10. Jesus Christ, The Only Son of God

10. Jesus Christ, The Only Son Of God Truly God and truly man, Jesus Christ stands at the center of history Compendium 79-97 Galatians 4:4-5 The proclamation of the name of Jesus and his saving deeds is the heart of the Gospel. "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" the entire life and mission of the Church has been built on this confession of Peter. Our faith in Christ should instill in us the desire to share the Good News and to reveal in the Person of Christ the entire design of God and to put humanity in communion with him. "Jesus" means "God saves" - because he will save his people from their sins. In no other name can we find salvation (Acts 4:12) That is why we are never to take Jesus' name in vain. "Christ" is not a family name but a Greek term meaning "anointed one" or "Messiah" Through Baptism we become members of the Church and heirs to all that the Lord did to save us through his life death and resurrection. Both Jesus' baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist and his Transfiguration on Mount Tabor were marked by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit and the voice of the Father "this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" "Lord" refers to Jesus' divine sovereignty demonstrated by his miracles, control over nature and his forgiveness of sins. We should never let a day go by without repeating with the apostle Thomas "my Lord and my God" Although Jesus was from eternity God's Son, at a certain point two thousand years ago he assumed our human nature and entered history. This happened because God wanted to draw near to us, reconcile us to his love and enable us to share in his divine life. Jesus is at once "true God and true man" - of one substance, "consubstantial" with the Father and at the same time truly our brother. Fully God and fully man, Jesus has revealed the Father to us and also revealed us to ourselves, Who we are and what we should become. As God, he has made us partakers in the divine nature, in the life and love he shares with his Father from all eternity. He worked with human hands, thought with a human mind and learned by experience. Jesus possessed both a human and divine will. The human will of Jesus was fully conformed to the Father's saving love. Jesus's obedience serves to heal our disobedience and its effects. His human heart also knows and loves us. The Sacred Heart of Jesus symbolizes the boundless love of the Holy Trinity for us.

9. The Fall

9. The Fall Scripture and Tradition Shed Light on the Origin and Mystery of Evil Compendium 73-78 Genesis 3:14-15 Evil began with the rejection of God by Satan and the fallen Angels. Satan seduced our first parents to doubt God's friendship. In creating beings that share in his own freedom, God takes the risk of love. Love means the lover freely chooses the beloved and vice versa. It also means that the lover can love someone or something else in place of the beloved. Adam and Eve chose to replicate the sin of the fallen angels. That is to be "like God" on their own terms and masters of their own destiny. This was the original sin which caused the loss of original grace of holiness and justice. Although human goodness and dignity were not lost completely, the natural harmony and friendship between the human family and God were radically disrupted. Original sin is not a personal act but an inherent part of the human condition that leads to the shared human tendency to reject God and choose what is evil. All human beings, save the Blessed Virgin by a singular grace, are born with original sin. God, the consummate lover, did not withdraw his love but lavished it all the more and promised that evil would be conquered and man would be lifted up from his fall. The Church sings of the sin of Adam and Eve as a "happy fault".

8. Male and Female He Created Them

8. "Male and Female He Created Them" The communion of love between husband and wife finds its ultimate source in God. Compendium 71-72 Genesis 2:18-24 "God created mankind in his own image/ male and female he created them" Genesis 1:27 "Maleness" and Femaleness" are part of God's creative design and go the depths of one's very being. Sexual differences do not exist in God. "Being man" and "being woman" are two equal and complementary ways of being human. God created man and woman together and willed each for the other. "Be fertile and multiply" Genesis 1:28 is at the heart of the Church's teaching against contraception. Man and woman created as a "unity of two" in their common humanity, are called to live in a community of love and to mirror to the world the community of love that is in God. God in himself is love. Each of the divine Person is truly divine but in a way that the other is not. Similarly, male and female are two distinct ways of being fully human.

