Pillars of the Church · Mary and the Communion of Saints ... Catholic Social Documents ... God’s Spirit “moves on the water” at the dawn of creation God “breathes” life

Pillars of the ChurchWhat it Means to be Catholic

1 Pillars of the Church – what it means to be Catholic V2.doc -(1)- 9/11/2018

Table of ContentsOur Hunger for God.....................................................................................................................................................................................3

Our Hunger for God – Reflection Questions....................................................................................................................................6Pillars of the Church - Scripture..................................................................................................................................................................7

The Old Testament Cannon............................................................................................................................................................12The New Testament Cannon..........................................................................................................................................................13Scripture – Reflection Questions....................................................................................................................................................14

Pillars of the Church – Tradition...............................................................................................................................................................15Pillars of the Church – Tradition – Reflection Questions..............................................................................................................17

Pillars of the Church – Teaching...............................................................................................................................................................18Pillars of the Church – Teaching Reflection Questions.................................................................................................................22

Who we Are – Church History..................................................................................................................................................................23Church History – Reflection Questions..........................................................................................................................................27

What we Believe – The Creed...................................................................................................................................................................28Supplement on the Creed................................................................................................................................................................32What we Believe – The Creed – Reflection Questions..................................................................................................................35

How we Pray – Liturgy..............................................................................................................................................................................36How We Pray – Liturgy – Reflection Questions............................................................................................................................39

How we Live – Conscience.......................................................................................................................................................................40How We Live – Conscience – Reflection Questions.....................................................................................................................44

Mary and the Communion of Saints..........................................................................................................................................................45Patron Saints...................................................................................................................................................................................48Mary and the Communion of Saints – Reflection Questions.........................................................................................................49

Sacred Space – Church Tour......................................................................................................................................................................50The Church and Society – Catholic Social Teaching................................................................................................................................54

Catholic Social Documents............................................................................................................................................................58Social Justice – Reflection questions..............................................................................................................................................64


Our Hunger for God

God calls and we respondAll religion is about relationship – our relationship with God.God offers us the relationship – makes the first step;

we can accept the offer of relationship or we can reject it.Even if we reject it, God will keep offering it.

Our response to God’s call to relationship will effect the direction of our lives.

God calls everyoneAll people have the innate desire (although it may be deeply hidden!) and the capacity to know God.

There has never been a group of people throughout history that did not have some kind of religion.This desire to know God has been placed in our hearts by God.

There is a spot in our hearts exactly the size and shape of God.We often try to fill this empty spot with other things – money, drugs, other people.Only God fits. We will never be truly happy until we have a relationship with God.

“Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O God” St. Augustine

How we come to know God (part 1 – Reason)We can come to a knowledge God from the world around us .

The order and beauty of nature leads us to see the hand of GodCreation requires a creator; effect requires a cause; motion requires a mover

The orderly operation of the universe leads us to see the mind of GodThe universe works – the laws of nature work the same yesterday, today and tomorrowThere is harmony in the working of nature – all things work together, are inter-related.

We can come to a knowledge of God from the human person .Our sense of “fair play,” basic “right and wrong” points to a giver of laws.

Some things just seem “instinctively” right and wrong; some actions good and some bad.We have freedom of action and a conscience that points to the One who gives the freedom.

When we go against our conscience, we feel sadness, we are sorry for our actions.We have a capacity for doing good, for self sacrifice that points to a supreme good.

Humans have courage, kindness, an ability to sacrifice for others – all point to God.Point : Through human reason alone we can come to a knowledge that there is a God and some basic truths about God (there is one God, God is good, God is the creator of all things and so on).But that is as far as we can go by ourselves – to go further requires God’s help.

How we come to know God (part 2 – Revelation)God has chosen to let us know (to reveal to us) things that we could never know by ourselves.

For example that He is a Trinity, that Jesus was his Son.Revelation (what God has chosen to reveal to us) is a free and loving act on the part of God.God desires us to love him freely as he loves us. He will not force his love on us.

Revelation comes to us through:Scripture – The inspired Word of God spoken to humankind through the ages.

The Bible is the written record of God’s relationship with people over the yearsTradition – The prayerful reflection of the faithful on the Word of God down through history

This is the “sensus fidelium,” the sense of the faithful; "the supernatural appreciation of faith on the part of the whole people” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 92)

that is the basis for the Magisterium, the teaching authority of the ChurchJesus Christ – The Son of God who is both:

The final, most complete revelation of God.


The God who does the revealing.Point : It requires God’s free self-revelation for us to move beyond what we can know by our own reason.Without revelation we could never know that God was a Trinity or that Jesus was his Son.

How much c an we know about God?No matter how we try, we can never completely know God. God will always remain a Mystery.

A mystery is something that calls us to come closer, to dig deeper. It interests and fascinates us.God is not a puzzle (an enigma)– something that makes us angry, annoys and frustrates us.

Since our knowledge of God is limited, our language about God is limited.We refer to God as “He” although God is neither male nor female.We call God “Father” although he is not a father in the human sense.

We can only speak about God in terms of analogy (God is like…)God is like a father – God loves and cares for his creation like a father cares for his childrenGod is like a rock – God is strong and lasting, like a rock that stands firm against the weather.

We need to be careful with these comparisons and not push them too far.The term “Theology” (Theo = God, logos = words) is used for talking about God.

Point : We can know some things about God based on both reason and revelation.We can not completely know about God because as humans, our understanding is limited.

If we could completely understand God, then He wouldn't be God!However we can know enough about God to be certain of his love for us.

What do we know about God? (part 1 reason)God is the creator of all things

Everything that is (that has existence) exists because God creates and sustains it.God is the source of “being” –

if God were to stop existing (not possible!) everything would stop existing (stop “being”).Because God is Creator, God exists outside creation – nothing created God.

God always was and always will be – God is eternal.Because God is eternal, God exists “outside” of time;

in God there is no past / present / future – all times are now.God is all-present

Because everything exists in God, God is present everywhereGod has no physical limitations; God is not in any one place – God is everywhere.

God is all-knowingBecause God is present to everything, there is nothing he does not know or understand.

God is perfectBecause God created everything, is present to everything, and knows everything;

God is “complete” (perfect); God lacks nothing, needs nothing, because God already “has” everything.God is all-powerful

Because God is Creator; whatever God wills comes to pass.Creation is an expression of God’s will – everything exists because God wills (wants) it to.

Because God is all-powerful, nothing forces God to act.God is supreme in the universe; nothing is greater than God

What do we know about God? (part 2 revelation)In the Old Testament – there are three ideas of God

Spirit (in Hebrew “ruah” = “breath”)God is alive and breathes; God has breath (like human beings!)God’s Spirit “moves on the water” at the dawn of creationGod “breathes” life into human beings; we share God’s life / breath / spirit.


Wisdom God’s “knowledge” / “consciousness” / “self-awareness”.Wisdom is closely (intimately) connected to God but is still separate from God.Wisdom is “present to” God from “the beginning;” has existed for always.

WordGod said (spoke the words) “let there be light and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)God’s powerful, creative Word – seen as separate from God (like Wisdom) (Wisdom 9:9)God’s Word is also (like Wisdom) present from “the beginning.”

In the New Testament – the reality of JesusJesus refers to God as Father (in Hebrew “abba” = “daddy”) (Mathew 6:9)

A close, personal, intimate relationship with GodJesus promises to send the “Spirit”

The descent of the Spirit (as Jesus promised) and the Spirit’s gifts. (Acts 2:1-2)

God remains a mysteryIn the end, God must remain a mystery – we can never completely know God.

The more we learn, the more there is to know – the closer we get, the further in we can go.The Christian concept of God is a God that is both:

TranscendentGreat and awesome, supreme creator of all things, existing beyond time and space“Up in heaven.”

ImmanentHuman, humble, approachable, a man who lived at a particular time, in a particular place.“Down on earth.”

The ultimate mystery is that we have a God who is one of us;A God who got hungry and thirsty, who laughed and cried, who lived the life of his creation,A God who was crucified by the people he created, the people he loved the most,A God who was still God even in death – a death that could not hold him,A God who has gone through all that we will go throughSo that we can be united with him for ever in heaven.


Our Hunger for God – Reflection Questions

1) It has been said: “There are no atheists in a foxhole.” Which means that even if someone says they don‘t believe in God (they are an atheist), if they are in a life-or-death situation, they will. Do you agree with this? Do you think they would be changed by such an experience? What does it take to make someone believe in God? Is it even possible to force belief in God?

2) People often say: “I will believe in God if you can prove God exists.” There really is no such absolute proof, only faith. Why do you think God works this way? How does God show us his reality?

3) The image we have of God will influence how we feel about God. Here are some “images of God” some people may have. How do you think they would feel about God? What kind of relationship would they have with God?A) God exists, but he is so mighty and distant he couldn’t care about me.B) God created the world, but he just lets it alone to continue by itself without being involved.C) God keeps track of all the good and bad things I do; if there is more bad than good, he will send me to

hell when I die.D) God is so merciful that he will forgive anything I do; so it doesn’t matter what kind of life I lead.E) God loves me so much that he was even willing to die for me.

4) Is there a conflict between science and religion? Can a scientist believe in God? Can a religions person accept scientific explanations for natural things (like creation, evolution, etc.)? Is religious truth different from scientific truth? Where does truth come from?

5) St. Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, Lord.” Do you agree with this? Is it possible to find peace of mind away from God? What happens if you try to?

1 Pillars of the Church – what it means to be Catholic V2.doc-(6)- 9/11/2018

Pillars of the Church - Scripture

The Bible is not a book – the Greek word “Byblos” means “library”A Library is a collection of many books;

written by different authors, on different topics, written in different styles at many different times.You would not read a book of poetry in the same way you would read a book of historyTherefore in order to understand the Bible, you need to know about each book:The historical and cultural setting it was written in (when and where)

The “style” of literature it was written in and what the author intended (how and why)The author’s intent, who they were writing for, the assumptions the author made about them.

This method of understanding Scripture is called the “Historical – Critical” methodit is the primary one that the Catholic Church uses.

InspirationAbove all else, the Bible is the inspired Word of God; in one sense God is the author of the Bible.

Inspired by God does not mean dictated by God;God used human authors to write the Bible – with all their human flaws and shortcomings

God gave them the inspiration to write, but the authors themselves put that inspiration into words.Some wrote better than others – compare Isaiah and Jeremiah or Luke and Mark

Inspired by God means that the entire Bible is inspiredNot just the parts you like (or agree with!), not just the New Testament – it is all or nothing

Inspired by God means the Bible teaches truly and without error the message that God wanted taughtThe Bible is a book of religion – not science.

It is an injustice to God’s Word to force it to mean something that God never intended.Like using it to predict the Stock Market or presidential elections.

The truth of Scripture remains constant – our understanding of that truth changes with timeLike the authors were, we are effected by the times and culture in which we liveWe grow in wisdom and understanding as we reflect on the ScripturesWe need to constantly re-understand Scripture as our society changes

Inspired by God means that Scripture is fundamental to our understanding of GodGod reveals himself in Scripture; “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of God” (St. Jerome)

Scripture is the “touchstone” of Church doctrine;There is much Church teaching that has no counterpart in Scripture (like teachings on human cloning)However, no doctrine or teaching of the Church can ever run counter to Scripture.

Scripture is “normative;” it is “normal,” the standard we measure things against

The Catholic ApproachMost Christian faith traditions use the Bible as a basis for their theology (as do Catholics!).

In many cases, they use an approach that accepts the literal words of scripture as their guideThis is “Biblical literalism” - each event occurred exactly as told, there are no conflicts in the textA Biblical literalist would maintain that the earth was created in six, 24 hour days about 6,000 years ago.The Ark and creation museum in Kentucky is an example of this approach.

There are two difficulties with this approach:The creation narratives conflict with current scientific understanding of the earthThere are unresolved contradictions within the Scriptural text that need to be explained:

Were humans created on the first or last day? How many animals did Noah take on the Ark?

The preferred approach to Catholic Scripture is called the “Historical / Critical” method.It starts with the text itself – (Text Criticism)

What pieces of ancient text do we have? Scrolls? Papyrus fragments?Where did they come from, when were they written, how are they related to each other?Eventually arriving at a pieced together “standard” text (also called a “textual witness”)

Literary FormLike a library, there are many kinds of writing in the Bible.1 Pillars of the Church – what it means to be Catholic V2.doc-(7)- 9/11/2018

These forms changed with time (they go in and out of style) as the people and their culture changedSome are familiar to readers today – forms like history or biography.Some are very different than anything today – forms like prophecy or apocalypse

Some of the literary forms in the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) are:Creation stories: accounts of the origin of the world and its peoples. e.g. GenesisLegal Codes: collections of civil and religious law. e.g. LeviticusGenealogies: family trees show the “contentedness” of people and famous ancestors. e.g. NumbersAnnals: official histories of kings and kingdoms. Usually highly selective (not history in the modern sense)

Often written under royal sponsorship. Example: 1 and 2 Kings.Prophetic Books: collections of the words of God spoken through human intermediaries (prophets),

And accounts of the symbolic actions of the prophets to the people to faithfulness. e.g. JeremiahPsalms: Songs and poetic lyrics used in public worship services. e.g. The PsalmsPrayers: private (not used in worship services) heartfelt words addressed to God. e.g. LamentationsProverbs: “wise old sayings” collected to encourage readers to live well. e.g. ProverbsWisdom Literature: inspirational stories to encourage people to live wisely. e.g. JobApocalypse: a symbolic narrative that interprets current events through the eyes of God.

Written to give hope to oppressed people. e.g. DanielSome of the literary forms in the New Testament (Christian Scriptures) are:

Gospels: proclamations of the “good news” of Jesus; accounts of his life, death and resurrection.Not biographies of Jesus in the modern sense, but written with a theological agenda. e.g. Matthew

Acts: a narrative of the events of a group of people like the early church). e.g. ActsLetters: open letters written to a Christian group (church) or individual (Titus)

Usually deal with a particular issue confronting the people. e.g. 1 CorinthiansTestament: a dying person’s last wishes or instructions for their successors. e.g. 2 PeterHomily: a reflection that cites and interprets the Old Testament in reference to Jesus. e.g. HebrewsWisdom Collection: a collection of general instructions on how to live a Christian life. e.g. JamesApocalypse: a symbolic narrative that interprets current events through the eyes of God. e.g. Revelation

We need to understand the form the ancient writer used if we are to understand what he wanted us to know.Clearly, different forms require different understanding

We also need to understand the historical and political context the text was written in.Was the writer writing about his own time or a mythologized past?How much access did the author have to persons or events? Was he present? Did he know the individuals involved?

How did the Bible come to be written?1) To write a Bible, first you need a campfire.

Religion is about the experience of God – experience is shared by speaking about it“Oral tradition” is the shared religious heritage of a group – “campfire stories”

Note that these stories have parts that are based on fact and parts that are “legend”Did George Washington really chop down the cherry tree? What does this story teach?

“Memory tricks” in the scriptures show that most of them were memorized and passed on verbally2) Once you have the stories, you write them down so you won’t forget them

When the stories become important enough to the group, they are written down.This is assuming you know how to write and you have something to write on!

The initial written stage becomes a point of departure for further developmentCopying – the manuscripts are copied – they wear out, others want copies, etc.

As they are copied, errors in the text begin to creep in – they may become significant over timeEditing – the manuscripts are studied and people write in their comments

Parts of the text may be dropped, moved around or mixed with other textThe original meaning may change – depending on the spin of the editor

3) At some point, the process stops and the text becomes “canonical”Some basic edition of the text is accepted as authoritative and “frozen” in timeLittle further intentional development of the text – but it may be unintentional or accidental

All copies of a text could be destroyed during a time of persecution (e.g. a book burning)A splinter group may break off from the main group with their own version of the accepted text


Translations of the textWhere did my Bible come from?We have no original manuscripts of any book of the Bible

We speak in terms of “text traditions” and “witnesses” to the (supposed) “original” text.For the Old Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls (from about 200 years before Jesus) are the oldestFor the New Testament, the Codex Sinaiticus (from about 300 years after Jesus) is the oldestThese are the oldest complete versions. We have bits and scraps going back further – but nothing original.Point: We are dealing with copies of copies – there is always the issue of errors in the text.

If you are reading your Bible in English you are reading a translationHebrew (for the Old Testament) and Greek (for the New) are the original languages.

Every translation is a compromise – how about a translation of a translation?Formal Translations – aim for word-for-word accuracy, sometimes the meaning suffers.Equivalence Translations – aim for “same sense” even if using different words.Paraphrases – give you my interpretation of what I think the original words mean.

