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 1. All the events of Christ's life become a present and living reality through the Sacraments and liturgy. As we celebrate the sacraments we grow in likeness to God. 2. Baptism and Confirmation are indelible marks that make us adopted children of God and are received only once. 3. 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. 4. The effectiveness of the Sacraments does not depend on the personal worthiness of the minister. If the medicine works, the character of the pharmacist is secondary. 5. It is a most serious obligation for both the minister and the recipient to pursue personal holiness through the sacraments. 6. The sacraments do not act mechanistically, they require assent. 7. When it is celebrated faithfully, prayerfully and joyfully, The Sacramental life of the Church has a logic and beauty all of its own that emerges and leads us to long to see God in heaven. 8. Water, bread, wine, oil and laying on of hands are necessary signs that accompany the words that give them sacramental power and grace. 9. The Church carefully distinguishes what is unchangeable and what can be adapted by culture in the liturgy. 10. The sacramental life of the church is the fast track to holiness and unity with God that Jesus gave us. To climb a mountain is difficult, arduous, and dangerous, the sacramental life gives us wings to fly to the top of the mountain.

20. Worshiping 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 1. Liturgy means "public worship" and is used most specifically to refer to the Mass and the Sacraments. 2. In the Liturgy, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are made present and active. 3. The Liturgy is the source and summit of the Church's life and mission. 4. 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. It contains the mystery of God's loving plan to save us. 5. Through the Liturgy, the Holy Spirit, as the soul of the Church, brings us to ponder and deepen the new life Christ has won for us by his life, death and resurrection so that we can worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. 6. The Mass is not only a communion of saints and a foretaste of heaven, it is also a rehearsal of our individual encounter with God at the end of this life that will determine our final destiny for all eternity. All the wealth and health and happiness of earthly life is infinitesimally small compared to the wealth and opportunity that we receive at Mass. 7. Going forth from Mass, we take not only Jesus but the entire communion of saints into the world which we can easily conquer if we remain faithful, united and reliving Christ’s Passion in our own lives.

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 1 Corinthians 51-57 1. Communion means that 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. 2. "Saints" include not only the canonized but also the souls in purgatory and those still alive seeking holiness. 3.Christ has given us his mother as the Mother of all saints and our most powerful advocate with him. The Rosary is a compendium of the Gospels. Mary was the first Christian and the most faithful. Mary was the only one who accompanied Jesus from his conception in her womb to his death and resurrection. Her “Magnificat” is a summary of the Old Testament and the promise of the New Testament. She is “full of grace” means she is and always was completely immersed in God and completely in his service to all. Mary is the model for every Christian. We can be like her: “the one does the will of my father is my mother ….” 4.Baptism is the first Sacrament for the forgiveness of sins. 5. Christ also established the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism. "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained" John 20:23 5. 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 will share the happiness of Heaven. Some will experience a "Purgatory" to be completely conformed to Christ. We can help the souls in purgatory with prayers, Masses, good deeds and sacrifices offered in Christ. 6. 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, otherwise there is no free will and therefore we could not be “like God.” 7. 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. In the meantime, this must be what we live and breathe for: “that all may be one” in spirit and truth in Jesus Christ.

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 1. There is a true equality among the members of the Church in their dignity as children of God. 2. The HIERARCHY of the Church includes bishops, priests and deacons. 3. Bishops and priests speak and act in the very person of Christ. 4. Deacons assist in preaching and teaching and especially in serving the poor and needy. 5. The popes are the visible foundation of the Unity of the Church down through the ages. 6. The Pope is the "Vicar of Christ" and supreme pastor of the God's people and exercises immediate, universal, and supreme power over the whole Church. 7. The college of bishops, in unity with the Pope, also exercises supreme authority over the Church. 8. Every diocese is a local manifestation of the universal Church. 9. 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. 10. The baptized accept and live the faith in accordance with the Magisterium. 11. 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. 12. 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. 13. Dissent from Church teachings short circuit missionary discipleship. 14. 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. 15. 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. 16. The structure of the human body is the skeleton but, as necessary as they are, we do not see or think about skeletons. The Church is the body of Christ, the hierarchy would be the skeleton. The laity are the flesh of the body of Christ and his Church. The laity must bring the Church to the world in every aspect: the workplace, homes, politics and everywhere. When St. Lawrence was ordered to deliver the treasures of the church, he presented the poor, the sick, the crippled, the outcasts. They are always the true treasure of the true Church.

