Year 2: The Bible

Hi Year 2s,

Tonight Ms. Vilma Cropper did a fantastic job on the teaching on The Bible. One very important point was raised in that the Holy Mass, which is considered to be the highest form of prayer for us Catholics, is found in Sacred Scripture.

I would like to invite you all to the link below to see how and where the link is made with the mass and Sacred Scripture.

Have a look: http://www.catholicbible101.com/scriptureinthemass.htm

God Bless.

The Last Things: Heaven, Hell & Purgatory

The Life everlasting; the last Things

Presented by: Seminarian Guillaume Woei A Jin

Friday 13^th January 2017

At the end of the Apostles Creed the Church proclaims ‘I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.’ This formula contains in brief the fundamental elements of the Church’s hope about the last things.

1. The resurrection of the body

The Church has frequently proclaimed her faith in the resurrection of the dead at the end of time. It forms, as it were, the “continuation” of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the firstborn of many brethren (Rom 8:29), extended to all men and women, living and dead, just and sinners, that will take place when He comes at the end of time. At death the soul is separated from the body; with the resurrection, body and soul are reunited again for ever (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 997). The dogma of the resurrection of the dead refers to the fullness of immortality to which mankind is destined, but at the same time it is a vivid reminder of our dignity, and in particular of the dignity of the body. It speaks to us of the goodness of the world, of the body, of the value of a life lived out day by day, of the eternal vocation of matter. That is why in the second century when writing against the Gnostics, the phrase resurrection “of the flesh” was used—that is to say, human life in its most material aspect, temporal, changeable, apparently fleeting.

St Thomas Aquinas considered the doctrine of the resurrection to be natural in respect to its final cause (because the soul is made to be united to the body and vice versa), but supernatural in respect to its efficient cause (that is, God).

The risen body will be real and material, but not earthly or mortal. St Paul rejected the idea of resurrection as a transformation happening within human history, and spoke of the resurrected body as “glorious” (cf. Phil 3:21) and “spiritual” (cf. Col 15:44). The resurrection of every man and woman, as happened with Christ, will take place after death.

The Church in the name of Christian faith does not promise us a successful life on this earth. She does not talk of a “utopia,” since our earthly life will always be marked by the Cross. However, through the reception of Baptism and the Eucharist, the process of resurrection has is some way already begun (cf. CCC, 1000). According to St Thomas, at the resurrection the soul will inform the body so deeply that it will reflect the soul’s moral and spiritual qualities. Thus the final resurrection, which will take place when Christ comes in glory, will make possible the definitive judgement of the living and the dead.

With respect to the doctrine of the resurrection four points can be made:

—the doctrine of the final resurrection excludes theories of reincarnation, according to which the human soul after death migrates to another body, repeatedly if necessary, until it is finally purified. In this regard, Vatican Council II referred to “the one life we live,” for it is established that men die only once (Heb 9:27);

—the veneration of relics of the saints is a clear manifestation of the Church’s faith in the resurrection of the body;

—although cremation of the human body is not illicit, unless it has been chosen for reasons that go against faith (cf. CCC, 1176), the Church strongly advises maintaining the pious custom of burying the dead. “The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in the faith and hope of the resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy: it honours the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit.”

(CCC 2300);

— the resurrection of the dead accords with what Holy Scripture calls the coming of “the new heavens and the new earth” (cf. CCC, 1042; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1) Not only will mankind attain glory, but the entire cosmos in which we live and move will be transformed. “The Church to which all have been called in Christ Jesus and in which, by

the grace of God, we achieve sanctity,” we read in Lumen Gentium (no. 48), “will not achieve its full perfection until ‘the time comes for the restoration of all things’ (Acts 3:21), and when along with human kind the whole universe, so intimately united with man and through him achieving its end, will be perfectly renewed.” There will certainly be continuity between this world and the new world, but also an important discontinuity.

The hope of the definitive installation of Christ’s kingdom shouldn’t weaken but rather strengthen, with the theological virtue of hope, our effort to achieve progress on earth

(CCC 1049).