For example, the ancient Israelite's system of time was very different from our own.There were twelve hours from sunrise to sundown, and night was divided into three "watches."The same time called "the eleventh hour" in a formal translation; would be translated "five o'clock in the afternoon" in an equivalence translation and might simply say "in the late afternoon" in a paraphrase.

Old Testament – steps in developmentWe have no example of the Bible as used during the Kingdom of Israel (3,000 years ago)

After the Babylonian Exile (580 – 520 BC), each synagogue would have made its own copy of the BibleCopies would be in Hebrew or sometimes in Aramaic, the common language of the people

About 300 BC a “standard edition” of the Old Testament was made in Alexandria Egypt.This is the Septuagint and it was written in Greek, translated from the original HebrewThis became a widely accepted version and was the Bible that Jesus would have been familiar with.

About 75 AD, the Jewish authorities rejected this Greek translation and returned to the HebrewThe Christians retained the Greek version (probably because the Jews rejected it).

St. Jerome (about 400 AD) used the Hebrew and Greek versions for his Vulgate (written in Latin,the common – vulgar – tongue)

Jerome included all the Greek Old Testament books in his official list of books of the Bible.This became the “standard” (the “cannon”) for Catholic Bibles.

In the 1500s AD in Northern Europe, Erasmus made a Latin translation from the Hebrew Martin Luther used this as the Basis for his German translation

New Testament – steps in developmentWe have no original copies of the Gospels or Letters (originally written in Greek)

The earliest examples we have are some scraps of text from about the year 200 ADSt. Jerome (about 400 AD) translated the Greek for his Vulgate (written in Latin)Again, in the 1500s AD, Erasmus made a Latin translation from the Greek

Martin Luther used this as the Basis for his German translationThe Bible in EnglishThe Catholic Church in England used the Vulgate Bible until the 1500s AD

There were some partial translations of the Latin Vulgate into English, only a few scraps have survivedJohn Wycliff made the first complete translation of the Vulgate into English (1380 AD)

It was neither accurate nor widely accepted – it had heretical leaningsProtestant translations – Church of EnglandWilliam Tyndale made a translation based on the work of Erasmus and Luther (1530 AD)

A Protestant, Tyndale had a strong anti-Catholic bias, which is obvious in the translationCoverdale’s Bible – translated from Luther’s German and the Latin of Erasmus (1535 AD)

It was commissioned by King Henry VIII – England was now a Protestant country.The King James (KJV), commissioned by King James I in 1611 (the “Authorized Translation”)


Became the standard Bible for the Church of England (and America) until 1880The Revised King James 1880 – re-translation with original textsBecame the American Standard in 1901 and the New American Standard in 1968

Revised Standard (RSV) – an American revision of the Revised King James in 1950Became the New Revised Standard (NRSV) in the 1970sThe Reader’s Digest Bible (from the NRSV) cut 50% of the Old and 25% of the new!

Protestant translations – OtherAlmost every Protestant group has its own favorite translation

Most mainstream Protestant groups use either the King James or some variation on it.Other translations include:

International Bible Society’s New International (NIV)The Gideon’s Gideon BibleThe Good News Bible – a paraphrase and not a translationAnd on and on and on and on.

Catholic translationsThe Douay-Rheims (translated from the Vulgate 1582) revised by Bishop Challoner 1750

The first (and only official) English translation until the 1950sIn the 1950s the Church finally allowed Catholics to study the Bible – (yes really!)

The Jerusalem Bible (1940s) by the Dominican order was translated into English from the FrenchThe New Jerusalem Bible (1970s) is an original translation into English by the Dominicans

The American Bible from the 1950s was the first official English Bible adopted for use in the USAThis has been revised into the New American Bible – the one we use at Mass

Other Catholic translations of Scripture used in worshipIn worship services we use books that contain Bible passages that are not strictly Bibles;Lectionaries are the books we read from at Mass (and in the USA are based on the New American)There is a Lectionary for Masses with Children that is an official Church paraphrase of the Bible.Psalters are books of the Psalms used in worship – they use the Grail translation based on the NRSVThe Vulgate in English (or Latin) can still be used.

InterpretationUltimately we must arrive at what the Bible means – how are we interpret it?Layers of interpretation:

Literal layer – the passage is taken to mean exactly what it says as I read it (no interpretation).This approach ignores the historical aspect of the Bible:

It assumes words and idioms mean the same than as now (remember CB radio slang?)It does not allow for literary form (poems mean the same way as history)It does not allow for cultural differences (Jesus ate with tax collectors!)

It does not account for parallel passages that do not agree (were we created on the first or last day?)Historical layer – the passage is taken to mean only what it meant at the time it was written.

This approach ignores our on-going development in understanding scriptureIt over emphasizes the “original words” of the author, rejects parts of text as not authenticIt reduces everything to historical fact – If I can’t prove it, I won’t believe it

Often seen in the groups who are “debunking” the “Jesus Myth” – religion gets lost in the shuffleSymbolic layer – the passage is taken as symbolic only, carrying hidden meaning (that only I know)

This approach “reads in” meaning to Scripture – a very bad ideaStarts with a pre-conceived idea that you are trying to prove through ScriptureOften used (wrongly) in interpreting the prophetic and apocalyptic books

This was the favored approach of the early church (often let to heresy – like the Gnostics)Ecclesiastical (Church) layer – the text is seen in light of what it has come to mean to the Church

Some passages (and books) have taken on a life of their own in the church“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them…” becomes the basis for confession“Do this in memory of me..” becomes the basis for the Mass.

So how are we to interpret what we read?1) Let your heart be open to what the Word of God is telling you.


The Holy Spirit moves through Scripture, be still and listen!2) Dig deep enough to get some insight

Understand the historical, cultural and textual issues surrounding the passageLike Jacob, wrestle with the angel!

3) Don’t dig deeper than you have toSometimes things really do mean what they say – if it makes sense, go with it!Avoid looking for deep secret meanings – and distorting the passage to fit them

4) Ask the expertsWhen in doubt, rely on a good (Catholic) commentary (like Fr. Raymond Brown’s)

5) Scripture interprets ScriptureYou may find one passage referencing another – use this as an aid to understandingJesus explains what the parable of the Sower means – you gonna find a different meaning?

6) Let your heart be open to what the Word of God is telling you.This is the first and last principle of interpreting Scripture!


The Old Testament Cannon


The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures)HEBREW BIBLE ORTHODOX BIBLES CATHOLIC BIBLES PROTESTANT BIBLES

The Torah The Law The Law The Law

Genesis Genesis Genesis GenesisExodus Exodus Exodus ExodusLeviticus Leviticus Leviticus LeviticusNumbers Numbers Numbers NumbersDeuteronomy Deuteronomy Deuteronomy Deuteronomy

The Former Prophets The Historical Books The Historical Books The Historical Books

Joshua Joshua Joshua JoshuaJudges Judges Judges Judges

Ruth Ruth RuthSamuel (1 & 2) 1 Kingdoms ( = 1 Sam) 1 Samuel 1 Samuel

2 Kingdoms ( = 2 Sam) 2 Samuel 2 Samuel3 Kingdoms ( = 1 Kings) 1 Kings 1 Kings4 Kingdoms ( = 2 Kings) 2 Kings 2 Kings1 Chronicles 1 Chronicles 1 Chronicles2 Chronicles 2 Chronicles 2 Chronicles1 ESDRAS Ezra Ezra2 Esdras (= Erza + Neh.) Nehemiah Nehemiah

TobitJudith JudithTobit Esther1 Maccabees 1 Maccabees2 Maccabees 2 Maccabees3 Maccabees[4 Maccabees]

The Writings The Wisdom Books The Wisdom Books The Wisdom Books

Psalms (1 thru 150) Job Job JobProverbs Psalms (1 thru 150) Psalms (1 thru 150)Job Proverbs Proverbs ProverbsSong of Solomon Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes EcclesiastesRuth Song of Solomon Song of Solomon Song of SolomonLamentations Wisdom of Solomon Wisdom of SolomonEcclesiastes Sirach, a.k.a. Ecclesiasticus Sirach, a.k.a. EcclesiasticusEsther PSALMS OF SOLOMONDaniel ODES (w/ Prayer of Manasseh)Ezra-NehemiahChronicles (1&2)

The Latter Prophets The Prophets The Prophets The Prophets

Isaiah Isaiah Isaiah IsaiahJeremiah Jeremiah Jeremiah JeremiahEzekiel Lamentations Lamentations LamentationsThe Twelve: Baruch Baruch (with Letter of Jer.)

Ezekiel Ezekiel EzekielLetter of Jeremiah Daniel

Hosea, Joel Hosea, JoelHosea, Amos Amos, Obadiah Amos, ObadiahMicah, Joel Jonah, Micah Jonah, MicahObadiah, Jonah Nahum NahumNahum, Habakkuk Habakkuk HabakkukZephaniah, Haggai Zephaniah ZephaniahZechariah, Malachi Haggai Haggai

Zechariah ZechariahMalachi Malachi

Kings (1 & 2)

Esther (longer)

Esther (longer)

Psalms (1 thru 151)

Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Daniel (longer) Jonah, Micah, Daniel (longer) Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

The New Testament Cannon


The New Testament (Christian Scriptures)

The Synoptic Gospels The Fourth Gospel

Matthew Mark Luke JohnActs

The Letters of Paul

Romans1 Corinthians 2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians1 Timothy 2 TimothyTitusPhilemon

Another Letter

HebrewsThe Catholic (Universal) Letters

James1 Peter 2 Peter1 John 2 John 3 JohnJude

An Apocalypse

Revelation

Scripture – Reflection Questions

We all need to write a Bible, the story of how God has moved in our lives. What would your Bible be? What Books would it have? What would you include and leave out?

How would you describe the Bible to someone who had never seen one? What would you compare it to that would help them understand?

When a copy of Scripture wears out in the Jewish Synagogue, it is buried in a special “cemetery” for Bibles. How do you treat your Bible? Is the way you treat it important? Is the Bible just another book?

When did I last read the Bible? Where did I start and how far did I get? Why did I stop?

How do I feel when someone “quotes scripture” at me (“It says in the Bible that . . .”)? How do I respond?

Is a 2,000 year old book really relevant to me today?


Pillars of the Church – Tradition

Capital “T” tradition, little 't' traditionTevye's introduction to the musical “Fiddler on the Roof”: “Here in Anatevka we have traditions for everything... how to eat, how to sleep, even, how to wear clothes. You may ask, how did this tradition start? I'll tell you - I don't know. But it's a tradition . . . Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as... as a fiddler on the roof!”

Traditions are a basic human social functionFamilies – think of Thanksgiving dinner, what do you eat? Where do you sit? What stories do you tell?Workplaces – do you have “casual Fridays?” Secret Santa at Christmas? Employee birthday cake?Individuals – what is your Morning routine – who makes the coffee? Which news do you watch?

Traditions allow us to go about our lives without re-inventing the wheel every dayGive a sense of continuity and security – “we have always done it this way”Help us to remember important events – past and present – by making them traditions.

Problem: When we forget the “why” of a tradition and only remember the “how”They can become meaningless actions and standards of behavior'Can act to exclude others - “they” aren't like us, they don't even know that . . . (fill in the blank!)

Traditions in the Church

In one sense the Church is all about tradition – it many ways it is the custodian of tradition.One function of religion is to be “conservative” - conserve the “tribal wisdom” of the past

Everything we know about religion was handed on to us by someone else – parents, teachers, clergy. etc.It is important to recognize who is dong the handing on, do they know what they are talking about?

Sometimes tradition can be taken over and used to promote special agendasIn one sense, that is the responsibility of tradition – to ensure fidelity to the original message

Some faith traditions place this responsibility solely on the text of Scripture – (sola scriptura)Catholics have always additionally included tradition

Capital “T”The events of Jesus' life, his birth, death and resurrectionThe teachings of the Apostles – the core message of Jesus as handed down through time.These Traditions are fundamental to my faith and identity as a Catholic – I can't do without them.

For the large part they are static, the truths of our faith do not change.However our understanding of those truths may evolve over time.

For example: it is a truth of our faith (a capital “T” Tradition) that Jesus is true God and true man. This truth is alluded to in Scripture, but it took the Church about 400 years of reflection to arrive at an understanding of this truth.

Little “t”Blessing myself with holy waterEating fish on FridayThese traditions help me to identify with being a Catholic but are subject to change and development; they can (and do!) come and go.

Point: It is a lot more important that Jesus freed me from my sins than is eating fish on Friday.

The tripod of our faith – Scripture, Tradition, Teaching“Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church. But the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church (i.e. the Magisterium) . . . Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church . . . are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others. (Dei Verbum, 10)”

All the beliefs and teachings of the Church come from Scripture and Tradition (big “T”!)This includes both the word and the deeds of God – they are complimentary.

The actions of God throughout the history of salvation manifest and confirm the teaching and realities signified by the words.The words proclaim the deeds and clarify the mystery contained in them. (Dei Verbum, 2)

1 Pillars of the Church – what it means to be Catholic V2.doc -(15)-9/11/2018

Both Scripture and Tradition make up Divine Revelation – God's self revelation to usThe Magisterium (teaching authority) interprets the revelation and decides (authoritatively) which truths are a part of sacred Tradition

Note: our understanding of truth can change and develop through out time as human knowledge grows and changes. God's revelation does not change but our understanding of it does.So too our expression of that understanding can change – this is tradition (little “t”)

Putting the pieces together, living our faith – (aka. basic morality!) – is our response to a loving God.We learn from Divine Revelation that God is always reaching out to us in love. How are we to respond to this gift of love?

The way we live our lives demonstrates our response.Each of us develops a “moral personality” driven by:

our environment - our family of origin, the society we live inour capabilities and limitations as a human beingour conscience development (or lack thereof!)

What is my basic stance, my moral position, in life?Do I only look out for myself? Is my desire of it the sole measure of a thing's worth?

This is selfishness – the supremacy of self over other. We all have had an experience of people like this!Ultimately, selfishness will grow stale – there is no power in it to go beyond the “self”.

Do I act only out of response to my fear? Am I anxious or afraid? This is powerlessness – I cannot control the situation so I retreat from it. We have all felt this way at times.Fear will lead to anger or despair – both destructive of self.

Do I attempt to treat others as I would wish to be treated?This is love – “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.” recognition of the other as having value. Hopefully we have encountered this.Love alone leads to personal growth – the more you give away the more you receive.

Religion is our internal response in faith, colored by our fundamental stance as human beings.In essence, religion comes either from a place of fear of love.If we are afraid of God, we will be obsessed with placating Him.

Rules and regulations, just tell me what I have to do to avoid punishmentGod becomes the divine “traffic Cop”- ready to throw me into jail (hell?) if I break a law.

The problem is that I will focus on my actions, and this can fall into minimalism. what is the least I need to do to avoid condemnation – how late can I come and still have mass “count?”

But if I love God, my focus will be on being in harmony with himGod's love fills me and I return it, religion becomes life with my best friend.Love knows bounds has no limits – it gives without counting the cost.It is the strongest, most enduring think in the universe.

St Paul sums this up (First Corinthians 13):If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. So faith, hope, love remain, these three;h but the greatest of these is love.


Pillars of the Church – Tradition – Reflection Questions

What is the difference between a tradition and habit? How do traditions get handed on? Habits?

What traditions do I have in my life? Have they been helpful to me? Do I have any family traditions?

What Church traditions have you experienced in the past that you miss? What has replaced them? What impact has this had on your faith? If you could bring back one of those traditions, what would it be? Why?

What are the basic "rules" I live by? Where did they come from? Which is the most important? Which one do you wish everyone had?


Pillars of the Church – Teaching

The ApostlesI Handed on that which I received – Apostolic TraditionWe meet (at least) 12 people in Scripture that had a special relationship with Jesus – the ApostlesPeter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew (called Nathaniel in John’s Gospel), Matthew (Levi), Thomas, James, Jude, Simon and Judas.In the book of Acts we also find Matthias – to make 12 after the death of JudasPaul also calls himself an Apostle – though one born ‘out of time’Some were already searching for God before they met Jesus – they were followers of John the BaptistAndrew is named as a disciple of the Baptist (John 1:40)Scholars suggest that John was the other disciple who immediately followed Jesus (John 1:37-40)Peter may have been among John’s disciples since Andrew "first thing" goes to find him.Philip and Nathaniel (Bartholomew) may have been there too (John 1:43);

they joined the company before the return to GalileeEach Apostle:

Received a personal call from Jesus (Paul experienced the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus)Was charged to (Matthew 28:19-20):

“make disciples of all nations” – spread the Gospel to all people (Gentile and Jew)Preaching is the fundamental Apostolic charism“baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and holy Spirit”Liturgical ministry – initiate new members, worship together, perform the Sacraments“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” – teach those who hear the Word

The Apostles are the teachers – upholders of Orthodoxy (i.e. “right / correct belief”)They are also the “enforcers” of order – they make and enforce the laws of the church

And (except for John) all were martyred – gave up their lives for their faith.Point: Jesus empowered these people to carry on his work, but left it up to them how that would be done.