17. One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic

17. ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC The four marks of the Catholic Church are essential to understanding the Body of Christ. Compendium 161-176 Matthew 28:19-20 1. Christ founded only one Church, and entrusted it to Peter and his successors in communion with the bishops. 2. In spite of the problems and divisions due to human frailty and sinfulness, there exists in the Church a fullness of Truth, sacramental life and communion. 3. We believe in One God, we share one faith, one sacramental life, one common hope in Jesus Christ, one apostolic succession, we are one in charity. 4.Oneness in Christ is our mission and our destiny. Ecumenism is our obligation. We must all pray and work for unity in Christ. The source of our oneness is the Trinity: one God in three divine persons. 5. The Church is first of all the body of Christ, which is all Holy. The Church provides all that we need to respond to the call to holiness. Mary and the saints show us how to participate in God's truth, goodness and love and assist us with their prayers. Holiness is not only our goal, it must also be our way of life in the present moment in constant renewal through the sacraments. 6. The Church is Catholic because her mission is to all nations and to bring the totality of the Christian Faith. We must work and pray to bring non practicing Catholics back to church and also promote unity with non Catholic Christians by our Faith and witness. We have a special affinity to those of the Jewish faith as the first to receive the Word of God. Many non Christian faiths reflect God's truth and goodness. We must foster understanding with other religions for the common good. Non Christians can be saved if they sincerely seek God and follow their conscience. Those who know the truth of the Church and reject it imperil their salvation. 7. Christ founded the Church upon the Apostles when he "sent" them to proclaim the Good News. The Church adheres to and hands on the teachings of the Apostles. The bishops are the successors of the Apostles in communion with the Successor of Peter. By the Sacrament of Holy Orders the mission and power of the Apostles are transmitted to their successors, the bishops, thereby maintaining the link to the Church's Apostolic mission, faith and origins. 8. Our obligation to be One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic is a reality in the Church which we must individually give witness to in our personal and community life, to fail to give this witness is to fail at being one, holy, Catholic and apostolic. It is to fail at being the church of Christ. 9. We must be for others, live, breath, eat, sleep, think, work, rest, pray for others. Whether in person, by mail, by phone or the Internet, our communication with others must include the Trinity, all for one and one for all as Jesus taught us.

16. The Church, the body of Christ, is a sign of the Kingdom of God on earth

16. THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST, IS A SIGN OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH. Compendium 147-160 1 Corinthians 12:12-14,26-27 1. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and Mary and the mission of the Church began in earnest. 2. Christ lives and acts in and with his church, especially through the preaching of the Word and the Sacraments. 3. "Ekklesia" are those who are called and gathered in Faith and Baptism to become children of God, members of Christ, and temples of the Holy Spirit. 4. As members of Christ we are called to live our vocation, faithfully and robustly, for the common good. 5. "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of The Father, and of The Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" Matthew 28:16-17 6. His Kingdom is Truth and Life, Grace and Holiness, Justice, Love and Peace. 7. The Church does not only point to the Kingdom of God, it is the Kingdom of God in seed form, teaching us to live in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 8. The Church is a universal sacrament of salvation, effectively guiding and delivering the human family out of darkness. 9. We are called to live the new commandment of love, to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, leading all to God's Kingdom already begun on earth. 10. The Church is the Body of Christ and we are the members of that Body. 11. The Church is the Bride of Christ and we are the children of that Bride. 12. The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit and we are the living stones of that Temple through Faith, Worship and Service, through the Sacraments and sharing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 13. One cannot separate the institutional church from its spiritual source, Jesus Christ, because he himself has ordained it so, fully aware of our weakness and unworthiness: "Upon this rock I will build my church." 14. Christ has ordained that as members of his body we share his vocation as priest, prophet and King. We accomplish this through the gift of the Holy Spirit who makes us holy because Christ is the head of our communal body. 15. The Church needs constant reformation of its members. 16. The Church has God as its Origin, Christ as its Head, the dignity and freedom of all as its Hallmark, its Mission is to be salt of the earth and light to the world, it's Law is the New Commandment of Love, The kingdom of God is its Destiny already begun on earth. 17. The Church is our refuge in turbulent times because Jesus who calms the storms and controls the winds is always present in its tabernacles.