9. Woe

The delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing 9. Goodness always tends to spread. Every authentic experience of truth and goodness seeks by its very nature to grow within us, and any person who has experienced a profound liberation becomes more sensitive to the needs of others. As it expands, goodness takes root and develops. If we wish to lead a dignified and fulfilling life, we have to reach out to others and seek their good. In this regard, several sayings of Saint Paul will not surprise us: “The love of Christ urges us on” (2 Cor 5:14); “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel” (1 Cor 9:16)

7. The Dignity of Man

7. The Dignity of Man Only humans are created with the capacity to know love and serve God Compendium 66-70 Genesis 1:26-31 Only man was created in the "image of God" Genesis 1:27 God willed us into being for no other reason than his love for us. Since God values us for our own sake, so too, should we value others for their own sake. We were made to know, love and serve God in this life and to be happy with him in the next. We are a unity of body and soul. A material body given by our parents and a spiritual soul directly created by God. Each person is an unrepeatable reality. We are the only creatures who can know love and serve God. We are called to a greatness that goes beyond earthly existence.

6. Creationism vs Evolution

6. Creationism vs Evolution By believing that God created the universe we are not rejecting the value of science. Compendium 50-65 Genesis 1:1-25 Only God is creator in the strict sense. He created the universe "out of nothing" The biblical account of creation is not a scientific but rather a theological explanation to show that creation is the foundation of all God's plans. It is how he communicates his merciful love for us. Through life's joys and sorrows, God leads us to our destiny to share his life and love forever. The answer to evil is the whole of God's plan to reveal himself in creation and history and to redeem the world. God did not create evil or will its existence, but he does permit it. In his omnipotent love he brings forth good from evil. The Church guards against all-inclusive explanations of creation that go beyond the limits of the scientific method and exclude the all important role of God. The Church rightly insists that each human soul requires God's creative intervention.

5. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

5. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit The One God has Revealed Himself as a Trinity of Persons Compendium 44-49 Matthew 3:13-17 The Trinity is the most sublime and central mystery. It sheds light on every aspect of our faith and our lives. From the Scriptures we learn that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit hovered over him at his baptism and the Transfiguration. The Holy Spirit empowered the Apostles to forgive sins and descended on Mary and the Apostles at Pentecost. The Father eternally generates the Son and the bond of love between them is the Holy Spirit. The three persons of the Trinity possess completely and co-equally the divine nature. They are three identifiable Persons, each fully God in a manner that is distinct yet related to others. God is Love and Love is necessarily trinitarian. Love requires a Lover and a Lover must have a beloved and Love generates Love. God is a family. The human family is made in his image and likeness and reflects the Trinity.

4. Faith's Foundation

4. Faith's Foundation Discovering and knowing the one true God Compendium 36-43 Dt 6:4 I believe in One God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. Without God, creation and humanity lose their dignity and nihilism abounds. Without God, life is a meaningless survival of the fittest and even that only briefly. Without God the world is a dark, violent, cruel, sad and stark place. Faith does not destroy reason but enables it to look more competently beyond itself. God revealed his name to Moses as "I Am Who Am" this indicates that he has always existed and will always exist beyond the universe and history. He is transcendent, omnipotent, eternal, personal, and perfect. God is perfect, unconditional, joyful and everlasting Love. We can know the existence of God by reflecting on the beauty and order of creation and the urgings of our conscience to do good and avoid evil and our insatiable desire for perfect love and fulfillment.

3. Our Resonse to God

3. Our Response to God Faith is a gift to be both received and shared Compendium 25-35 Luke 1:26-38 Obedience of Faith: Divine Faith acknowledges the Truth that God has revealed in his goodness and authority and enables us to remain in his presence and follow him. The Blessed Mother's response to Gabriel "let it be done unto me" is a model for everyone. We say "I believe" because Faith is both personal and ecclesial. Faith is nourished in and through the community of believers. Faith helps us to understand supernatural truths and clarifies what can not be understood by reason alone. Both Faith and Science originate in God and cannot contradict each other. It is important for us to memorize and understand the formulas of faith such as the Apostles Creed And the Nicene Creed. Also the Ten Commandments are indispensable for a just and peaceful society. Jesus summarizes these in the two great commandments of love: love God and neighbor and finally gives his new commandment: love one another as I have loved you. This is the formula for perfection which Jesus offers the rich young man. The beatitudes are the formula for happiness. The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy and the 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy are the blueprint for authentic daily Christian living. The 7 Virtues are to be cultivated and bring the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit as well as the 12 Fruits of living the Gifts and enable us to avoid the 7 Deadly Vices. The 5 Precepts keep us faithful to the Church and the 4 Last Things determine our final destiny. We must know them by heart.

