RCIA God's call and our response

I. Our Desire and Capacity for God

A. Desire for God is Natural

1. St Augustine “restless hearts” (YC 3)

2. Created by God for God - our purpose

3. Free will

B. Search for God who wants to be known (YC 7)

God wants to be known (YC 7)

1. Effort of Human Intellect

gift of reason (DV: “God, the first principle and last end of all things can be known with certainty from the created world by the natural light of human reason.”) (YC 3)

(YC 3; St Albert the Great)

created God’s image (YC 4)

2. Correct will (YC 5) (why some deny God)

3. Upright heart

4. Witness of others

5. Ways to come to know God (YC 6 “Truth”)

Open to truth and beauty

Recognize moral goodness

Freedom

Voice of Conscience

Longing for the infinite

Longing for happiness

C. Need for Revelation

ation

Some realities exceed our understanding especially those of moral and religious truths.

Religion: definitions from Websters, CA, YC 3-5, Thesaurus, OSV Encyclopedia, Oxford Etymology,

D. Jesus: Full and Final Revelation

Mystery of God, Mystery of human persons definitively disclosed

Jesus reveals what fully human means

To “find yourself” must give yourself to God and Others

Adopted sons & daughters makes us heirs to divine happiness

II. Divine Revelation Initiative of Gods love

A. Revelation of God

Initiative of Gods love

Gradual - prepared humanity to accept by stages

Full Revelation: His Son - Jesus

Enables us to respond - a gift

B. OT Revelation

(YC 8)

The Covenants

Creation () Manifestation to Adam & Eve

Creation () Manifestation to Adam & Eve

First Covenant - a couple

spoke to them

sin unable to thwart God’s plan

2nd Covenant: Noah ; a family

divine economy

covenant: solemn promise/agreement; exchange of persons

economy: theological term meaning God’s activity in the world

3rd Abraham - a tribe

gather the scattered human race into a family of faith

4th Moses- a nation

free a people from Egyptian slavery

5th David - a kingdom

6th Jesus- a world

C. New Testament - New Covenant

(YC 9-10)

Full revelation; “If you have seen me.....” (DV 4; cf ; ; CCC 66)

Gospel source of all saving truth (CCC 75)

D. Revelation has 3 Dimensions

(YC 11-13)

1. Holy Scriptures 46 OT, 27 NT (YC 14-16)

unity of the two testaments

Church did not add books to Bible but others did subtract

2. Tradition - living communication (YC 12)

life force from 4,000 years of faith experience

in partnership with Scripture

3. Magisterium - teaching authority of the Church

(YC 11-13) Why we hand on the faith

authority flows from Jesus to Apostles, handed on to Bishops in concert with the Pope

task of authentic intrepretation of Scripture

Dogmas: Truths of divine revelation

required to adhere

hierarchy of truths top two

paschal mystery

revelation of God in Christ

E. Church is servant of Revelation

The faithful as a whole

The three dimensions (Scripture, Tradition, Magisterium) are interconnected

Bishops successors to Apostles have teaching authority

Baptized give Holy Spirit to instruct and guide

private revelations are not in deposit of faith

some the Church recognizes but not all

if private revelation contradicts church teaching it cannot be accepted

See CCC

III. The Life of Faith

III. The Life of Faith

A. The Nature of Faith

Faith: the assent given in trust and obedience to truth

Allows human persons to submit completely and give assent of intellect and will to God (YC 20)

personal commitment

free assent

relationship

Obedience of faith (Obedience means “to listen to” “to heed”)

Act of the intellect (YC 23)

a gift of grace

authentically human

consistent with human dignity and reason

God; who can neither deceive or be deceived) reveals

firm faith can and does contain an element of darkness or doubt

faith either growing or declining,

never stagnant

requires our cooperation to bear fruit

our response to God’s revalation

seeks understanding

B. The Mystery of Faith

Gift of God; supernatural virtue infused by Him

Free gift that can be lost through carelessness or sin

assaults come from without and within

Loving Relationship

a. belief

b. covenant with 2 dimensions

god initiates w promise of steadfast love and fidelity

human responds through Jesus

says yes through life of the church

3. Faith necessary for salvation; w/o faith we cannot please God (CCC 161)

a. ignorant of the gospel but seeking truth & obeying God’s will can lead one to the gift of salvation

b. Edith Stein (YC 3)

c. Would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known of it’s necessity

d. believing is a free and conscious human act

e. is a gift of faith to enjoy on earth the life of God

4. Mary: the perfect model of faith

a.

b. Mary’s yes inspires our yes

c. Her faith never waivered ()

Questions for Reflection:

Have you experiences what Augustine describes as a “restless” heart?

Do you find that most people in society have a natural desire for God? How is that seen or not seen?

God has given us the freedom to choose the good How is true self-fulfillment related to choosing the good.

How does God reveal Himself to you?

Which aspect of the deposit of faith (Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium) do you feel is least appreciated? Why is it important to have all three?

What has the Bible meant in your life up until now?

“Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.” Have you experienced what Cardinal Joh Henry Newman describes as certain faith? How do you deal with doubts?

What can be one to keep faith active and growing?

Do you find any difficulty with the Church’s emphasis on Mary?

Scriptures to enlighten your study

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Prayers of the Church

Adapted from the Opening Prayer; Memorial of St Augustine

Lord,

You inspire us to delight in praising you because you made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.

Fill us with your spirit of love that we may thirst for you alone as the fountain of wisdom and seek iyou as the source of eternal love.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever

Amen

Prayer after the Third Reading for Easter Vigil

Lord God, In the new covenant you shed light on the miracles you worked in ancient times: the Red Sea is a symbol of our baptism, and the nation you freed from slavery is a sign of your Christian people

May every nation share the faith and privilege of Israel and come to new birth in the Holy Spirit.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Alternate Opening Prayer; Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

God our Father, we rejoice in the faith that draws us together, aware that selfishness can drive us apart.

Let your encouragement be our constant strength

Keep us one on the love that has sealed our lives, help us to live as one family in the gospel we profess,

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.