Transcript Cardinal Newman Institute

Welcome!
The Creed
Session 1: I Believe in God the Father
Who is God the Father, and how do
I experience God’s Fatherly love?
Session Schedule
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Opening Prayer
Paired Activity
Talk #1: I Believe in God, the Father Almighty
Standing Activity
Talk #2: Creation, Man & the Fall
Small Group Activity
Closing Prayer
Opening Prayer:
Apostles’ Creed & Nicene Creed
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit
was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with 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.
…The Nicene Creed
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins,
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Paired Activity:
Symbols of the Faith
1) Compare & Contrast…
2) What word or phrase
speaks to you about who
God is at this point of your
faith journey?
Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
Nicene Creed:
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
Overview of the Catechism
Introduction:
Human desire for God;
God’s Self Revelation;
Our Faith Response
I. Profession of Faith
A. Father
B. Son
C. Holy Spirit
II. Celebration of the
Christian Mystery
IV. Christian Prayer
III. Moral Life in Christ
Talk #1: "I Believe in God,
the Father Almighty"
• Creed (Latin, “credo”): “I believe”
• Apostle's Creed: Ancient “symbol” of the faith,
used in baptismal rite.
• Nicene Creed: Councils of Nicaea (325 A.D.)
and Constantinople (381 A.D.)
• “Whoever says ‘I believe’ says ‘I pledge myself
to what we believe’” (CCC, n. 185)
Faith: the assent of the human person's
whole intellect and will to God.
“I believe in God…”
+ The confession of God's oneness is rooted
in the divine revelation of the Old Covenant.
+ God has revealed himself:
YHWH (“I am who am”)
+ God is unique: there is only one God.
+ The Christian faith confesses that “God
is one in nature, substance and essence.”
(CCC, nn. 199-200)
Revelation and the Trinity
• The Most Holy Trinity: the central
mystery of the Christian faith and life
• We believe in a God who is One
in nature, substance and essence
• We believe that the one God is Trinitarian
– God is three Persons in one Being or Substance
(the Son is “consubstantial” with the Father)
– Analogy of Lover, Beloved and the Love itself
– God reveals himself as an “eternal exchange of Love”
(CCC, n. 221)
One Nature (“what I am”)…
Three Persons (“who I am”)
God the Father
• The Holy Spirit reveals both
the Father and the Son
• Jesus revealed that God
is Father not only by being
the Creator, but also
by relationship to his
only Son
• The Father is source and
origin of the whole divinity
• The Almighty Father wants
us to call him Abba,
“Daddy”!
“…I am going to my Father
and your Father…” (Jn 20:17)
“By calling God ‘Father,’ the language of faith
indicates two main things: that God is the first
origin of everything and transcendent authority;
and that he is at the same time goodness and
loving care for all his children…
“We ought therefore to recall that God transcends
human distinction between the sexes. He is
neither man nor woman: he is God. He also
transcends human fatherhood and motherhood,
although he is their origin and standard: no one is
father as God is Father.” (CCC, n. 239)
The Father Almighty:
The Omnipotence of God
• Universal: God rules everything
and can do everything
• Loving: He is our Father!
• Mysterious: His power is “made
perfect in weakness” (CCC, n. 268)
• “As it is in Heaven”, Matt Maher
Standing Activity:
Creation Lessons
Read & Discuss one of the following passages:
(a) Gen 1:26-31
(b) Gen 2:4-7
(c) Gen 2:18-25
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What does the passage reveal about God?
What does it reveal about the human person?
Talk #2:
Creation, Man & the Fall
• Questions of Science
• Questions of Origins
• Questions of Evil
“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1)
Creation and Science
• Religion’s question about creation:
“Why is there something rather than nothing?”
– Science can show how creation is ordered
– Science cannot answer this question
• Science’s questions: What happened and how do things work?
– offers natural explanations of natural phenomena
(e.g., big bang and evolution)
• Christian doctrine of Creation: God created an ordered,
purposeful, and good creation from nothing (ex nihilo).
• Figurative Language: tells a greater truth than
factual language can express
Other Theories of Creation
• Pantheism – God is identical with
the universe, not separate from it
• Dualism – matter is bad; spirit alone is good
• Deism – God as a “Dead beat dad,”
or “watchmaker” God
• Materialism – only matter is real
“The Creator of Heaven and Earth”
• Trinitarian God of Love is both transcendent
(higher than the highest mountain) and
immanent (closer than my inmost self)
• The Father creates through the Son
(the Word/Logos) and with the Spirit…
• As unique individuals, human beings
reflect both the One God
• Since they are made for relationship,
human beings reflect the Three Divine Persons
Key Truths about Creation:
• Creation is the work of the Trinity
• The world was created
for the glory of God
• Creation is a gift of God’s wisdom and love
• God creates “out of nothing” (ex nihilo)
• God creates an ordered
and good world
• God transcends creation
and is present to it
• God upholds and sustains creation
The Mystery and the Mathematical Marvel of Creation
The Fall: Original Sin
“The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses
figurative language, but affirms a primeval
event, a deed that took place at the very
beginning of the history of man.”
(CCC, n. 390)
• Human beings and Angels, as intelligent and free creatures,
have to journey toward their ultimate destinies by their free
choice and preferential love; they can go astray.
• Human beings preferred self to God.
• Grace of original holiness was lost.
• Death entered human history.
• God offers the first promise of redemption
(Gen 3:15—the woman’s offspring
will strike at the head of the serpent).
Small Group Activity
Terms and Concepts
• Creed
• Revelation
• Faith
• Yahweh
• Blessed Trinity
• “Abba”
• Omnipotence
“Mind-mapping”:
(1) Connect different ideas
related to your concept;
(2) then decide how you might
use the term or phrase
to help explain the faith.
• Transcendence
• Immanence
• The Word or Logos
• Genesis
• Creation ex nihilo
• Original sin
• Figurative language
Who is God the Father, and how do
I experience God’s Fatherly love?
Follow-up Reflection and Resources
1) Session Evaluation & Feedback
2) Recommended follow-up:
US/CCA, ch. 5 & 6
“I Believe in God,” and
“Man and Woman in the Beginning”
3) For Catechists & Catholic School Teachers:
“Record of Formation,” including:
required reflection & documentation
Closing Prayer:
The Act of Faith
My God, I firmly believe that you are
one God in three divine Persons,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Father, I believe that your divine Son became man and died for
our sins and that he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church
teaches because you have revealed them who are eternal
truth and wisdom, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
In this faith I intend to live and die. Amen.
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
Holy God, we praise Thy Name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee!
All on earth Thy rule acclaim,
All in heaven above adore Thee;
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.
Hark! the loud celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising,
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising;
Fill the heavens with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord.
Holy God,
We Praise Thy Name (cont.)
Holy Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee;
While in essence only One,
Undivided God we claim Thee;
And adoring bend the knee,
While we own the mystery.