2. God 's way of coming to us

2. God's way of coming to us Scripture, Tradition, Magisterium Compendium 11-24 Scripture 1 Timothy 2:4 Catholicism is the fullest and truest expression of Christianity. It is not our approach to God but God's coming to meet us. Our Faith is not a matter of personal conjecture and preferences but rather a Revelation from God and Jesus Christ through Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium. The high point of revelation occurred when God the Father sent his only Son, the second Person of the Trinity into the world and the Son became like us in every way yet without sin. God has revealed himself in ways entirely suited with our humanity so that we might share in his divinity in an eternal relationship of love. The two sources of God's revelation and self-communication to us are Scripture and Tradition. The Apostles shared God's revelation of his life and love in his Son, Jesus Christ, in their inspired preaching, example, martyrdom and the institutions they established. Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition constitute the deposit of Faith. Christ established Peter and the Apostles as the first Magisterium and promised to protect their teachings from error. The Pope and the bishops are the only unbroken successors of that Magisterium and promise.

1. Athirst is my soul

1. Athirst is my soul Man's capacity for God and God's plan for man. Compendium 1-10 Scripture Psalm 63: 1-8 God himself, in creating man in his own image has written upon his heart the desire to see him. Even if this desire is often ignored, God never ceases to draw man to himself because only in God will he find happiness for which he never stops searching. Questions about evil, suffering, and the meaning of life which may seem to be inconsistent with a loving God all the more indicate an intense longing for God deep within us. This is God's plan: to go in search of us despite our sinfulness and our substitution of possessions and false loves for his true and everlasting love. "You have made us for yourself and our heart is restless until it rests in you" (St Augustine of Hippo) The human spirit is made for love - and ultimately for the infinite love of God. Often we search for this love in all the wrong places but the universal and relentless search of the human heart for infinite, perfect and unconditional Love cannot be denied. The harmony, order, beauty, and purposefulness of the universe demand an intelligent creator. Reason alone cannot arrive at the answer. Reason must be enlightened by True Faith in order to know the True God in a world which often associates God with hatred, vengeance and violence.

CONCLUSION: the truth is SYMPHONIC

CONCLUSION: THE TRUTH IS SYMPHONIC THE FOUR PILLARS OF FAITH PRESENTED IN THE CATECHISM ARE INTERCONNECTED PARTS OF A WHOLE It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows but by "attraction." Our faith is not a set of rules but a way of life. What we believe gives rise to how we worship, pray and live. Only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light. God is Love and the mystery of creation and redemption is that God made us in his image and likeness so that we could inter into a communion of love with him. After we estranged ourselves from him and one another through sin, he revealed himself to his chosen people and chose Mary to be the earthly mother of his divine son. The Father's love is greater than sin and death. Jesus established his Church so that through the power of the Holy Spirit we could share in his redeeming love until the end of time. Human history is rife with the discordant notes of human infidelity but the love of God always prevails. Scripture and Tradition speak with one divine voice and Faith and Reason together lift up the human spirit. The Mass and the Sacraments are a graced response to God's love for us. Morality is the coherent way that Christ's goodness resonates in our intentions, decisions and actions. Prayer is how we respond intimately and personally to Christ's love. Let us be united in proclaiming and living the Faith for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

39. THE LORD'S PRAYER

39. THE LORD'S PRAYER WITH THE OUR FATHER JESUS BOTH TAUGHT US HOW TO PRAY AND GAVE US A SUMMARY OF THE GOSPEL Compendium 578-598 Matthew 6:913 Luke 11:1-4 The Our Father embodies the Beatitudes. They are a self portrait of Christ and a blueprint for holiness. The true home of the Our Father is in the Eucharist which embodies its seven petitions. "Our" means it is a prayer of unity for all humanity. "Who art in heaven" lifts us up to his glory. We ask God to feed us, forgive us, sustain us in temptation and to free us from all evil. "Hallowed be the name" means we want his holiness to envelop the whole earth. "The kingdom come" asks for the civilization of love to be realized. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" asks that we may imitate the lives of Jesus and Mary in total obedience to the Father for the salvation of the world. "Our daily bread" recognizes that we do not live on material food alone but we need the Eucharist and every word of the Gospel. "Forgive us our sins" echoes "Blessed are the merciful". "Lead us not into temptation" asks for strength and perseverance. "Deliver us from evil" we proclaim that Jesus has conquered sin and the Devil. "Amen" is our assent to this prayer which must rule our lives.

