peter to Christ; St. Peter was to learn for himself who is Christ.


In explaining St. Peter’s response to St. Andrew’s news, what does St. John Chrysostom reveal about the Evangelist’s technique?It is probable St. Andrew had

given St. Peter, and many others, a careful account of his meeting with Christ, but St. John the Evangelist summarized this narrative in the interest of brevity.


What do St. John the Baptist and St. Andrew have in common?

Neither St. John the Baptist nor St. Andrew presumed to explain Christ to others completely, leaving this to Christ himself.


Complete a paragraph shrink of the paragraph “After Andrew had

stayed…” (p. 130).


What does it mean to say the evangelization of the Apostles “was to be no more than the proclamation of what they felt and an invitation to enter into the mystery of communion with Christ”?

The Apostles were called to share with others their personal relationships with Christ. This takes place within the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.


How is the call of Christ heard today?A person encounters Christ by

means of someone who has already encountered him. This is how a new follower hears Christ’s invitation, “Follow me!” and begins to understand the particular plan Christ has for him or her.


In the mind of most Jews at the time of Christ, what was the relationship between sickness and sin?Sinfulness brought about sickness.

Extension:According to Isaiah’s prophecy, when the Messiah reigns, there will not be sickness because of forgiveness of sins; “No inhabitant will say, ‘I am sick’; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity” (Is 33:24).


Why do physical healing and forgiveness of sin complement each other during Christ’s ministry?

There is a relationship between sin and sickness.


Why did many Jews accuse Christ of blasphemy?

He claimed to forgive sins, and only God can forgive sins.


According to Christ, why did he heal the paralytic?

He showed he had the power to forgive sins. He did this to demonstrate his divine authority.


If Christ has the power to forgive sins, what does this mean about him?He is God.


Why were tax collectors considered public sinners?

In Israel, tax collectors were Jews who collaborated with the Roman occupiers and often cheated their own people at the same time. A tax collector (publican) could collect any amount of tax so long as he could guarantee the Romans their prearranged share.


What was scandalous about Christ’s behavior toward tax collectors?

He befriended these sinners. The Pharisees were scandalized because they believed righteous Jews had to separate themselves from sinners to avoid impurity themselves.


Write a personal exploration of the universal questions Pope John Paul II

asked young people:

What will you do with your life?What are your plans?

Have you ever thought of committing your existence totally to Christ?

Do you think there can be anything greater than to bring Christ to people

and people to Christ?


How do the two blind men contrast with the scribes and the Pharisees?

Though they were blind, the two men could see who Christ really is. The scribes and Pharisees had natural sight but were blind to the truth of Christ.


According to Christ, is sin always the cause of sickness?

No; the man born blind was not blind because of his sins or his parents’ sins but to show God’s power through healing (Jn 9:1-3).

Christ’s Christ’s ParablesParablesLesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives

•Christ’s teaching methodChrist’s teaching method•The parableThe parable•The Parable of the Good SamaritanThe Parable of the Good Samaritan

Christ’s ParablesChrist’s Parables

How did Christ’s teaching method differ from the rabbis of his time?

Basic Questions

Christ taught with authority—not simply quoting previous teachers—by providing his own interpretations of the Law and the prophets.


What is a parable?

Basic Questions

One of Christ’s frequent teaching devices was the parable, a narrative or allegory, usually based on something that might occur naturally, used to illustrate and explain moral or spiritual principles.


What are the lessons of the Parable of the Good Samaritan?

Basic Questions

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Christ taught every person in need is a neighbor who must be aided. This parable is also an image of human history.


Incorporate the Parable of the Good Samaritan into the Opening Prayer.


What effect did Christ have on people?He was either loved or hated.


How was Christ’s teaching method different from other rabbis?

Unlike other rabbis, who interpreted Scripture by quoting famous teachers of the past and then offering their own suggested interpretations, Christ simply declared the truth. When he quoted Scripture, he gave an interpretation to which his opponents were often too dumbfounded to object.


What is a parable?

It is a literary device in which the speaker uses an analogy in story form to illustrate a point.

Extension:Christ took real and sensible themes and situations with which the listeners were familiar and used them to illustrate a deeper, spiritual meaning.


Write a bullet-point summary about what Pope Benedict XVI’s

interpretation of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (p. 135).


What is the point that the Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches about love of neighbor?

Love of neighbor has no limits or conditions. Even those whom the world considers enemies are neighbors who must be loved.


How did Christ redefine neighbor?

