cl Flashcards
1
Q
events before jesus began his public ministry (3)
A
Jesus’ Baptism
Temptation in the Desert
The call of the first disciples
2
Q
precursor/ forerunner of the Messiah
A
John the Baptist
3
Q
I am the voice of one calling in the desert ‘Makile straight the way for the Lord.
A
Jn: 1:23
4
Q
3 phenomena were alludions to OT’s description of Messiah
A
Opening of Heavens: God has come throught his Son-made-man, Jesus
The descent of the dove:
God’s spirit anointing Jesus with power He needed for public ministry
Proclamation of the voice from heaven:
God has affirmed Jesus as messiah who would save all from sin
5
Q
Jesus’ baptism
A
Missioning
6
Q
Coming of Holy spirit (dove) served as:
A
anointing for a special mission
7
Q
significant of our baptism
A
it made us christians
by it we have been called to be christ’s disciples
it brings us the holy spirit through whom we share God’s own life
In it we have become adopted children of the Father
8
Q
initiatice from God who calls us to a particular way of life
A
Vocation
9
Q
signifies new life of grace and cleansing from sin
A
water
10
Q
By this sacramental action we are incorporated into the Church which is the body of Christ
By this we become adopted children of the Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus and temples of the Holy Spirit
A
Pouring of Water on Forehead
11
Q
consecrated oil mixed with perfume
used for anointing if kings in the ancient times
A
Chrism
12
Q
By this sacramental action, the newly baptized is set apart as God’s anointed people sharing in Jesus mission of being Prophet-Priest-King
A
Anointing with Chrism
13
Q
stands for Christ who is the light of the world
A
Lighted candle
14
Q
By this action, the newly baptized must also be a light for the world
A
lighted candle
15
Q
by this action, the newly baptized is called to let Jesus Christ live in and through his life
A
imposition of the white cloth
16
Q
1st temptation
A
If you are the son of God tell these stones to become bread
It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God
17
Q
The temptation was for Jesus to bring material wealth to people
Jesus’ mission was to offer divine forgiveness and life eternal not material prosperity
A
1st temptation
18
Q
2nd temptation
A
If you are the Son of God, he said throw yourself down
it is also written m: Do not out the Lord your God to the test
19
Q
The temptation was for Jesus to prove that He was the Son of God by doing impossible and strange things
Jesus’ mission was not seek a name for Himself but to bring people His Father
A
2nd temptation
20
Q
3rd Temptation
A
All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me
Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only
21
Q
The temptation was for Jesus to gain all the powers of the world
Jesus’ mission was to establish God’s Kingdom of love here on earth
A
3rd Temptation
22
Q
Jesus rejected Satan’s evil desires and relied totally on his Father
He teaches us to reject the ways of the world and opt to follow God’s will
A
Read
23
Q
Temptation is not yet a sin
Satan tempts us to rationalize that the evil we do is good
A good end does not justify evil means
A
read
24
Q
help us reject Satan’s proposition
A
Conscience and grace of spirit
25
Gos is faithful and will not let you be tested beyond your strength
read
26
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Andrew
Bartholomew
James
James son of Alphaeus
John
Judas
Matthew
Peter
Philip
Simon
Thaddaeus
Thomas
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12 apostles
27
Jesus chose and called his disciples
Jesus called his apostles to a lasting personal relationship with him
Jesus called the apostles to work for the kingdom that Jesus started
Nature of the calling of the 12 apostles
28
stresses the importance of acknowledging and disclosing our sins while asking for God's forgiving grace
Confession
29
emphasizes on the whole process of conversion including contrition repentance and satisfaction which the penitent enters into, both personally and as a member of the Church community
sacrament of Penance
30
brings out the inner relationship between being reconciled with God and being reconciled with our neighbor
Sacrament of reconciliation
31
it is the sacrament through which we:
-obtain pardon from God for sins committed after Baptism and for which we are truly repentant and are reconciled with the Christian community, The church
sacrament of penance/reconciliation
32
those who approach the sacrament of penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for offenses committed against Him and are at the same time reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity example and prayer labors for their conversion CCC 1422
purpose of reconciliation
33
Father reconciles us through Himself through Christ who empowered his apostles with the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins
Most Holy Trinity
34
Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of reconciliation when he gave his apostles and their successors the power to forgive sins
Read
35
heartfelt sorrow and aversion for the sin committed along with the intention of sinning no more
Contrition/Repentance
36
when it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else
this kind of contrition remits venial sin and forgives mortal sin if the desire to receive the sacrament of confession is present
Perfect (Contrition of Charity)
37
born out of sins's ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and other penalties threatening the sinner
per se, this kind of contrition cannot forgive mortal sin but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance
imperfect (attrition)
38
comes from true evaluation of self before God and flows from heartfelt contrition of our sins
through it we meet the Christian community in the person of the priest and face our sinful condition in the eyes of God
we must try our best to remember all the sins that we have committed and disclose everything to the priest
confession
39
a priest cannot make use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives
sacrament seal
40
making up for our sins amending our lives and repairing any injuries caused by our sins
ex. prayers, corporal works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self denial, sacrifices
Penance/satisfaction
41
which is the effective sign of God's pardon, which reconciles the penitent to God and to the Christian community
Absolution
42
only priests who have received the faculty of absolving from the authority of the church can forgive sins in the name of Christ
read
43
reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace
reconciliation with the Church
remission of the eternal punishment brought by mortal sins
remission at least part of temporal punishments resulting from sin
peace and serenity of conscience and spiritual consolation
an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle
Effects of reconciliation
44
through this the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting from sin for themselves and also for the souls in Purgatory
indulgence
45
physician of our souls and bodies CCC 1420
Jesus Christ
46
2 sacraments of healing
sacrament of the anointing of the sick
| sacrament of reconciliation
47
priest assigned to a particular military unit
Military Chaplain
48
Letters of St. James 5:14-15
acts
9:34
acts 28: 8-9
biblical foundation of sacrament of anointing
49
2 names commonly associated with the sacrament of anointing the sick
Sacrament of extreme unction
| sacrament of the anointing of the sick
50
because it can be given to those who have grave illness and who are a the point of death
extreme
51
practice of anointing with the duly blessed oil
unction
52
to whom the sacrament of anointing of the sick is given
dying
elderly
facing major surgery
suffering from serious illness
53
it brings Christ's compassionate LOVING HEALING to bear on those suffering serious sickness (CCC 1499)
Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
54
how is it to be sick?