37. THE ESSENTIALS OF PRAYER

37. THE ESSENTIALS OF PRAYER GUIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE CHURCH, WE LEARN TO PRAISE, THANK AND PRESENT OUR NEEDS TO GOD Compendium 548-565 Romans 8: 26-27 Psalm 145 The essentials of prayer are perfectly found in the Eucharist: Blessing, Adoration, Petition, Intercession, Thanksgiving and Praise. The prayer of Adoration acknowledges that we owe our very existence to God. In Petition we present our spiritual and material needs. Intercessory prayer includes not only our family and friends but all those in need and even for our enemies that they will be touched by the love of Christ. Eucharist means "Thanksgiving" and we join in Christ's perfect thanksgiving and Praise when we participate in this sacrament. With Baptism we receive the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity and we can and should strive to pray without ceasing. Prayer formulas help and guide us in pray. The Rosary is a powerful formula given to us by Mary, The Icon of prayer, and also the Magnificat. Parents are the first and most important and essential teachers of their children in the ways of faith.

36. PRAYER: A GIFT FROM GOD

36. PRAYER: A GIFT FROM GOD SCRIPTURE TEACHES US THE MEANING OF PRAYER AND PRESENTS US WITH MODELS OF DISCIPLESHIP. Compendium 534-547 John 17: 1-26 Prayer is the raising of one's heart and mind to God. We offer him praise, seek his Will and his friendship, ask for our needs, beg forgiveness, support one another and God is very pleased that we intercede for each other. Abraham, Moses, David and the prophets are models of prayer and friendship with God. Jesus made his whole life a prayer to his Father and gave us the perfect prayer: the Our Father. Mary gave us the Magnificat and the Rosary is a perfect summary of the life of Jesus and Mary.

35. LIVING IN TRUTH

35. LIVING IN TRUTH CHRISTIANS HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PRACTICE HONESTY AND INTEGRITY IN ALL THAT THEY SAY AND DO. Compendium 521-526 Dt 5:20 Matthew 5:33-37 When our word is our bond we build trust, engender cooperation and serve the common good. We must seek to live the truth in charity. Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life, his followers must guard against deception, duplicity and hypocrisy. The Christian must bear witness to the Truth even with his life. False witness, perjury and lying are forbidden by the Eight Commandment. It also forbids Rash Judgement, Calumny, Gossip, Slander and Defamation. Flattery, Complaisance and adulation are also against the Eighth Commandment: Thou shall not bear false witness. The eighth commandment requires discretion in speech. Truth is beautiful and that which is truly beautiful proclaims the Truth.

34. STEWARDSHIP OF THIS WORLD'S GOODS

34. STEWARDSHIP OF THIS WORLD'S GOODS OUR WORK AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES ARE ROOTED IN HUMAN DIGNITY AND THE COMMON GOOD Compendium 503-520, 531-533 Dt 5:19,21 Matthew 6:21 The seventh and tenth commandments: DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR'S GOODS; instruct us to be generous and just stewards of God's blessings. The right to own private property is an expression of human dignity. The seventh commandment requires that we return what we have stolen. It also requires that we use this world's goods in a temperate way and in concern for others. It forbids unjust wages and fraud. Financial systems must be ethical and at the service of the human person. Unbridled Capitalism and Totalitarian Government both offend human dignity. We must be aware that Labor is a path toward holiness. Citizens must actively engage in civil affairs as witnesses of authentic Gospel values. We must imitate Christ's detachment from this world's goods and live the beatitudes.