2. The Christian meaning of death

The enigma of death can only be understood in the light of Christ’s resurrection. In fact, death, the loss of human life, seems to be the greatest possible evil in the natural order, precisely because it is something so definitive that it can only be overcome completely when God in Christ raises all men and women.

On the one hand, death is natural in the sense that the soul can separate itself from the body. From this point of view, death marks the end of our earthy pilgrimage. After death a person can no longer merit or offend God. “Man’s choice in life is made definitive at death.”4 It is no longer possible to repent. Immediately after death the person goes to heaven, hell or purgatory. For this to happen there exists what the Church calls the particular judgement (cf. CCC 1021-1022). The fact that death marks the limit of the period of trial gives us the opportunity to put our life in order, to make good use of our time and talents, to act uprightly and serve others.

On the other hand, Holy Scripture teaches us that death has come into the world through original sin (cf. Gen 3:17-19; Wis 1:13-14; 2:23-24; Rom 5:12; 6:23; CCC, 1007). In this sense it must be regarded as a punishment for sin: someone who wants to live separated from God must accept the disagreeable consequences of rupture with society and with oneself. However, Christ “faced death in an act of complete and free submission to his Father’s will” (CCC 1009). By his obedience he conquered death and won resurrection for humanity. For the one who lives in Christ through Baptism, death continues to be painful and abhorrent, but it is no longer a vivid reminder of sin, for is becomes a valuable opportunity to co-redeem with Christ, through mortification and selfgiving to others. If we die with Christ we shall also live with him (2 Tim 2:11).

3. Eternal life in intimate communion with God

In creating and redeeming us God has destined us to eternal communion with himself, to what St John calls ‘eternal life’ or what is commonly called “heaven.” Jesus communicated the Father’s promise to his followers in these words: well done, good and faithful servant. Because you have been good and faithful over small things enter into the joy of your Lord (Mt 25:21). Eternal life should not be seen as a ”continuous succession of days of the calendar, but rather as a moment full of satisfaction, in which totality embraces us and we embrace totality. It will be the moment to submerge ourselves in oceans of limitless love, in which time—the before and after—no longer exists. We can only try to think that this moment is life in its fullest sense, submerging ourselves ever anew in immeasurable being at the same time as we are simply overwhelmed with joy.”

Eternal life is what gives meaning to human life, to observing ethical norms, to generous self-giving and unselfish service, and to the effort to communicate Christ’s teaching and love to all men and women. A Christian’s hope in reaching heaven is not individualist, but encompasses every other person. Thus a Christian can be totally convinced that it is “worthwhile” to live a fully Christian life. “Heaven is the ultimate end

and the fulfilment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme and definitive blessedness” (CCC, 1024). As St Augustine said in his Confessions: “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”7 Eternal life is the main goal of Christian hope.

“Those who die in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified, live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they ‘see him as he is’ (1 Jn 3:2), that is face to face (1 Cor 13:12)” (CCC, 1023). Theology has called this state the “beatific vision”. “Because of his transcendence, God cannot be seen as he is, unless he himself opens up the mystery to man’s immediate contemplation and gives him the capacity for it” (CCC, 1028). Heaven is the maximum expression of divine grace.

On the other hand, heaven does not consist in a purely abstract, immobile contemplation of the Blessed Trinity. In God souls can contemplate all realities that in one way or another refer to their life, rejoicing in them, and in particular loving those they have loved on earth with a pure and everlasting love. “Never forget: after death you will receive Love. And in God’s love you will find in addition all the clean loves that you have had on earth.” The joy of heaven comes to its full culmination with the resurrection of the dead. According to St Augustine eternal life consists in eternal rest, and in a pleasant and supreme activity.

That heaven lasts forever does not mean that we cease to be free there. In heaven we are unable to sin, because in seeing God face to face, seeing him also as the living source of all created good, it is no longer possible to “want” to sin. Freely and filially, the saved person will be in communion with God for ever. Our freedom has reached its fulfilment.

