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."