It is universalized yet remains concrete; the person who needs help is a neighbor.


Select a parable of Christ (other than the Parable of the Good Samaritan)

and write a brief interpretation.

How to Pray How to Pray in the in the

KingdomKingdomLesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives

•How to prayHow to pray•The Kingdom of GodThe Kingdom of God•The Apostles’ role in the Kingdom of GodThe Apostles’ role in the Kingdom of God

How to Pray in the How to Pray in the KingdomKingdom

How did Christ teach us to pray?

Basic Questions

Christ taught people to pray to God as Father.


What is the Kingdom of God?

Basic Questions

The Kingdom of God is essentially the Person of Christ himself; people enter the Kingdom through faith in him, interior conversion, acceptance of his Word, willingness to sacrifice everything for him, and living by his New Commandment of Love.


What is the role of the Apostles in the Kingdom of God?

Basic Questions

The Apostles, headed by St. Peter, shared in the spread of the Kingdom of God.


Incorporate the Transfiguration into the Opening Prayer.


What is the Kingdom of God?

It is the Person of Jesus Christ.


How is the truth about man known and his life made morally good?

Man can be understood only in light of God, and his life is made righteous only when he lives it in relation to God.


How does one know God?

God shows his “face” in the face of Christ.


Why is prayer an essential part of being human?

Being human is essentially about a relationship with God, and prayer is how a person speaks with God and listens to him.


What is each Christian’s primary relationship to God?

He is Father because he has adopted each one in Christ.


Why is it possible to have a personal relationship with God the Father?He is a Person.


What is the purpose of Christ’s miracles?He showed he is the Messiah and

the Kingdom of God is present.


Why did Christ not use his power to solve every problem on earth?

He did not come to abolish all evils on earth but to free people from sin, which thwarts them in their vocation as God’s adopted sons and daughters.


What was the mission of the Twelve Apostles?They shared in Christ’s mission

and authority to free from sin.


What is the meaning of the Transfiguration in relation to the Kingdom of God?Sts. Peter, James, and John were

given a foretaste of the fullness of the Kingdom of God through a glimpse of Christ’s glorified body.


How did St. Thomas Aquinas interpret the Transfiguration in light of the Blessed Trinity?Like the Baptism of Christ, the

Transfiguration is a manifestation of all three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. “The whole Trinity appeared; the Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Holy Spirit in the shining cloud.”


What is one false form of prayer?

Prayer intended to show off in front of others is false.


Did Christ pray?

Before each important moment in his public ministry, Christ spent time in prayer.


What prayer did Christ give his Apostles?He taught them the Lord’s Prayer

(Our Father).


What are the two divisions of the Lord’s Prayer?

The first three petitions refer to the Father. The final four petitions refer to human needs.


Articulate some conclusions that can be drawn from the fact God is a real Father to us and we are real children to him. Conclusions should be based

on the paragraphs “God the Father…” and “Divine filiation…” (p. 136).


Complete a focused reading of the paragraph, “The men whom Jesus…” (p. 139), including the passage from

Matthew 4, using the following question:

What is St. Peter’s special role in the Church?

The Sermon The Sermon on the Mounton the Mount

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•The Sermon on the MountThe Sermon on the Mount•The BeatitudesThe Beatitudes•Christ’s Law of LoveChrist’s Law of Love•Purity of intentionPurity of intention•St. Francis and the Sermon on the MountSt. Francis and the Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the The Sermon on the MountMount

What is the Sermon on the Mount?

Basic Questions

The core of Christ’s teachings is found in the Sermon on the Mount, the three parts of which are the Beatitudes, the perfection of the Mosaic Law, and purity of intention.


What are the Beatitudes?

Basic Questions

The Beatitudes are paradoxical statements that indicate the basis of true happiness in this life and the next.


How did Christ perfect the Mosaic Law?

Basic Questions

Christ proclaimed a New Law of Love, which perfected the Mosaic Law.


What is purity of heart?

Basic Questions

Purity of heart means a person acts at all times out of love for God and neighbor.


Who is St. Francis?

Basic Questions

St. Francis is an outstanding example of one who lived the Sermon on the Mount to a heroic degree.


Incorporate the Beatitudes into the Opening Prayer.


Why did Christ deliver this important teaching on a mount?

As Moses had gone to Mt. Sinai to receive the tablets of the Old Law, Christ brought his followers to a mount to give them the New Law.


What is the relationship between the Old (Mosaic) Law and the New Law?The New Law does not abolish

the Old Law but perfects it through the Law of Love.