It is clear from Scripture that Jesus intended to form a community (a “church”)The form of that church was left flexible – able to adapt through the ages to the needs of Christians

Creeds and CatechismsA creed is a succinct statement of what a church believes in – each Christian tradition has their ownThe Apostle's creed and the Nicene are accepted by most mainstream Christian traditions.Other creeds exist, especially among the Protestants, but the Apostle's and Nicene have pride of place

that is why they are recited during the liturgy as a response to God's WordA catechism is a detailed statement of what a tradition believes in

In our Catholic tradition we have the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) (1994 is our current version)It is a reference book, not a tutorial!

It is intended for writers and publishers as a rule of faith to measure their work against.It provides a snapshot in time of the current state of the church's belief

The first “official” catechism was the Roman Catechism that came out of the Council of Trent in 1566The Baltimore (United States) came out in 1885

Apostolic successionIn our Catholic tradition, we see bishops as the successors of the Apostles.

There is an unbroken line of bishops reaching from St. Peter right down to Archbishop VigneronThis is called the Apostolic Succession – bishops are the successors of the ApostlesFor that reason, the bishop of a diocese (i.e. a local / “particular” church) is their sole leaderIt is hard to over emphasize the importance of the bishop of a diocese


They make and enforce the church laws for the dioceseThey have primary responsibility for administration of the Sacraments

Most of this is delegated to pastors of parishes – who are the sole leader of their parishThey are responsible for the Catholic Education in their diocese – they establish schools, what is taughtThey must care for the poor and outcast of their diocese (Catholic or not!)Which is why they have deacons – this is our special responsibility!

But the most important thing bishops do is ensure the transmission of God’s revelation)God’s revelation (the “deposit of faith”) is THE treasure of the Church

It is the Word of God in Sacred Scripture – and the Word of God Himself, Jesus Christ

How is revelation handed on? – tradition and Tradition (CCC 75 - 100)All knowledge of God comes from God himself – God wants to know you and have a relationship with you.This self-revelation of God starts with the Words of Jesus – who is both God revealing and God revealed

The words of Jesus spread first orally – by the apostles and other preachersThis is the “evangelion’ – the Good News of a battle won; sin and death are vanquished.

Then the words of Jesus were written down – they became the Gospels.In one sense before there was a New Testament (a Bible), there was a Church (group of disciples).The Bible was written by the Church (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of course!)So the Church has the job of both protecting and interpreting the Bible – and passing it along.

But God’s revelation is not limited to Sacred ScriptureAt Pentecost, the Spirit was poured out over the Church – not just on the Bible.

The Bible is “once for all time” – the Word in it is changeless, eternal (no additions, no deletions).The Church is “ever changing” – always relating to (changing) human society around it, effected by history.

One job of the Church is to keep the unchanging Word of God in touch with changing culture.This is what Tradition (capital “T”) is all about

It is the outcome of 2000 years of the Church praying, meditating and living the Gospel message.It is the “handed down from the Apostles” truths of our faith – kept secure and alive by their successors.

As Catholics, we rely on both Scripture and Tradition as sources of Sacred truthScripture is the “touchstone” of Tradition – nothing in Tradition can go against Sacred Scripture.The technical term is: Scripture is “normative” (i.e. the norm / the standard).

Tradition interprets Scripture;Tradition reflects on and applies Sacred Scripture to the Church’s current situation.The truth of Scripture remains the same, our understanding of that truth develops through time.

There is also tradition (small “t”);It is how Tradition (capital “T”) has been interpreted and applied at various times and in various places.

For instance:It is Tradition that Jesus is truly present in the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist.

Although not expressly in Scripture, the Church has always understood that Jesus is present there.It is tradition that un-leavened bread (flat / not risen by yeast) is used as an element in the Eucharist.

The Eastern Rite churches use leavened bread because Eucharistic Reservation is not the norm.Other traditions (small “t”) include:

In Africa, a handful of grass is exchanged instead of a handshake at the sign of peace in the Mass.At a Hispanic wedding, the bride and groom are symbolically joined with a lasso (a rope) after the vows.In the Eastern Churches, a newly baptized baby is also confirmed and given first Eucharist.

All these small “t” traditions arose from felt needs in the worshiping communities,They are beautiful traditions but are not (or should not be) fundamental to our faith (Jesus is fundamental!)

The Magisterium of the Church“Magisterium” comes from the Latin word “magister” or “master” (in the sense of authority / leadership)


It is the technical term for the “teaching / interpreting authority” of the Church.The whole of the church (the lay people and the clergy) guard the faith handed on by the ApostlesThe Bishops have the specific task of teaching and interpreting Scripture and Tradition.

Remember, they don’t do it alone – they are united (in communion) with the lay people.Where “in communion” means “share Eucharist with” – united as brothers and sisters in the Lord.“One Lord, one baptism, one faith” (St. Paul)

In their role as teachers (and empowered by the magisterium) the Bishops have defined “dogmas”A dogma is a solemn teaching about a serious point of faith or morals;and it is something we must take seriously.For example:It is a dogma of our faith that Mary became pregnant with Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit;

This is the dogma of the Virgin Birth – and it is fundamental to our faith as Christians,we need to accept it in order to be considered Christian (a member of the Church).

Dogmas may be either “defined” or “undefined”A defined dogma is one that the church has made a written statement or pronouncement about.An undefined dogma is something that has been “always believed by everyone, everywhere.”For example:For the first 1900 years of the church, everybody just knew that Mary was assumed into heaven.

This was an undefined dogma – the Assumption of the Virgin Mary; it was Tradition, taken for grantedIt became defined dogma in 1950 when Pope Pius XII proclaimed (defined) the doctrine.

He was giving the Church’s “seal of approval” to something we all believed anywaySo, he was in communion with all the people of the Church (bishops and lay).

There is also a “hierarchy” of church teachingsNot all doctrines of the Church are equally important to our salvation.The Church teaches that Jesus is the Son of God.

This is a crucial teaching for our salvation;It can never change (because it is the Truth) and we must believe it in order to be called Christians.

The Church teaches that priests may not be married.Although there are good reasons for them not being married, our salvation does not depend on it:

Priests were commonly married until the 1200’s (St. Peter was married),Priests in the Eastern Catholic Churches are generally married today

By the way, this is another example of tradition (small “t”).As mature, intelligent Catholics, we need to be aware of and understand this hierarchy of teachings,

Some things there can be no argument about (e.g. the Resurrection of Jesus)They cannot be rejected, we must accept them to be considered a Christian

Others we must make an honest effort to understand and accept (e.g. the teachings on birth control)Although not fundamental to faith, they are serious issues (usually of morality);we might disagree in our own conscience, but only after much study, prayer and reflection.

And some are “works in progress” (e.g. should first reconciliation come before first communion?)The Church’s understanding of these issues is still under development – stay tuned!

A special case – Papal InfallibilityThe Pope has a unique role in the Church:

he is the symbol of our unity, if we are “in communion” with him then we are:joined with him in the sharing of the sacraments (more on sacraments later!)joined with other members of the Church around the world.

The Pope is still a human being – in need of salvation (just like the rest of us).When we say the Pope is infallible, this does not mean that he is perfect or sinless or never makes mistakes.It does mean that when he (after careful and prayerful consideration) declares a teaching as infallible – it is.


To make an infallible pronouncement he must:Proclaim the teaching in his public capacity as head of the church – not as a private personThe teaching must be about faith or morals – and must be generally accepted by all the faithful (he would never

proclaim something infallibly that the other bishops did not accept).He must intend to proclaim it infallibly and bind the whole church by itThe doctrine was only formally defined in the mid 1850’s and has been used (undisputed) only twice

1854 – the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary1950 – the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary

The point: The Pope has a unique role in the church – supreme teacher, pastor, lawgiver and leader. Papal infallibility is the guarantee of the Holy Spirit that the Church’s teaching is reliable and true.

A special case – Invincible IgnoranceSometimes no matter how hard we try to understand and accept a doctrine, we just can't

As long as this is not a fundamental dogma (like like Trinity), we can claim “invincible ignoranceWe are just not able to understand and accept the doctrine due to our lack of reasoning ability

For example:Consider someone who is developmentally disabled

They may be able to understand that the bread and wine of the Eucharist are JesusBut they can't grasp the idea of the Real Presence.They would still be able to receive the Eucharist and enjoy its effects

If this is the case, they are held blameless in their ignorance

A special case – The Internal Forum and Supremacy of ConscienceSometimes, through no fault of our own,

we are faced with a situation when we must go against Church teaching for the benefit of our souls.For example:The rule is that divorced and re-married (outside the Church) Catholics may not receive the Eucharist until their union is blessed by the Church (called a convalidation).

To get a convalidation, they need to have their first marriage investigated and declared null (i.e. receive an annulment)This may not be possible for a number of legal conditions: the prior spouse cannot be contacted, all witnesses to the original wedding are deceased, the competency of the presider is in doubt, etc.If the individual in question believes (in good conscience) their prior marriage was not valid, and if a priest or deacon (after an investigation of the matter) agrees, they may be allowed communion for the good of their soul.

In Cannon law, #1752 states: “ . . . the salvation of souls, which in the Church must always be the supreme law”


Pillars of the Church – Teaching Reflection Questions

Each Apostle received a personal call from Jesus to “follow me.” What would you do if you were called by Jesus to give up your old life and follow him? What would keep you from following him? Possessions? Friends? Do you think you could say “no” to Jesus? What would happen then?

What does “A leap of Faith” mean to you? Do you always need to know the possible outcomes of every decision? Are there some decisions that should be made without full knowledge?

What does your salvation depend on? Is it on intellectual ideas or on the person of Jesus? Is it possible to be a good Catholic and be ignorant of church teaching?

Church doctrine is subject to change through the years – does this make it any less true? How can something be true and also evolving? Can you think of anything else that our understanding of has evolved through time?


Who we Are – Church History

The church has been in constant growth and change since the beginning. Here is a time line and a characterization of the church down through the years.We distinguish between:Church – the worshipers, the community

Hierarchy – the professionals (clergy) who run the institution.

Time frame: 0 – 32 ADThe Church is: 12 guys in a leaky boatThe Hierarchy is: Jesus and the ApostlesThe Church starts with Jesus

Jesus called people to share his ministry; his life.Anyone who experienced Jesus wanted to follow him.He called some people to a special ministry (e.g. the apostles).

Jesus builds a community; the twelve, the seventy-two, disciples and apostles.He builds community through sharing; healing / feeding / teaching / blessing.

Jesus’ followers are Jewish; they expect a messiah in accord with Jewish traditionA political Messiah who would drive out the Romans and re-establish the Jewish kingshipWho would also restore the religious priesthood and Temple.

“Lord are you going to establish your kingdom now?”Jesus came rather to establish the Kingdom of God – God present in the world in a new and powerful way.

Jesus’ death:The Last Super; the church becomes a Eucharistic community (“do this in memory of me.”)The end of messianic hopes; it is the ‘dark night of the soul’ for his disciples.

The disciples are fragmented in despair and sorrow.Jesus’ resurrection:

Evangelion – the Good News of a battle won.Appearances of the risen Jesus – to individuals, to groups.

A fragmented community is re-united by a common experience of the risen Lord.They know him in a meal, in the breaking o the bread.

Jesus’ ascension:The great commissioning; “Go into all the world…teach, preach and baptize.”

We (the church) are to carry on Jesus work – we are his hands and feet“I will not leave you orphan.”

Jesus promises to remain with us in a tangible way – remember the Eucharist?“I will send my Spirit upon you.”

The Spirit lends her gifts for the Church to use: Wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence, wonder-aweGifts poured out over the whole church – given for the benefit of all.

Time frame: 32 - 85 ADThe Church is: a branch of Judaism.The Hierarchy is: none yet, just the apostles;

centered around Jerusalem and nearby townsThe Church is ‘born’ on Pentecost:

The descent of the Holy Spirit; the Spirit is the source of sanctity and unity.It started with the apostles locked in an upper room and afraid of the outside worldThe Spirit descended – note it descended on the whole church, not just the apostles.It ended with the disciples breaking down the doors, rushing out and spreading the Good News.

Marks of the Church – the Church is:


One – all are one in Christ through baptism. Brothers and sisters to the Lord, children of God.Holy – redeemed by Jesus and sanctified by the SpiritCatholic – universal and inclusive. Good for all times / places / peoples.Apostolic – tracing its traditions back to the apostles and ultimately to Jesus.

Parting of the way with Judaism; the Church establishes its own identityThe Jewish religious authorities expel the Christians from the synagogue and community.

Time frame: 32 - 70 ADThe Church is: small households, led by the head of the house.The Hierarchy is bishops (episkopoi) and deacons (diakonoi), centered in the Eastern

Mediterranean (modern Turkey). A mission is sent to Rome.Paul – apostle to the gentiles

Paul’s personal journey; from Pharisee to apostleA rabbi, possible student of Gamaliel, Paul held the coats for those stoning the deacon Stephen.Experience of the risen Christ on the road to Damascus.

Saw the universality of Jesus’ message.All are made one in Christ – Jew or Greek, slave or free.“One bread, one body, one Lord of all”

The Church is the Body of Christ.All parts with equal dignity because we are baptized

Paul carries the message beyond Israel, to Asia Minor, Greece and RomeFounds churches and writes letters to them; martyred in Rome

Time frame: 70 - 325 ADThe Church is: small and persecuted, meeting secretly.The Hierarchy is: limited, Rome (and its bishop, the successor of Peter)

becomes important.The early Church – the church of persecution and martyrs

The struggle for survival in the face of:Roman persecution – Christians v/s Lions

Persecution was not constant, varied widely by location; the worst were the last during the reign of DiocletianDoctrinal arguments – what is the nature of Christ?

The church splits for the first time over doctrine; the Arian controversy.Constantine the Great

The church is legalized, persecutions end.An end to small household churches, the start of Church as ‘big business’Christianity becomes the official religion of the empire.

Governments meddles in the internal affairs of the Church – not for the last time.

Time frame: 325 – 950 ADThe Church is: Big business.The Hierarchy is: Large and powerful with big buildings, big budgets and lots of clergy.

Rome is the center, the Pope is the head.The Church in the middle ages

Part 1: the ‘ dark ’ agesThe empire splits into East and West;

In the West, barbarian invasions and the fall of Rome.Theological disputes about the nature of Jesus, the Arian heresy, the Council of Nicea (the first creed)

In the West, there is political vacuum and anarchy.The Church is the only entity left to run things; Irish monks save civilization.

In the East, business as usual – until the rise of Islam (625 A.D.)


Differences in tradition; the relationship of church and state.

Time frame: 950 - 1425 ADThe Church is: Something the priest does and the people watch. The same all through

Europe – same liturgy, same language, same government.The Hierarchy is: A world power, the pope becomes another king,

he rules the Vatican States.Part 2: the ‘ middle ’ ages

Rebirth of the West; the Church is triumphant.In the East, the Church becomes isolated, under pressure from the Islamic peoples.

Fragmentation of the Eastern traditionResults:

The West forgets about the East – until the Crusades (1095 A.D.)The East splits from the West

The church splits over doctrine for a second time; the Filioque question.How does the Holy Spirit “ proceed” - from the Father and the Son or from the Father through the Son?

Time frame: 1425 – 1963 ADThe Church is: Fragmented – Protestant vs CatholicThe Hierarchy is: Under siege, conformity to doctrine is paramountThe Reformation

Martin LutherAugustinian monk, deeply religious, loved the churchSpoke out about abuses in the church – and rightly so. (95 Theses - 1517)His career was taken over by political opportunists – to justify breaking with Rome.