33. GOD'S PLAN FOR LIFE AND LOVE

33. GOD'S PLAN FOR LIFE AND LOVE THE VIRTUE OF CHASTITY IS NECESSARY TO PROTECT AND PRACTICE THE TRUTH ABOUT MARRIAGE, SEXUALITY, AND HUMAN LIFE Compendium 487-502 527-530 Dt 5:18 Mathew 5:27-28 Chastity is necessary in all states of life. Even married couples are called to purity. "Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God" The purpose of human sexuality is to express the exclusive love of husband and wife in a manner which is open to procreation. The sixth commandment forbids adultery, lust, masturbation, pornography, fornication, homosexual acts, prostitution and rape. Sterilization and contraception are forbidden. Abstinence is the only acceptable means of spacing pregnancy. Artificial insemination and fertilization are forbidden. Divorce, polygamy, incest, cohabitation outside of marriage, and same sex marriage are forbidden.

32. IN DEFENSE OF HUMAN LIFE

32. IN DEFENSE OF HUMAN LIFE WE ARE COMMANDED TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE GIFT OF HUMAN LIFE AT ALL OF ITS STAGES Compendium 466-486 Dt 5:17 Matthew 5:9 "Thou shalt not kill" unequivocally forbids the taking of human life from conception to natural death. Those who have the responsibility for the lives of others must defend themselves and those entrusted to their care. It is legitimate to use drugs to manage pain but not to hasten death. The dying must be supported by loving care, prayer and the sacraments.

31. THE FAMILY IN GOD'S PLAN

31. THE FAMILY IN GOD'S PLAN THE COMMANDMENT TO HONOR ONE'S FATHER AND MPTHER REFLECTS THE FAMILY'S ROLE IN THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY Compendium 455-465 Dt 5:16 Sirach 3:2-7,12-14 The family is not a human invention but rather a gift from God for the benefit of the spouses and procreation and formation of children. The family is the Domestic Church where faith and virtue are imparted and develop. The basic lessons of, prayerfulness, love and service to one another, truth, honesty, discipline, and respect are inculcated and reinforced. Only in rare and extreme cases is it legitimate for government to intervene in family affairs. Eventually children must care for their parents when they are in need. Finally our love for Christ must exceed our love for parents and children.

30. LOVING GOD ABOVE ALL

30. LOVING GOD ABOVE ALL THE FIRST THREE COMMANDMENTS PERTAIN TO OUR DUTY LOVE GOD WITH OUR ENTIRE BEING Compendium 434-454 Exodus 2:2-17 Matthew 19:16-19 The Ten Commandments universally apply to all people of all times. Jesus, in his words and life summed up the Ten Commandments into two: Love God with your whole being and your neighbor as yourself. We live the first commandment through the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. The modern false God's are Power, Money and Pleasure. We dishonor God when we dishonor his name by cursing and using his name without respect. It is primordial to obey the Sabbath with rest from worldly pursuits and devote time to our relation with God and one another. The Sabbath is celebrated on Sunday because this is the day of the Resurrection of Jesus.

29. GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE

29. GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE THE MORAL LAW, ROOTED IN DIVINE WISDOM AND WRITTEN ON THE HUMAN HEART, IS FULFILLED IN OUR LIFE WITH CHRIST Compendium 415-433 Romans 2: 15 "Natural Law" is an inherent sense of right and wrong written on our hearts by the creator and is the basis of rights and duties of individuals and communities. The Ten Commandments summarize natural law. The natural law is brought to perfection in the Beatitudes. The grace to live the Beatitudes is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Precepts of the Catholic Faith are a necessary guide to living a life of Beatitude as Jesus proclaimed. The five precepts of the Church: You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and remain free from work or activity that could impede the sanctification of such days. You shall confess your sins at least once a year. You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season. You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.