How is the New Law universal?

The New Law is not just the people of Israel but all peoples and nations.


What is the relationship between the Sermon on the Mount and the Kingdom of God?The Decalogue, the Sermon on

the Mount, and the apostolic catechesis describe how to live the Kingdom of God, which is how to live Christ’s life in oneself.


What are the three parts of the Sermon on the Mount?

They are the Beatitudes, the perfection of the Mosaic Law, and purity of intentions.


Choose one of the Beatitudes and free write to reveal the paradoxical way in

which it promises true happiness.


What is the meaning of the word beatitude?

It comes from the Latin word for happy or blessed.


What blessing do the Beatitudes promise?Those who keep the Beatitudes

will be blessed with the love of God both here and hereafter in Heaven, where they will be in a state of perfect bliss forever.


What is the paradoxical source of true happiness?

The highest measure of true happiness is attained in this life by denying oneself, seeking Christ, and assisting others to accomplish their salvation.


How did St. Francis’s father treat him?His father disinherited him for

wasting money and wanted the law to punish him too, so his father dragged him before the local bishop. St. Francis stripped all but naked and said his only Father would be God the Father.


How did St. Francis live afterward?

He lived alone in the hills, fasting and praying.


Who is Lady Poverty?

St. Francis said he was married to Lady Poverty. It expressed his love for owning nothing.


What did St. Francis do when he heard the Gospel passage in which Christ gave his Apostles instructions on how to preach?He took the instructions literally;

he preached with no shoes, cloak, staff, or money.


What was the original Franciscan Rule?St. Francis listed the passages in

the Gospels in which Christ asks his followers to give away their property and live a life of poverty.


Why did Pope Innocent III accept St. Francis?

He had a dream in which a poor and despised man was holding up the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of Rome. Pope Innocent recognized that man in St. Francis.


To what Sacrament was St. Francis especially devoted?

He was devoted to the Eucharist.


How many members of the Franciscan Order were there at the end of St. Francis’s life?There were nearly 5000.


What grace did St. Francis receive at the end of his life?

He received the stigmata, or the wounds of Christ’s Crucifixion.


How was St. Francis as a young man, and what happened to him when he got to live his dream?

He loved to have a good time with his friends and dreamed of being a crusader. In his first battle in a local skirmish, he was wounded and spent many months in captivity.


How did his imprisonment change St. Francis?

He began to pray and meditate on the life of Christ.


What does it mean to say “the search for happiness is a fundamental quest in every human life”?The motivation for every human

action is happiness. Not every human action brings happiness, but happiness is still the aim.


What is the problem with the search for happiness through pleasure or power?Pleasure and power always

disappoint because true happiness cannot be found in them.


Can a person achieve beatitude by his or her efforts alone?

No; grace is needed.


Can a beatitude be experienced on earth?Yes; God blesses his people on

earth with a foretaste of the true and everlasting happiness they will enjoy in Heaven.


Why did Christ say it is necessary to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?The scribes and Pharisees

understood the letter of the Law of Moses but not its spirit.


What is the road to perfection to which Christ calls people?

It is the love of God and neighbor, which knows no limits.


Can a person live Christ’s Law of Love by his or her own power?

No; grace is needed.


How and where do people usually receive God’s grace?

God has established the Church to bring grace to people through the Sacraments.


Free write about what should be the Christian attitude toward material

possessions.


What is purity of intention?It means to do something with the best motivation possible.


What is the most pure intention for human action?

It is love of God and neighbor.


What intentions are purely evil?

One may not act to fulfill greed, lust, hatred, envy, etc.


What are some intentions that are not evil but not pure?

Doing good deeds to fulfill the law or win the praise or admiration of others are not evil intentions; neither are they perfect.


Why was Christ somewhat exaggerating when he said to give alms and pray in secret?Christ did not intend for people

to avoid the collection plates or not attend Mass or pray with others.


What is a divided heart?

It seeks contradictory goals, for example, serving God and money.


What was the problem of the rich young man (Mt 19:16-23)?

He was a good person who turned away from Christ’s offer.


What is the problem with wealth and possessions?

They often distract people from true riches; attachment to worldly things can blind a person to the greater good of preparing his or her eternal soul for Heaven.


Analyze one of the pairings of the Old Law and the New Law,

explaining how Christ’s Law perfects its corresponding precept.


Complete a paragraph shrink on the paragraphs “In a sense…” and “The

pure heart…” (p. 143).

