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Chapter 1: Learning Objectives--Students will be able to…1.Define “Liturgy”2.Define “Theosis”3.Explain how the Jewish People came to place their trust in God. 4.Explain what it means to be created in the image and likeness of God. .How do you view the world?Each of us has a particular way of looking at the world and this shapes how we see and value people and things.Our own worldview- [a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world] affects our expectations and responses to questions and issues, and even shapes our ponents of a Worldview1)Origins (Where did I come from?)2)Ontology (Who am I?)3)Purpose (Why am I here?)4)Epistemology (How do I know?)5)Morals and Ethics (What am I to do?)1)Ethics: What I ought to do2)Morals: What I actually do6)Aesthetics (What is good or beautiful?)7)Eschatology (Where am I going?)What Shapes Your Worldview: Formulating a Worldview1)Education—formal and informal 2)Language3)Family and Friends4)Culture (Popular and High)5)Philosophy6)Religion7)ExperienceHaving faith in JesusOur faith in Jesus affects how we view reality and live our lives.Jesus is the ‘lens’ that helps us understand the Christian view of life.This ‘lens’ is the Paschal Mystery of Christ—Christ’s work of redemption accomplished principally by his Passion, death, Resurrection, and glorious Ascension. In this course we will explore Christ’s worldview as we explore our own. Reading the Bible is essential to help us understand Jesus’ vision and be able to see the world through his eyes.God’s Wisdom is greater than oursSt. Paul writes that God’s Wisdom is far beyond human wisdom.God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. —1 Corinthians1:25Jesus teaches us that we need to rely moreon God’s vision than on our own.The Teaching & Vision of JesusHere is an example of a Gospel passage that gives us insight into the teaching and vision of Jesus. “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? … But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” -Matthew ________________________________________________________________________Lesson 2: The Wisdom of Jesus Learning Outcomes: Students will…1.Understand the challenge of placing one’s trust in God;2.Understand how the Jewish people came to place their trust in God;3.Understand that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Scriptures.Faith-formation Outcome: Students will be able to…Appreciate how they can build a personal relationship of trust with God by drawing on the wisdom of the Scriptures and the Church. Overview: In this section….1.We will develop a deeper trust in God by exploring the example of Jesus sand how he placed his complete trust in God the Father. 2.We will also have the opportunity to discover how the Jewish people came to place their trust in God and that Jesus was intimately familiar with the Sacred Scriptures of ancient Israel. Getting the Basics:1. Vocabulary2)Define the vocabulary words in bold:1)Disciples2)Prayer3)Torah4)Prophets5)Psalms 6)Liturgy of the Church7)Messiah8)Salvation9)Sacred ScriptureLearning to trustPositive experiences of trust with people in our lives help us to trust God in matters of faith. Likewise, when we experience broken promises or betrayal, we may find it difficult to trust God.Placing our trust in God is different from placing our trust in people.Because we cannot see or touch God, we must have faith. Faith is ‘a both a gift of God and a human act by which the believer gives personal adherence to God and freely assents to the whole truth that God has revealed. But, through Jesus’ teachings, we know that God is always faithful and keeps his promises.TRUST IN GOD“My child, when you come to serve the Lord,*prepare yourself for trials.aBe sincere of heart and steadfast, and do not be impetuous in time of adversity.Cling to him, do not leave him, that you may prosper in your last days.Accept whatever happens to you;I n periods of humiliation be patient.For in fire gold is tested,and the chosen, in the crucible of humiliation.bTrust in God, and he will help you; make your ways straight and hope in him.You that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy, do not stray lest you fall.You that fear the Lord, trust in him, and your reward will not be lost.You that fear the LORD, hope for good things, or lasting joy and mercy.”How do we show our trust? Jesus placed his trust in GodThe Torah is the written Scriptures of the ancient Jewish people. It contains the promises of God’s Covenant. Torah- is a Hebrew word meaning ‘instructions,’ ‘teachings’ and ‘laws.’ The term is used to name the first five books of the Bible. Also known as the Penteteuch (literally, “Five Books”).Jesus showed his deep trust in God through his knowledge of the Scriptures and by the way he lived his life.