28. THE HUMAN COMMUNITY

28. THE HUMAN COMMUNITY SEEKING AUTHENTIC HUMAN DEVELOPMENT , THE CHURCH PROMOTES SUBSIDIARITY, SOLIDARITY AND THE COMMON GOOD. Compendium 401-414 1Peter 2:13-17 We can only find happiness in community. God is a community of Persons, Father, Son, Holy Spirit and all who are called to friendship with him. The human family is modeled on the Holy Trinity. The human person must be the principle, subject and end of social institutions. SUBSIDIARITY: the family is the basic unit of society and must not be deprived of its fundamental authority by the State or higher institutions which must be at the service of the basic unit of society and the common good. There must be a priority of ethics over technology, and persons over things. The Common Good is the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfillment. The dignity of each person especially the most vulnerable must be respected. Solidarity requires that we must work for a more humane society with generous charity for the most needy.

27. VIRTUE AND VICE

27. VIRTUE AND VICE A WELL FORMED CONSCIENCE AND THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE LEAD US TOWARD HOLINESS AND AWAY FROM SIN Compendium 370-400 Galatians 5:22-23 Conscience does not establish moral truth but rather perceives it. Our conscience is formed by the inner voice of God and the natural law of not doing unnecessary harm to others. In baptism and confirmation we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, fear of the Lord) We can never do evil so that good can come from it. We should treat others with the same dignity we wish for ourselves. We should accept others without condoning evil. We must recognize that we do not know everything and we can be wrong. When we make good habits we grow in the virtues of prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude. We grow in the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity, through prayer and the sacraments. Faith allows us to believe in God and all the Church teaches. Charity helps us to live the present moment well. Charity teaches us to love one another as Jesus loves us. The fruits of living the virtues are charity, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, generosity, modesty, self-control and purity. The vices are Pride, Envy, Greed, Lust, Anger, Sloth and Gluttony. These sinful habits damage our relationship with God and one another, diminish human solidarity and cause evil to gain power in the world.

26. MORALITY,FREEDOM AND HUMAN DIGNITY

26. MORALITY, FREEDOM AND HUMAN DIGNITY CHRISTIAN LIFE AND MORALITY, LEAD TO, RATHER THAN TAKE AWAY FROM TRUE FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS Compendium 357-369 Matthew 5:1-11 The Beatitudes are the self portrait of Jesus who demonstrates how to be fully human. True Freedom and happiness requires taking responsibility for our actions. The end does not justify the means. Freedom is God's gift to humanity and is not endowed by any human institution. Human dignity requires correct choices. Killing innocent people is an example of objective evil.

25. THE SACRAMENTS OF VOCATION

25. THE SACRAMENTS OF VOCATION THROUGH HOLY ORDERS AND MATRIMONY, CHRISTIANS ARE GIVEN SPECIAL GRACES AND A PARTICULAR MISSION Compendium 321-353 Hebrews 7:26-28 Matthew 19: 4-6 Melchizedek foreshadowed the kingly priesthood of Christ, who offered himself on the cross to reconcile men to God. This is the heart of the sacramental priesthood that Christ shares with our priests. Priests are empowered to act in the very name of Christ. Deacons preparing for the priesthood are "transitional" and there are also "permanent" deacons who assist in the liturgy and sacramental life and especially caring for the needy. Only the Bishop can confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Marriage: Created in the divine image, man and woman are complementary. Unity-in-difference is at the heart of marriage. Man and woman are made for each other and for procreation. Spouses,United to Christ, are called to form a family which is a community of Faith, Prayer and Virtue.

24. THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING

24. THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING THROUGH THE SACRAMENTS OF PENANCE AND THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK THE CHURCH CONTINUES CHRIST'S HEALING MINISTRY Compendium 295-320 James 5:14-15 Although Baptism gives us a new life in grace, there is still a tendency to sin "concupiscence" as a result of the Fall. Mortal sin separates us from God and venial sin weakens our relationship with him and one another. The Sacrament of Reconciliation restores those relationships. We can show our sincere repentance for sin through prayer, fasting and giving alms. We cannot receive the Eucharist if we commit mortal sin until we go to Confession. The confession of venial sins helps us to grow in virtue and resist temptation. We prepare for confession by examining our conscience with the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. Confession removes eternal punishment and reduces temporal punishment due to sin. Indulgences can further reduce or eliminate temporal punishment for ourselves and the souls in purgatory. This Sacrament also brings peace, serenity and joy. General Absolution without individual confession is only used in grave emergencies. The Anointing of the hands and forehead with holy oil of the sick and aged unites them to the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ and forgives sins if they are not able to confess. It can often help physical healing.

