The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit acts as a guide, as we make decisions and choices.

As the giver of life the Holy Spirit is associated with the breath of God which moves over the void (Genesis 2:2) and is breathed into humanity at its creation (Genesis 2:7)

The Holy Spirit is the living memory of the mighty deeds of Jesus (John 14:26)


The Holy Spirit is the source of inspiration within human beings to find thier full humanity.

Pentecost

1. What is the definition of Pentecost?

Pentecost is the great festival that marks the birth of the Christian church by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2. When was Pentecost first celebrated?

It dates back to the first century.

3. Who / what is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity.  He is fully God. He is eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, has a will, and can speak. He is alive. He is a person.

4. What happened at Pentecost?

Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, the twelve apostles, Jesus' family and many other of his disciples gathered together in Jerusalem for the Jewish harvest festival that was celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover. 
While they were indoors praying, a sound like that of a rushing wind filled the house and tongues of fire descended and rested over each of their heads.  This was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh promised by God through the prophet Joel. 
The disciples were suddenly empowered to proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ. They went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began preaching to the crowds gathered for the festival. Not only did the disciples preach with boldness and vigor, but by a miracle of the Holy Spirit they spoke in the native languages of the people present, many who had come from all corners of the Roman Empire. This created a sensation. 
The apostle Peter seized the moment and addressed the crowd, preaching to them about Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. The result was that about three thousand converts were baptized that day. 

5. What part of the year is Pentecost celebrated?

Pentecost is celebrated fifty days after Easter.

6. What is Jesus really saying to the folks here - John's Gospel (20:19-23). It tells of a visit of the Risen Christ to the disciples huddled in fear. "Peace be with you," Jesus says. "As the Father sent me, so I am sending you." After saying this, Jesus breathed on them and added, "Receive the Holy Spirit." The breath, the life, of Jesus himself. We are God-breathed. Pentecost celebrates that reality.

It means that the Spirit breathes peace.

7. What seems to happen when people allow this divine Spirit to energize them?

When people allow this divine Spirit to energize them they are filled with love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control.

What we believe about Jesus

1 Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ is God the Son, who became man for us.

2 Is Jesus Christ truly God?
Jesus Christ is truly God, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son, the Eternal Word, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit always was, is and always will be.
'In the begimmimg was the Word' (John 1:1)



3 Is Jesus Christ truly Man?
Jesus Christ is truly man because he has the nature of man, having a body and soul.

4 Was Jesus Christ always man?
Jesus Christ was not always man but he became man in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

5 What do we call the mystery of God becoming Man?
We call this mystery 'the Incarnation' which means that God the Son, became mab, a human being like us in all things except sin. 'the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1:14).

6 How many natures are there in Jesus?
There are two natures in Jesus, the Divine nature of God and the Human nature of man.

7 Why did God the Son become Man?
God the Son became man to free us from sin and open to us the way to Heaven and everlasting life with God.

8 What does the name 'Jesus' mean?
The name 'Jesus' means 'Saviour.

9 What does the name 'Christ" mean?
The name 'Christ' means 'Anointed'.

10 What do these name tell us?
That Jesus was anointed by God the Father to be our Saviour.

The Trinity

Introduction to the Trinity

What is monotheism?

·         The belief in one God

·         Began with the Covenant between God and Abraham

·         Grew through Abraham, Sarah and their descendants

Catholic Christians pray “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and the Holy Spirit” This may lead some to think that Catholics worship three gods, not one.

Catholics have always affirmed the truth that God is one.

“We believe in one God,” Nicene Creed

What is the Trinity?

·         Comes from the Latin trinus meaning “threefold”

·         Refers to the central mystery of the Christian faith

·         Mystery-God exists as a communion of three distinct and interrelated Divine Persons:

FATHER

SON

HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Trinity is a unique and defining trait of Christian faith.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the Trinity is the Church’s “most fundamental and essential teaching” (234) and the central mystery of our faith, which only God can fully reveal to us.

Many images and analogies throughout our Churrch’s history have tried to bring clarity to this mystery of faith.

·         According to legend, Saint Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity. How does the shamrock represent the Trinity?
 

Salvation

1. What resons do Christains have for being filled with hope?
They can hope because when you die there is hope for enternal life.

2. How can Christains show that he or she hopes in a lifebeyond death?
They believe in God, obey the rules and do as he wishes.