“The glory that you have given me Ihave given them, so that they may be one,as we are one…so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” –Jn 17: 22, 23Jesus as the Fulfillment of Scripture1.Part of trusting in God was a part of every Jews life.Jesus himself was a very devout and faithful Jewish man—he lived the life of a very faithful and religious Jew. 2.This part of his life led him to often quote and interpret and study Scripture. Jesus even begins his mission using a very powerful and carefully selected verse from Isaiah—Let us read Luke 4:16-21 together. 3.Jesus’ understanding of who he was—his mission and role comes from a deep understanding of Scripture. He even expresses himself as the ultimate fulfillment of Scripture and the prophets when he states—“Do no think that I have come to abolish the Law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish it, but to fulfill it.” 4.Jesus had to have a deep understanding of what it was he was fulfilling—that being Scripture. Indeed, his message was that he was the promised one—the expected Messiah—the one that would fulfill the Law and the prophets. The challenge of trusting God:Learning Objective: Explain how the Jewish people came to place their trust in God. The three parts of the Torah are: the Law, the Prophets and the Wisdom Writings.Together, all of these books of the Bible help us to understand how the ancient Israelites learned to trust God and why we can also place our trust in God. The Bible is full of stories that convey the proven track record of God’s love and faithfulness to his people.The Law, Prophets, Wisdom Writings, and Psalms.What is the Law?—Law, or Torah, as it is known—comes from a word meaning teaching or instruction.This Law is made up of the first five books of the Bible-known as the Pentateuch [Penta=“five” + tuech=“books”]. They are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Known as the “Law of Moses”What do we find in the Law??The birth of Israel—the origin and growth of God’s people. ?The instructions on how to live (10 Commandments).?The Covenants. Covenants:Definition: solemn agreements made between human beings—or between God and human beings. [Think of it as an unbreakable promise]Each covenant builds and reveals God’s plan of salvation. Reasons to Trust God:Sacred Scripture: The Torah, Prophets, and Covenants. Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise. Overall impeccable track record of God.The Prophets:Jeremiah 23:29"Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?The Prophets:Definition: the prophets were the voice pieces for God—his messengers—they spoke in his name. 1.Continually the prophets were calling God’s people back into relationship with him and to live out the Covenant. 2.There are 18 Prophets in the Bible—divided into “major” and “minor” prophets. Let us look at the example of prophesy from Jeremiah:“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…But this is covenant that I will make…I will put my law within them, and I will write in on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be my people.”3.What is Jeremiah saying with this message?The Prophets: A Two-Edged SwordThe message God spoke through his messengers was a two-edged sword:-It promised salvation for those who trusted in God and acted with justice.-It also admonished and warned the Israelites about what would happen if the nation ignored God’s word. Read and Reflect: Read and reflect on the following quotations from the writings of the prophets Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Isaiah. As you do so, be aware that Jesus was familiar with the writings of these prophets of ancient Israel and more than likely read them or listened to them being proclaimed in the synagogue. from the prophet Ezekiel… “For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of cloud and thick darkness. . . . I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.”—Ezekiel 34:11–12, 16 from the prophet Jeremiah…“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’from the prophet Isaiah….“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near;let the wicked forsake their way,and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he mayhave mercy on them,and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says thelord.For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “We can trust in the God of ScriptureBy delving into Scripture we can find the long awaited expectations of Israel, the promises of God, the Law, the Covenants, the Prophets, and all of God’s wisdom was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Also—an very common and important theme of Scripture is God’s constant love for his people. God is ever faithful, ever merciful, and ever just---particularly for those who were poor and marginalized. We can see countless examples of how God gave unconditional love to the Israelites even when they may have turned their backs to Him, he never left