Eternal life is the definitive fruit of God’s self-giving to man, and therefore it has something of infinity about it. Nevertheless, divine grace does not eliminate human nature, neither in our being or our faculties, or in our personality or in what we have merited in life. Hence among those who rejoice in the vision of God there is distinction and diversity, not in the object, which is God himself contemplated without intermediaries, but rather in the quality of the subject: “the one who has more charity partakes more in the light of glory, sees God more perfectly and will be happy.”

4. Hell as a definitive rejection of God.

Holy Scripture teaches repeatedly that men who do not repent of their grave sins lose the eternal prize of communion with God, suffering perpetual misery. “To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him forever by our own free choice. This state of self-exclusion from communion with God and with the blessed is called ‘hell’ ” (CCC, 1033). God does not predestine anyone to perpetual condemnation, it is a man himself who by seeking his ultimate goal outside of God and his will, makes himself an isolated world into which the light and love of God cannot penetrate. Hell is a mystery, the mystery of rejected love, a sign of the destructive power of human freedom when it abandons God.

When considering hell it is traditional to distinguish between the “pain of loss” and the “pain of the senses.” The pain of loss is the more fundamental and involves the most suffering; it consists in the unending separation from the God for whom the human heart always longs. The pain of the senses we find frequently referred to in the gospels under the figure of eternal fire.

The teaching on hell in the New Testament is a call to us to be responsible in the use we make of gifts and talents we have received, a call to conversion. The existence of hell

make the gravity of mortal sin very clear and the need to take every measure to avoid it, chiefly, as stands to reason, through trusting and humble prayer. The possibility of being condemned reminds Christians of the need to live a life that is completely apostolic.

Without doubt, the existence of hell is a mystery, the mystery of the justice of God for those who shut themselves off from his merciful pardon. Some authors have thought of the possibility of the annihilation of impenitent sinners when they die. This theory is difficult to reconcile with the fact that God out of love has given spiritual and immortal existence to each person.

5. The purification needed to meet God

“Those who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation, but after death they undergo purification to achieve the holiness needed to enter the joy of heaven” (CCC, 1030). Many people may not have lived a holy life on earth, but neither have they shut themselves up in sin. The possibility after death of being cleansed from the impurities and imperfections of a more or less misspent life then appears as a new sign of God’s goodness, an opportunity to prepare themselves to enter into intimate communion with God’s holiness. “Purgatory shows God’s great mercy and washes away the defects of those who long to become one with him.”

The Old Testament speaks about purification beyond death (cf. 2 Mac. 12: 40-45). St Paul in the first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3: 10-15) presents Christian purification in this world and the next through the image of fire: fire which in some way comes from Jesus Christ, saviour, judge and foundation of the Christian life.14 Even though the doctrine of purgatory was not formally defined until the Middle Ages,15 the ancient and unanimous practice of offering prayers for the dead, especially the holy sacrifice of the Mass, is a clear indication of the Church’s belief in purification in the next world. It would not make sense to pray for the dead if they were either saved and in heaven or condemned and in hell. Most Protestants deny the existence of purgatory since they think that it shows an excessive confidence in human works and in the ability of the Church to intercede for those who have left this world.

Rather than being a “place,” purgatory should be thought of as a “state” of temporary and painful separation from God in which venial sins are pardoned and the soul is cleansed from the inclination to evil left by sin, and the temporal punishment due to sin is fulfilled. Sin not only offends God and damages the sinner himself, but because of the communion of the saints it damages the Church, the world and humanity. The Church’s prayer for the dead re-establishes right order and justice to some extent, principally through the Mass, almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance (cf. CCC 1032).