15. I believe in the Holy Spirit

15. I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT The Third Person of the Holy Trinity is the "Driving Force" of the Church's Life Compendium 136-146 John 14:16-17,26 1.To be the Third Person of the Trinity does not mean to be less important. The Holy Spirit is worshiped and glorified and co-equal to the Father and son. 2. The Trinity is a splendid mystery of God's inward communion of life and love of which we are destined to share fully. 3. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate, Counselor, Comforter and The Giver of Life. 4. The Holy Spirit is "Living Water" at Baptism and "tongues of fire" at Pentecost. The Spirit descends as a Dove at Christ's baptism. He is the inspiration of the Prophets. Through the Power of the Holy Spirit Mary conceived and became the mother of Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother. 5. The Holy Spirit enables us to pray and proclaim the saving Gospel of Truth And Love, he restores divine likeness in those who are baptized, confirms his gifts at Confirmation, empowers priests to bring forth the living presence of Christ in the Eucharist, imparts forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance. 6. When we open our hearts to the fruits of the Holy Spirit (charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, generosity, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity) we bring forth a rich harvest of new life and love."Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and they shall renew the face of the earth.” 7. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which we receive at Baptism and again at Confirmation, are Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. 8. An example of Wisdom was when Solomon resolved the case of the two women who gave birth the same night but one baby died. Both claimed the surviving baby was theirs so Solomon suggested cutting the baby in half and one woman agreed but the other said let the baby live even if the other woman would get the baby. So Solomon knew this was the true mother and gave the baby to her. 9. An example of Knowledge is when Peter said to Jesus “you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” and Jesus responded “you have received this knowledge from above.” 10. An example of Understanding is when they wanted to stone a woman and Jesus said “he who is without sin can throw the first stone.” 11. An example of Counsel is when Jesus told the women “Go in peace and sin no more.” 12. An example of Fortitude was Peter when he told the Sanhedrin they he must proclaim Christ even though they forbid him to do so. 13. An example of Piety was Anna the prophetess who lived in the temple most of her life waiting for the Messiah. 14. An example of Fear of the Lord was Moses before the burning bush.

14. At the right hand of the Father

14. AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER The risen Lord remains present to the church today as we work to build his kingdom on earth Compendium 127-135 Ephesians 1:17-23 1. The Resurrection of Jesus was not a resuscitation. His death was real and indisputable. 2. Mary Magdalene and the disciples at Emmaus as well as the Apostles were amazed, incredulous and afraid, as well as overjoyed, when he appeared to them, eat with them and they could touch him. Yet Jesus showed that he could pass through closed doors. They could fully grasp the Resurrection only with the grace of the Holy Spirit. 3.Those who Jesus brought back from the dead eventually died but when we are resurrected on the last day our bodies will die no more. 4. The Resurrection confirmed that Jesus was truly God and the truth of all he said and did. 5. We share his risen life now through the life of grace and we hope one day to share in his resurrection when our lowly bodies will be transformed in the pattern of his own glorious body. 6. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, a place of infinite peace and joy, interceding for us and he also remains with us through the ministry and sacramental life of the Church. 7. With the first Christians we look to the heavens and pray "come Lord Jesus" as we prepare for the final judgement with "fear and trembling" and confidence in the love and mercy of Our Father. 8. No other religion or ideology can proclaim the resurrection of the body. Only Christianity is based on the indisputable foundation that our savior proved he was God by rising from the dead and proclaiming everlasting life with indescribable peace and joy for those who follow him. Those who follow him begin to live the joy of heaven on earth and give witness to its truth.