259-261 SPIRIT FILLED EVANGELIZERS

SPIRIT-FILLED EVANGELIZERS 259. Spirit-filled evangelizers means evangelizers fearlessly open to the working of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, the Spirit made the apostles go forth from themselves and turned them into heralds of God’s wondrous deeds, capable of speaking to each person in his or her own language. The Holy Spirit also grants the courage to proclaim the newness of the Gospel with boldness (parrhesía) in every time and place, even when it meets with opposition. Let us call upon him today, firmly rooted in prayer, for without prayer all our activity risks being fruitless and our message empty. Jesus wants evangelizers who proclaim the good news not only with words, but above all by a life transfigured by God’s presence. 260. In this final chapter, I do not intend to offer a synthesis of Christian spirituality, or to explore great themes like prayer, Eucharistic adoration or the liturgical celebration of the faith. For all these we already have valuable texts of the magisterium and celebrated writings by great authors. I do not claim to replace or improve upon these treasures. I simply wish to offer some thoughts about the spirit of the new evangelization. 261. Whenever we say that something is “spirited”, it usually refers to some interior impulse which encourages, motivates, nourishes and gives meaning to our individual and communal activity. Spirit-filled evangelization is not the same as a set of tasks dutifully carried out despite one’s own personal inclinations and wishes. How I long to find the right words to stir up enthusiasm for a new chapter of evangelization full of fervour, joy, generosity, courage, boundless love and attraction! Yet I realize that no words of encouragement will be enough unless the fire of the Holy Spirit burns in our hearts. A spirit-filled evangelization is one guided by the Holy Spirit, for he is the soul of the Church called to proclaim the Gospel. Before offering some spiritual motivations and suggestions, I once more invoke the Holy Spirit. I implore him to come and renew the Church, to stir and impel her to go forth boldly to evangelize all peoples.

23. LOVING THE EUCHARIST

23. LOVING THE EUCHARIST WE MUST GROW IN UNDERSTANDING OF AND REVERENCE FOR THE EUCHARIST Compendium 271-294 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 The Eucharist is the very sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ on the cross perpetuated throughout the ages. When we worthily partake of the Eucharist we participate even now in the life of God. The Eucharist puts us into communion with the Trinity and with one another. Through ordination, the priest is conformed to Christ so that he can re-enact the words and deeds of Christ. The deliverance from sin which we experience in the Eucharist was foreshadowed by the Passover of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The sacrifice of the cross and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one and the same sacrifice. The un-bloody sacrifice of the Eucharist is the most perfect and effective prayer we can offer with Christ. Transubstantiation is the real transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. To receive worthily we must be members of the Catholic Church and be in the state of grace which is confirmed by the Sacrament of Confession. Our demeanor and dress reflect our respect for the Eucharist.

22. BORN ANEW AND STRENGTHENED IN THE FAITH

BORN ANEW AND STRENGTHENED IN THE FAITH THE SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION ALLOW US TO SHARE IN THE LIFE OF THE TRINITY Compendium 250-270 Romans 6:3-4 Titus 3:4-6 We are born anew by Baptism to a life in Christ which cancels sin and death. We are Confirmed to this new life by the Holy Spirit at Confirmation and nourished daily by the Eucharist. Baptism confers the Holy Spirit and the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. Noah's Ark and the Red Sea were forecasts of Baptism. The crossing of the Jordan to enter the Promised Land was fulfilled by Christ. Confirmation allows us to share in the mystery of Pentecost.

21. CELEBRATING THE CHURCH'S LITURGY

21.CELEBRATING THE CHURCH'S LITURGY THE SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH BOTH SIGNIFY AND MAKE PRESENT GOD'S TRANSFORMING GRACE. Compendium 224-249 Revelation 7:9-11 All the events of Christ's life become a present reality through the Sacraments and liturgy. Baptism and Confirmation are indelible marks that make us adopted children of God are received only once. Holy Orders is also an indelible mark and is only received once and allows the ordained to act in the person of Christ in the celebration of the liturgy. The effectiveness of the Sacraments does not depend on the personal worthiness of the minister. It is a most serious obligation for both the minister and the recipient to pursue personal holiness through the sacraments. The sacraments do not act mechanistically. The Sacramental life of the Church has a logic and beauty all of its own that emerges when it is celebrated faithfully, prayerfully and joyfully.