Reformation Church – the challenge:Luther – retained most of Roman theology (especially about the Eucharist)Other reformers (e.g. Calvin) rejected Roman theologySalvation is between God and Me; I don’t need the Church to achieve salvation

Denominations:Within 50 years of Luther’s death there were dozens of Christian faith traditions, hundreds today.Many have strayed so far from Luther that it is difficult to call them Christian

i.e. denying Jesus as the Son of God, or even stating that a belief in God is “optional.”Catholic Church – the response (council of Trent):

The church splits over doctrine for the third time.Became defensive and conservative; closed to any of Luther’s good ideas.The Church is required for salvation; it exists to administer the sacraments (the means of grace).Emphasis on hierarchy, clergy and law (does this sound like the Pharisees?)This is the mindset that also led to abuses against Protestants – especially within the last 100 years.This is the Church that existed until 1963.If you attended Catholic Schools in the 50’s and 60’s, this is the Church that your teachers taught

Time frame: 1963 - nowThe Church is: the people of God. Here comes everybody!The Hierarchy is: Decentralized – birth of collegialityThe modern Church

Vatican II council:The Holy Spirit at working (overtime) within the church.An ‘updating’;The Church must change to address the needs of the present times.The Church is the people, not the hierarchy; called to follow Christ in a community.


Church is something we all do, not just father;the laity have the right and responsibility to join in.

The Church continues the ministry of Jesus.Caring for / sharing with the least of society – all out of love.If you want to see the hand of God, look at the end of your own arm.Moral witness to the world – in big and small ways.

In conclusionThe Church is ultimately a mystery – a mysterium (sacramentum) – a visible sign of the invisible God.G. K. Chesterton felt that the very fact the church exists (against all odds) proved the existence of God.The Church is holy – in spite of being made up completely of sinners;

and perhaps this is the greatest mystery of all!


Church History – Reflection Questions

Throughout its history, the Church has made some poor decisions (e.g. burning people at the stake for heresy, the crusades). How do you feel about this? Does it shake your faith in God?

We say that the Church is the “People of God.” How do you see yourself as a child of God?

Church attendance is falling in these days. Why do you think this is? Why do you attend church? Is there an advantage in worshiping together?

'The median age of parishioners is rising – older people make up the majority of parishioners. Why do you think this is? What should the Church do to attract younger members?

There is a saying “if you don't hear crying, your church is dying.” How do you feel about small children crying in Church? Is it a distraction? What can be done about it?

Recently there has been a surge of interest in the pre-Vatican Council church – many parishes have a Latin (i.e. Tridentine) mass on certain days. How do you feel about this? Do you remember the Latin Mass? What did you like about it? Dislike?


What we Believe – The Creed

Credo – I believe (CCC 185 - 196)A creed is a brief (concise) summary of belief – usually religious beliefs, but not always.

A creed (or credo in Latin) should sum up what is at the basis of me as a human being.What is important to me, what matters most in my life.

A creed is a statement of something I stake my personal credibility on.What do I stand for, what would I be willing to fight (or die) for.

Point: Since religion is (or should be!) at the core of who I am,religious creeds (or statements of belief) are very important in understanding:

What a group of worshipers hold in common – their shared beliefs about God / Life / Human Beings.How I relate to that group – what do I accept or reject, what am I unsure about.

As a measuring toolCreeds (unfortunately) been used as a “test” of belief – with bad consequences for those who failed.

The history of Christianity too often has been the history of religious wars and persecutionPlease God, may we never use the name of Jesus to justify persecuting another person.

As a teaching toolA better way to see the Creeds is as something that helps me focus my faith – by comparison to a “standard.”Communion in faith needs a common language of faith – a vocabulary we can use to talk about GodThe challenge in creating a Creed is to summarize our faith in a few sentences

What is included (and what is left out) tells us a lot about the people and times that produced the creed.

Where did the creeds come from? (see supplement sheet)Creeds have been with us since the beginning

The Jewish people have the Shema “Hear O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD alone!”In the Gospels there is Peter’s statement about Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."Paul’s formulations from 1 Corinthians and Philippians.

Most early Christian creeds were associated with Baptism (see St. Hippolytus on the supplement sheet);The person being baptized was symbolically questioned about his faith

and then baptized in the faith they had professed.The Apostle’s Creed is a baptismal creed – we still use it today during baptism

As time went on and Christianity became first legal and then the religion of the Empire,There came a need for some statement of belief to:

Unify the world’s ChristiansRespond to mistaken ideas about God and Jesus

The Nicene (or more properly the Nicene-Constantinoplian) creed was written to clarify ideas about Jesus.Nicea is a city in Turkey where a council was held in about 325 AD – the Creed came out of the council.Constantinople (now called Istanbul) in Turkey was a council that completed the Nicene Creed

The Apostle’s Creed (CCC 198 +)This creed has been divided up into 12 statements (or Cannons)

Tradition has it that each one was written by one of the Apostles.Although it certainly reflects true Apostolic teaching,

it probably came from early Baptismal practices and not the Apostles themselves.I believe in God,

Faith begins with relationship;belief in God acknowledges that before we take the first step of our journey toward God

God has already moved our hearts to desire HimWe can have a relationship with God because he first wants to have a relationship with us.

Notice that faith is not belief without proof – rather it is trust without reservationGod does not need us to believe in him (how could God need anything!)

God wants us to trust Him completely, to love Him with all our heartBelief in God by itself (that is, without Faith) is not enough;


The devil believes that there is a God and that Jesus is God’s sonBut the devil has chosen to reject God – he has no faith in God, no positive relationship

Because we seek a relationship with God – to respond to His offer of a relationshipWe want to know and understand (as much as we can) about HimWe Trust him because we experience the love he has for us.

The Nicene Creed starts “We believe in one God”The “we” recognizing the role of the worshiping community in the development of our faith

The “I” of the Apostle’s creed is a more personal statementThe “one” God acknowledges the unity of God

The Nicene creed was composed later than the Apostle’sthe doctrine of the Trinity was under attack and they needed to stress the unity of God.

the Father almighty,The love God has for us is like a father (or mother’s) love for their children.

Human parents (who are not perfect) love their children no matter what – you never give up on your kids.How much more, then, does God (who is perfect) love us as a parent

Due to human sinfulness, not everyone has been able to experience this kind of love from their parentsand as parents ourselves, we may not have shown this kind of love to our children.But God loves us anyway – through His fatherly love may we learn how to love

Forgiving those who have hurt us and asking forgiveness from those we have hurtGod’s love for us is intimate, personal – he reveals himself to us, tells us his name,

soothes, consoles, feeds and heals us – like we do for our children.God’s love for us is permanent – we can’t outgrow it or move away from it

when the world hurts us, we can always go home to God;he will put a Band-Aid on the hurts, give us a hug and send us back outside to play

God is also almighty – all powerful, all knowing, all presentHe knows what we need better than we do – like a good parentHe knows when to speak with the voice of authority, when we need to be called back into line.He is the God who is at the same time:

Near by and far away,Loving parent and mighty GodIn the world and outside the world (immanent and transcendent)God remains a mystery – but one that embraces and love us, not one that repels and frightens us.

creator of heaven and earth.God is creator of all things – which is another way to say God has a relationship with all things

The relationship is that of creator to creation – of a potter to the clay.And the clay we are made of has his thumbprint in it – we are in his image and likeness,

created with self-awareness and free-willBecause of this, God is interested in his creations – he has a relationship with them.All of creation (us included) are under his care – he will not abandon any of it (us included).

Since God is good, everything he makes is goodAt the beginning of creation God looked at his work and called it very good – God does not make junkThis is important for us – it means that our basic nature is good, not evil (God cannot create evil)

All the badness in the world must have had a source other than God. It did – us.It was through the disobedience of our original parents that sin and death entered the world.We are like cracked mirrors – we reflect the goodness of God, but imperfectly.

Because we have a relationship with God, we also have a relationship with his creationWe have an additional responsibility because we are in a position to protect or destroy God’s creation.We need to be responsible care takers of the world around us – we must be environmentally aware.

Another way to see God as creator comes from the Name he gave Moses on Mount SinaiGod told Moses “I AM WHO AM” – meaning that God is being itself

God is the source of existence, without God nothing could existWe live our lives surrounded by God, breathing His Spirit with every breath.

God is also the ultimate end of all existence – the final Good toward which all creation strives.


Paul tells us “all creation groans for fulfillment” – which awaits it in the Kingdom of GodGod is the Alpha and the Omega (the “A” and “Z”), the beginning and the end

He is the same past, present and future – unchanging and timelessI believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord

Jesus is The Christ, the anointed one of God.Obviously, to be called Christians we must accept the basics about Jesus:

The Virgin BirthWe hold that Jesus was the Virgin Mary’s child and was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.Mary is his mother as to the flesh, Mary’s husband (Joseph) is his adopted father

Mary never had intercourse with JosephWe don’t know precisely how this miracle took place, we sometimes describe it as:

God took flesh from Mary’s womb and fashioned it into Jesus – like the clay he made Adam fromThis means that Mary was a Virgin at Jesus’ birth

Her virginity is a sign of her purity and holinessCatholics would add that Mary remained a virgin all of her life – Jesus was an only child

The crucifixionThere is no dispute that Jesus was a real historical figure

and that the Romans used crucifixion as a standard means of executionWe hold that Jesus truly died on the cross – just as dead as any of us will dieThis is what “descended to the dead” means in the creed

you may be more familiar with “descended into hell” – which is not exactly the same thing“hell” translates the Hebrew word “sheol” – literally “the place of the dead”It was not a place of punishment, just a big empty cavern where you went when you were dead.

In the Middle Ages in Europe, due in part to the work of Dante Alighieri (Dante’s Inferno),hell became a place of punishmentTradition held that Jesus went there and rescued Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses (etc.)

The Church has always been careful not to describe hell in any detail,just that it is a state of permanent separation from God – and that is bad enough!

The resurrectionWe hold that on the third day after the crucifixion Jesus rose from the dead.

Please do not try and explain away the resurrection!His body was not stolen from the tomb (even Matthew’s gospel addresses this)He did not merely “fake” his death somehow (see above – he really died).He didn’t just have a “near death” experience (and was sent back?)

We insist on resurrection (not resuscitation)Jesus’ friend Lazarus died and Jesus raised him from the dead – this is resuscitation

Lazarus lived the rest of his life and then died againJesus was resurrected – he got a new kind of life, never before seen in the world

Once resurrected, you never die againYou still have a physical body – but it is different

You can eat and drink (as Jesus did), people can touch you (as Thomas did)But you can enter a room even though the doors are locked (as Jesus did)

Your friends may not recognize you at first (Mary thought Jesus was the gardener),but once they understand what happened, they greet you with joy (like Jesus at Emmaus)

The ascensionWe hold that some time (traditionally 50 days) after the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven

We have seen this kind of thing before in Scripture – Enoch and Elijah were “taken up” to heaventhey didn’t die, but they were not resurrected (as was Jesus)

Catholic t returned to His Father in his resurrected bodytradition adds that the Virgin Mary was also “assumed” into heaven body and soul

Jesus lives today – even as he lived in Israel after his resurrectionThe Second Coming

Finally, we believe that Jesus will return in glory and bring creation to a close


This is the “parousia,” the second coming – as Catholics, we are not as focused on this as some Christians areOften they take the book of Revelation literally, seeing signs of it everywhere

Recall that when Jesus was asked about the end times, he said that only the Father knows when it will be.When Jesus comes again he will be Judge of all

A process which will be more like the sacrament reconciliation than a court room sentencing.his only Son,

We hold that Jesus is the only son of God,Our understanding of the Trinity does not allow for more than one son

The role of the Son in the life of the Trinity is salvation – Jesus is our saviorthe bridge that re-unites us with His Father, the one who reconciles all things in Himself.

If we are reunited with God by Jesus (and we are!) only one Jesus is required (or possible)our Lord.

“Lord” comes from the Greek “kyrios” which was a term reserved for divine beings.It does not mean things like “lord and master” or “Lord of the manor”It was used only to address God

In calling Jesus “Lord”, we are recognizing that he is divine, the Son of God, just much god as God is.Which is why we call Jesus the “only begotten son of God”

Something that is created can differ from it’s creator;I don’t have to be a pizza to create a pizza

Something begotten can only come from the same kind of thingDogs beget dogs, people beget people, God begets God.

Jesus is not just a human being who “made the grade” and was rewarded with divinityHe is truly God – begotten (not created) of God from “before the dawn of time.”

I believe in the Holy Spirit,We believe that Jesus poured out His spirit over his disciples (the Church)

and that the Spirit continues to guide and protect the Church to this day.If God is Father and Jesus is Son, then the Spirit is the Duracell battery in our back;

It energizes the church and makes it persevere in the face of hardship.It sanctifies the church – purifies us and makes us holyIt informs (teaches and counsels) the church – helping it to understand revelation

When Jesus told the disciples “I will not leave you orphan” he had the Holy Spirit in mind.the holy catholic Church,

The “Marks of the Church” - what does a community need to be a church?It must be “one” - without division or dissension, unified (but not necessarily uniform)It must be “holy” - focused on God, a source of sanctification for its membersIt must be “catholic” - (small “c”) universal, open and welcoming to allIt must be “Apostolic” - founded on (and continuing) the Apostles and their Tradition (big “T”)

the communion of saints,We are linked to all who have gone before us – the dead are alive in Christ

our relationship with them continues, we remember them in our prayers and they intercede for usthe forgiveness of sins,

Our sins can truly be forgiven by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of a priest.We are not hopeless sinners – we are wounded by sin but can seek healing for our wounds.

the resurrection of the body,When Jesus comes again, we will also be resurrected, given a new and glorified body,

like the one Jesus had when He resurrected.and life everlasting.

The cosmos will be made anewand we will know God as he knows us – deeply, as a lover knows the beloved.

Amen!So be it!


Supplement on the Creed

Biblical CreedsWe should not be surprised to find brief, concise statements of faith in Scripture:Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD alone!

1 Kings 18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God."

Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Matthew. 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

John 1:49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

John 6:68-69 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

John 20:28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

Acts 8:36-37 And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?" And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Acts 16:31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

Phillipians 2:6-11 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and


bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Timothy 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, with instruction about ablutions, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

1 John 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.

Early Church CreedsThere are also several early summaries of the Christian faith which were written before the universal creeds, such as the "Rule of Faith" as recorded by St. Irenaeus (ca 202 AD):

. . . this faith: in one God, the Father Almighty, who made the heaven and the earth and the seas and all the things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was made flesh for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who made known through the prophets the plan of salvation, and the coming, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the bodily ascension into heaven of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and his future appearing from heaven in the glory of the Father to sum up all things and to raise anew all flesh of the whole human race . . .

And St. Hippolytus' (ca 230 AD) account of the baptismal service:When the person being baptized goes down into the water, he who baptizes him, putting his hand on him, shall say: "Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty?" And the person being baptized shall say: "I believe." Then holding his hand on his head, he shall baptize him once. And then he shall say: "Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was born of the Virgin Mary, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and was dead and buried, and rose again the third day, alive from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father, and will come to judge the living and the dead?" And when he says: "I believe," he is baptized again. And again he shall say: "Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, in the holy church, and the resurrection of the body?" The person being baptized shall say: "I believe," and then he is baptized a third time.

The Universal CreedsApostle’s CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our LordHe was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again.He ascended into heaven, and is seated on the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,


the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

The Twelve “Cannons” of the Apostle’s Creed1) I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth:2) And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:3) Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary: 4) Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended to the dead:5) The third day He rose again from the dead: 6) He ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty: 7) From thence he shall come to judge the Quick and the dead:8) I believe in the Holy Spirit: 9) I believe in the holy catholic Church: the communion of saints: 10) The forgiveness of sins: 11) The resurrection of the body: 12) And the life everlasting.

The Nicene CreedWe believe in one God

the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.Though him. all things were made.For us (men) and for our salvation he came down from heaven, by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became a man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,he suffered, died, and was buried.On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.


What we Believe – The Creed – Reflection Questions

Try writing a Creed that summarizes what you believe in. Hopefully faith in God would have a place in it, but what else would you include? What ideas do you hold most dear? What are the things you could not imagine living without? What could you leave out?

Think of all the things you know about God (you may want to write them down). How would you put them in order? What do you think is the most important thing about God? The least? Is there anything unimportant about God? Anything you don’t understand?

The Apostles Creed begins “I believe” the Nicene “We believe.” Why do you think this is? Does it make a difference? Many see the “We” in the Nicene as meaning that belief comes to us in a community – not on our own. Do you agree with this? How has the community helped (or hurt) you in your faith?

Many of us have had difficult relationships with our parents – maybe even no relationship at all. Yet we all have a need for that kind of relationship. Try writing a “letter” to God as if he were your parent. What would you tell Him? What would you ask for? What would you want him to say to you?