13. The Paschal mystery

13. THE PASCHAL MYSTERY In the liturgy of Holy Week, we commemorate Christ's Passion , Death, and Resurrection. Compendium 112-116 John 13:1 1. These events are inseparable and stand at the center of our faith. 2. The Hebrew word "paschal" means both "the passing over" and "passage". 3. In the Exodus the homes of the Israelites, marked by the blood of the sacrificial lamb, were "passed over" by the Angel of Death thereby sparing them so they could make the passage from slavery to freedom. 4. "Passover" is not just an historical celebration but a living memorial. 5. This first Passover anticipates Christ's shedding his blood for us as the sacrificial lamb to free all from the slavery of sin. 6. With Baptism in Christ we pass over from sin to a new and eternal life with Christ. 7. Christ is the new Moses who definitively interprets the Law and the Prophets. 8. We cannot impute guilt for the death of Jesus on those who historically participated in bringing it about. 9. Christ died for all our sins and as Christians we bear a greater responsibility for sin. 10. But God sent his Son in expiation for our sins. 11. Jesus assumed our humanity in order that it would become the very means of our redemption. 12. The entire life of Christ was a free offering to the Father to carry out his plan of salvation. 13. He announced the Kingdom, confirmed it with miracles, took our sins upon himself, cancelled death and showed us the path to everlasting life. 14. "Do this in memory of me", Jesus not only commands the Apostles to recall but also re-enact the very same mystery of love. "As often as you eat this bread and drink this blood you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. This is the origin of the Mass and the priesthood. 15. "Obedient unto death", Jesus' agony unmasks the enormity of our sins, which we tend to trivialize. Obedience is the key to our reconciliation with God and with those we have harmed. 16. Jesus invites us to take up our daily cross of sacrifice and suffering and walk with him in joy. 17. We await with Mary, our mother, in gratitude and wonder, as the sadness of death gives way to the joy of the resurrection. 18. The stupendous message of the paschal mystery is that our God loves each us beyond all measure and with infinite tenderness. He implores us to love one another “as I have loved you” and makes this possible with the words “do this in memory of me.” Our God is not an arduous task master but rather an intimate friend and partner who invites us to an eternal banquet in celebration of that everlasting friendship. We cannot earn such an invitation. We can only accept it with the humility of a destitute beggar who is called to the table of the most magnanimous King of kings. We must rejoice and be glad and shout out the good news that our God loves us, forgives and forgets our ingratitudes, and gave his own son to save us from sin and death and desires with his whole heart that we share an eternity of infinite happiness with him. Truly there is no God like our God and no faith like our faith, no gospel like our Gospel.

12. Christ gave himself for us

12. Christ Gave Himself For Us The season of Lent invites us to repent and encounter the Kingdom of God Compendium 106-111 Mark 1: 12-15 1. Lent is a time of renewal. We ask for the grace to strengthen our prayer life, practice fasting and to mortify our senses and give generously of ourselves to those in need and to participate more deeply in Christ's sacrifice of love and the sacraments of confession and communion. 2. On Ash Wednesday we receive an invitation to repent and remember that this life is short and without God we are nothing. 3. For some, Lent is a time for preparation for entrance into the Church. 4. Mostly, Lent is about recovering our Baptismal innocence and victory over temptation. 5. We read about Christ's struggle with Satan in the desert over power, wealth and self-indulgence which reminds us of Adam and Eve's encounter with Satan and Israel's struggle in the desert. 6. The Transfiguration on Mount Tabor in the presence of Peter, John and James foretells the changing of our lowly bodies into his glorious body. 7. Moses and Elijah are there because Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets. 8. In the Sunday readings Jesus invites the Samaritan women at the well to repent. 9. The man born blind emphasizes our need for the light of Christ in our lives. 10. Lazarus is brought back from death. This signifies that we also will be brought back from death to eternal life. Death is no longer a permanent tragedy. 11. The prodigal son returns. God’s mercy and forgiveness is infinite and always pursuing sinners. 12. The woman trapped in adultery is freed. No sin is greater than God’s mercy. He purifies even the most grievous sins. 13. Nicodemos reaches out to Jesus in secret. God waits for us on our terms. 14. The miracles announce the Good News that Love conquers sin and Jesus has vanquished Satan. 15. Peter will confess Jesus is the Son of the Living God and yet deny him. 16.The Messiah-King enters the New Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He will come again. 17. We sit at table with Jesus on Holy Thursday as he gives us himself as food for our journey 18. We stand with Mary and John at the foot of the cross on Good Friday and keep vigil on Holy Saturday as we await the Light of Christ. 19. We must become excited about our faith. We must admire the enthusiasm of people of other faiths who are not ashamed to profess and proclaim their faith. But we must realize that we have so much more and must unashamedly profess and proclaim our faith because the world is languishing without it. Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking it is ecumenical to downplay our faith while applauding others. This is false ecumenism. The truth will not only set us free but also liberate others from partial truths. We can courageously proclaim Jesus with the simple sign of the cross on our forehead anytime and especially at meals and even in public without seeking attention but as a reminder and thanksgiving for all he does for us. 20. Often in the past, and even today, religion has been violently forced on people and alternately violently denied to people. This is not the will of God but rather the impatient fanaticism, ignorance and arrogance of a few. Everyone has free will and can deny and even denigrate God. God does not need us to defend him but we should use our free will to proclaim the truth that God is Love, otherwise we become complicit in denying him to the eternal peril of souls including our own. We must lead by example.

