Redemption Question

• Two meanings of the word 'church'

  - People of God -> Christ is present in people gathered together (Matthew - "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them")

  - Building of worship -> Eucharist is served on the alter which is the central focus of the church
• Two features of the Church before Second Vatican Council (1965)

  - Cross shaped -> reflects Jesus dying on the cross

  - Facing Jerusalem -> reflects importance of the city where Jesus died and rose for Catholics
• Two features of the Church after Second Vatican Council (1965)

  - Built around the alter -> everyone can be fully involved

  - Decorated for people to reflect in the glory of God -> nothing is too good for God
• Two ways Catholic Churches help believers to worhship

  - Statues of saints -> help people to focus and to reflect on God's work in everyday life

  - Images (e.g. Stations of the Cross) -> inspire Christians to pray and reflect on the suffering of Christ
• How does help the altar worship/express redemption?

  - Where consecration takes place -> when the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ ("This is my body")

  - Believers reflect on Jesus' offering of himself on the cross to save humanity during consecration
• How does help the Lectern worship/express redemption?

  - Prominent place in the Church where people can hear and see the word of God

  - Two readings given -> OT reminder on how God guided his people, NT guides Christians to live their life according to Jesus
• How does help the Crucifix worship/express redemption?

  - Image of Jesus dying in pain -> reminder on how Jesus suffered for the sake of humanity

  - Inspires gratitude for what Jesus has done for Christians -> suffering of Jesus reminds them that he sacrificed his life for them
• How does help the Tabernacle worship/express redemption?

  - Where the consecrated bread and wine is reserved -> for those to take communion for those who can't be in the Church

  - Real presence of Christ -> praying in front of it can give a sense of peace
• Why do some Catholic churches prefer a table over an altar?

  - links to the last supper -> reenacts it

  - Reminder that Christians are joining in with his word
• Why do some Catholic churches prefer an altar over a table?

  - Place of sacrifice -> OT used to kill animals
• What does the Crucifix remind Catholics of?

  - All that Jesus suffered out of love for humanity -> helps believers be grateful for the love of God

  - Reminder of the price Jesus paid for the freedom of their sins
• What does the Cross remind Catholics of?

  - Symbol of Christs triumph over sin and death -> Jesus not on cross meaning he's risen and conquered death

  - not worshipping idols
• What does the Risen Christ remind Catholics of?

  - Stresses what Catholics receive in communion -> body, blood, soul and dignity of Christ

  - Reminder that the resurrection brings all things to completion -> leads to the fullness of the reign of God
• Two reasons why God gave humans free will

  - Humans wont be like robots -> no longer be made in the image of God if free will didn't exist

  - God wants a real relationship so humans are free to accept or reject him -> Genesis where Adam eats the apple and disobeyed God command ("you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil")
• Two reasons why creation needed to be redeemed

  - Humanity didn't have an intimate relationship with God -> free will allows people to reject God's will

  - Sin damaged relationship with God -> everything was balanced and in harmony but sin broke this making everything unbalanced
• Two beliefs about how Jesus' death and resurrection restored the relationship between God and humanity

  - Jesus showed total obedience to God -> helped build relationship with God which has been destroyed ("Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death")

  - Jesus raised from dead by the father -> destroyed ultimate power of sin and death
• Two ways which the ascension restored creation

  - Jesus ascended to take his place at God's right hand -> Christ restored everything to the condition God wished and "made him the head over all things"

  - Through resurrection and ascension, believers can join them in heaven -> opened up the way to eternal life in heaven
• Significance of Jesus' death for redemption

  - Example of how we should prepare for death -> Jesus forgave his executioners and the thief before he died meaning Christians should forgive any grudges before death

  - Veil in temple split in two -> barrier between God and humanity was broken meaning human's had direct access to God ("the curtain of the temple was torn in two")
• Significance of Jesus' burial and descent into hell for redemption

  - All those how died before rose to heaven with Jesus -> Jesus went to hell so that the people could defeat sin and death and rise with him

  - God is with the believer even in death -> Jesus experiences and conquers death, giving courage to the believer to face death
• Significance of Jesus' resurrection for redemption

  - Made life after death possible by destroying power of sin and death -> without it faith would be pointless as no one would escape sin and death ("If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile")

  - All those who died before him rose with him -> life doesn't end at death (continues in heaven)
• Significance of Jesus' ascension for redemption

  - Jesus is with the father in heaven, sharing in his glory -> gives hope that after death believers will be risen up to heaven and share in eternal life with Jesus ("he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of sight")

  - Jesus promised to send his spirit to the people -> allows his work to be continued through believers
• Salvation in the past

  - Comes from the death and resurrection of Jesus

  - Gate of heaven opened by Jesus' death - sin and death conquered (" If Christ had not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins")