Theologians teach that those in purgatory suffer greatly, according to each one’s situation. Nevertheless, it is a suffering filled with meaning, “a blessed suffering.”  Hence Christians are invited to seek purification from sin in their present life through contrition, mortification, reparation and a holy life

6. Children who die before Baptism

The Church entrusts children who die without being baptised to the mercy of God. There are reasons to think that God in some way welcomes them, whether because of the great affection Jesus showed for children (cf. Mk 10:14), or whether because his Son was sent so that all might be saved (cf. 1 Tim.2:4)). At the same time, relying on divine mercy is no reason for delaying the administration of the Sacrament of Baptism to newborn babies. It confers a particular configuration to Christ: “it signifies and actually brings about death to sin and entry into the life of the Most Holy Trinity through configuration to the Pascal mystery of Christ” (CCC 1239).

Mary and the Saints

Mary and the Communion of Saints.

Presented by Seminarian: Kenwyn Sylvester

Friday 6^th Jan 2017

A little Anthropology…

The human person is both matter and spirit (Body and soul). We participate in two realities i.e. the spiritual and the physical. Human beings are both body and spirit. We can be called incarnated spirits.yy

We can talk about communion of saints and Mary only because of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Jesus is both God and man (cf. Creed- “True God and true man”. Jesus the Christ has two natures a human nature and a divine nature. The two natures cannot be seen as a zero/sum, all or nothing. The two natures coexist. This notion is particularly complexed but it has roots in the biblical narratives, for example Ex 3:1-3 The writers give an account of Moses and the burning bush. The bush was ablaze with flames but did not consume the bush. That’s the mystery of the word Incarnate (Jesus Christ). He is God and is man.

What is a saint or Who is a saint?

A Saint is a citizen of Heaven. The saints are these men and women who having been receptive to the grace of Christ, have chosen to live their life in such a way that it glorifies God. These men and women are exemplars for us to follow because they displayed heroic virtue in the way they carry about themselves while they were alive on earth.

There are saints that are canonized and then there are private saints. Canonized saints are those that the church recognize as virtuous after a length scrutiny of their lives by responsible and qualified representatives of the church, which can include scientists, doctors and priests. A point to note, is that the church doesn’t make saints, but it simply recognizes the graces operative in the lives of these virtuous men and women who showed themselves obedient to will in their lives. The canonized saints are honoured on their feast days by the particular church or community. Their names may be used in naming a church for example St Joseph.

“Private” saints are those men and women who have gained the pearl of great prize (eternal dwelling with Jesus), by their complete and definite surrender to God in the ordinariness of lives. These men and women are considered private saints because they were not public figures who did public acts that others may recognize but nonetheless are saints just as the canonized ones.

What is the communion of saints?

The communion of saints is the belief that there’s a family bond, a communion, between all believers in Christ – those who have died, as well as those of us who are still alive. This understanding helps explain the Catholic belief in intercessory prayer: just as we might ask a friend or family member to pray for us, so we can ask members of our heavenly family to do the same, and to support us as we strive to live a good life.

As it says in Lumen Gentium, “just as Christian communion among wayfarers brings us closer to Christ, so our companionship with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues every grace and the very life of the people of God” LG 50

The communion of saints are important because they tell us that we belong to a great big family by virtue of our baptism. We are incorporated into the body of Christ when we were baptized and this means that we are brothers and sisters with Christ. This bond extends beyond our physical death. Therefore we can talk about those that are here on earth, but also those that have reached (the saints). However the church talks about a third group of people who also belongs to the body of Christ. These are the ones who have not yet been purified fully and are in need of prayer to be freed from this state. These are the souls of brothers and sisters of ours who are in purgatory. Thus, we see three states in the church, the pilgrim church - those here on earth, the suffering church -  those in need of prayer and purification and we see the triumphant church – those who can claim that they have reached! They are the ones who the book of revelation refers to as “having passed through the great persecution and washed their robes in the blood of the lamb.” (cf. Rev 7:13).

Read John 2: 1-5 => The Wedding at Canaan – “Do whatever he tells you”

Mary is not God. But she holds an important place among the saints. She is the called the Queen of Saints.

We honour and venerate her because of the role she played in the salvation story. She was the one the angel appeared to, and she was the one who responded ‘yes’ to the God. She consented to have a child and they called him Jesus because he was to save all humankind from sin. We commemorate this event when we pray the Angelus.