11. Born to save us

11. Born to save us Born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus brings new life to the world Compendium 98-105 Ephesians 1:3-14 1. The eternal Son of the Father was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. This was a "new beginning" for humanity. Jesus Christ is unique and unparalleled in history, all others pale in his presence. 2. Jesus is the only Savior of the entire human race. Including those who seek God with a sincere heart even without knowing Jesus. 3. He is truly the Son of God in both his human and divine natures because he is only one Person, who is divine. No one else can make that claim. 4. He is the Son of God in his divine nature and son of Mary in his human nature. 5. Mary's pure love and spiritual motherhood are extended to all who are saved and she has an essential role in God's plan of redemption. She is the ultimate model of the Church in her purity and motherly love. Mary, spouse of the Holy Spirit and mother of Jesus, the Son of God, for this reason remained a perpetual virgin and his "brothers and sisters" were actually close relatives. We do not think of Mary as the mother of God the Father or God the Holy Spirit but only as the mother of Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, one and the same person with two inseparable natures. His human nature began at the Annunciation while his divine nature always was. Mary is not the mother of his divine nature but she is the Mother of the child she named Jesus, who is always God. That is why we can call her the mother of God. She has a unique role as the new Eve, just as Jesus is the new Adam. Jesus assumed our humanity thereby making us his brothers and therefore true children of Mary. 6. Joseph is the Patron (protector) of the Church just as he was the Patron of the Holy Family. Joseph was informed by the Angel Gabriel that the Holy Spirit was the true spouse of Mary. He understood that Mary could have no other spouse and that he would be the legal guardian of Jesus and Mary and that Mary would remain a virgin always and spouse of the Holy Spirit. 7. We can learn much by meditating on the"hidden life" of the Holy Family in its simplicity, purity and obedience. The joyful mysteries of the rosary and the flight into Egypt serve this purpose. Mary is the Mother of God in the same sense that we are children of God. We are children of God because Jesus, our brother, is God. Mary is Mother of God because she is the mother of Jesus, who is God. Mary is the daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son and spouse of the Holy Spirit. She is the new Eve and crushes the head of the serpent who deceives us. 8. Jesus received the baptism of repentance by John the Baptist, although he was sinless, he identified with us, sanctified the waters and prefigured our baptism by the Holy Spirit and water through which we begin to participate in the eternal life Jesus won for us by his life, death and resurrection. 9. Jesus is not only the center of history, he is the one who gives it meaning and purpose and promises ultimate triumph. By becoming our brother, he not only saves us but also makes us co-heirs to his Kingdom and enables us to share the intimacy he has with the Father and the Holy Trinity. 10. Jesus is unique among all religions in that he is the victim, the scapegoat, who takes upon himself our guilt and sins and expiates us from punishment. He is not the fierce God of condemnation but reveals the true God to be infinitely merciful and forgiving, a father who loves unconditionally and inexhaustibly. Jesus shows us that the way to peace and harmony is not to blame and condemn others but rather to shoulder together our defects and failings. He does not call us to be assassins. He calls us to be brothers and sisters of the one Father in one Holy Family.

