Kingdom of God

• What is a pilgrimage?

  • journey that has a spiritual purpose, where the destination may be a sacred religious place
• Why do Catholics believe that life is a pilgrimage?

  • life is a journey to meet God at death -> therefore the Church is the pilgrim people of God
• What is a dramatised prayer?

  • Prayer that involves physical actions
• How do Catholics accompany Jesus in the Stations of the Cross?

  • When Catholics pray before the Stations of the Cross, they accompany Jesus on his final journey with a type of dramatised prayer
• Why do Catholics make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem?

  • Some Catholics make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem where they may do the Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa, the street through which Jesus carried his cross
• Give a quote that describe Christian views about life as a pilgrimage to heaven

  “Christians, on pilgrimage toward the heavenly city, should seek and think of these things which are above” Gaudium et Spes 57
• What is the significance of moving between the Stations of the Cross?

  • is a way to accompany Jesus on his last journey
  • is a way to share in Jesus’ sufferings as a sign of gratitude & thanks
  • helps the person to stay focused on their prayers
• Why do Catholics go on pilgrimages?

  • Renew their commitment to the Church & God
  • meet other Catholics
  • heal themselves
  • to feel spiritually inspired
• What are the popular pilgrimage sites for Catholics?

  • Jerusalem
  • Rome
  • Lourdes
• Why is Jerusalem important for Catholic pilgrimage?

  • City in Israel where Jesus died
• Why do Catholics visit Jerusalem?

  • to share in Jesus’ life & suffering
  • to renew their faith & commitment to Jesus
• Why is Rome important for Catholic pilgrimage?

  • Centre of Catholic faith
  • Vatican, tomb of St. Peter, St John Lateran (most important Catholic Church)
• Why do Catholics visit Rome?

  • to show their commitment to the Catholic Church & their unity with the Pope & all Catholics
• Why is Lourdes important for Catholic pilgrimage?

  • healing powers -> young girl called Bernadette saw visions of Mary
• Why do Catholics visit Lourdes?

  • to be healed physically or spiritually by the waters
  • to feel stronger & more at peace in body & mind
• How can films inspire Christians?

  • inspires Christians to become more involved in missionary work & evangelism
• How is mission through God’s love in good actions portrayed in film?

  • In Les Miserables, a thief steals silver from the bishop
  • the bishop stops the police from arresting the thief by claiming it was a gift
  • persuades thief to become a better person
  • the thief sets up a factory to help create jobs & benefit from the wealth the bishop gave him
• How is the important of following God’s law (mission & evangelism) shown in film?

  • In Les Miserables, the thief is pursued by a former jailer who refuses to forgive the thief for his crimes & wants him to be back in jail
  • the thief however saves the jailers life & the jailer finds he cannot arrest him
  • the thief’s kind act saves him from prison -> therefore Goodness wins out over the law
• How is commitment to God through mission & evangelism shown in film?

  • in The Mission, European priests doing missionary work with native Americans
  • when natives are attacked by slave owners, priests defend the natives despite danger of death & cautions to leave from the order of the bishops
• Why are films important to mission & evangelism?

  • illustrates the power such values can have to change & improve people’s lives
  • inspires & encourages Christians to show these values in their own lives
  • helps to inspire Christians to preach the Gospel message to others & to show it in their lives by their actions
• What is the Kingdom of God?

  • not a place
  • idea of God’s authority & rule
• How was the Kingdom of God established?

  • through Jesus
  • continues to grow through the present day, completed at the end of time
• What is the Lord’s Prayer?

  • prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples
  • gives an idea of what is required for God’s kingdom to grow on earth
• What is the meaning of ‘Our Father, who art in heaven’?

  • Jesus wants all people to be able to call God their ‘Father’, & to have a trusting relationship with him
• What is the meaning of ‘hallowed be thy name’?

  • prayer for God to be accepted as holy
  • when people respect the majesty & holiness of God, they recognise the importance of God in their lives, so they accept the call to become members of God’s Kingdom
• What is the meaning of ‘thy kingdom come’?

  • a prayer for God’s Kingdom to come, & for people to accept the rule of God in their hearts
• What are the signs needed for the ‘perfect’ kingdom?

  • Justice
  • Peace
  • Reconciliation
• How can Christians help the Kingdom of God to grow on Earth?

  • By contributing to:
  • Justice
  • Peace
  • Reconciliation
  • Both in their own lives & the lives of others
• How can justice spread the Kingdom of God on Earth?

  • recognises that all people are created & loved equally by God
  • treats all people fairly & equally, regardless of e.g. sex, race, religion
  • ensures all people have access to basic human rights
• How can peace spread the Kingdom of God on Earth?

  • supporting organisations that work for justice & unity
  • is a state of total trust & unity between all people
  • flows from justice - there can be no peace where there is injustice
• How can reconciliation spread the Kingdom of God on Earth?

  • restores damaged relationships between people -> helps peace & justice to spread
  • brings back people who have broken apart
  • relies on acceptance & empathy
• What is the significance of the hierachy in the Catholic Church?

  • Recognises people’s authority & responsibility
  • Brings about unity
• What is the Second Vatican Council?

  • series of meetings held by the Pope & bishops between 1962 & 1965
  • it produced a series of documents that reflected a more modern approach to the Church & the world
• What is the hierarchy of the Catholic Church?

  • The Pope
  • Cardinals
  • Bishops
  • Priests
  • Deacons
  • Lay people
• Who are Cardinals?

  • Appointed by the Pope; they elect his successor
• Who are the Bishops?

  • Successors to the apostles
  • Responsible for a diocese
• What is a diocese?

  • a large area of churches
• What are the documents in the Second Vatican Council?

  • Dei Verbum (the Word of God)
  • Lumen Gentium (on the Church)
  • Sacrosantum Concillium (on the Sacred Liturgy)
• What is Dei Verbum (word of God)?

  stresses that the Bible should be taken seriously as the word of God, but should not be read in a literal way
• What is Lumen Gentium (on the Church)?

  • nature & structure of Church -> all members of the Church have important roles to play not just the Pope