She holds an important role in the church. She was the one who the bible showed in Revelations 12:1 (behold a great sign from heaven… a woman clothed with the sun standing on the moon, and with twelve stars on her head for a crown.” 

And your heart shall be pierced, was part of the words of a prophecy to Mary about Jesus. She was with him in the crucial moments of his life. She was there at the foot of the Cross and she was there at the pouring down of the Holy Spirit. She pondered all that the prophet Simeon had said in her heart.

Mary is our spiritual mother.  Because we are brothers and sisters in Christ, Christ’s mother is Mary. She is also our mother.

Mary is an intercessor with all of the saints. Like Mary the church is called to ponder and be obedient to Jesus (the word made Flesh). She knew the needs of the people at the wedding. You can see from the readings that no one asked her about more wine. She has a sense of the need and intercedes for the couple on their behalf.

Do whatever he tells you… is Mary’s last words recorded in the bible. She always leads people to her son, repeating these same words to them.

Mary is the Theotokos – Mother of God. This is what we celebrated last Sunday January 1^st . By calling her the Mother of God we safeguard the divinity of Christ belief in the two natures of Jesus. There was a great debate about the nature of Christ which culminated in the nicea, where the Nicene creed was formulated.

Mary is the immaculate conception – the perfect vessel to bring forth Christ. The divinity of Christ presupposes that Mary be cleansed of sin so as to be fit to bear Jesus in her womb. The immaculate conception postulates that Mary was saved by grace from original sin at the time of her conception. Thereby allowing her to be born without the stain of sin (the inheritances from our forefather and foremother (Adam and Eve). We celebrate this every 8^th December, it is also the name of our Cathedral.

Theology – the Arc of the covenant was the perfect vessel (which held the holy items) the torah. The Arc was seen as the dwelling place of the Lord. A cloud followed the place where the Arc was, to symbolized the presence of God. However, Jesus is the Immanuel (God with us) thus his presence is not symbolic but real. Thus, he is the person that bore him, in her body must be holy and unblemished.

The Catholic understanding regarding Marys' role as "Mediatrix" is associated with the traditional teaching that Mary is "The Ark of the New Covenant" Jesus refers to himself at the last supper as the new covenant.

The Assumption of the Blessed virgin Mary. Enoch Gen 5:24 and Elijah 2 Kings 2:11 was assumed into heaven. Tradition has it that Mary was taken into heaven body and  soul.

Perpetual virginity of Mary – Jn 19 rebuttal. Jewish culture entrust mother to siblings. Jn 19 shows where Jesus on the cross gave his mother to John (the disciple Jesus loved).

Apparition of Mary

-          Our lady of Guadalupe – Mexico

-          Our Lady of Lourdes – France

-          Our Lady of Fatima – Portugal – whose 100^th anniversary we celebrate this year 2017.

o   The prediction of World War 1

o   The request to Consecrate Russia to the sacred Heart of Jesus.

This is important because Mary heralds the Parousia. The second coming of Christ just as she prepared for the his first coming in Bethlehem, she prepares the world for his second coming. Preparing the hearts of men and women so that they may truly live the last five words, (Do whatever he tells you).

The Rosary is a prayer we used to pray with Mary. If you reflect on the prayer you will find that it’s a journey through the life of Christ through the eyes of Mary. It’s a great prayer to use when we don’t have the mental and physical energy to pray.

Mary softens our hearts so we may respond obediently to the promptings of Christ in our lives. She is the first disciple and so following her example we are called to give birth to Christ in a world that is screaming for a redeemer. We are called to be open to whatever Christ asks of us just as Mary Did. But the road is not easy, its riddled with challenges and trials but we have the Saints and Mary as our spiritual guide to help us along the way. By their prayers and intercession, we are able to live a life worthy of our vocation, one that Glorifies God. A life where we can look back and say “yes, we have done whatever Jesus told us.”

Mary, Queen of Saints pray for us…

Question - Are the saints alive?