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 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. "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. 4. "Christ" is not a family name but a Greek term meaning "anointed one" or "Messiah" 5. 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. 6. 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" 7. "Lord" refers to Jesus' divine sovereignty demonstrated by his miracles, control over nature and his forgiveness of sins. 8. We should never let a day go by without repeating with the apostle Thomas "my Lord and my God" 9. 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. 10. Jesus is at once "true God and true man" - of one substance, "consubstantial" with the Father and at the same time truly our brother. 11. 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. 12. As God, he has made us partakers in the divine nature, in the life and love he shares with his Father from all eternity. 13. He worked with human hands, thought with a human mind and learned by experience. 14. Jesus possessed both a human and divine will. 15. The human will of Jesus was fully conformed to the Father's saving love. 16. Jesus's obedience serves to heal our disobedience and its effects. The disobedience of Adam estranged humanity from God and the perfect obedience of Jesus not only restored us to God but elevated humanity to an infinitely higher level as brothers of His only begotten son and heirs with Jesus to the Kingdom of Heaven. 17. His human heart also knows and loves us. The Sacred Heart of Jesus symbolizes the boundless love of the Holy Trinity for us. 18. For a Christian there are no equals or substitutes for Jesus. He is the only Way, Truth and Life. Christians who do not profess and proclaim this are neither hot nor cold but lukewarm and Jesus has promised to vomit them out of his mouth. 19. Do you have a personal intimate relationship with Jesus? It is available in the Eucharist. “He who eats my body and drinks my blood, lives in me and I in him.” 20. It is easy to go astray, the world is a relentless temptation. Jesus has made it just as easy to get back on track with the “daily bread” and repentance. His mercy is unlimited and greater than any sin.

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 1. Evil began with the rejection of God by Satan and the fallen Angels.(Physical science can neither prove nor disprove the existence of angels because by definition physical science is limited to the physical and excluded from that which transcends physical reality) 2. Satan seduced our first parents to doubt God's friendship and thereby tricked them into subjecting themselves and their descendants to himself and to reject God. 3. In creating beings that share in his own freedom, God takes the risk of love. 4. 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. 5. 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 without God. This was the original sin which caused the loss of original grace of holiness and justice for them and their descendants. 6. Although human goodness and dignity were not lost completely, the natural harmony and friendship between the human family and God were radically disrupted. 7. Original sin is not a personal act but an inherent (inherited) part of the human condition that leads to the shared human tendency to reject God and choose what is evil. 8. All human beings, save the Blessed Virgin by a singular grace, are born with original sin. 9. 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". 10. The reality of sin can only be clearly understood through the light of divine revelation and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is the true answer to human suffering. 11. What cannot be contested is that evil exists and keeps the world in turmoil. Man’s inhumanity to his fellow beings is amply recorded throughout history. Nevertheless, there has been steady progress and hope always abounds. The fact that more and more people dedicate their lives to peace and justice demonstrates that good can and does triumph over evil. That is what Jesus promises and delivers to all those who follow him faithfully.

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 1. "God created mankind in his own image, male and female he created them" Genesis 1:27 2. "Maleness" and Femaleness" are part of God's creative design and go the depths of one's very being and should inspire wonder and awe in us and in our relationship with God and one another. 3. Sexual differences do not exist in God who is pure spirit. 4. "Being man" and "being woman" are two equal and complementary ways of being human. 5. God created man and woman together and willed each for the other. 6. "Be fertile and multiply", Genesis 1:28 is at the heart of the Church's teaching against contraception. 7. 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. They give themselves to each other freely and completely in a holy communion which is a unity in differences which is fruitful and creative and not a business contract that is calculated and measured and exchanged as a commodity or seeking payment. 8. God in himself is love. 9. Each of the divine Persons is truly divine but in a way that the other is not. Similarly, male and female are two distinct ways of being human for the common good of society and the salvation of souls. 10. The best witness to God is a loving and joyful family that renews itself constantly, overcomes discouragement and missteps and begins every day to start again the great adventure of life on earth projected towards heaven.