How we Pray – Liturgy

Prayer is our expression of our beliefThere are in general three places where prayer happens

In private – this is our personal conversation with God.It is the most personal and intimate time we spend with God.It is unique to each person

The Church can suggest ways to pray – but it is up to each person to find their own voice of prayer.Praying the Rosary is an example of personal prayer.Private prayer also includes personal piety – particular devotions that we use as a mode of prayer

These are traditional church sanctioned modes of personal worship;They usually have a defined structure and specific expressions of prayer (e.g. the Divine Praises)

Eucharistic Adoration is an example of personal piety, as is devotion to various saints.In small groups – among family and friends

A small group shares a similar outlook, background and goals.Shared life situations lead to shared intimacy; you all know each others story.Family Grace before meals is an example of small-group prayer.

our prayer situation here is also an example of small group prayerIn large groups – here comes everybody!

It is more about celebration than quiet personal prayerThe people there come from a wide variety of backgrounds and life situations

The challenge is to come up with an experience that can relate to them allIt is less spontaneous and more formal than small group prayer

The Church provides the various types of Liturgy to be done as an aid to unity.Sunday morning at the parish is an example of public prayerWe are going to focus on large group prayer for now – much more about personal prayer later!

Note that what works in one type of prayer may not carry across to anotherA mode of personal prayer that I find fruitful may not be at all to your taste:

The Rosary may be very important me but serve only to put you to sleep.We can’t impose our personal prayer on others – we need to respect other people’s free will.

The same holds true for personal piety;We need to feel “called” to some mode of piety – again, what works for me may not work for you.

In general, it is probably a bad idea to cross the boundaries between prayer types:To force personal modes of prayer on large groups or to try and do large group prayer individually.

Belief in turn is shaped by our prayer“As we pray, so shall we believe.”

The way we express our belief influences what we believe in.How could you ever have a deep relationship with someone if you never told them you loved them?

By expressing love, we are taught to love.By experiencing love, we come to believe we are lovable.

In public prayer:We come together as a community.

The liturgy calls us and unites us with each otherWe pray together, sing together, get bored by the homily together

shared experience makes the community – and community makes us stronger individuallyWe find a common thread to our lives

Scripture is our story – each one of us has to write a Gospel;The Gospel of our meeting Jesus, following him – to Cavalry, to crucifixion and to resurrection!


We are linked to other believers;Across the world – we are one people of GodAcross the centuries – a people of God going back in time to the Lord himself

We share our needs and concerns, our joys and sorrowsWe learn that although we are different;

we may be at different points in our lives,have different backgrounds and life stories,have different paths we have chosen to walk,

We all have the same basic hungers;for God, for goodness for holiness,for acceptance, love and affirmation

We remember the saving deeds of the LordOur prayer together is a communal remembering of the Lord

Literally re-member – to make whole / new againThis is what the sacraments are all about;

making present right now, in this worshiping community, the saving work of the Lordand when we re-enter the sacred events in worship

they have same saving effects on us now as they did 2,000 years ago!As one prayer from the Eucharist puts it when speaking of Jesus:

“We remember how you loved us to the end,and still we celebrate that you are with us now,and we believe that we will see you when you come,we remember, we celebrate, we believe.”

We rejoice togetherIn the risen Lord who calls us to be his friendsIn the small events of our daily lives that reveal the Lord to us.

We go home with a smileWe are refreshed, renewed, revitalized by the experience of liturgy.Reminded of the Lord’s love for us and our brothers and sisters

We can face the challenges of life until we come together againOur faith is formed and reinforced by the experience of public worship

The purpose of public worship – the liturgyThe Church calls the liturgy (our act of public worship):

“The source and summit of the Christian life.”Meaning that:

it is the source of our spiritual lifeand the goal to which that spiritual life journeysThe reason for this is that Jesus is the source and goal of both our life and our worship

Worship, then, is primarily for our benefit.Yes, in worship we give thanks and praise to God – and rightly so.

But God doesn’t need worship – God doesn’t need anything.We need to worship – to train ourselves to see the “right relationship” with God.

We are the ones who receive the grace (that is the life of God) through our acts of worship.God’s grace is always there – it is like an ocean that surrounds us.Worship (liturgy) builds a “pipeline” from us to this ocean – allows us to tap the life of grace.Without worship we would die of thirst – starve to death while sitting at a banquet.

“Whenever two or more are gathered in my name, I am there.”


Jesus is the reason that liturgy can nourish usHe is present when we gather:

In the sacrament itself, in the community that assembles, and in the person of the presider.It is His life that energizes the liturgy, His paschal mystery (his dying and rising) that we celebrate.

The SacramentsEvery act of worship is an encounter with the risen Lord.

In Catholic tradition we call these encounters sacraments – the Greek word is mysterion (mystery).Mystery in the sense that there is more there than meets the eye – we can’t understand it all at once.

Not in the sense of an “enigma” something that repels us – that frustrates and discourages usObviously, we can encounter the Lord in other ways besides public worship – as in personal prayer

But there is something special in the public act – the presence of others makes the experience strongerWhat are some of these ways to encounter the Lord? How many sacraments are there?

Pick a number – one, a gazillion, or seven.In one sense, there is only one Sacrament – Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Jesus is God himself – the God who is with us (emanuel), the God revealing and revealed.Jesus is the source of our spiritual life, it is His Spirit in our hearts, His grace that is His life.It is through Jesus that we are reunited with His Father, made holy and righteous in His sight.In our Catholic tradition every sacrament starts with Jesus and leads back to Jesus.

In another sense, there are an unlimited number of sacraments (a gazillion?).We can encounter the risen Lord anywhere in our lives – Jesus is not limited to liturgy.Any time we open our hearts to him we receive the grace of his presence – and we grow spiritually

But in our Catholic understanding, there are seven special times in our life when we encounter Jesus:Baptism – our first encounter, the one that makes all the others possibleConfirmation – our mature reception of the Holy SpiritEucharist – the centerpiece of our spiritual life, the hub that all the others revolve around.Reconciliation – the most personal sacrament, coming to grip with our brokenness.Anointing of the Sick – physical and spiritual healing in times of illnessMarriage – learning to love another as Jesus loves us.Holy Orders – joyful service to others in the name of Jesus.

We can see that the sacraments cover all aspects of our life:Sacraments of Initiation:

Baptism, Confirmation and EucharistThe means by which we become (and stay!) a member of the community Jesus has called to be Church.

Sacraments of Healing:Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation

When our lives become disordered by physical or spiritual sickness, we go to Jesus for healingSacraments of Vocation

Marriage and Holy OrdersWe give our lives a direction, a context, where we will work to build the Kingdom of God.

As Catholics we are sacramental people;living and dying within the grace of Jesus we receive through the sacraments


How We Pray – Liturgy – Reflection Questions

The sacraments encompass our faith life – they are a direct encounter with the risen Lord. Have I ever felt the presence of the Lord at a Liturgy? Where are some of the other times I have experiences the Lord's presence? Do we really need the liturgy?

We should feel “energized” by a sacramental liturgy. Which one holds the most meaning for you? The Mass? Baptisms? Reconciliation Marriage? Which one could we do without? Should we add any new ones?

In our Catholic understanding sacred place is important to ritual and liturgy. Why do you think this is? Does t make a difference if we are married in a church or on the beach at sunset? Are some places really more holy than others? What makes them that way?

Grace flows to us through the sacrament regardless of the minister – even a bad priest can celebrate Mass so the grace is there. Does the presider of the sacrament make a difference? How about the one receiving the sacrament – do they need to be properly disposed? Can they block the grace available?


How we Live – Conscience

I want to start off Conscience by considering a unique example of formation – Pinocchio!You recall the story – a boy made out of wood whose only desire was to become flesh and blood.He was given a visible conscience – his nose!

When he told a lie it grew longer – he always had to tell the truth or it would be obvious.I wonder how we would act if we were held to the same obvious standard of honesty –

if each time we violated our conscience it was as obvious as it was for poor Pinocchio.In the Disney movie (alas not in the classic story) he was also given a companion – a talking cricket

A voice that would help him reflect on the decisions he was about to makeA voice he often ignored, and his deeds were then usually exposed by his nose.

All Pinocchio wanted was to be a real boy – flesh and blood – and he achieves it in the endAnd that is really what we want for ourselves – to become authentic human beings

To share in the humanity Jesus took on for Himself.In a way we are like Pinocchio – struggling to connect with the divinized humanity won for us by Jesus

which is at the core of who we are – we want to be real and authentic in the sense that Jesus was.Completely alive in him as He in us – the glory of God manifested in humanity fully alive!

So how do we go about doing it?Like Pinocchio we have the voice of our own Jiminy Cricket in our head telling us what to do!Most people have the experience of feeling uneasy (guilty?)

after they do something that goes beyond their moral (normative?) comfort zone.In a diagram:

What I do –-. What I know --. What needs doing \|/ I should do \|/ ********XXXXXXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| * Goal * | Conscience gap | ********

In this example I fall short of what I know I should do:I know I should loose weight – but I just can't seem to stick on a diet

I call this the “Conscience gap” - the distance between what I do and what I know I should do.When we are stuck in this gap, our conscience bothers us (or, it should!)When I act in accord with my conscience, the gap goes away and I feel at peace.

But – it may be that I am too easily satisfied. I convince myself that I tried and can do no more.Sometimes we need to be stretched (challenged) to go beyond what we see as possible.That is where God comes in:

What I do –-. What I know -. What God Knows -–. What needs doing \|/ I should do \|/ I can do \|/ ********XXXXXXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| - - - - - >* Goal * Conscience gap Faith gap Grace gap ********

As a person of faith I am open to the presence of God in my lifethe sound of his voice encouraging me to reach higher, go deeper, strive for more.

If I have formed my conscience, my mere natural conscience is not enough:I know I should give money to the poor so I do, as much as I think I can – but I don't give as much as I really could – as much as God knows I could, if I changed my priorities

This is the “Faith gap” - meaning that it requires revelation and faith to recognize the short fall.Forming conscience and building faith go hand-in-hand, one helps the other.

Finally, there is the goal itself – sometimes it is more than a single person can do.I support the poor to the extent that I am able – that God knows I am able, but poverty still exists.


The “Grace gap” shows that even after I have done all I can, it takes the Grace of God to realize the goalonly through God's grace can all our hearts be changed to eliminate poverty in our world

And God will provide that grace – but it is up to us to make it manifest in the world.

Traditional Moral Theology describes conscience like this:Conscience is an internal element of Moral Theology

It is an organ, not an oracle – Oracles come and go, conscience is always with me. It is a living thing; it requires exercise

and can sicken and die if I don't take care of it.Conscience has three aspects (or stages)

Universal All people have this level; it is my gut reaction to right and wrong.Very much like Natural Law, present to all.

Educational Conscience formation; I study, reflect and pray to form my conscience.It is influenced by society, organized religion, personal experience, psychological makeup

Judgmental Concrete application of what I have learned to specific personal decisions.Conscience (on this level only!) must always be followed.

In order to form my conscience I must have:Freedom Not just freedom to "do" things (categorical freedom)

but also inner freedom (transcendental freedom) "from" things (fear, loneliness, etc.)Note that I cannot properly form my conscience in an environment of oppression

This inner freedom is the gift God gives to whose who love him!Knowledge Not just "data" (head knowledge) but knowledge of values (heart knowledge).

God also gives this to those who love him!I may be prevented from forming my conscience by impediments.

They may be both inside and outside of me:Biological My physical / psychological makeup (e.g. mental imbalance)

There are some people whose “brain wiring” does not allow them to have a conscience.These are the Hitlers and Stalins of history.

Cultural Social structures (e.g. racial prejudice)John Paul II spoke of sinful social structures, using apartheid as an exampleBenedict XVI has criticized unregulated Capitalism in the same manner

They may also be:Actual Specific things or situations (e.g. passion, anxiety)

If I am not in full possession of my mental faculties, I may ignore my conscience.Habitual Things always with me (e.g. personality structure, habitual actions)

I may have so blunted my conscience by poor habits that it is useless.After formation my conscience may be:

True Correctly formed. It conforms with exterior elements of morality (law, scripture, expert opinion)False In error; not correctly formed and in conflict with exterior elements.

and this may be:Not my fault I was prevented from forming it through no fault of my own (no one told me, I had no way of learning, etc.). This is invincible ignorance.My fault I neglected to form it correctly (too busy, didn't care, etc.). This is vincible ignorance

So how do I go about forming my conscience?Traditionally we were given sermons, rules and guilt as the means of formation.

Follow the rules, do as you're told, come to church and listen to the sermon – all good thingsIf you don't do those things, shame on you! You should feel guilty.

A word about Guilt:It is important to note that “guilt” is not the same as “shame”Guilt arises from the “gap” explained above – it represents a dissonance,

my awareness that my actions did not live up to my expectations for myself - I have failed myself.1 Pillars of the Church – what it means to be Catholic V2.doc -(41)-

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Shame is the judgment placed on you by other people – it is unaware of the circumstances of the act,it only focuses on the act itself – and is based on the other person's moral base, not mine.

Guilt is a natural and healthy feeling when I have fallen short – it spurs me to greater effort next timeShame is unnatural and unhealthy – it says, “You failed so you are a bad person”

Guilt is temporary – it lasts only until I try again and succeed.Shame is forever, without redemption - I am a bad person and nothing I can do will ever change that.

Never allow others to force shame on to you – and never impose it on yourself!

It is impossible to impose conscience formation from without – it must come from within, be a part of us.So here are some guiding principles I have found helpful:Use it or lose it

I need to be engaged in life - I can't just hide from it (Matthew 25:14 The Parable of the Talents)Like the servant who hid his talent in a hole, we can't withdraw from lifeWe can't operate our life from a place of fear – rather we need to come from a place of love

To be engaged means making choices – taking a riskand making choices (good ones at least) requires an exercise of conscience

If I never use my conscience it will wither and die – like a plant that receives no waterit becomes like a cactus – thorny and dry!

Make choices – flex your moral muscle.Take a stand that you believe in, even if it is unpopular (so long as it is true and just)(Matthew 5:11 – the Beatitudes)

Embrace diversityIt is dangerous to surround yourself only with people who think as you do

Just because everyone agrees something is true doesn't make it trueOther people have had different journeys – yours is not the only way, you are not the only one on the road.

Listen to those who have been down different paths, you may save yourself some pain and aggravation.Only God has the totality of truth. The rest of us just catch glimpses of it (1 Cor 13:12 At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror)But, there are some who have seen with greater clarity than others – we call them Saints.

Read everything spiritual, but know who wrote it and why.Avoid “Pop Religion” stick with the tried and true – publications like AmericaAvoid anything with an extreme view

St. Alphonsus Liogouri said, “Wisdom follows the middle path”Diversity is always beneficial – it makes organisms (and societies!) stronger and more resilient

You are what you eatA healthy mind, like a healthy body, does not thrive on junk foodBe aware of the influences on your conscience formation.Where am I getting my moral formation?

We need examples, role models to follow – so who do we choose? Listen to people who have your best interest at heart – not the ones who are trying to sell you somethingListen to people who are living out the advice they give – walk the walk, not just talk the talk.Listen critically – be informed. Just because it is on the Internet doesn't make it true!

Don't let the rich tell you about the poor – find out from the poor what poverty is likeDon't let war-makers tell you about peace – invading another country has never brought world peace

Look in the mirrorWe are created with a rational intellect – we can reason – use the gift God gives to think about ourselves.

Periodically we need to look at how our conscience doing – get a status updateAre we where we want to be in our life?

How much chaos and uncertainty do I have to deal with?Where does the chaos come from?

Have we surrounded ourselves with healthy people?Am I in a destructive relationship with someone? Do they cause me (or I cause them!) pain?Are there some relationships I have abandoned that I should have remained in?

Remember that change is possible – people’s conscience can grow and blossom. Consider:1 Pillars of the Church – what it means to be Catholic V2.doc -(42)-

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St. Francis of Assisi – renounced everything to live in Solidarity with the poor.Dorothy Day – an awakened conscience led her to fight for the oppressed.Archbishop Oscar Romero – from ignoring the poor to championing them.

It is seems that an attachment to worldly goods, power and position are enemies of conscience formation

In the final analysis we are all like Pinocchio – striving to be a real person (authentically human)within the context of our life situation.

And like Pinocchio – We will grow into an authentic person if we persevere and follow our (well formed!) conscience.


How We Live – Conscience – Reflection Questions

Sometimes conscience is characterized as “a little voice” in our heart telling us what to do. Have you ever experienced this? What did it say to you? Did you listen to it? Are there “other” voices you shouldn't listen to?

Have you ever experienced guilt? Was it healthy or harmful? Have you ever felt shame? Did it help or hurt? Have you ever had guilt (or shame!) thrust upon you from the outside (another person, a group, etc.) Did this help or hurt you?

What are some of the sources you use for information to form your conscience? The internet? Social media? Cable TV? Opinions from others? Why is it important to have a reliable source for moral information?