His people. For this reason, the Israelites came to trust in the God of the ancestors – because his perfect track records, the Israelites had little reason to not trust God. Scripture on Trusting God:Joshua 1:9 - “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”Psalm 9:10 -“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”Proverbs 3:5-6 -“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Romans 15:13 -“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.Liturgy of the Church:Definition: Generally refers to the “public worship of the Church” (i.e., Mass/Liturgy of the Hours). The word originally meant a public work or service on behalf of someone. For the Christian Tradition, Liturgy refers to the “participation of the People of God in the work of God.”Liturgy goes beyond the Mass—the “work of God” draws us us into Christ’s threefold mission as priest (sanctifying the world), prophet (proclaiming the Good News) and king (life of charity). Liturgy of the Word: This part of the Liturgy comes from Jewish practice of reading the teachings and writings of the Prophets.How did the Jewish People come to place their trust in God?In short:The O.T. is the story of God entering into a covenant with the Jewish people, leading them to freedom from slavery in Egypt to the promised land. Constantly throughout Sacred Scripture there is a constant theme of the coming of the Messiah-the promised one- who God would send to free His people once and for all from slavery and establish a New Covenant, a New Law. Lesson 3: God is Fair and GenerousLearning Outcomes:1.Explore the meaning of fairness and generosity in the context of God’s unconditional Love. 2.Discover and understand Creation as an invitation to respond to God’s unconditional love.Faith-formation Outcomes:1.Apply our new understanding of fairness to our lives;2.Appreciate and respond to the wonder and generosity of God’s gift of Creation;3.Identify the areas in our lives where we need to undergo a conversion to values lived and taught by Christ. Overview:1.We will begin with an exploration of the connection between trust and fairness. 2.Then we will move on to discuss God’s relationship with humanity as going beyond fairness to generosity. 3.We will explore that God first revealed the depth of divine generosity in the story of Creation. 4.We will demonstrate how the Psalms are examples of how the psalmists expressed their response to God’s goodness and generosity. 5.We will also note how God is always trying to convert us, or ‘turn us around to a more generous, trusting way of life. Getting the Basics: vocabulary words:a) Creationb) Salvation Historyc) Expiationd) ConversionLet’s Probe Deeper:God’s dealings with human beings extend beyond strict justice to generosity. ‘Generosity’ means freely giving more than what is earned or deserved. Our God is both just and generousGod is Generosity. We can see this in the story of Creation:God creates every human in his own image and likeness.God gives us responsibility to care for creation and continue his plan for the world.We must remember to givethanks to God for all that we have.Praying the psalms (See definition in Vocab!) can heighten our awareness of God’s generosity.See, for example, Psalm 104.Partakers in God’s Creation:Dominion: Responsibility given to man by the Creator to care for and manage all of God’s creation. meaning:Cultivate and develop its potentialGuard it from destruction or harmWe are called to share in God’s work of creation. God is always trying to ‘convert’ us!We do not always respond to God’s generosity in the way that we should. We can make selfish and self-centered choices.Even in these times, God loves us unconditionally and continuously calls us to relationship with him.“If we are faithless, [God] remains faithful for he cannot deny himself.” —2 Timothy 2:13God is always trying to ‘convert’ us!God is always calling us back to right relationship with him; in other words, to ‘convert’ us, ‘to turn us around’.The depth of God’s love and desire for humanity was fully revealed in his sending Jesus ‘for the expiation of our sins’ (CCC, nos. 620621).Lesson 4: Created in God’s image and likenessLearning Outcomes:1.Articulate what it means to be created in the image and likeness of the Triune God;2.Identify the symbolic significance of ‘disobedience’ in the story of Adam and Eve and its implications for us today;3.Recall the meaning of theosis. Faith-formation Outcome:Identify ways in which we can reflect God’s image and likeness to others. Overview:1.We begin with an exploration of what it means to be created in God’s image and likeness. 2.Next, we explore the implications of the Trinitarian God—one God in three persons whoa re ever in a right and loving relationship, to help us understand ourselves as being created in this image and likeness. 