3. If you have ever attened a Catholic funeral, recall the ideas that came through the service. Certainly there would have been feeling of sadness but did any other feelings or ideas come to you?
Fortunatley the last funeral I was at was a long time ago when I was in year 2, all I can remeber ws being sad and hearing stories about the person's life.
Usually Catholic funerals are about Enternal life.

4. Catholics often use the term heaven to refer to life after death. What do you understand by this term?
I understand that heaven is God's santuary, there is no sin, it is perfect.

5. Develop an explanation of the word 'heaven' for someone who does not know what the word means.
Heaven is a place that you can't reached until you die and then only if you have believed in God and commited no sin. It is a perfect place with no sin of evil that you can live enternally.

God in Art

 

There have been alot of images of god been painted, especially in Euroupe.
Here are some other images of god.



Regeneration by Cornelis Monsma

Fire symbolises - Holy Spirit
                          - Baptise
                          - Changed/ Touched
Powerful picture
Looks almost heavenly
The coal may symbolise us climbing up to God







Sistine Chapel Painting
Beard = Wisdom and God's old age
White Robes = God's purity

The Nicene Creed

Definition of a Creed

• A creed is a statement of belife, in particular a statement of faith that describes the belifes shared by a religious community.
• For Catholics, the Nicene Creed is the most important expression of faith of the community.

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I beleive in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate
of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascened into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look foward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

Five Themes of the Nicene Creed

• God is the creator of all that exists.
• Jesus was and is totally one with God , fully divine: of one substance (consubstantial) with the Father.
• In Jesus, God took on human flesh and lived amongst us. He was eventually executed by cruicifixion, but death did not defeat him as God raised him up so that we could know that all Jesus taught us was true.
• The Holy Spirit remains with us, guiding the Church and empowering believers not only to remember but also tp live out the message of Jesus.
• We are called to live out our faith in the community,in "one holy catholic (meaning 'universal') and apostolic (following in the tradition of the Apostles) church."

Feasts of Mary

Date	Title		Purpose	Origin / Doctrine
8th of December		Immaculate Conception	It is celebrated because Mary is without Sin. This feast deals with the redemption of the Church	1854
1st of January		Mary Mother of God	It celebrates Mary’s being the mother of Jesus	431 A.D.
25th of March		The feast of the Annunciation	It celebrates the angel Gabriel, coming to announce that she will be the mother of Jesus	525 A.D.
24th of May		Our Lady help of Christians	special feast for her intervention in fight against sin in a believer	Early 1800’s
8th of September		Birth of Mary	Mary’s Birthday J	701 AD
15th of September		Our Lady of Sorrows	To remember Mary’s suffering	1482

Mary Webquest

 

Mary of Nazareth

Web quest

Jones, Emilia

 

 

What does the name “Mary” mean?

Mary, a Greek form of the Hebrew name Miriam or Mariam, means ‘wise woman’ or ‘lady’.

What three images do we have of Mary in our minds?

An image image of Mary that I have in my mind is when she is speaking with Angels, one Mother of God; Virgin, Another image includes the types of dress she is wearing, she is corvered and she is very modest.

What percentage of people of Nazareth were peasant farmers?

About 70% of the people of Nazareth were probaly peasant farmers.

What religion was Mary?

Mary was.

List 4 facts about Jewish scriptural stories Mary’s would have followed.

The sorts of thing she would have done is eaten Jewish foods, observed holy days, known Jewish Laws.

What were the three classes which existed in Nazareth and which one did Mary’s family belong to?

The three classes were the Rich, the poor and the destitute. Mary was of the poor class.

What are 2 reasons why the 4 Gospels present the story of Mary differently?

One reason is that they were writing for different audiences and another reason was that they were trying to convey ideas about Jesus and God.

What was the Gospel writer Mark implying when Jesus reset the boundaries of family life by saying – “Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. (Mark 3:33-35)”?

He kind of said that everyone who believes in God is his family.

What did the Gospel writer Luke paint Mary as?

She was a role model, but also human with normal emotions, failings etc.

Why was it difficult for Mary to become pregnant while unmarried?

It was against social norms at the time and it could be dangerous for her.

What was a Jewish woman’s responsibility for her children?

She had to care for child and educate  them in Jewish Religion.

What point of view does Matthew’s Gospel paint Jesus’ birth? What does the story preceded by?

Matthew Gospel is from Josphehs point of view, followed by a Genology

What 2 stories does John’s Gospel contain which the other Gospel’s do not?

John’s Gospel includes Wedding at Cana and Mary witnessed the crucifixion of her son.