Answer – yes. God is the God of life, for this reason the saints who are united to God share in the live of God. Biblical evidence of this can be found in Luke 16:19-31 in this story of Lazarus and the rich man, the rich man pleaded with Lazarus to go warn his brothers. If he wasn't alive how come he knew about the happenings of his brothers.

Welcome Back and Notices

Good Evening to all Candidates,

I trust that everyone is having a great week thus far. As you all are aware, the crunch time is on. In a matter of months, the pinnacle of the RCIA Journey will meet you all and there are some very important dates we wish to announce to you. Some are mandatory and others are those which we hope you will avail yourselves of.

Let me make mention of the important dates for you all. Please make ALL effort to attend these special sessions.

Wednesday 1st March, 2017
Ash Wednesday
Holy Mass at 6.30PM in St. Joseph R.C. Church
ALL RCIA Catechumens/Sponsors MUST attend!

Friday 3rd March, 2017
First Friday in Lent
Rehearsal for Second Rite - The Rite of Election in St. Joseph R.C. Church
ALL RCIA Catechumens (YEARS 1 and 2) must be early and Sponsors MUST attend!

Saturday 4th March, 2017
Second Rite - The Rite of Election
This will take place during the 6.30PM. This rite will be conferred upon both the year 1 and year 2 group. Sponsors must be present.

Sat. 18th March, Sat. 25th March and Sat. 1st April, 2017
First, Second and Third Scrutiny will take place respectively during the 6.30PM Mass.
Please note that the Fridays preceding these Scrutiny will have a reheasal in the church for all Candidates AND Sponsors.

Weekend of 8th/9th April, 2017
Palm Weekend and the start of Holy Week.
We (the team) will inform you which Mass we would like all Candidates to attend.

Thursday 13th April, 2017
Holy Thursday
Holy Mass of the Lord's Supper and the start of the Paschal Triduum. Mass time TBA.
ALL CANDIDATES/ SPONSORS MUST BE PRESENT AND IN THEIR STIPULATED SEATS.

Friday 14th April, 2017
Good Friday
Stations of the Cross on the morning of Good Friday (Time to be confirmed) at Calvary Hill, St. Joseph.
Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ in St. Joseph R.C. Church. Service begins at 3PM.
ALL CANDIDATES/ SPONSORS MUST BE PRESENT FOR THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS WALK AT CALVARY HILL AND FOR THE AFTERNOON SERVICE IN THEIR STIPULATED SEATS AT THE CHURCH).

Saturday 15th April, 2017
Holy Saturday
Rehearsals for ALL RCIA Candaiates and Sponsors on the morning of Holy Saturday in St. Joseph R.C. Church. Time to be confirmed.
Easter Vigil in St. Joseph R.C. Church. Time to be confirmed.
ALL CANDIDATES AND SPONSORS MUST ARRIVE ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE START OF THE LITURGY TO PRAY THE ROSARY.

There will be a final Lenten Retreat during the season of Lent for ALL RCIA CANDIDATES/SPONSORS within the Sub-Urban Vicariate. This applies to us as a group since we belong to this vicariate. 

Again, please take notes of the dates above.

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We wish to inform you of other dates/events which are not mandatory but we hope you attend.

During the Fridays of the Lenten season, the parish will host in traditional Stations of the Cross walk. This will take place at 5.30PM each evening from the foot of Calvary Hill, Cor. of Market and Nelson Street.

RCIA Sessions will take place thereafter in the hall/church.

The parish will host its annual Lenten Retreat. This will be a week-long event. More details in the coming weeks.

The parish will also celebrate its annual Feast Day, The Feast of St. Joseph. This will take place on Sunday 19th March. More details in the coming weeks.

We would like to remind our catechumens (both years 1 and 2) that your Sponsors must accompany you for the RCIA Sessions on Fridays, especially the during the Lenten Season. Their participation is as important as yours. 

Any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment below and we will do our best to answer them. Please remember to pencil in the mandatory dates.

God Bless,

Brent Durham