Communion of Saints Forgiveness of Sins Eternal Life

Communion of Saints, Forgiveness of Sins, Eternal Life

-Single most important goal in life is to get to Heaven -Doctrine of the Communion of Saints -Eschatology - study of the last things

-Unity in holy things and holy persons Share many holy things: -Catholic Faith -Graces of the sacraments -Spiritual benefits that come from the special gifts -Material goods shared among all people -Fruits that come from working together for a just society -Communion that results from charity Communion of Saints also refers to the unity among these people: -Pilgrim Church -Church suffering -Church Triumphant

1. Complete these sentences… Heaven is…. Hell is…. 2. Suppose you knew that you only had a week to live. What would you do in the next seven days? 3. What do you think your best friend would say about you at your funeral mass?

-Word saint comes from Latin and means “holy” -Every member of Christ’s body has a call to holiness -Example of canonized saints can help all friends of Christ on the path to holiness -Many saints in heaven have not made the official list of canonized saints -True devotion to the saints involves studying their lives and imitating their virtues

Mary plays a special role in salvation history -the most faithful witness to Jesus -obeyed God’s will -generously responded to the grace of the Holy Spirit Church teaches certain truths about Mary Immaculate Conception -Mary was preserved immune from original sin - full of grace

Virgin Mary -She remained a virgin “before, in and after” the birth of the Lord Mother of God -Jesus was divine from the moment of his conception, Mary is Mother of God, supreme to any of her other titles Assumption of Mary -Was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory

Veneration of Mary -Hallmark of our Catholic faith to venerate Mary -Praying to and honoring Mary increases our love for her and helps us imitate her virtues, especially her total commitment to Jesus -Many devotions to Mary -Most popular one is the Rosary

-At the heart of his ministry, Jesus forgave sins -He instructed his disciples to continue to forgive sins in his name -Baptism is the primary sacrament of forgiveness - it wipes away sin and unites us to Christ Jesus

1. Name some of the benefits of belonging to the communion of saints. 2. How can you become a saint? Name three concrete things you can do. 3. Who is your favorite saint? Why? 4. Tell something about your patron saint. 5. Which doctrine involving Mary do you have the most difficulty understanding?

What is sin? Original Sin - prideful disobedience of Adam and Eve and the effects of this disobedience that all humans inherit Actual Sin - personal, individual sin - an act, word, or desire contrary to eternal law Venial Sin - “lesser sins” Vices - bad habits that turn a person from love Captal sins - pride, envy, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust Mortal sin - most serious kind of sin

Mortal sins kill a person’s relationship with God and others -Christ forgives these sins through the sacrament of Penance Contrition for our sins means: -that we are truly sorry for them -have a sincere intention to avoid sin in the future -avoid what we know can cause us to sin -try to repair any harm our sins have caused

1. Share your favorites gospel story of Jesus’ forgiveness. 2. Among your peer groups, what are considered the most serious kinds of sins? 3. What has been your experience with the sacrament of Penance? How do you feel after you celebrate the sacrament?

-The Catholic faith holds that with death comes a new type of life -Had sin not touched humanity, we would be immune from bodily death -Jesus’ own acceptance of his death is a model for all -Death is a profound mystery -Thinking about your own death can help you resolve to live more lovingly in the present

-Resurrection of the Body - when Christ comes again he will reunite the bodies of every human with their souls -Our Catholic Faith holds that on the last day God will raise from the dead all people -Most important quality of the resurrected body will be immortality -Beatific Vision - “Seeing God”

-Immediate judgement after death is based on divine revelation - whether we go to heaven, purgatory, or hell -”Day of Judgement” - our permanent judgement to accept or reject Jesus Christ

Heaven -Name for our union with the loving Triune God, the Blessed Mother, and all angels and saints -Jesus’ death and resurrection have given us access to heaven -We will continue to fulfill God’s will in heaven and will reign with Jesus forever Purgatory -Final purificatin of those who die in grace but need purification and cleansing -Involves both a joyful and painful process of letting go of sin

Hell -To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him forever by one’s own free choice -Those in hell grieve over their eternal punishment, suffer spiritually and physically, and give up all hope of salvation -God does not send us to hell; unrepentant mortal sin does

-Events of the last day of human history -On that day the resurrection of the just and unjust takes place and the Risen Christ will come again -The time to live a Christ-like life is now -The Holy Spirit gives us the virtue of hope Amen -Traditional way we end our prayers also ends the Bible -Means “So be it, I agree, certainly, it is firm”

1. Why is death a mystery? 2. How do you imagine your body after its resurrection? 3. How do you feel about Jesus being the judge of your life?