The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and Life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the "hierarchy of truths of the faith." The whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, reveals himself to men "and reconciles and unites with himself those who turn away from sin." CCC 234.
In our continuing quest to understand the Holy Spirit, here is a not-so-short (12 minutes) video from Bishop Baron to give you some more insight.
And if you would like to spend some more time reflecting on the Rublev Icon of the Holy Trinity, here it is.
PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and enkindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you shall renew the face of the earth.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus!
ASSIGNMENT FOR NOVEMBER 5 - SALVATION
Bible - Isaiah 53:1-11, John 10:11-18, and Romans 5:1, 6-11
"Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony, and his Passion and gave himself up for each one of us: 'The Son of God . . . loved me and gave himself for me.' [Gal. 2:20] He has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation, 'is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that . . . love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings' without exception.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 478.
To learn more about devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, click here.
This week since we do not have class, here is a 2-part video from Bishop Barron about Jesus.
Jesus is the incarnation of infinite love and infinite mercy. His mercy is so great, that he told St. Faustina, "Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me. The flames of mercy are burning Me -- clamoring to be spent; I want to pour them out upon these souls." Divine Mercy in My Soul 50. He says, "[B]efore I come as the Just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy." Divine Mercy in My Soul 83. Jesus asked St. Faustina to have an image painted to show the world how Divine Mercy flows out of him to all people. To learn more about St. Faustina and the Image of Divine Mercy, click the image here. We should never hesitate to turn to Jesus for all that we need, even when we feel that we are not worthy of his love. It is then, especially, that he wants to pour out his love on us and hold us close to his Sacred Heart.
PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
O most Holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing,
I adore you, and with a lively sorrow for my sins,
I offer you this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to your will.
Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you.
Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions;
Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs,
Your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death.
AMEN.
ASSIGNMENT FOR OCTOBER 22 (the Holy Mass and the Eucharist)
Bible - Luke 22:14-20 and John 6:22-59. CCC - 1323-1327, 1337-1346, and 1391-1398
A note on assignments - Some of you have let us know that you are reading more in the Bible and the Catechism than what is assigned. That is GREAT! The assignments are designed to give you a basic framework for the class, but we always learn more when we read the Bible and the Catechism in context. If you have the time, I encourage you to read the sections around the assignments, and to follow the cross-references in the Catechism. And let us know in class if you find something interesting!
"Because creation comes forth from God's goodness, it shares in that goodness--'and God saw that it was good . . . very good' (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 31)--for God willed creation as a gift addressed to man, an inheritance destined for and entrusted to him."
Catechism of the Catholic Church 299
If you would like to watch the Pope's entire speech to the World Meeting of Families, here it is.
Some questions came up in class about the angels and about the serpent (the Devil). We will discuss angels in more detail on February 18th, but if you can't wait until then, the article below provides a nice overview of the angels with lots of beautiful pictures.
PRAYER FOR THE WEEK - Prayer to St. Michael St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts,by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls
ASSIGNMENT FOR OCTOBER 8 (Jesus) Bible - John 1:1-18 and Colossians 1:12-20 CCC - 422-424, 430, 432, and 436
You can find links to free online versions of the Bible and the Catechism under the links tab at the top of the page.
"Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last (Cf. Isaiah 44:6), the beginning and the end of everything. The Credo begins with God the Father, for the Father is the first divine person of the Most Holy Trinity; our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth, for creation is the beginning and foundation of all God's works. Catechism of the Catholic Church - 198
Below is a short video about the different ways that people try to understand God and how they compare to what the Bible teaches about who God is and is not.
Prayer for the week - the Our Father Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Assignment for September 24 Bible - Exodus 3:1-17 CCC - 203-207 and 214-221
Here are the slides from the Sept. 24 class. You can find links to free online versions of the Bible and the Catechism under the links tab at the top of the page.
The first and last point of reference of this catechesis will always be Jesus Christ himself, who is "the way, and the truth, and the life." (John 14:6) It is by looking to him in faith that Christ's faithful can hope that he himself fulfills his promises in them, and that, by loving him with the same love with which he has loved them, they may perform works in keeping with their dignity: Catechism of the Catholic Church - 1698 At the link below is a beautiful reflection on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and we can use it in our life of prayer and faith.
Prayer for the week - The Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Assignment for Sept. 17 Bible - Luke 1:25-56 and Hebrews 11:1-12:2 CCC - 26, 35, 144, 158, 160, 164, and 165
You can find links to online versions of the Bible and the Catechism under the links tab at the top of the page. Here are the slides from the Sept. 10 class.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said , "Behold, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are your staying?" He said to them "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him ...." John 1:35-39. Are you interested in learning more about the Catholic faith and joining the Church? Are you a Catholic who has walked away from your faith and is longing to return? Are you a life-long Catholic who would like to learn more about the Church, get a refresher on certain topics, or get an answer to that question that has burned within you for years? Come and See on Thursday evenings starting on September 10th.