3.Lastly, we will examine how the Trinity serves as a model for right, loving and mature human relationships. Image and Likeness of GodAccording to the first account of creation (Genesis 1:1-2:4) every human person is created in the image and likeness of God.Created in God’s image and likenessThe Bible tells us that we are created in the image and likeness of GodLet us (Triune Language) make [man] in our image, according to our likeness. —Genesis 1:26This means that the divine image is presentin each of us. We are made to be holy.We are created to be united in body and soul, in both a material sense and a spiritual sense.Everyone is called to live in community with one another, in a living image of the Trinity. What is the Trinity?Through revelation we know that God is a Trinity. This means we believe in one God in three perfect persons, who live ever in a right and loving relationship towards each other and creation.The Trinity is “being with” or “being in relation,” an intimate relationship of love and self-gift.For this reason Sacred Scripture states, “God is love.” From the CCC: Who is God?“In now way is God in man’s image. He is neither man nor woman. God is pure spirit in which there is no place for the difference between the sexes. But the respective ‘perfections’ of man and woman reflect something of the infinite perfection of God: those of a mother and those of a father and husband.” --CCC 370St. Irenaeus wrote:‘God fashioned man with his own hands and impressed his own form on the flesh he had fashioned, in such a way that even what was visible might bear the divine form.’Original Holiness and Justice:The first human beings were created in a state of original holiness and original justice. General Meaning: they were living in a state of harmony with God, with ourselves, and with creation. Creation & The Adamic Covenant - Read: Genesis 2: 1-25Original Holiness: Meaning: ‘to share in divine life’Original Justice: Meaning: ‘The inner harmony of the human person, the harmony between man and woman, and finally the harmony between the first couple and all creation.’Covenant:What is a covenant? --the extension of kinship by oath (solemn promise)Why is “covenant” important?The Bible is divided into two covenantsThe Liturgy says: “again and again you offered a covenant to man,” or now, “time and again you offered them covenants.”The Eucharist is the “new and eternal covenant”This implies old and temporary ones that preceded it. Covenants (Continued):What does God want with us through covenants? because he wants to make us his family, though we are not by nature. Understanding the Bible depends on grasping the sequence of covenantsThe Adamic Covenant:Adam is the model for all human beings: We are all called to be sons (daughters) of God, kings (queens), priests, prophets, and bridegrooms (brides) Salvation History: the story so far… This is where we are in salvation history:1. Adam and Eve are dwelling at peace with God in Eden, the garden-mountain that was the original “sanctuary,” the model for futures temples. 2. King and queen of all creation, they enjoy harmony with the animals, plans and all created things. All their natural needs are met by the garden God planted for them. 3. Their supernatural needs are met by God himself, who (it seems) would “walk” with them in the Garden. (Gen 3:8)Losing the ‘likeness of God’Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and made selfish choices that prevented them from becoming the people God created them to be.Those choices caused them to sin and they fell out of God’s grace. They lost God’s ‘likeness’. We call this Original Sin—the personal sin of disobedience by the first human being.All of humankind remains essentially good, even when we sin. We can ‘become like God’ once again when we turn away from sin and seek to be in harmony with God and with one another. Consequences of the Fall: Original Sin1.Loss of Original Holiness and Justice: Loss of the supernatural life and harmony2.The general effects of sin: suffering and pain. 3.Unnatural Death4.Man must toil for his food.Gaining the image of God: Theosis (Learning Objective)We were created and destined for eternal life with God, but we lost our harmony with God through rebellion and disobedience. With the coming of Jesus Christ human beings could once again be in union with God through Theosis—meaning “divinization’ or ‘the process of becoming like God.’This type of transformation occurs via immersion in the life of Christ, and the sacramental life of the Church. St. Athanasius wrote (319 AD): “The Son of God became man so that we might become like God”The story of Peter MaurinPeter Maurin co-founded the Catholic Worker movement and newspaper with Dorothy Day. Together they created two ‘Houses of Hospitality’ in New York City, as well as a farm in Pennsylvania where the poor and needy could live and work. ................
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