Christian Living

• Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “The LORD our God, the LORD is ONE. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ”
• 1 Corinthians 8:4 “There is no GOD, but ONE.”
• 1 Timothy 2:5 “There is one God.”
• The Nicene Creed confesses that there is, but only ONE GOD with three persons.
• The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. COEXISTENT COEQUAL COETERNAL
• CCC 200 - God is one in nature, substance, and essence
• Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit
• Holy Trinity - They are different from each other, but is only one God with one nature.
• Summa Theologica - A book by St. Thomas Aquinas. It states that God is one, the alpha and the omega
• De Trinitate - A book by St. Augustine of Hippo. One God with three Divine Persons – father, son, and holy spirit
• The trinity of God is taught by the Catholic Church as the belief that in God are three persons who exist in one nature.
• We are baptized “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”, and sent in mission in the name of the Trinity.
• God revealed Himself to all because this is His great manifestation of love.
• He communicated to humanity who He is just like the love of a Father, in a personal way.
• He is also reaching out to us through friendship, so we get to know and love Him.
• The Holy Spirit inspires the understanding of all these in the hearts and minds of the faithful.
• 1. God's Revelation - 1. Creation or Natural Signs/ 2. Sacred Scriptures or Biblical Signs/ 3. The Church or Ecclesial Signs/ 4. The Prayer and Sacramental Worship or Liturgical Signs/ 5. Grace or Signs of the Times
• Creation or Natural Signs - It is everything we see, hear, and touch from the beginning until now. 7 Days of Creation
• Sacred Scriptures or Biblical Signs - His words and deeds are records of salvation history. It is completed and perfected by Jesus Christ, the Son made man. Bible, Miracles of Jesus (e.g. water turned into wine)
• The Church or Ecclesial Signs - This refers to His presence by the Holy Spirit in His people – the Church.
• The Prayer and Sacramental Worship or Liturgical Signs - This includes the doctrine and moral services of the Church. 7 Sacraments, Holy Mass, Liturgical Calendar
• Grace or Signs of the times - It points out His interior presence in our conscience and in all the events of our daily lives or world events.
• God’s revelation is gradual – through the prophets to revealing Jesus Christ.
• The Bible testifies how God entered the history of the human race.
• The Old Testament tells how God first entered into a special covenant relationship with His chosen people.
• Noah - In the Old Testament, God made an everlasting covenant with Noah and all living beings.
• Abraham - He was chosen by God to receive the covenant
• Moses - God revealed His law (10 commandments through Moses).
• Prophets - He prepared His people through the prophets to accept the salvation destined for the humanity.
• Jesus - The final goal of God’s revelation is Jesus Christ. Through the Church, the Sacred Scripture, and the Sacred Tradition.
• Apostolic Tradition - It is the transmission of the message of Christ through preaching and writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
• Apostolic Tradition - The apostles handed on the sacred tradition to bishops who were their successors so that the Gospel is preserved in the Church.
• Jesus' Successors - 12 Apostles, Pope, Bishops, Priests
• Apostles - other term for disciple. They are the personal follower of Jesus Christ
• 12 apostles - 1. Simon Peter | 2. Andrew | 3. James, son of Zebedee | 4. John | 5. Philip | 6. Bartholomew | 7. Matthew | 8. Thomas | 9. James, son of Alphaeus | 10. Thaddeus | 11. Simon the Zealot | 12. Judas Iscariot
• Simon Peter - Peter which means rock. A fisherman. He is one of Jesus’ closest disciples. He is the leader of the early Christian church.
• Andrew - He is the brother of Peter. A fisherman. He was the one who introduced Peter to Jesus. Andrew is often depicted carrying a cross, as he was martyred by being crucified on an X-shaped cross
• James, Son of Zebedee - He is the brother of John. A fisherman. He was the first of the 12 Apostles to be martyred.
• John - He is the brother of James. A fisherman. He was the known as the Beloved Disciple. He wrote the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation.
• Philip - A fisherman. Known for his ability to bring people to Jesus. He depicted holding a basket of bread as he was present at the feeding of the 5,000.