Archive
Catholic wedding bells
Since I am getting married this Saturday, I thought the latest Vortex episode (from RealCatholicTV) was appropriate (and very true).
In a few days, I’ll be one of the few … the proud … the married … Roman Catholic !
— God bless & stay holy!
CCD 7th: Heaven + Hell + Purgatory (day 8)
Today, in our 7th grade pre-Confirmation class, we …
Write Jeopardy Questions — everyone made up Jeopardy questions about anything we learned so far. Some of the questions will be used for the Parent Teen Jeopardy in a couple weeks.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
- –apparition to Juan Diego
- –picked roses in winter
- –“eye” of Mary portrait
–Gangs using Rosaries (for protection?)
Heaven – the state of eternal life and union with God, for those that choose God (saints).
Hell – the state of permanent separation from God, reserved for those that reject God.
- Sheol (Hell) – Hebrew OT word for gloomy place beneath the earth for all dead, both righteous and evil.
- Gehenna (Hell) – Hebrew NT word refers to the place on the SW side of Jerusalem, used for a dumping ground for human waste, corpses, rotting matter, etc. with “fires” burning. Became a popular symbol for what Christians called “hell.” (See Mark 9:43-48, Luke 12:5)
Purgatory – a state of final purification that one may need following death, before heaven.
HOMEWORK:
- finish Pop Quiz handout & prayer journal “God letters” (3 any + 3 events),
- do “Jeopardy Questions” handout (x 2)
CCD 7th: Incarnation + Chapter 1 + God Proofs (day 6)
Today, in our 7th grade pre-Confirmation class, we …
[story] “Father + Son + ant hill”
Incarnation = “God becoming man (flesh)”
- We bow & genuflect for the incarnation
- — in front of tabernacle or alter @ Mass
- –@ the name of Jesus in prayers
- –during Nicene Creed @ Mass
- –@ transubstantiation @ Mass
- –before receiving Communion
(p12) How do I experience God? As a parent? Loving Heavenly Father? A powerful & limitless presence? As a close friend? Jesus? my own specific way?
(p13) Aristotle’s 5 Proofs of God
- Prime Mover … nothing moves on their own
- First Cause … everything is caused by?
- Necessary Being … why do things exist?
- Ultimate beauty, goodness & truth … what standard sets good/bad, true/false, etc.
- Great Designer … mind, eyes, creation?
Blaise Pascal, 17th century French math + scientist said, “There is a God-shaped hole in the human heart that nothing else can fill.”
HOMEWORK:
- finish reading textbook Chapter 1 (The Source of All Life),
- do “Pop Quiz” handout with parents,
- pray over 3 events in your life where you felt God present + journal a letter to God after each.
the Church
RECTOR’s CONFERENCE – (Fr Michael) — tonight’s topic: THE CHURCH
I. GENERAL INTRO
A. Difficulties of Definition
1. Paul: EKKLESIA – a gathering of a group — a group of believers gathering “in the Lord” — local community gathering
2. Attempts at Definition
a. Baroque needs — tried to make mysteries visible & concrete
b. Externals
c. Risk of polarization
d. Search for clarity has a price — risk losing the presence of God
3. Subject of Mystery
a. innermost reality of Church is a divine gift, itself
b. Church is communion of men through grace of Christ
c. mystery
d. connaturality / intersubjectivity — we cannot objectify the Church because we are a part of it
e. mystery of Christ
4. Use of models
II. CARDINAL AVERY DULLES + MODELS OF THE CHURCH
A. Intro / Context
B. Original Models
1. Institutional – visible structure, right & powers of its officers
a. Negatives: can become rigid, doctrinaire,
b. this should never be the first or primary model
2. Mystical Communion – people united by the spirit in Christ, spiritual, communal, personal
a. Negatives: can lead to disillusion, simply “a friendly family of believers”
3. Sacrament – a sign & transmitter of God’s grace in the world, connects outward institutional & inner mystery
a. Negatives: can lead to “sterile aestheticism” (overly spiritualized)
b. this should be the primary model
4. Herard – faith & proclamation of Gospel, focused on preaching, share gift with others
a. Negatives: can be not incarnational enough, saying & not doing, can be rather pesimistic
5. Servant – part of the whole human family & sharing their concerns
a. Negatives: can seperate from Word & Sacrament, can forget the Church is a community, can disolve things distinct to Christianity
C. Addition of Sixth Model
1. Polarization of 70’s (models were not embraced)
2. “Community of Disciples”
Recent Comments