Christ’s Passion, Christ’s Passion, Death, and Death, and

ResurrectionResurrection

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•The Last SupperThe Last Supper•Christ’s Passion and DeathChrist’s Passion and Death•The Resurrection of ChristThe Resurrection of Christ

Christ’s Passion, Christ’s Passion, Death, and ResurrectionDeath, and Resurrection

What is the significance of the Last Supper?

Basic Questions

At the Last Supper, Christ gave a new meaning to the Passover when he gave his New Commandment of Love; provided a dramatic example of how to love and serve others through the washing of the feet of his disciples; instituted the Eucharist, a sharing in his own Body and Blood; and established his priesthood.


What does the Nicene Creed mean by the phrase, “suffered under Pontius Pilate”?

Basic Questions

Christ suffered his Passion and Death on the Cross under the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate.


Did Christ rise from the dead?

Basic Questions

Christ rose from the dead, confirming his own divinity, and the Apostles died upholding the truth of the Resurrection.


Read aloud the Passion of the Christ using one of the readings from Palm

Sunday or Good Friday.


What four things did Christ do during the Last Supper?

He gave his New Commandment of Love; provided a dramatic example of how to love and serve others; instituted the Eucharist, a sharing in his own Body and Blood; and established the priesthood.


What message was Christ giving his disciples by washing their feet?

As Christ, the master and teacher, had humbly served his disciples, they, too, were to humbly serve the others.


What is the New Commandment of Love Christ gave at the Last Supper?Christ commanded his Apostles

to love one another the same way he had loved them.


What new dimension does the New Law of Love add to the Great Commandment?People are to love their neighbors

as Christ has loved them, with a sacrificial love.


What are some of the examples of Christ having foreshadowed the Eucharist during his public ministry?He had multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed five thousand; he had turned water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana; he had preached about the heavenly banquet and the need for new wine; he had called himself the Bread of Life, the Living Bread who must be eaten to have eternal life.


What two breads does Christ contrast in John 6?

Manna, which came down from Heaven to feed the Jews in the desert, is contrasted with the true Bread that comes down from Heaven; Christ identified this Bread with himself.


What does Christ promise to those who eat his Flesh and drink his Blood?Whoever eats his Flesh and

drinks his Blood has eternal life.


What is the Passover?

In the Passover, God delivered the Chosen People from slavery in Egypt by sending the tenth plague, which killed the firstborn of every man and beast but spared the firstborn of the Israelites through the blood of a lamb. This plague was so severe Pharaoh let them leave Egypt.


What is the Passover meal?

It is the ritual meal Jews repeat every year by God’s command.


What new meaning did Christ give the Passover meal?

The sinless Christ, who is the unblemished and sinless Lamb of God, shed his Blood and died in order to save his people.


Free write and explain one of the ways Christ foreshadowed

Eucharist.


What two wills are exhibited in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Christ’s two wills are clearly apparent in his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane; his human will, which wished to avoid suffering and death, and his divine will, which was perfectly subordinate to God the Father’s.


How are Christ’s two wills harmonized?Christ’s human will was perfectly

subordinate to his divine will: “Not as I will, but as thou [God the Father] wilt” (Mt. 26:39).


What does it mean for the Nicene Creed to say Christ was “crucified under Pontius Pilate”?

Christ was executed by crucifixion under Roman law. The Roman procurator Pontius Pilate examined him and, despite the fact he considered him innocent, condemned Christ to death.


What is the strongest evidence in favor of Christ’s divinity?

His Resurrection from the dead is the strongest evidence.


What arguments do detractors make against the Resurrection of Christ?They say the Apostles stole

Christ’s Body or made up the Resurrection to explain the empty tomb.


What argument does the Apostles’ behavior supply in favor of the Resurrection of Christ?The Apostles initially refused to

believe the women who announced the Resurrection, calling their testimony idle tales.


Explore some arguments that have been advanced against the

Resurrection and refutations of those arguments in the Web site at www.newadvent.org/cathen/12789a

.htm


What is the strongest example of the Apostles’ incredulity toward the Resurrection?St. Thomas the Apostle did not

accept the eyewitness accounts of the other Apostles, declaring, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe” (Jn 20:25).


How does the Apostles’ behavior afterward support the truth of the Resurrection?All were persecuted and, except

St. John, martyred for their belief in the Resurrection.


What is the Ascension?

Forty days after his Resurrection, Christ ascended into Heaven with the Apostles looking on.

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