Have you ever made a moral decision based on passion rather than reason? How did it turn out? Why is it important to take time to reflect before making a moral decision? How is God involved in the process?


Mary and the Communion of Saints

IntroductionThe two most asked (and most misunderstood) questions of Catholics are :

“Why do you pray to the saints?” and “Why do you pray to Mary?”The quick answer to both questions is “We don’t; we ask them to pray for us.”Of course, I have never been known to give only a short answer to anything.

The full answer involves a concept known as the Communion of Saints (something we state our belief in each time we say the Creed), so here goes.

The Communion of SaintsWe need to examine both parts; communion and saint.Communion (in Latin, communio); a “community;” a unity of all believers - united by:

BaptismWe all share in the one Spirit received through baptism, dying and rising with the Lord.A Spirit of adoption that makes us children of God, brothers and sisters in the Lord.Because we are all united with Jesus (through Baptism), we are united with one another.Jesus

United with one another in Jesus, we form the community which is the Church.St. Paul likens that union to parts of the body, hands, feet, eyes are all parts that form one whole;the “body” of Christ.We are like grain, scattered on a hillside gathered together in the one loaf, which becomes Jesus.

United in the one Bread that is Jesus, our lives are then shared out to all the members of the community.Church

Our shared lives form us into a of community; the Church.We are united in basic belief as summarized in the creed:

That the reality of God is a Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit;That Jesus is the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary,

who became a human being, suffered, died and rose again and will come again at the end of time.We are also united in our Christian heritage, our tradition, prayer and liturgy

In a specific Catholic tradition, we are united by:The Pope – who is a symbol of unityLiturgy – the sacraments, uniting our prayer life.

We live our lives in community with each other;Our lives are bound together, what effects one, effects all.If I suffer, the community suffers; if I rejoice, the community rejoices.

Saints (in Latin sancta); meaning “holy,”A very little history: in the “good old days” of the Church (pre 325 AD),a saint was a baptized person, a sharer in the Breaking of the Bread (the Eucharist)..

St. Paul addresses his letters to “The Saints of the Church at…”So, in some way, we are all saints;

baptized members of the community, sharing the One Bread that is Jesus.And that sharing is the source of our power (grace) to live lives of holiness.

However, in the “bad old days” of the Church (325 – 1967 AD),“saint” lost the original idea of someone who is a baptized believerand took on the idea of someone who is “better” than the rest of us.

Today, we recognize that all people are called to a life of holiness, called to be sancta;


where holiness takes on the meaning of wholeness; completeness, living a balanced life style;where we live in harmony with our selves, our neighbor and with God (basic instructions from Jesus.)We all receive the same call, we all have the capacity to be saints.

However, not everyone meets with the same success in living this call;we can reject the grace, reject the community of the Church, separate ourselves from the Body of Christ;

and we call this sin.Some saints are obvious – Mother Theresa of CalcuttaSome are less obvious; they are people who have lived (or are living) quiet, hidden lives of holiness;

A divorced mother raising several children, a husband who forgives his wife’s infidelities, a child caring for an aging parent.

But, but, but – aren’t these merely things anyone would do in the same situation?Perhaps, but that doesn’t make them less “saintly;”

rather, doesn’t it show the pervasiveness of grace and holiness?The Communion of Saints Recognizes the “contentedness” of the baptized,

united in Christ and living in the community (Church)These bonds are so strong that they are not broken by death;

with our death, our existence is changed but not ended (we believe in life after death, remember?)Our relationship with one another continues, changed but not ended.

So we finally get to the point, Catholics do not pray to the saints, we ask the saints to pray for us.Here’s how it works:

In life, we can, should and do pray for each other;Because we are brothers and sisters in the Lord, we care for each other; support and nurture each other.

Prayer expresses and somehow brings about that nurturing and support,further uniting us with each other and with God.

In death, the bonds of love and support forged in life remain;death is a change, not an end.

We are still united and can (should and do) pray for each other, even after death.If you can ask someone to pray for you while they are alive, why would it be any different after they are dead?

Mary – unique among the saintsMary is unique because of her unique role in salvation history;

She gave birth to Jesus, Son of God and our Savior.This is certainly remarkable, but it is not why she is held in such high esteem.

What is absolutely astonishing is her faith, her trust.When the angel told her what was to happen, she trusted; absolutely and without reservation.

She took a leap of faith, she opened herself to serve the Lord (“I am the handmaid of the Lord”);She said yes to God.

Sin is saying no to God, it separates us from our selves, from each other and from God,our first parents (Adam and Eve) said no to God; they chose the road of sin,

and we are still walking it today.Mary’s resounding yes allowed the antidote for that no (Jesus) to come into the world.

Mary is our model of holiness, of unconditional, whole-hearted commitment to God.She is what we aspire to be, what we know we can be (with God’s help).

So, we ask Mary to pray for us, that we may become more like her


Three important teachings about MaryThe Immaculate Conception of Mary

The teaching: Mary was conceived and born without original sin.The explanation: Sin is a condition that separates us from God;

Original Sin is that separation from God we all (except Mary) share in because of the decision our first parents (Adam and Eve) made to disobey (separate themselves from) God.Through his obedience (see St. Paul), Jesus wiped out the disobedience of our first parentsand reconciled humankind with God.Mary got an “up front” gift of the redemption we all would receive from Jesus.The Virgin Birth of Jesus

The teaching: Mary conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. She was a virgin before Jesus’ birth, remained a virgin during his birth and was a virgin the rest of her life.

The explanation:Part one (conception); scripture (Luke) tells us how the angel Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary. She conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and remained a virgin; God took flesh from her womb and made it into the flesh of Jesus (just as He took mud from the river bank and built it into Adam and Eve). Joseph was Jesus’ foster father; Jesus is the Son of God and the son of Mary.Part two (virginity during birth); virginity is a spiritual phenomena, not a biological one. Mary was still a virgin after Jesus’ birth, still united with God by her faith and the redemption received from her Son.Part three (continued virginity); Mary had no other children besides Jesus, the “brothers” and “sisters” of Jesus spoken of in scripture could refer to extended family (cousins) or children from a previous marriage of Joseph.

The Assumption of MaryThe teaching: Mary did not die, she was assumed into heaven, body and soul.The explanation: The physical death we all (except Mary) experience is a result of sin. Even though the

sin of our original parents is repaired, it cannot be made as if it never was. Since Mary was given the gift of “up front” redemption, she also got the gift of “up front” glorification. It is the same glorification we shall experience (see St. Paul), only she doesn’t have to physically die first.

In conclusionNo, we don’t pray to Mary or to the saints.That is not to say that there are some people don’t get carried away with popular piety,

but in our Catholic tradition, there is room for everyone.We must be patient with them, calling them to grow into the richness of the Christian mystery,

all the time remembering the words of St Paul,“Do not let these freedoms of yours become stumbling blocks to others.

Together we are church


Patron Saints

Selecting a patron saint – your confirmation nameAll the saints are in the presence of God

As such, we believe that they can pray for us (intercede for us) in a powerful way.A patron saint is one you feel a particular relationship to

It may be based on your occupation, a life event you have experienced or the place you are from.For instance, St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, many Irish people feel a special connection to him.

St. Blaise is the patron saint of diseases of the throat (which is why we bless throats on his feast day, Feb 3He was a physician reputed to have miraculously cured a little boy who nearly died because of a fishbone in his throat.

St. Martha is the patron saint of cooksShe is depicted in the Gospels as preparing food for Jesus and the disciples.

Here is a link to a list of patron saints: http://www.catholic.org/saints/patron.php

Why do we have a confirmation name?In confirmation we are sealed with the Holy Spirit

You choose a patron saint name is taken as a “role model” for youSomeone who inspires you, who prays for you as you pray for their intercession.

God changes people's names when he has a special task for themPeter's original name was Simon, Jesus changed it to Peter because Peter is the rock (petrus) he will build the church upon.

Confirmation is a calling (a vocation), something you consciously respond toThe new name signifies that you are a new creation, a mature member of the churchYou will face challenges in living out your Christian life

Your patron saint will be your special glide, someone who will “have your back”

It is important to rememberPatron saints are your role model, not your fairy godmother!

they intercede for you, but they don't change your pumpkin into a carriage!Many older, more traditional Catholics still “pray to the saints”

To St Anthony to find their lost keys, St Joseph to help sell their houseAs long as this doesn't fall into superstition, that is fine (whatever helps you pray)

Many of our protestant brothers and sisters make fun of our devotion to the saintsBe tolerant of them!Won't they have a nice surprise when they get to heaven and meet their patron saint.


http://www.catholic.org/saints/patron.php

Mary and the Communion of Saints – Reflection Questions

If you had an Italian (or Polish or Irish) grandmother you prayed to the saints. Why do you think this is? Do you think people are afraid to “bother” Jesus? Or think that an intermediary can understand our situation better than He does? What about miracles associated with the saints (e.g. asking St. Anthony to find my car keys)? Do you think they are genuine?

To be Catholic is to have a tender relationship with Mary, the mother of the Lord. There are some very good theological reasons for this, but I suspect the average Catholic would not be aware of them. Why do you think devotion to Mary is so popular? Does it supply something that is missing in our Eucharistic worship?

In the 1800's and early 1900's there were many apparitions of Mary around the world. She seemed to be appearing regularly to children. Fatima, Guadalupe, La Mallet and Lourdes are a few of the instances. Other apparitions have not been confirmed by the Church (e.g. Medjugorje). Why do you think children are the primary audience for these apparitions? Often times there is a “secret” associated with the apparition – to be told only to the Pope. Why do you think this is?

The Rosary is a prayer form dedicated to Mary. Beyond its benefit as a contemplative exercise, many attribute divine intervention in their life as a result of praying it. What do you think of this? Would the interventions have happened anyway? Did the prayer just make me more aware of the presence of God or was there really a miracle?

Many people resort to miraculous prayer when loved ones are sick. Is this helpful or harmful? What happens if they pray devoutly and the loved one dies? Did God not hear their prayer? Did they ask the wrong saint to intercede?


Sacred Space – Church TourA Tour of St. Thomas a'Becket

Church architecture is faith made concrete (literally!). Every detail of a church building reflects what we believe and the tradition we are part of.

Sacred numbersIn our tradition numbers have a significance – in the layout and decoration of the church these sacred numbers come into play. The number three signifies the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Four signifies completeness, the cosmos – the four compass points for instance. Add three and four you get seven, the perfect number (containing heaven and earth). You won't usually see the number six – one less that seven, it signifies incompleteness, evil (remember the beast in the book of Revelation – 666?) Twelve signifies the twelve apostles (or tribes of Israel).

Sacred shapesThe triangle – three sides, with the point up it signifies the Trinity. The circle – infinity. A circle is finite but unbounded – a paradox like God. The square – four sides are the four corners of the compass, the world. The cross – recalls the cross of the crucifixion. It may be a Latin cross, with the upright longer than the arms or a Greek cross, all the arms are the same size (like a “plus” sign).

Welcoming area (Narthex)A place to gather and greet friends. Ours is actually the old church proper. It should provide a transition from the hustle and bustle of outside to the quiet calm of the church proper. A large fabric hanging on the ceiling is in the liturgical color of the current season, rooms around it are for meetings, staff offices, library and kitchen. On the wall is a large quilt with symbols of the seven sacraments (made by our own quilters!) A picture of the Pope, our Archbishop and previous pastors link us horizontally to our history and vertically to the global church.

StatuesAs we approach the doors, we see statues of St. Thomas a'Becket on the South side and our lady of Fatima to the North just outside the church doors. St Joseph and a Madonna with child are just inside. Statues are family pictures – people we love and want to remember. St Thomas a'Becket is the patron saint of our parish – a man who stood up for his principles against corrupt authority and paid the ultimate price (note the sword through his hat!). Our Lady of Fatima was acquired by our founding pastor, Fr. Ernie Porcari. He had a deep love for Our Lady and wanted a statue that is accessible to children – it is not set on a stand so children can reach out pet the lambs. St. Joseph (portrayed as the worker – note the hammer) was the first statue we had when the church was built, Mary with Jesus is on the other side.

The entry doorsThey are in the same location as the original doors of the church that opened outside. On the brick piers on either side are bronze plaques remembering the founding families of the parish. The hallways to either side lead to classrooms used when the church panels are set in place. The doors divide the sacred space inside from the secular space outside. A sense of place is important – it is in the church proper where the “holy” is made manifest.

The church properWalk inside and stop – take a deep breath. Smells like a church! That is years of incense and beeswax candles. We have a central plan church as opposed to a cross shaped (basilican) plan. It is Eastern in origin and dates from the plans of the early churches that were built around the tomb of a martyr - the seats surround the sanctuary and altar. Practically it allows more people to sit closer and see better.

The Basilican style church originated in the Roman public court building – it is distinctly Western in origin. It was taken over by the early church when Christianity was legalized. It had a central aisle flanked by smaller side aisles and a rounded apse with a dais at the East end. This is where the Roman judge would sit on a bench to deliver his verdicts. Later in the Middle Ages it was enhanced to a cross-shaped plan that recalls Jesus on the cross.

Candles (racks of votive candles)A lit candle symbolizes presence – either of the Lord or a person. We light candles in front of statues to represent us standing there and praying. The sanctuary candle (in the Eucharistic chapel) symbolizes Jesus – present in the reserved bread and the community. Candles at the Ambo (lectern) recall the word of God that is “a light to my eyes and a lamp to my feet.” Around the altar they recall the seven churches of the book of Revelation. The Paschal (Easter) candle is Jesus, the risen Lord, present in our midst – it is blessed and lit from the sacred fire at the Easter Vigil.


Candles may be either oil or beeswax (51% beeswax or greater!). We use oil – it doesn't drip. Candles are blessed annually on Candlemass – February 2. We give candles to the newly baptized - “receive the light of Christ”

Where is the Tabernacle?As Catholics we reserve the Host (consecrated bread) in a large metal container (the Tabernacle); after mass. In early times it was in the sanctuary, behind the altar. The Host is reserved primarily to be taken to those who can't make it to mass – shut ins, the sick, prisoners and as Holy Viaticum for the dying. We have a tradition of spending time before the tabernacle in prayer – making a Holy Hour. The blessed bread may also be exposed in a monstrance – which may then be used to bless the people. This is Exposition and Adoration.

Our tabernacle is kept in its own chapel to underscore its importance. A vigil light always burns if the blessed bread is present. The tabernacle is emptied and left open after Holy Thursday until the Easter Vigil.

Where are the kneelers?We use chairs rather than pews with kneelers because it allows re-configuring the space for classrooms and special events. It is our tradition at St. Thomas to stand during the Eucharistic Prayer of the mass.

Sacred posture: Our posture is an outward expression of our inward state. We stand to praise (sing), kneel to pray and sit to learn (listen to the readings and homily). We bow as a sign of respect and genuflect as a sign of adoration before the Lord (under the aspect of bread and wine). Many people will genuflect before sitting down – this is a hold over from the times when the tabernacle was behind the altar. Prostration is used to signify abject poverty – used only on Good Friday by the priest and deacon at the foot of the altar. Hands crossed over the breast signify humility – Mary is often portrayed with crossed hands.

The Baptismal font.It stands right at the entrance to the church, just as the sacrament of baptism is our personal entrance to the church. There is a small font on the East side used for babies, the pool is used for adults – we baptize both adults and babies by full immersion. The water is heated, sanitized and constantly circulates. On the floor of the pool is the design of the Canterbury cross. The Paschal (Easter) candle is kept in the font (our tradition at St Thomas). Many churches will have it in the sanctuary during the Easter season. It is lit for funerals and baptisms.

The Ambry (cupboard for holy oils)This is the small glass cabinet on the door of the church, It contains the three oils used in liturgy the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens and the Holy Chrism (the one with the beautiful fragrance). These oils are blessed and consecrated by the Archbishop on Holy Thursday during the Chrism mass at the cathedral. The Oil of the Sick and Oil of Catechumens are blessed, the Holy Chrism is consecrated. They link us to the diocese and to the bishop himself.

