The Story of Christ
Jacob Lee
The Mystery of Redmeption
The Original state of man
In the book of genesis ( in the bible) it tells about Gods creation of our universe, he created day, night, the sky, sea, land, animals, and finally man. God created Adam and Eve who were the first humans, God told them they were allowed to roam and live on the earth happily. There was one exception though they were forbidden from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve broke this agreement with God which resulted in the original sin of man disobeying God, which leaves us where we are now trying to receive Gods grace once again.
Gods promise of redemption
Adam and Eve left humans with a disconnection between themselves and God through sin. However, God did not give up on humanity, he had a plan of redemption for all humanity. He would send his only son to to save the world from sin and evil.
The Incarnation of christ
God would send his only son in the form of both fully God and fully human. He would first need to find a perfect mother for Christ, this is where Mary would be brought into the picture. Mary was free from all sin and was a virgin. She would give birth to Jesus through the immaculate conception.
The word became flesh
- To make expiation for sins, reconcile man with God, and restore human nature lost by sin
- To manifest the infinite depth of Gods love
- To offer a model of holiness
- To allow people to share in his divine life
The Paschal Mystery
The paschal mystery tells about the events of Christs passion, death, and resurrection, which is a culmination of Christs mission to redeem the sins of us humans. This mystery tells about Christ when he conducted miracles such as the Wedding at Cana where Jesus turned water into wine. It also tells about Christs temptations by Satan and his Rejections to them. Paschal Mystery teaches about God saving us humans from the consequences of original and personal sin.
Theological Virtues
The theological virtues can be natural or supernatural. Natural virtues are good habits we make over a period of time, example, if i wanted to acquire the virtue of temperance in regards to food, i would need to expend effort to eat less over a period of time. Supernatural virtues are acquired after baptism where the virtues are infused by God into the souls of the faithful , the most notable virtues being faith, hope, and charity.
Prayer
The relationship with God and us is strengthened through communication in personal prayer and the sacramental life. Through prayer God becomes more present in our lives and we receive supernatural nourishment. Prayer also allows for God to know that we love him back and want to be in communion with him in heaven
The Church
The four Marks of the chrch
We Christians preach the four marks of the church when we say " We believe in One, Holy, Catholic, apostolic Church.'
- THE CHURCH IS ONE- We acknowledge the uniqueness and singularity of the church, which means that there is only one true church of Christ that is constituted exactly in agreement withe her divine founders will. We also affirm the unity and solidarity of the church.
- THE CHURCH IS HOLY- In this mark we recognize the unity of the church which comes solely from God. The church is holy becaus her goal is the glory of God.
- THE CHURCH IS CATHOLIC- The church is catholic because she is whole and complete, it the church is also catholic because sh received universal authority from Christ to fulfill her universal mission
- THE CHURCH IS APOSTOLIC- The church's apostolic nature is manifested through the apostles successors, the bishops and the lay people. This mark primarily related to christs selection of the twelve apostles as the foundation of his church.
The Last Things
The surest way to die a happy death is to live a good christian life. After death, once the soul has left the body, it is judged by God through particular judgment which is when God makes the soul see with all clarity. The soul will then either be sent to heaven, hell, or purgatory. Heaven is where all the saved souls rejoice. Hell is the complete opposite, all the souls who have freely denied God end up here. Purgatory does not indicate a place, but a condition of existence, it is a state of purification to reach heaven.
Parousia
Parousia is the second coming of the Lord, Christ will appear as a judge and establish his kingdom. Gods majesty, wisdom, justice, and mercy will shine forth for all to see as Jesus Christ's final victory on earth. We will see why God allows the good to suffer and the wicked to prosper. At this point God will invite the good into his kingdom while sending the wicked to hell.