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 1. Only man was created in the "image of God". Genesis 1:27 2. God willed us into being for no other reason than his love for us. God delights in us just as we delight with our children. 3. Our capacity for Truth and our ability and desire to love and be loved reflect God's presence in us. 4. Each of us is an unrepeatable, unique, infinitely valuable, unconditionally loved child of God. 5. We have a common origin in God our Father and our dignity and rights to life and liberty come from God alone. 6. Since God values us for our own sake, so too, should we value others for their own sake. This means we cannot treat others as objects to be used or exploited for any reason and also that we must protect and defend others, especially the most vulnerable such as the elderly, the unborn, the sick, the poor, the unwanted, the persecuted, children, the abused, the outcasts, prisoners etc.. 7. We were made to know, love and serve God in this life and to be perfectly happy with him in the next. 8. We are a unity of body and soul. A material body given by our parents and a spiritual soul directly created by God. 9. We are the only creatures who can know love and serve God. 10. We are called to a greatness that goes beyond earthly existence. 11. We are fulfilled only through our friendship with God. 12. A casual reference to our creator is not good enough. God calls each of us to a unique and profound personal friendship with him. For this reason we can not accept that all religions are of equal value. There can be only one true religion of the one true God. God who is perfect order has revealed himself in Jesus Christ who suffered crucifixion and death for each of us and rose from the dead to deliver each of us from sin and death to eternal life with him in God as our Father. To diminish the importance of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most insidious attack on God and his plan for us. Many new age philosophies attempt to destroy the truth of what God has revealed in his one and only Church. With an open mindedness that is truly empty mindedness, they preach a truth that is relative to one’s own preferences as if God can be of our own creation and that God doesn't care what we believe. This is a mockery of God and a recipe for chaos. The truth is that God so loved us as to make us one with his only begotten son through the Eucharist so that we could enjoy the same intimacy with him that he shares with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This truth exists only in his one, holy, Catholic and apostolic church and nowhere else. If we do not profess and proclaim this truth we defraud others of their divine inheritance won for them by Christ. 13. The way we share this truth with others is by listening patiently with humility and good example and not by bellicose argument or talking down to them as if we were better and privileged. We must recognize that we ourselves are often the obstacle to others by our self-centered lives and obtuseness.

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 1. The Church has no problem with true science or Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. 2. In "The Origin Of The Species" Charles fails to tell us what the actual origin is. 3. Only God is creator in the strict sense. He created the universe "out of nothing". 4. The biblical account of creation is not a scientific or "literal" 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. 5. The answer to evil is the whole of God's plan to reveal himself in creation and history and to redeem the world. 6. God did not create evil or will its existence, but he does permit it. In his omnipotent love he brings forth good from evil. We have the freedom to love or not love. Not loving others leads to all the vices starting with arrogance (Adam), envy (Cain), greed, gluttony, anger, lust (David), and sloth. The worst evil was when we rejected, tortured and killed Jesus, the very Son of God who came to redeem us from evil. From that greatest evil came the greatest good: in spite of our rejection, Jesus, crucified and forsaken, cancelled our sins and redeems us. 7. 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. 8. The Church rightly insists that each human soul requires God's creative intervention. 9. When scientist seek to undermine the Creator they reveal themselves to be committed to an agenda rather than the truth. The Truth will set us free, the lack of it enslaves us.

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 1. The Trinity is the most sublime and central mystery. It sheds light on every aspect of our faith and our lives. Revealed to us by Jesus Christ, the concept of the Trinity expands and elevates the power of reason.To grow in understanding of God we must pray and meditate on this profoundly important mystery. 2. Jesus taught us about the Father when he referred to the Father’s beneficent creation of the birds in the air and the lilies of the field. He demonstrated his perfect love for the Father in his complete and unwavering obedience even unto death on the cross. 3. 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. 4. The Father eternally generates the Son and the bond of love between them is the Holy Spirit. 5. 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 the others. We must pray to each of them as three persons in one God. 6. God is love and love is always triune. There must be a lover, a beloved, and there must be mutual love among them. God is One and God is one perfect family in love. The human family is an image of the Trinity. God invites us to become part of his family and for this reason he sent his only begotten son to become one with us so that through his son we could also be adopted into his perfect family. This is the Last Will and Testament of Jesus: “Father, that all may be one, as you and I are one.” Jesus not only wants us to love one another and live in perfect harmony and peace forever, he gives himself to each of us totally and makes us heirs to his very same intimacy with the Father and the Holy Spirit for all eternity.