Stained glassSince the middle ages stained glass windows have been a part of the church environment. Our glass is by noted designer Sara Hall .The Rose windowThe large round window straight ahead as you walk in is our rose window. Usually this would be above the entry doors in the East, but since our layout is flipped (our altar is to the West and the entry doors are to the East) it catches the setting sun. The Rose is the emblem of Mary and they will often have an image of Mary and Jesus enthroned. Ours has the Canterbury cross – from St. Thomas a'Becket's own church, Canterbury cathedral in EnglandThe Baptismal windowHigh above the font, it symbolizes the water used in baptism with clear glass prisms. The window throws a beautiful red and blue light over the sanctuary in the summer months – come to 8:00 AM mass and see it!.The Tower windowsWe have a large, square tower with a flat roof, reminiscent of the Norman style of architecture in England. The colors of the liturgical year are displayed: On the West is Green for ordinary time, South is purple for lent and advent, East is gold for Easter and North is Red for Pentecost.The north and south transept windows,These are geometric designs with complimentary colors. The south has a small triangle inside a circle, significant of the Trinity. The north window is the only one in the church that light never directly shines through, it is made to reflect ambient light. The two clear glass windows were originally to have stained glass, but we chose to leave them clear to bring more light into the church.The front windowsThe window on the south, (behind the choir) shows the parable of the Sower and the Seed. Can you see the path and the birds? The window on the north is the parable of the loaves and fishes

The Stations of the cross.


These are the 14 plaques around the perimeter of the church, starting with the first station to the north and the 14th to the south. Our tradition is to publicly say the stations on Fridays of Lent – although you can do them at any time.

The SanctuaryThe raised dais is our sanctuary, where the liturgies are celebrated. It is raised up to set it off from the rest of the space and ensure that all can see. Within the sanctuary are:The AltarThis is the primary furnishing of the church – it is the biggest and most obvious thing because the most important event takes place on it – the Eucharist. There are two candles on either side, lit for services. On the altar is a large cloth (the altar cloth) and a small one (the corporal). The altar cloth reminds that this is a table set for a meal. The corporal recalls the cloths that bound Jesus in death.'The AmboThis is the lectern where the Word is proclaimed. It has its own candles, lit for liturgies. At mass the Old and New testament readings are proclaimed from the Lectionary as are the Universal Prayers. Sometimes the Cantor will lead the responsorial psalm from the ambo. The Gospel is proclaimed there (by the deacon) from the Book of the Gospels.ChairsTwo chairs (or more as needed) are for the priest and deacon to sit in. The big one is the presidential chair, because the presider of the liturgy sits in it. The deacon sits at his right.TableA credence table is to the back of the sanctuary. Anything required for the liturgy (cups, bowls, water, etc.) are placed here for the convenience of the presider.DecorationsOften flowers or other decorations are placed in the sanctuary. They are keyed to the liturgical season or celebration. Decorations are never placed on the altar.

The CrossThere is a large crucifix (cross with the body – corpus – of the crucified Jesus) on the organ screen, above the sanctuary. It is removed during the Easter season and replaced with a banner of the risen Christ. We also use a processional cross (crucifix) that is placed in a stand to the north of the sanctuary.

Back SacristyThere is a room behind the sanctuary, out of sight of the assembly. This is the wet sacristy. In it are kept all the things needed for the liturgy – cups, plates, bread and wine, etc. You may see one of us run back during the liturgy if we have forgotten something!Chalice – this is the big cup the used during the Eucharist. Each priest gets one (usually as a gift) at his ordination. They are custom one-of-a-kind works of art. Fr. Chris' is sterling silver and was made by an artist in California, Fr. Murphy's is silver enamel. The inside is always gold plated.Paten – the large plate that holds the bread to be consecrated, often made to match the chalice.Communion cups – additional wine cups for use during the communion rite. Ours are brass, gold plated inside.Ciborium – the container (with a lid) that holds the reserved bread in the tabernacle.Bread and wine – to be used in the Eucharist. The bread is flour and water, not leavened. The wine is pure grape wine – no sulphites! If a priest does not wish to use wine, he may use (with permission of the bishop) “mustum” grape juice, without preservatives (it must be capable of fermentation).Incense – Usually a mixture of frankincense and myrrh, fragrant smoke symbolizes our prayers reaching up to heaven.Thurible – the thing you burn the incense in. Holds a charcoal briquette, incense crystals are placed on the hot coals.Holy water sprinkler (aspergillium) – holds holy water, sometimes a brush and pot are used.Lavabo dish – for use by the priest when he washes his hands after receiving the gifts of bread and wine.Liturgical books – Lectionaries containing the daily scripture passages, a Book of the Gospels and Missals. The Missal contains the texts used in the mass – the collect, the prayer over the gifts, several Eucharistic prayers and blessings. There are other ritual books – for weddings, funerals, baptisms and the RCIA.Purificators and towels – purificators are cloths used to wipe the communion cups, towels are used to dry hands (or the newly baptized!)

Vesting (front) SacristyThis is the front sacristy – it contains mostly linens and vestments. Vestments (garments) are:Albs - the white “bathrobe” worn by all ministers. Stole – the strip of cloth representing the wearer has Holy Orders conferred on him. Deacons wear the sideways stole, priests wear the straight one. Usually the stole is worn under the vestment. Stoles (and vestments) come in the liturgical colors: White / Gold is for feast days, baptisms, weddings and funerals. Black (or gray) is an alternate color for funerals. Red is for blood (Martyrs) and the Holy Spirit (Confirmation and Pentecost). Violet (a blue-purple) is for the Advent season – except for the third Sunday (Gaudate


Sunday) which is rose (not pink!). Purple is for Lent, except for the fourth Sunday (Laetare Sunday) which is rose. Green is for all the other times (ordinary time).Cincture – a rope that goes around the waist of the alb like a belt. Usually in the liturgical color.Chasuble – The poncho-like outer vestment worn by the priest, it has no seams. It recalls the seamless garment Jesus wore.Dalmatic – The T-shirt like garment worn by the deacon. It is the garb of a servant in Jesus' time.Cope – A cape like garment worn on special occasions. When used in Eucharistic procession, a Humeral Veil covers the hands like a shawl.Pall – A large drape that covers the casket during a funeral. Recalls the white garment worn by the newly baptized.


The Church and Society – Catholic Social Teaching

Major Themes of Catholic Social TeachingLife and Dignity of the Human PersonThe Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred

The dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.This is in direct contrast to a world warped by materialism and declining respect for human life,

In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion, assisted suicide and capital punishment.It is under indirect attack from those who would reduce human life to the manufacture of a product:

For example; human cloning or proposals for genetic engineering to create "perfect" human beingsWe believe that:

Every person is preciousPeople are more important than thingsThe measure of every institution (business, government or church) is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

“Every economic decision and institution must be judged in light of whether it protects or undermines the dignity of the human person. (Economic Justice for All #13)”“We judge any economic system by what it does for and to people and by how it permits all to participate in it. (Economic Justice for All #13)”

Call to Family, Community, and ParticipationOur tradition proclaims that the person is not only sacred but also social.Catholic tradition teaches that human beings grow and achieve fulfillment in community.

“Human dignity can be realized and protected only in community. (Economic Justice for All #79)”How we organize our society directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community.We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in societyThis is in direct contrast to our society and culture which exalts individualism.

The family is the central social institution that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined.The Church teaches that the role of government and other institutions is to promote justice in society:

“. . .the pursuit of justice must be a fundamental norm of the State and . . . the aim of a just social order is to guarantee to each person . . . his share of the community's goods. (Deus Caritas est #26)Society promotes justice by:

Protecting human life and human dignityPromoting the common good.Preserving the well being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

“Does economic life enhance or threaten our life together as a community? (Economic Justice for All #14)”

Rights and ResponsibilitiesCatholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if:

human rights are protectedresponsibilities are met.

This is in direct contrast to a world where some speak mostly of "rights" and others mostly of "responsibilities”Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to:

lifethose things required for human decency“All people have a right to participate in the economic life of society. (Economic Justice for All #15)”“When people are without a chance to earn a living, and must go hungry and homeless, they are being denied basic rights. (Economic Justice for All #17)”

And a corresponding responsibility to:one anotherour families the larger society“Society as a whole has the moral responsibility to enhance human dignity and protect human rights. (Economic Justice for All #18)”


“Building a just social and civil order, wherein each person receives what is his or her due, is an essential task which every generation must take up anew. (Deus Caritas est 28a)

Option for the Poor and VulnerableOur world is characterized by growing prosperity for some and pervasive poverty for others

Society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poorCatholic teaching proclaims that a basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring.

It instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.“All members of society have a special obligation to the poor and vulnerable. (Economic Justice for All #16)”“Those with the greatest needs require the greatest response (Economic Justice for All #16)”

The Dignity of Work and the Rights of WorkersWe believe that the economy must serve people, not the other way around.

“The economy . . . must serve the material and spiritual well-being of people. (Economic Justice for All #1)”This is in contrast to a marketplace where profit takes precedence over the rights of workers

Work has a basic dignity, it is more than a way to make a living“human work has a special dignity and is a key to achieving justice in society (Economic Justice for All #136)”Work is a form of continuing participation in God's creation.

The basic rights of workers must be respected – they have the right to:productive work

“people have a right to employment (Economic Justice for All #103)”decent and fair wages

“workers have a right to wages and other benefits sufficient to sustain life in dignity. (Economic Justice for All #103)”

economic security“All persons also have a right to security in the event of sickness, unemployment, and old age. (Economic Justice for All #80)”

organize and join unions“The Church fully supports the right of workers to form unions or other associations to secure their rights to fair wages and working conditions. (Economic Justice for All #104)”

private property“The Catholic tradition has long defended the right to private ownership of productive property. (Economic Justice for All #114)”“Support of private ownership does not mean that anyone has the right to unlimited accumulation of wealth. .(Economic Justice for All #115)”

economic initiative.“entrepreneurial enterprises are among the most creative and efficient sectors of our economy. (Economic Justice for All #114)”

SolidarityOur culture is tempted to turn inward.Catholic social teaching proclaims that we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, wherever they live.

This is in contrast to our culture’s temptation to become isolationist in the face of international responsibilities“Economic policy can no longer be governed by national goals alone. (Economic Justice for All.# 322).

Solidarity means learning that "loving our neighbor" has global dimensions in an interdependent world.We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences."a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good" (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, no. 38).

Care for God's CreationCatholic tradition insists that we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation.

Care for the earth is a requirement of our faith.


“Our Christian faith calls us to contemplate God's creative and sustaining action and to measure our own collaboration with the Creator in using the earth's resources to meet human needs. .(Economic Justice for All #216)”

We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation.This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

A Personal ResponseThe Responsibilities of Social Living

1. Love and SolidarityJesus commands us to “love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves”

This teaching is the heart and soul of Christian morality.As Christians we strive for a true communion among all persons, with each other and with God.

Do to others whatever you would have them do to you:“Therefore we must treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves . (Matthew 7:12)”

And in doing so, showing a “preferential option” for the poor:“whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:40)”

2. Justice and ParticipationCatholic social teaching, distinguishes three dimensions of basic justice:

Commutative justice calls for fundamental fairness in all agreements and exchanges between individuals or private social groups

Workers owe their employers diligent work in exchange for their wages.Employers are obligated to treat their employees as persons,

paying them fair wages in exchange for the work doneestablishing conditions and patterns of work that are truly human

Distributive justice requires that the allocation of income, wealth, and power in society be evaluated in light of its effects on persons whose basic material needs are unmet.

The right to have a share of earthly goods sufficient for oneself and one's family belongs to everyone.Social justice implies that:

Persons have an obligation to be active and productive participants in the life of societySociety has a duty to enable them to participate in this way.

Economic conditions that leave large numbers of able people unemployed, underemployed, or employed in dehumanizing conditions fail to meet the converging demands of these three forms of basic justice3. A minimum level of material well-being

This creates particular obligations for those with greater resourcesExtreme inequities in income and consumption:

are not morally defensible or allowablelead to deep social divisions and conflict

The great wealth of the United States can easily blind us to the poverty that exists in this nation and the destitution of hundreds of millions of people in other parts of the world.

The Responsibilities of Individuals1. Working People and Labor Unions

People have a right to form Unions – they are an indispensable safeguard in modern industrial societyWorkers and Unions have responsibilities to their employers and to society in general

2. Owners and ManagersBusinesses are entrusted with faithful shepherding of the resources of society for the common goodMust be committed to the good of their workers and the greater public good, not just the good of their companies

No one is justified in keeping for their exclusive use what they do not need, when others lack necessities3. Citizens and Government

Everyone has obligations based simply on membership in the social community.All who have more than they need must come to the aid of the poor; this is a basic Christian responsibility.

Everyone has the responsibility to work to secure justice and human rights through an organized social response.Charity will never be true charity unless it takes justice into account

Governments also have moral functions:


The protection of human rightsSecuring basic justice for all members of the commonwealth.“The just ordering of society and the State is a central responsibility of politics. As Augustine once said, a State which is not governed according to justice would be just a bunch of thieves. (Deus Caritas est 28a)”

Citizens (acting through their government) have the responsibility to:assist and empower the poor, the disadvantaged, the handicapped, and the unemployed

Government must create a positive environment for the efforts of its citizens in this area

The Role of the ChurchThe Church’s mission consists of:

Proclaiming the Word of God (kerygma-martyria)Preaching, teaching and witnessing its faith to the world – spreading the message of Christ.

Celebrating the Sacraments (leitourgia)Through the rites of initiation, vocation and healing, making Christ present in the world.

Works of Charity (diakonia)Responding to the immediate material and spiritual needs of the world in the spirit of Christ“The Church cannot neglect the service of charity any more than she can neglect the Sacraments and the Word. (Deus Caritas est 22)”This mission is an integral part of the Church’s nature – it will exist as long as the Church exists.“Love — caritas — will always prove necessary, even in the most just society. (Deus Caritas est 28b)”

All three missions are equally important – one cannot be ignored to concentrate the others.“For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being. (Deus Caritas est 25a)”

The Church must remain separate from politicsThe church works within the state by forming people’s consciencesChallenging them to act with justice and compassion.

It is the responsibility of the lay faithful to work for justice.“The direct duty to work for a just ordering of society . . . is proper to the lay faithful. (Deus Caritas est 28b)”


Catholic Social Documents

UNIVERSAL DOCUMENTS (PRIMARY)Rerum Novarum (1891) On the Condition of Workers, Pope Leo XIII

This seminal work on modern Catholic social thought addresses the plight of the industrial workers in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. It calls for the protection of the weak and the poor through the pursuit of justice while excluding socialism and class struggle as legitimate principles of change. It affirms the dignity of work, the right to private property, and the right to form and join professional associations.

“It is shameful and inhuman, however, to use men as things for gain and to put no more value on them than what they are worth in muscle and energy. (#31)”

“No one, certainly, is obliged to assist others out of what is required for his own necessary use or for that of his family, . . . But when the demands of necessity and propriety have been met, it is a duty to give to the poor out of that which remains. (#35-36)”

Quadragesimo Anno (1931) On the Reconstruction of the Social Order, Pope Pius XI

Writing in response to the alarming concentration of wealth and power in the socio-economic realm, Pius XI calls for the reestablishment of a social order based on the principle of subsidiarity. In commemorating the 40th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, this encyclical reaffirms the need for a social order animated by justice.

“Every effort must therefore be made that fathers of families receive a wage large enough to meet ordinary family needs adequately. But if this cannot always be done under existing circumstances, social justice demands that changes be introduced as soon as possible whereby such a wage will be assured to every adult workingman. (#71)”

“. . . the right ordering of economic life cannot be left to a free competition of forces. For from this source, as from a poisoned spring, have originated and spread all the errors of individualist economic teaching. ... it held that economic life must be considered and treated as altogether free from and independent of public authority, because in the market, (i.e., in the free struggle of competitors), it would have a principle of self direction which governs it much more perfectly than would the intervention of any created intellect. But free competition, while justified and certainly useful provided it is kept within certain limits, clearly cannot direct economic life. (#88)”

Mater et Magistra (1961) Christianity and Social Progress, Pope John XXIII

Applying the teachings of his predecessors to modern problems, and affirming the role of the Church as a teacher, and as a nurturing guardian of the poor and oppressed, John XXIII calls for a greater awareness of the need for all peoples to live as one community with a common good. Special attention is focused on the plight of the farmers and farm workers in depressed rural, agricultural economies.

“The economic prosperity of any people is to be assessed not so much from the sum total of goods and wealth possessed as from the distribution of goods according to norms of justice; (#74)”

“The remuneration of work is not something that can be left to the laws of the marketplace; nor should it be a decision left to the will of the more powerful. It must be determined in accordance with justice and equity; which means that workers must be paid a wage which allows them to live a truly human life and to fulfill their family obligation sin a worthy manner (#71)”

“The solidarity which binds all people together as members of a common family makes it impossible for wealthy nations to look with indifference upon the hunger, misery and poverty of other nations whose citizens are unable to enjoy even elementary human rights. The nations of the world are becoming more and more dependent on one another and it will not be possible to preserve a lasting peace so long as glaring economic and social imbalances persist (#157)”

Pacem in Terris (1963) Peace on Earth, Pope John XXIII

Covering the entire spectrum of relations between individuals, between the individual and the community, and between nations, John XXIII affirms the inviolability of human rights. Peace, based on mutual trust, can be well-founded only if under girded by a unity of right order in human affairs arising from a genuine respect for and adherence to the law of God.