  - Nothing else is needed as though the death and resurrection salvation is complete
• Salvation in the present

  - Ongoing process

  - Believers need to allow the HS to guide them

  - Resist temptation and ask for constant forgiveness (confession)
• Salvation in the future

  - God's grace will come at the end of time when God's kingdom is established - sin and death will have no power when this happens

  - Christians appreciate heaven after struggling on earth
• Grace/ salvation at Mass

  - Experience heavenly banquet -> symbol of unity and joy of the kingdom of God

  - Receive grace and live for God at communion -> Christ enters their life to give them strength to resist sin ("This is my body broken for you")
• Jesus as an example (Mark 15:21-39)

  - Decision to accept God's will and accept death shows obedience -> knew the suffering and still chose to do it (" Father let this cup (of suffering) pass me by, not by my will but yours")

  - Act of love for God and humanity - not self centered and through following this humanity can be saved
• Jesus as restorer

  - Restored the intimate relationship between God and humanity -> done through complete obedience to reverse Adam's disobedience

  - Jesus' death made God more accessible to humanity -> tearing of temple's veil represents the breaking down of barriers between God and humanity ("veil of the temple tore in two")
• Jesus as the victor

  - Fully human as he experienced suffering and death -> bringing the presence of God into it makes it possible for all humans

  - As he shared in the human condition, humans can share in the divine condition -> ("My God, why have you forsaken me")
• Resurrection of Jesus in John's Gospel 20:1-18 (redemption)

  - Jesus appeared to Mary and she didn't recognize him -> Jesus was different reflecting the idea that redemption changes creation and makes it more perfect (Jesus saying to Mary "go to my brothers and say to them 'i am ascending to my Father'")
• Ascension in Acts 1:6-11 about redemption

  - Promised to send the spirit to complete his work through the disciples -> they're to be witnesses to the redeeming work of Jesus converting everyone

  - No longer visible after the ascension but disciple are told he will return again on the "clouds of heaven" -> redemption will be complete at the end of time
• Pentecost story in redemption (Acts 2:1-4.)

  - Power of the HS filled the disciples -> leads them to the new redeemed creation

  - Transforms the disciples by giving them the courage to preach the news about Jesus -> helps other people join those who have already been redeemed
• St irenaeus metaphor for salvation

  - Tree of knowledge of good and evil to the tree of the cross -> A&E disobeyed God by eating from the tree, Jesus obeyed Gid by dying on a tree restoring human's relationship with God

  - Tree of knowledge of good and evil brings about death by separating humans from God -> Tree of cross bring life be restoring relationship
• St Anselm's metaphor for salvation

  - Death compared to ransom in slave trade -> slave could be freed if paid ransom - A&E became slaves to sin

  - Only way to atone is to be obedient to God -> Jesus paid ransom by doing this and freed human's from effect of sin ("gave his life as a ransom for many")
• Beliefs on conscience

  - Voice of God in their hearts and souls -> God guides each person through the HS to make the right choices ("Conscience is the inner voice of man")

  - Needs to be educated -> done by listening to others/ paying attention to church teachings

  - Made up of natural instincts -> born with 'natural law' (basic understanding of what's right/wrong) ("do good avoid evil")
• How to educate conscience

  - Teachings of the CC -> infallible and magisterium teachings are guided by HS

  - Read Bible -> God's law guides people - summarized in the ten commandments
• How conscience guides a believer

  - Helps people search and live by the truth -> God's voice prompting them to "do good and avoid evil"

  - Listen to others to ensure their conscience is guiding them correctly -> makes sure they aren't ignoring the HS
• Relationship between natural law and conscience

  - Can be educated by appealing to natural law -> NL gift from God that helps guide people ("love good and avoid evil")

  - C made up of natural instincts to help guide Catholics -> e.g. instinct is to preserve a life so NL guides people not to murder
• Mass links to redemption

  - Catholics apologize for their sins during the Penitential Rite -> strengthens relationship as God forgives/redeems them

  - Eucharistic prayer reenacts Last supper -> command to eat/drink enables Christians to share in the offering made to God on the cross
• Eucharist as source and summit of Christian life

  - Offering of Christ on the cross is the highest form of prayer -> reenacts his sacrifice

  - Source as Christ's body and blood give life to the soul -> transubstantiation makes Christ fully present in the bread/wine ("Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life")

  - Without Eucharist Christians can't live a full life - give food to the soul
• Orthodox Christians - Eucharist

  - Liturgy -> full of intense symbolism and ritual -> priest is allowed to say the mass in private

  - Consecration takes place behind Holy Doors of the iconostasis -> too holy to be seen by the congregation (gateway between heaven and earth)

  - Christ fully present in Eucharist