The Paschal Mystery1st Semester Sophomore

Theology

Why are we here? To become disciples — people

who know Christ, follow Christ and make him known. (worshipper, servant and witness)

To become citizens of Heaven. To grow in our friendship with Jesus. To understand God’s great love for His

Children. To participate in the redemptive love of

Christ. (Self-sacrificial love)

In the Beginning

Chapter 1

Introduction

From the beginning God has desired nothing less than to share His life with us, the Trinitarian life. He wants to be in friendship with us. This is the great mystery of our faith and the reason for the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What is true friendship?

Partner Talk

Characteristics of a True FriendShare common interestsCommon valuesWon’t ask you to compromise

your principles, puts you firstA good influenceUnconditional

Characteristics of a True Friend- Cont. Unafraid to tell you the truth You can be yourself Never fear you will be judged You can confide with complete trust Someone you respect(and therefore respects

you) Both must enter into it, only as close or good

as you choose to make it.

Now apply these qualities to your friendship with God…

Read the article titled, “True Friendship” from allaboutGod.com

How can our relationship with God be a true friendship? What qualities of a true friend do you see in God? In

yourself towards God? As all true friendships require work and time, what

does your relationship with God need? Additional comments/thoughts. 1 page reflection in journal.

God begins His friendship with us by

creating the world and humans.

Genesis 1-2

Church teaches that the Bible is inspired. God is the principal author, human authors were

instrumental authors.Principal? first or highest in rank, importance,

value, chief.

It says whatsoever God wanted and nothing more. Because God is truth, the Bible does not err.

Western history is told in a linear sequence of event, Ancient Hebrew History in Scripture is not. (Circular, religious history, family history, symbols, images, literary forms.) Example Daniel Ch. 7

1st Creation StoryRead Genesis 1

The Creation Account

Creates controversy, why?

Creation vs. evolution, religion vs. science, history or myth?

Why did God create in 6 days and rest on the 7th?

The Hebrew verb “to swear a covenant”, also means ”to 7 oneself”.

By creating in 6 days and resting on the 7th God is swearing a covenant to the world.

A covenant is a sacred family bond. He took a rest and invites us into that rest b/c that

represents the covenant relationship that God establishes with His creation.

We are one human family, living with Our Father in the home(World) He built for us.

Covenant is central to understanding all of scripture.

Earth was formless and empty. He had to create structure and He had to fill it with

inhabitants.

Day 1– Day and Night ----------- Day 4- Sun, moon and stars

Day 2- Sky and the Sea ----------Day 5- Birds and fish

Day 3- land ----------------------- Day 6- animals and humans

Home building project. God the Father creates the structure of His home and then fills it with life.

7th day, He covenants Himself to that creation becoming His home as He fathers His family.

3 Teachings of the Church that come

from Genesis--

Doctrine of Creation--

Does that mean we can’t believe in evolution?No. You don’t have to believe in evolution

but you can.

Evolution and creation are not incompatible theories.

-Creation tell us where matter came from and evolution tells us how it developed.

-Evolution assumes a doctrine of creation.

Doctrine of Creation– Cont.

And God said, “it was good, very good.”

What was created by God is good. Our bodies are good.

God is the Lord of Creation and the creation He made is good, even the matter, the physical stuff of our body and our flesh.

The Doctrine of Man God created man in “His image and likeness”.

-rational humans

-In the act of making us is fathering us.

We are His children, given His grace, called into His home as a covenant family.

Imparts sanctity to human life- sacred b/c it’s in the image of God! It has immeasurable value. (Value not based on a person’s productivity.)

We were created to grow up as God’s sons and daughters.

The Doctrine of Marriage-- Marriage is divinely instituted by God. Be fruitful and multiply.

-Marital covenant- permanent, lifelong, indissoluble, fruitful.

(“This is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife and the two become one body.” Gen 2.

“Christianity represents a beautiful world revolution in the dignity of women and in the sacred dignity of marriage being restored to its original purpose.” -Scott Hahn)

Small Group Activity

Read Gen 1 and 2. You are given the task to highlight what you believe

are the 10 most important beliefs/truths/ideas told in these 2 Creation Stories.

What would be on your Top 10 List?

Work with a partner or 2 and compile your Top 10 List.

Be prepared to share this List with the class.

Question from reading

Although God the Father is traditionally referred to as the Creator, each person of the Trinity acts in the creation of the heavens and the earth.

How is the Son and Spirit present in the creation story in Genesis 1?

Starter question:

Why did God endow(equip) the human person with the capacity for knowledge and love?

ANSWERSo we could be in friendship with God.To love him and be loved by him.We can know God and his merciful love

for his children.Because of his sacrificial love, we can

spend eternity with our Father.

Creation is a manifestation of God’s goodness and love.Adam and Eve had the capacity to understand God’s infinite goodness and reflect His glory.

On the Original State of Man– ( AKA Original holiness)

Clear awareness of God’s presence

Profound relationship of love

Incredible happiness

Free from sickness, and suffering

No death

No disordered appetites or passions

(examples: lust, anger, envy, laziness/sloth, greed, pride)

Harmony

Integrated/Integrity- their mind and will controlled their preferences/feelings/inclinations.

Why is it that, with the best intentions, we find it so difficult to do what is right?

Understanding the Fall and its impact

Scripture uses figurative language in describing the Fall in Genesis 3,

But affirms an event that took place at the beginning of history.

The language is figurative, but the reality is not a fantasy.

God gave the man and the woman freedom to draw them closer to God.

God asked them to recognize their human limits and to trust him.

By the Evil One, they were tempted to surpass their being human, wanting to be like God.

They abused their freedom, failed to trust God and disobeyed his command.

A sin of pride.

Pride: a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

Pride is the most dangerous of all sins: it cuts you off from God, estranges you from others, and leaves you lost and unhappy.

St. Maximus: “They wanted to be like God, but without God, ahead of God and not according to God.”

Romans 5: 19 “By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners.”

What was lost? They lost paradise and its gifts. Death became part of the human experience.

Original Sin is a deprivation, a loss of the original holiness and righteousness in which our parents were created. -OS is a sin contracted and not committed, a state

not an act. -We suffer the effects of OS, in a world full of

suffering, tragedy, destruction of human life and disregard for human dignity.

Adam, symbolically represents the whole human race…

Adam’s state of holiness and justice was to be transmitted to the whole human race.

But, instead, his fallen nature is transmitted.

By this unity of the whole human race we are implicated in Adam’s sin, but we are also redeemed by the act of Christ.

The Good News… God promised and sent a Savior.

Restores this relationship.

Christ lives in the hearts of the adopted children of God.

Through the HS and the Church, we are guided towards our ultimate end. Eternal bliss with our Father.

The story continues…

Homework--Read p. 14, The Creation of Angels and the Supplemental reading #2, p. 28.

Explain in one paragraph your understanding of angels based on these readings.

On original sin-- 1. What was the nature of the sin of Adam and Eve?

2. How could the first sin be described as a sin of pride?

3. What were the consequences of OS(original sin) for Adam and Eve?

4. What were the consequences of OS for Adam and Eve’s descendants?

5. What was the effect of OS on our minds?

6. According to the Catechism (Footnote 56 and 57), how is human life now a moral drama?

7. What is the significance of Adam and Eve realizing they were naked?

8. What is concupiscence?

9. Does creation become evil b/c of OS?

10. What was the effect of OS on sexual relations?

11. Did OS destroy our ability to know the truth or to act freely?