“. . . we see that every person has the right to life, to bodily integrity, and to the means which are suitable for the proper development of life; these are primarily food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care, and finally the necessary social services. Therefore a human being also has the right to security in cases of sickness, inability to work, widowhood, old age, unemployment, or in any other case in which one is deprived of the means of subsistence . . . (#11)”


“Furthermore--and this must be specially emphasized--the worker has a right to a wage determined according to criterions of justice, and sufficient, therefore, in proportion to the available resources, to give workers and their families a standard of living in keeping with the dignity of the human person (#20)”

Gaudily et Apes (1965) Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Vatican II

Calling for a new sense of service by the Church in a rapidly changing world, the Council presents the ethical framework of the Church's commitment to pastoral work in the world. This servant Church addresses itself to the real concerns and problems faced by Christians living in the modern age and calls for a development based on an unqualified acceptance of the inherent dignity of the human person.

“Whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; as well as disgraceful working conditions, where men are treated as mere tools for profit, rather than as free and responsible persons; all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed. They poison human society. . .(#27)”

“For excessive economic and social differences between the members of the one human family or population groups cause scandal, and militate against social justice, equity,the dignity of the human person, as well as social and international peace. (#29)”

“The arms race is one of the greatest curses on the human race and the harm it inflicts on the poor is more than can be endured (#61)”

“Therefore everyone has the right to possess a sufficient amount of the earth's goods for themselves and their family. This has been the opinion of the Fathers and Doctors of the church, who taught that people are bound to come to the aid of the poor and to do so not merely out of their superfluous goods. Persons in extreme necessity are entitled to take what they need from the riches of others. Faced with a world today where so many people are suffering from want, the council lasks individuals and governments to remember the saying of the Fathers: “Feed the people dying of hunger, because if you do not feed them you are killing them.” (#69)”

Populorum Progressio (1967) On the Development of Peoples, Pope Paul VI

Calling attention to the worsening marginalization of the poor, Paul VI presents the various dimensions of an integral human development and the necessary conditions for growth in the solidarity of peoples. Only with an accompanying theological reflection on liberation from injustice and genuine human values can there be true development towards a more human condition.

“Private property does not constitute for anyone an absolute or unconditioned right. No one is justified in keeping for his exclusive use what he does not need, when others lack necessities. The right to property must never be exercised to the detriment of the common good.(#23)”

“The superfluous wealth of rich countries should be placed at the service of poor nations. The rule which up to now held good for the benefit of those nearest to us, must today be applied to all the needy of this world. Besides, the rich will be the first to benefit as a result. Otherwise their continued greed will certainly call down upon them the judgment of God and the wrath of the poor, with consequences no one can foretell (#49)”

Octogesima Adveniens (1971) Call to Action, Pope Paul VI

Realizing the need for a genuine renewal in domestic and international societal structures, Paul VI calls on Christians to live up to the duty of participation in social and political reform as a way of discovering the truth and living out the Gospel.

“In teaching us charity, the Gospel instructs us in the preferential respect due the poor and the special situation they have in society: the more fortunate should renounce some of their rights so as to place their goods more generously at the service of others (#23)”

“While very large areas of the population are unable to satisfy their primary needs, superfluous needs are ingeniously created. (#9)”

Justitia in Mundo (1971) Justice in the World, Synod of Bishops

Calling attention to the structural roots of injustice afflicting human relations, the Bishops declare that action in the pursuit of justice, and participation in the transformation of the world are constitutive elements in the Church's mission of preaching the Gospel.

“Unless combated and overcome by social and political action, the influence of the new industrial and technological order favors the concentration of wealth, power and decision-making in the hands of a small public or private controlling group. Economic in justice and lack of social participation keep people from attaining their basic human and civil rights (#9)”


“Participation constitutes a right which is to be applied both in the economic and in the social and political field (#18)”

Laborem Exercens (1981) On Human Work, Pope John Paul II

Exhorting Christians everywhere to be involved in the transformation of existing socio-economic systems, John Paul II presents work as a fundamental dimension of human existence through which the “social question” must be viewed. The meaning of work can only be properly understood when the dignity of labor is taken as an underlying premise.

“The justice of a social and economic system is finally measured by the way in which a person's work is rewarded. According to the principle of the common use of goods, it is through the remuneration for work that in any system most people have access to these goods, both the goods of nature and those manufactured. A just wage is a concrete measure-and in a sense the key one- of the justice of a system (#19)”

“We must pay more attention to the one who works than to what the worker does. The self-realization of the human person is the measure of what is right and wrong. (#8”)

Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987) On Social Concern, Pope John Paul II

Expanding on the notion of development in Populorum Progressio, John Paul II reviews the state of world development in the past two decades. The moral nature of development leading humanity to the “fullness of being” is emphasized.

“A consistent theme of Catholic social teaching is the option or love of preference for the poor. Today, this preference has to be expressed in worldwide dimensions, embracing the immense numbers of the hungry, the needy, the homeless, those without medical care, and those without hope (#42)”

“Next to the underdevelopment of the many, there is a super-development for the few. Super-development leads to a throw away society and to enormous waste. Excessive access to all kinds of things, -- sometimes called consumerism -- enslaves people and does not make them happy. The more one possesses, the more one wants, while the deeper human hopes remain unsatisfied and even stifled. “Having” more things does not necessarily mean “being” more or being better. “Having” only helps us when it contributes to a more complete “being.” (#28)”

“The right to private property is valid, but all private property is under a “social mortgage.” (#42)”

“Among the actions and attitudes opposed to God's will, two are very typical: greed and the thirst for power. Not only individuals sin in that way; so do nations and world-blocs. That is why we spoke of “structures of sin,” (#37)”

“One must denounce the economic, financial, and social mechanisms and structures that are manipulated by the rich and powerful for their own benefit at the expense of the poor (#16)”

Centesimus Annus (1991) One Hundred Years, Pope John Paul II

This can be seen as John Paul II’s reflection on global economic systems in the wake of the fall of Communism.

“Love for others, and especially for the poor, is made concrete by promoting justice(#58)”

“The obligation to earn one's bread presumes the right to do so. A society that denies this right cannot be justified, nor can it attain social peace (#43)”

“Profit, though it plays a legitimate role, is not the only indicator of a firm's condition. The people in it might be humiliated and offended. The aim of a business is not simply profit, but to form a particular group at the service of the whole of society (#35)”

“The principle that debts should be paid remains, but this should not be asked for at the cost of the hunger and despair of entire peoples. There is the need to lighten, defer, or even cancel the debts, and indeed, this does sometimes happen, to let people subsistand progress (#35)”

Evangelium Vitae (1995) The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II

An encyclical letter on the value and inviolability of human life, John Paul II reflects on the dignity of the human being and the threats to that dignity from modern society.

“Life, especially human life, belongs to God; whoever attacks human life attacks God's very self (#9)”

“Another root of this contradiction between affirmation and practice lies in a notion of freedom that exalts the individual in an absolute way giving no place to solidarity, openness to others, or service of them, asking like Cain: “Am I my brother's keeper?” Yes, human beings are their brother's and sister's keepers. God entrusts us to one another. Our freedom has a relational dimension; we find our fulfillment through the gift of self to others (#19)”


“The eclipse of the sense of God and ourselves leads to materialism, which breeds individualism, utilitarianism, and hedonism. There is a switch from “being” to ”having.” The only goal is the pursuit of one's own material well being. So called quality of life is primarily seen as economic efficiency, inordinate consumerism, physical beauty, and pleasure, to the neglect of the more profound interpersonal, spiritual, and religious dimensions of existence (#23)”

OTHER UNIVERSAL DOCUMENTS The Church and Homelessness, Pontifical Commission Justice and Peace, 1987

World Hunger-A Challenge for All: Development in Solidarity, Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", 1996

Towards a Better Distribution of Land, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, 1997.

Refugees: A Challenge to Solidarity, Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", 1992

On the Ecological Crisis, Pope John Paul II, 1990

MAJOR CONFERENCE DOCUMENTSJustice, Latin American Bishops Medellin document, 1968.

Poverty in the Church, Latin American Bishops Medellin document, 1968.

Peace, Latin American Bishops Medellin document, 1968.

Brothers and Sisters to Us, U.S. Bishops, 1979

“Racism is a sin; a sin that divides the human family, blots out the image of God among specific members of that family, and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father.”

Capital Punishment, U.S. Bishops, 1980

In 1974, out of a commitment to the value and dignity of human life, the U.S. Catholic Conference, by a substantial majority, voted to declare its opposition to capital punishment. This is their reaction to its resumption and a reflection on the purpose of punishment.

“We believe that in the conditions of contemporary American society, the legitimate purposes of punishment do not justify the imposition of the death penalty. Furthermore, we believe that there are serious considerations which should prompt Christians and all Americans to support the abolition of capital punishment.”

“We urge particularly the importance of restricting the easy availability of guns and other weapons of violence. We oppose the glamorizing of violence in entertainment, and we deplore the effect of this on children.”

The Challenge of Peace, U.S. Bishops, 1983

This document is the U.S. Bishops teaching on peace and war, in particular war in the nuclear age. It contains their teaching on the “Just War” premise of morel theology – when and under what conditions can a war be justified. It is a lengthy document but crucial to understanding the church’s teaching on armed conflict.

“The crisis of which we speak arises from this fact: nuclear war threatens the existence of our planet; this is a more menacing threat than any the world has known. it is neither tolerable nor necessary that human beings live under this threat. (#3)”

“We regret the apparent unwillingness of some to see in the United Nations organization the potential for world order which exists and to encourage its development. Pope Paul VI called the United Nations the last hope for peace. The loss of this hope cannot be allowed to happen. (#97)”

“As Catholic bishops it is incumbent upon us to stress to our own community and to the wider society the significance of this support for a pacifist option for individuals in the teaching of Vatican II and the reaffirmation that the popes have given to nonviolent witness since the time of the council. (#119)”

“In the words of our Holy Father, we need a “moral about face.”The whole world must summon the moral courage and technical means to say “no” to nuclear conflict; “no” to weapons of mass destruction; “no” to an arms race which robs the poor and the vulnerable; and “no” to the moral danger of a nuclear age which places before humankind indefensible choices of constant terror or surrender. Peacemaking is not an optional commitment. It is a requirement of our faith. We are called to be peacemakers, not by some movement of the moment, but by our Lord Jesus. The content and context of our peacemaking is set, not by some political agenda or ideological program, but by the teaching of his Church. (#333)”

Economic Justice for All, U.S. Bishops, 1986


This is the basic document about economics and social justice. It was written by the United States bishops and is directed primarily at residents of the United states – us. It lays out in very clear terms a personal, social and legislative agenda to address justice in America.

“Every perspective on economic life that is human, moral, and Christian must be shaped by three questions: What does the economy do for people? What does it do to people? And how do people participate in it? (#1)”

“The needs of the poor take priority over the desires of the rich; the rights of workers over the maximization of profits; the preservation of the environment over uncontrolled industrial expansion; the production to meet social needs over production for military purposes” (#94)”

“Human rights are the minimum conditions for life in community. In Catholic teaching, human rights include not only civil and political rights but also economic rights. As Pope Pope John XXIII declared, “all people have a right to life, food, clothing, shelter,rest, medical care, education, and employment.” This means that when people are without a chance to earn a living, and must go hungry and homeless, they are being denied basic rights. Society must ensure that these rights are protected (#17)”

“Where the effects of past discrimination persist, society has an obligation to take positive steps to overcome the legacy of injustice. Judiciously administered affirmative action programs in education and employment can be important expressions of the drive for solidarity and participation that is at the heart of true justice. Social harm calls for social relief (#73)”

“The concentration of privilege that exists today results far more from institutional relationships that distribute power and wealth inequitably than from differences in talent or lack of desire to work. These institutional patterns must be examined and revised if we are to meet the demands of basic justice. For example, a system of taxation based on assessment according to ability to pay is a prime necessity for the fulfillment of the social obligations (#76)”

“Business and finance have the duty to be faithful trustees of the resources at their disposal. No one can ever own capital resources absolutely or control their use without regard for others and society as a whole. This applies first of all to land and natural resources. Short-term profits reaped at the cost of depletion of natural resources or the pollution of the environment violate this trust (#112)”

“No one may claim the name of Christian and be comfortable in the face of hunger ,homelessness, insecurity, and injustice found in this country and the world (#27)”

The Common Good and the Catholic Church's Social Teaching, Bishops of England & Wales, 1996

Communities of Salt and Light, U.S. Bishops, 1993

“The central message is simple: our faith is profoundly social. We cannot be called truly “Catholic” unless we hear and heed the Church's call to serve those in need and work for justice and peace. We cannot call ourselves followers of Jesus unless we take up his mission of bringing “good news to the poor, liberty to captives, and new sight to the blind” (cf. Lk 4:18).”

“Parishes are called to reach out to the hurting, the poor, and the vulnerable in our midst in concrete acts of charity.”

Living the Gospel Life: A Challenge to American Catholics, U.S. Bishops, 1998

“Today, Catholics risk cooperating in a false pluralism. Secular society will allow believers to have whatever moral convictions they please -- as long as they keep them on the private preserves of their consciences, in their homes and churches, and out of the public arena. Democracy is not a substitute for morality, nor a panacea for immorality.”

“Laws that permit abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide are profoundly unjust, and we should work peacefully and tirelessly to oppose and change them. Because they are unjust they cannot bind citizens in conscience, be supported, acquiesced in, or recognized as valid.”

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, U.S. Bishops, 1998

“Far too many Catholics are not familiar with the basic content of Catholic social teaching. More fundamentally, many Catholics do not adequately understand that the social teaching of the Church is an essential part of Catholic faith.”

“Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith ... this commitment to social justice is at the heart of who we are and what we believe”

Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium, U.S. Bishops, 1999

“We wish to suggest some issues which we believe are important in the national debate during 2000 and beyond: Protecting Human Life, Promoting Family Life, Pursuing Social Justice, Practicing Global Solidarity”


“Building peace, combating poverty and despair, and protecting freedom and human rights are not only moral imperatives; they are wise national priorities. Given its enormous power and influence in world affairs, the United States has a special responsibility to ensure that it is a force for justice and peace beyond its borders.”

Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice, U.S. Bishops, 2000

“As bishops, we believe that the current trend of more prisons and more executions, with too little education and drug treatment, does not truly reflect Christian values and will not really leave our communities safer.”

OTHER CONFERENCE DOCUMENTSA Decade after Economic Justice for All, A Pastoral Message of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops on the Tenth

Anniversary of the Economic Pastoral, November, 1995.

“The power and productivity of the U.S. economy sometimes seems to be leading to three nations living side by side: One is prospering and producing in a new information age, coping well with new economic challenges. A second is squeezed by declining real incomes and global economic competition. They wonder whether they will keep their jobs and health insurance, whether they can afford college education or Catholic schools for their children. A third community is growing more discouraged and despairing. Called an American underclass, their children are growing up desperately poor in the richest nation on earth. Their question at the end of the month is whether they can afford the rent or groceries or heat.”

Make Justice Your Aim, Alabama Bishops on Poverty in Alabama, 1990.

Monograph on Capital Punishment, Bishops of Syracuse, NY, 1994.

This Land Is Home To Me, 1975 pastoral letter issued by the bishops of Appalachia.

At Home in the Web of Life, A 1995 pastoral message on sustainable communities in Appalachia celebrating the 20th anniversary of

This Land is Home to Me from the Catholic Bishops of Appalachia.

The above documents (and more) can all be accessed through:http://www.mcgill.pvt.k12.al.us/jerryd/cm/cstdocs.htmhttp://www.osjspm.org/cst/doclist.htmhttp://www.nccbuscc.org/chronological.htm


http://www.osjspm.org/cst/doclist.htm

http://www.mcgill.pvt.k12.al.us/jerryd/cm/cstdocs.htm

Social Justice – Reflection questions

Imagine a panhandler asks you for a handout. How do you respond? How would Jesus respond?Suppose you found out the panhandler had scammed you. What would you do? How would this effect your response in the future?

The Church teaches that all people have an innate value. Do you agree? What groups of people does society tell us are “unimportant?” The poor? The incarcerated? Terrorists?

Am I really my brother’s keeper? Who is my brother (or sister!) anyway? What are some concrete things I could do to help the less fortunate?

What is my responsibility and government's responsibility to aide the marginalized? How do they differ? How are they the same?
