Teachings of the Catholic Church

Transcription

1 Teachings of the Catholic Church Section A: God God is the Being who created everything; he is: o All-powerful o All-wise o All-loving According the St. John the Evangelist, God is Love. There are three persons in one God o The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit o This is called the Blessed Trinity God became man in order to: o Save us o To show us His love o Show us how to act as images of God For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son. (John 3:16) The Incarnation refers to the fact that God became man. Section B: Jesus Jesus had two natures: o Divine o Human The union of these two natures is referred to as the Hypostatic Union Jesus said there are two greatest commandments that we should follow: o Love God with your whole heart, soul and mind. o Love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus served as a priest, prophet, and king. o A priest is one who offers sacrifice to God. o A prophet is someone chosen by God to teach us about Him. o A king is one who is generous and governs with self-discipline. o In our own ways, we can also take part in these offices. Section C: Our Relationship with God God made us in His image. He made us for many reasons: o To know Him o To love Him o To serve Him in this world A person is someone with a mind and a will (includes angels) A human person has a mind, a will, and a body (does not include angels) Grade 7 page 1

2 God made us each with a personal soul. o Our souls are immortal (will never die) o Our souls give us life o There are two main powers of our souls: Mind gives us the ability to think Will gives us the ability to choose Section D: Miscellaneous (Part 1) When a person, usually from the Old Testament, is referred to as a type of Christ, it means that they have in some way acted as Christ did. God often acts with merciful love. o Merciful love is love that draws good from evil. o One example of God s merciful love is His promise to send a savior to Adam and Eve. There are two major types of grace: o Sanctifying grace God s life in us (it helps us to be holy) o Actual grace a temporary grace given to us by God, which helps to give knowledge to our minds and to strengthen our wills Section E: The Church and the Magisterium The birthday of the Church is Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles (50 days after Easter) The Church is often referred to as the Mystical Body of Christ because through our participation in the sacraments we become united with Jesus. The four marks or characteristics of the Church are: o One the Church has one source, and we are united throughout the world in our teachings and traditions o Holy Christ is the source of all holiness; Christ founded the Church as a visible sign of this holiness and we are all called to be examples of its holiness o Catholic the word catholic means universal; we are all united in faith o Apostolic our faith in both Scripture and tradition was preserved, taught, and passed on by the Apostles; the Magisterium continues this preservation Jesus gave the teaching authority of the Church to the successors of the Apostles. This teaching authority is the Magisterium which includes the pope and the bishops in union with him. Section F: Sin Sin is an offense against God. We sin when we know something is wrong but choose to do it anyway. Scandal is a behavior or an attitude that leads someone else into sin. When we sin we hurt: o God o Ourselves o Others Grade 7 page 2

3 There are two types of sin: o Original The first sin committed by Adam and Eve o Actual there are two types: Venial a less serious sin that damages our relationship with God Mortal a very serious sin that completely breaks our relationship with God In order for a sin to be considered mortal: o It must be serious o We must know it is serious o We must choose to do it freely Developing an informed moral conscience can help us to avoid sin. o Our conscience helps us to judge whether something is right or wrong. o The Ten Commandments and the teachings of the Church can help guide us. Section G: Original Sin The first sin committed by Adam and Eve is known as Original Sin. o We are born with Original Sin. It damages our minds, our wills, and our bodies o We inherit it from Adam and Eve. There are three ways that Adam and Eve hurt themselves when they chose to sin: o They lost grace, which made them unable to go to heaven. o They had darkened minds (lost the ability to think) and weakened wills (lost the ability to choose). o Their bodies became rebellious (they would be exposed to suffering and death). Section H: God s Promise of Salvation After their sin, God promised to Adam and Eve that He would send a Savior: o I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers He will strike at your head, while you strike at His heel. (Genesis 3:15) Enmity means hatred or hostility. God was talking to the serpent (the devil/sin); the woman mentioned is Mary; her offspring is Jesus. o This quote is God s promise to send Jesus in order to defeat sin. Jesus sacrifice was done in order to redeem or save humanity from sin. This is sometimes referred to as humanity s Redemption. Section I: Abraham and God s Covenant Abraham is considered the Father of Faith of not only Christianity, but also Islam and Judaism. God made a covenant with Abraham that was passed on through his descendents. o A covenant is a promise or agreement between people. o In this case, the covenant was between God and the Israelites (Hebrews). o The Israelites were God s chosen people. This covenant was fulfilled with Jesus, who became the New Covenant. Grade 7 page 3

4 Section J: The Apostles The Apostles were the original followers of Jesus who spread His message, especially after his death. The original Apostles were: o Peter also the first Pope o Phillip o James the Greater o James the Lesser o Judas he was replaced by Matthias shortly after the Crucifixion o Jude o John o Andrew o Bartholomew o Matthew o Simon o Thomas Section K: Prayer Prayer is a conversation with God. There are many types of prayer, including: o Adoration (or Praise) we honor the greatness of God, recognizing his greatness and that he is our creator and savior o Contrition we ask for mercy and forgiveness for something we regret o Thanksgiving we thank God for all that he has given us o Petition (or Intercession) prayers for ourselves or others in need, including friends and enemies Section L: The Sacraments All of the sacraments were instituted (started) by Christ. Through the sacraments: o We receive grace (the source of this grace comes from Jesus sacrifice). o We meet Jesus. When a sacrament is celebrated, Jesus is celebrating the sacrament. There are three types of sacraments, and seven total sacraments: o Sacraments of Initiation Baptism Confirmation Eucharist o Sacraments of Healing Confession (Reconciliation/Penance) Anointing of the Sick Grade 7 page 4

