kingdom of God

• four marks of the church

  One - church united body

  Holy - presence of God makes it holy

  Catholic - church universal

  Apostolic - church teaching built on Apostles
• Apostolic Succession

  - Bishop and Pope successors of Apostles

  - authority is passed down

  - combined to form magisterium

  - conciliar - council makes decisions

  pontifical - pope makes decisions
• Catholic social teaching

  - God loves all people

  - people important for existence of church

  - should support weakest members in society

  "all men ought to work for the rightful betterment of the world"
• kingdom values and vocations

  - gentleness, humility, peace, love and mercy

  
  

  priest hood - celebrates mass, promise of celibacy, body +soul priests serve others and help families.

  
  

  family life - love unites families, parents show kingdom values, mercy spreads kingdom values to children.

  
  

  religious life - monks and nuns, commit themselves to God, vows of poverty simple lives dedicated to others.
• Body Christ - charity

  SVP - international catholic charity, works on a local level and offers practical help, visits hospitals and summer camps for young carers.

  
  

  CAFOD - helps people living in poverty, offers help due to natural disasters + war. victims rebuild lives and campaign against poverty.
• signs of the kingdom


  Justice - all access to human rights , "good created from everyone by God should in fact reach everyone".

  
  

  peace - state of total trust and unity "founded on truth built up on justice nurtured and animated by charity"

  
  

  Reconciliation - brings people together
• signs of kingdom through Pope Francis

  Justice - increased peace amongst, inspires to live simply, criticises economic policies.

  
  

  peace - restored relations between Cuba +US. brings together rulers at war

  
  

  Reconciliation - maundy Thursday washes feet of prisoners + visits area of tensions prays with other religious leaders.
• Kingdom of God and Lord's prayer

  - Kingdom of God:

  - reign of God, began when Jesus was born

  - established through the resurrection

  - extended by Christians

  - Lords prayer:

  - "thy kingdom come" - accept rule of God completed at end

  - "on earth as it is on heaven" - follow will of God and spread values.
• Second Vatican council


  Dei Verbum - interpretation of word of God

  Lumen Gentium - structure of the church

  Sacrosanctum Concilium - liturgy and mass

  Gadium et spes - modern church
• Church encourages drama to spread message


  - "the production and showing of film ought to be encouraged"

  - can help understand difficult messages

  - encounter with God

  - inspired

  -

  some disagree: portray God wrong "thy shall not make idols"
• Mary Magnificat


  - perfect disciple

  - shows humility "looked on favour at the lowliness of his servant"

  - praises God "my soul magnifies the lord"

  - sense of revolution, political promotes justice rebel against governments.

  - "bought down the powerful from their thrones"

  - "sent the rich away empty"
• how mission and evangelism are shown in Les Mis


  mission - Valjean steals but Bishop forgives him through love and forgiveness Valjean changes as a person.

  
  

  Evangelism - Valjean saves his former jailer who no longer tries to kill him
• pilgrimage


  - life is a pilgrimage towards heaven

  - complete journey when die meet God

  - "Christians on pilgrimage should seek and think of things which are above"

  - "pray with your feet"
• what do stations of the cross show

  - on day of crucifixion Jesus carried cross to Pilates house

  - stations of the cross - pilgrimage within the church

  - Jesus falls and sees his mother showing his humanity.
• examples of pilgrimages


  Jerusalem - visit the tomb via the Dolorosa, join in suffering

  Rome - centre of Catholic teaching, commitment to church

  Lourdes- Bernadette vision of Mary dug up spring for healing

  Walsingham- Norfolk replicates Mary's house- don't have to travel far.