Theology II Semester Exam
By: Sydney Dacus
From the Mystery of Redemption:
The Original State of Man (Original Sin and its Consequences)
Adam and Eve were created to share his love and friendship. God created them in a state of holiness and justice. In this state, they were free from sickness, suffering, and death; things we have today because of Original sin. Work was meant to be easy and rewarding and God's intention was for us to live a life of happiness and fulfillment. Original Sin is the sin of disobedience; Eve disobeying God by eating from the tree, tempted by the serpent who represents Satan.
The Word Became Flesh
The Word became flesh for four reasons: to make expiation for sins, to manifest God's love, to offer a model of holiness, to allow people to share in his divine.
- He became flesh to make expiation for sins, reconcile man with God, and restore human nature. God did this by sacrificing his Son for our sins.
- The second reason was to manifest God's love, to show us how much he loves us through Jesus.
- The third reason to offer a model of holiness; to show the dignity of humans and to show that anyone can overcome temptation and Satan.
- Lastly, the Word became flesh to allow a share in his divine life. We are called to share in God's divine life through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit and with His sanctifying graces.
The Paschal Mystery
The Paschal Mystery is the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. These are a manifestation of God's love that achieved redemption.
- The Death- We can learn important lessons from his crucifixion. The encounter between St. Simeon and Christ when he fell was a reminder that every Christian should be willing to help Christ carry his cross. His journey to his crucifixion is a powerful reminder that Jesus is familiar with pain and exhaustion. The climax of Christ's Passion is at the Crucifixion.
- The Resurrection- Christ's greatest victory is his Resurrection. The new body of Christ was not subject to suffering or the limit of time space and time. The entire Christian Faith hangs on this truth.
Without the Paschal Mystery, especially the Resurrection, we wouldn't have the Faith we have in Him; we would still be prisoners of sin and wouldn't have been redeemed, forgiven, or adopted by God.
The Theological Virtues
The Theological Virtues are faith, hope, and charity.
- Faith- we use faith in our lives to believe in God and to accept the truths revealed about Christ through the Church.
- Hope- Hope allows us to rely on God's grace and trust in his promises of salvation and everlasting life. It is the expectation that God will give us the capacity to respond to his love.
- Love/Charity- is the most important theological virtue, because without it, faith and love are formless and dead. Charity allows us to love God and his creation above all things.
Prayer: How we communicate with God
Christ first taught his disciples to pray the Our Father. God answers every prayer. HE might not answer it in the way we want or expect, but he answers every prayer. When we pray, we pray in adoration, repentance, thanksgiving, or ask the Lord to help us and others. When God answers our prayers, we are to use the grace he gives us to accept his will.
From The Church:
The Four Marks of the Church
The Four Marks of the church are one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. We proclaim our belief in these Marks in the Nicene Creed.
- One- when we say the church is one, were recognizing the uniqueness and singularity of the Church. Even though there are many churches, The Church is one. The Unity of the Church lies in one God as three persons.
- Holy- The Church is receives her holiness through Christ and the Holy Spirit. She is called holy because her origin is Christ and her goal is the glory of God.
- catholic- this type of catholic means, universal (unlike Catholic the religion). The church is catholic for two reasons. First, because she is whole and complete in holiness. Secondly, because she has the universal authority to fulfill Christ´s mission.
- Apostolic- This refers to Christ choosing the twelve apostles as the foundation of the Church. The apostles were to assist Christ and to teach and govern his Church
The Last Things
The Last things are Death, Judgement, Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, and Parousia.
- Death- when you die and your soul leaves your body. The surest way to die happy is to live a good Christian life.
- Judgement- As soon as your soul leaves your body, it is judged by God. He decides whether you go to Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory, based on your Christian life.
- Purgatory- a state of purification so the soul can reach the purity it needs to enter into Heaven .
- Heaven-Once a soul has made up for its sins on earth or in purgatory, it is allowed into Heaven. Heaven is everlasting life, glory, and happiness with God.
- Hell- Hell is everlasting separation from God. To go to Hell, you must die in mortal sin or freely choose to separate yourself from God. You must choose to freely love him and obey him.
Parousia
Parousia is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to earth. Christ will appear in power and majesty as a judge. When he comes, all mysteries of Christ will be answered.