5 o Sacraments of Service (Commitment/Vocation) Holy Orders Matrimony (Marriage) Section M: Sacraments of Initiation The Sacraments of Initiation provide the foundation for a life of Christian faith. o Baptism along with receiving grace, during this sacrament: We become members of the Church. We receive the Theological Virtues. Original sin is removed. o Confirmation completes the initiation started at baptism o Eucharist the most important sacrament of the Catholic faith Also called the Blessed Sacrament In order to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we must: Be free of mortal sin Fast from food or drink for one hour Section N: Sacraments of Healing The Sacraments of Healing are ways to restore spiritual strength to those who are suffering due to sin or illness and old age. o Confession a way to receive forgiveness(or absolution) for our sins Before going to confession, a person should make an examination of conscience This means reflecting on our actions. To determine if an act is right and just, the Ten Commandments and the teachings of the Church should be used. The priest cannot repeat anything that he hears during this sacrament. This is called the Seal of Confession. o Anointing of the Sick for those who are dying or suffering physically or mentally due to a serious illness Section O: Sacraments of Service Through the Sacraments of Service we serve in order to build up the Church and work toward the salvation of others. o Holy Orders - when men are ordained in order to serve the Church A man can be ordained three times: Deacon (1 st ) Priest (2 nd ) Bishop (3 rd ) Grade 7 page 5

6 The priesthood is a sacrament that only men can take part in reasons for this include: Christ s human nature was a male nature Christ chose 12 male Apostles The priesthood of the Israelites was a male priesthood It has been Church tradition for 2,000 years o Matrimony a man and woman commit themselves totally to one another God calls us to lead a certain kind of life. o This is called our vocation. o There are three types of vocations: single, married, and religious. Section P: Sacramentals A sacramental is a special prayer, action, or object. Examples of sacramentals include: o Blessings o Rosaries o Medals o Sign of the Cross It helps us to prepare to receive grace as well as to cooperate with grace. Section Q: Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory Heaven is a place of happiness with God forever. Hell is a place of separation from God forever. Purgatory is a place of temporary separation from God. o While in purgatory a person is made able to go to heaven. o A person in purgatory will eventually go to heaven. After we die, we will go through a particular judgment to determine if our souls will go to heaven, hell, or purgatory. At the end of the world, a general judgment will occur. o Our souls will either go to heaven or hell. o The souls in purgatory will go to heaven. Section R: Corporal Works of Mercy The Corporal Works of Mercy are seven acts of physical charity that we should participate in. The word corporal refers to the body or things in the material world. The Corporal Works of Mercy are: o Feed the hungry donate canned goods to a local food pantry o Clothe the naked donate clothing to those in need o Give drink to the thirsty look for ways to save water and keep it clean so that others can use it o Shelter the homeless donate items or your time to a homeless shelter Grade 7 page 6

7 o Visit those in prison donate Christmas gifts to a family of a prisoner who has little; help someone that is imprisoned by a disability or handicap o Visit the sick visit or send cards to people who are in the hospital; help take care of a sick brother or sister until they are better o Bury the dead volunteer to serve during funeral masses Section S: Spiritual Works of Mercy The Spiritual Works of Mercy are seven acts of spiritual charity that we should participate in. The Spiritual Works of Mercy are: o Instruct the ignorant sharing your gifts or talents with others o Admonish the sinner if you know someone is going to do something bad, warn them not to do it; if they have already done it, tell them nicely that it was a bad choice o Counsel the doubtful when someone comes to you with a problem, be a good listener and help them by guiding them in the right direction o Comfort the sorrowful offer your sympathy to those that have lost a loved one or have been going through rough times o Forgive all injuries when someone has hurt you, forgive them o Bear wrongs patiently try not to get upset when someone treats you unfairly o Pray for the living and the dead pray for those that have died, are sick, are going through tough times, or just because Section T: The Beatitudes The word beatitude means happiness or blessedness. The Beatitudes are blessings that Jesus gave during the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). The eight Beatitudes are: o Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Recognize our need for God o Blessed are they who mourn, they will be comforted. Be truly sorry for our sins and ask for forgiveness o Blessed are the meek, they will inherit the land. Be humble and submit to God s authority o Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will be satisfied. Want to know God, please God, and do good o Blessed are the merciful, they will be shown mercy. Forgive others, be kind and compassionate to others o Blessed are the clean of heart, they will see God. Have pure intentions in all that we do, no desire to hurt o Blessed are the peacemakers, they will be called children of god. Try to make peace with others, while still doing good o Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness sake, the kingdom of God is theirs. Stand up for what is right, even under difficult circumstances Grade 7 page 7

8 Section U: The Precepts of the Church The precepts of the Church are duties that all Catholics are expected to observe. They are: o Attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation o Celebrate the sacrament of Confession at least once a year o Receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season o Participate in days of fasting and abstinence o Help to provide for the needs of the Church Grade 7 page 8