20. WORSHIPPING IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH

20. WORSHIPPING IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH GOING TO MASS IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST AN OBLIGATION FOR FAITHFUL CATHOLICS Compendium 218-223 Matthew 26:26-28 Liturgy means "public service". In the Mass, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are made present and active. The liturgy is the source and summit of the Church's life and mission. It is the celebration of the paschal mystery, - Christ's death and resurrection. It is the highest and best means by which Christ continues to act on our behalf to sanctify us, redeem us from our sins and enable us to share in the life of God. The words and gestures of the liturgy not only remind us of Christ's saving words and deeds but actually make them present and active in our midst. Through the Liturgy, the Holy Spirit deepens the new life Christ has won for us by his death and resurrection so that we can worship the Father in Spirit and Truth.

19. COMMUNION FORGIVENESS AND LIFE EVERLASTING

19. COMMUNION, FORGIVENESS, AND LIFE EVERLASTING CONCLUDING THE CREED, WE PROFESS OUR BELIEF IN THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, BAPTISM AND THE FINAL RESURRECTION Compendium 194-217 1Corinthians 51-57 Communion means the God invites us to share in his inner life, the Trinity, not to seek our own interests but to put ourselves at the service of one another. "Saints" include not only the canonized but also the souls in purgatory and those still alive seeking holiness. Christ has given us his mother as the Mother of all saints and our most powerful advocate with him. Baptism is the first Sacrament for the forgiveness of sins. Christ also established the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism. "Who's sins you forgive are forgiven them and who's sins you retain are retained" John 20:23 The separation of our bodies from our souls at the end of this life will not last for all eternity. We are called to share in the Resurrection in Christ. Those who die in the grace of Christ and have no further need of purification will share the happiness of Heaven. Others who need further purification will go to "Purgatory". We can help the souls in purgatory with prayers, Masses, good deeds and sacrifices offered in Christ. Hell is the separation from God for all eternity. Those who freely choose to remain in mortal sin condemn themselves to Hell. God wants all to be saved but must respect free will. We look forward to the Second Coming of Christ, although no one knows when it will be, and then Christ will be all in all.

18. THE CHRISTIAN FAITHFUL

18. The Christian Faithful INSTITUTED BY CHRIST, THE HIERARCHY AND THE VISIBLE STRUCTURE OF THE CHURCH ARE PART OF GOD's PLAN Compendium 177-193 Matthew 16:18-19 There is a true equality among the members of the Church in their dignity as children of God. The HIERARCHY of the Church includes bishops , priests and deacons. Bishops and priests speak and act in the very person of Christ. Deacon assist in preaching and teaching and especially in serving the poor and needy. The popes are the visible foundation of the Unity of the Church down through the ages. The Pope is the supreme pastor of the God's people and exercises immediate, universal, and supreme power over the whole Church. The college of bishops in unity with the Pope also exercises supreme authority over the Church. Every diocese is a local manifestation of the universal Church. The Magisterium, the bishops in Union with the Holy Father, and priests in union with their bishop, exercise the office of teaching, sanctifying and governing. The baptized accept and live the faith in accordance with the Magisterium. The Magisterium is charged with authentically interpreting God's Word in scripture and tradition and to ensure that the faith of the Apostles is handed on. Even when doctrines are not infallibly proclaimed, they are to be accepted with religious submission of intellect and will understood in the context of love. Dissent from Church teachings short circuit missionary discipleship. The laity, which means "people", share in the priestly, prophetic and kingly office of Christ as they build a civilization of love according to God's plan as parents and witnesses of a holy life at home and in the workplace. Consecrated men and women, both lay and ordained, take vows and dedicate their lives in chastity, poverty and obedience in order to lead all members of the Church to greater holiness and dedication to Christ and his mission.