4. Faith's foundation

4. Faith's Foundation Discovering and knowing the one true God Compendium 36-43 Dt 6:4 1. "I believe in One God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible." This is the most fundamental key to our faith. 2. 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. 3. Faith does not destroy reason but enables it to look more competently beyond itself. 4. 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. 5. God is unconditional, joyful and everlasting Love. 6. 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. 7. If we do not believe in something greater than we are, we can never be greater than we are. 8. St Anselm’s definition of “God” is “that which there can be no greater than” (the greatest) This makes Christopher Hitchen's book “God is not great” a contradiction in terms or oxymoron. The only thing Hitchen proves is that believers are sinners and often severe hypocrites, which is why Jesus came: to save sinners. We hope and pray Christopher is now at peace with his savior, Jesus Christ, his namesake. 9. Science accepts truth by empirical data or by definition. By definition God is the One, all knowing, all powerful, all beautiful, all perfect, all loving, unconditioned, irreplaceable, First Cause, creator of all that is visible and invisible. By definition God is Truth: the Way, the Truth and the Life. 10. St. Thomas Aquinas gives proof of the necessity of a First Cause as do the greatest philosophers of antiquity. Only those committed to a godless agenda say otherwise and they have no empirical evidence to substantiate disbelief only prejudice. 11. Three leading cosmologists, Arvin Borde, Alan Guth, and Alexander Vilenkin, were able to prove that any universe which has, on average, been expanding throughout its history cannot be infinite in the past but must have a past space-time boundary. (A beginning). Wild conjecture regarding the possibility of alternate universes are without an iota of empirical evidence. This debunks Stephen Hawking's unsupported and unexplained statement that because gravity exists there is no first cause and the cosmos and earth are just a random accident without intelligent design and therefore without meaning or purpose. Stephen Hawking has often had to admit to wrong theories and we pray he will have the grace to admit his declared atheism is also wrong as is his support for euthanasia. 12. Physical science can only inquire about the physical universe we know. God transcends the physical universe and is therefore not within the competence of physical science or the scientific method. To deny or dismiss God is to dismiss transcendence and limits us to our physical senses. Love, hope, goodness, virtue, joy, generosity, kindness, gentleness, modesty, faithfulness, chastity, are all transcendent values that disappear without God 13. The rate of expansion of our universe indicates that it began about 16 billion years ago. 14. A common oxymoron is posed as the riddle: can God create something too heavy for God to lift. This is no more intelligible than a square circle. God cannot contradict himself, that is the only thing God cannot do. 15. The energy and enthusiasm that atheists dedicate to denying God is suspect. Only a fool or a person with an ulterior serpentine motive or a guilty conscience would be obsessed with the impossible task of proving that something doesn't exist. There are many things we cannot see but believe in such as intelligence and electricity. Scientific theories require belief in their assumptions and are sometimes debunked by new evidence. Miracles defy science quite often and those who deny miracles are close minded to the truth.

3. Our response to God

3. Our Response to God Faith is a gift to be both received and shared Compendium 25-35 Luke 1:26-38 1. 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. 2. The Blessed Mother's response to Gabriel "let it be done unto me" is a model for everyone. 3. We say "I believe" because Faith is both personal and ecclesial. Faith is nourished in and through the community of believers. 4. Evangelization and catechesis are two essential components of faith. 5. As our faith grows we begin to share here and now in the life of heaven. 6. Faith helps us to understand supernatural truths and clarifies what cannot be understood by reason alone. 7. Both Faith and Science originate in God and cannot contradict each other. 8. It is important for us to memorize and understand the formulas of faith such as the Apostles Creed. 9. 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. 10. The beatitudes are the formula for happiness. 11. The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy and the 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy are the blueprint for authentic daily Christian living. 12. 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. 13. The 5 Precepts keep us faithful to the Church and the 4 Last Things determine our final destiny. 14. As important as it is necessary to know and live these formulas, they are useless without complete charity, sincere tenderness, indomitable patience, total forgiveness and profound humility.