painful
sickness brings out our powerlessness and limitations
we feel useless and isolated from our community and family
we end up blaming God for our sickness
Anxiety of death
55
eradication of the disease or defect which the medical profession pursues
cure
56
holistic care that touches the body, soul and spirit
healing
57
remission of sin
trust in God is encouraged
strength is given to resist temptations of evil one and anxiety about death
if it is God's will, Freedom from sickness
effects of the sacrament of anointing of the sick
58
who can administer the sacrament of anointing of the sick
Priest and Bishop
59
What are the essential elements of the sacrament of anointing of the sick
1. The priest/bishop laying his hands on the sick person
2. the priest/ bishop's prayer for the person in the faith of the church
3. the anointing of the forehead and hands with oil blessed by the bishop or by the priest himself if necessary
60
how many times can we receive the sacrament of anointing of the sick
nth times
61
sacrament which through the laying of hands, the prayer of faith, and the anointing with blessed oil provides the sick with Christ's healing grace of the Holy Spirit
Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
62
sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time
Sacrament of Holy Orders
63
our Lord granted his Church a participation in His priesthood through the sacrament of Holy Orders. This unique participation is known as ____________ by which men can act in the name of Christ, Head of the Church. These men are the bishops and priests
ministerial priesthood
64
But it should also be pointed out that the whole Church founded by Christ is a priestly people and by baptism all faithful participate in the priesthood of Christ. This participation is called ____________ of all the faithful.
common priesthood
65
A Christian participates in the priesthood of Christ through baptismal priesthood which enables her to participate in the liturgy, spread God's word, and offer sacrifices while at the same time praying for priestly vocations
common priesthood
66
The ministerial priesthood differs essentially from the common priesthood of the faithful, because it confers on the priest a sacred power at the service of his brothers. Those who have received Holy Orders are Christ’s ministers, that is, Christ’s instruments to continue His work of salvation in the world. This they do through teaching, divine worship and pastoral governance.
read
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Christ chose His apostles and at the Last Supper instituted the priesthood of the New Covenant. He told the apostles and their successors to renew the sacrifice of the cross. With the words “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19), He made them priests of the New Testament. On the day of His Resurrection, He conferred on them the power to forgive or retain sins.
Since the apostles knew that the priesthood must continue in the Church after they would die, when evangelizing a city and before setting out for a new one, they imposed their hands on others, conferring on them the priesthood (Cf. 2 Timothy 1:6; Acts 14:23).
read
68
2 essential elements of sacrament of holy orders
imposition of hands on the head of the ordinand and the
bishop’s consecratory prayer
69
The sacrament of Holy Orders consists of three degrees related to each other. The episcopate and priesthood are different degrees of the ministerial participation in the priesthood of Christ. Deacons help bishops and priests. Thus, the term priest designates both bishops and priests, but not deacons. Nevertheless all three degrees are conferred through the sacrament of Holy Orders.
When we say priests, we usually refer to those in the priesthood, and that is the meaning that we will apply here, though some of the following considerations are also applicable to bishops and deacons.
read
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DEGREES of HOLY ORDERS
Episcopate (Bishops)
Presbyterate (Priests)
Diaconate (Deacons)
71
Episcopate (Bishops)
Presbyterate (Priests)
Diaconate (Deacons)
Preaching the word of God.
Administering the sacraments, mainly that of Holy Mass.
Guiding Christians to sanctity.
Addressing God with the official prayer of the Church.
72
Why can't women be priests?
The twelve apostles were all men. The priest acts in the person of Christ who is a man. If Jesus wanted to ordain women, he could have ordained Mary most holy, but he did not. Women are also called to serve God in many other ways. (CCC 1577
73
Why do priests live a celibate life?
Celibacy is a gift from God which enables the priests to devote their whole life to God and the salvation of souls. They are completely available for the ministry, undivided attention to the things of God. (CCC 1579-1580)
74
Kingdom of God in the Old Testament
The Israelites understood that the Kingdom of God is a POLITICAL STATE or a SPECIFIC TERRITOTY where God is the King.
75
JESUS’ UNIQUE VISION OF THE KINGDOM
He announced that the Kingdom of God was present in His person because of His commitment to God’s saving Will.
76
What is the will of God?
All people, especially those abandoned by the society, will experience genuine LOVE and CARE.
Jesus fulfilled God’s will by bringing all humankind, especially the outcasts, GOD’S SALVATION.
77
SALVATION
The act of freeing people and even whole societies from suffering and oppression, physical or otherwise.
78
Kingdom of God-
Ideal experience of Salvation
79
PARABOLE
TO PUT ASIDE
| TO COMPARE
80
Parable
Short simple stories that illustrate a moral truth or religious teaching.
81
Parable of the Mustard Seed
The kingdom of God starts from the smallest beginnings, but grows to much bigger proportions.
HOPE
82
Parable of the Yeast
This parable encourages us to see beneath what is visible.
TRUST
83
Parable of the Buried Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price
BELIEVING
84
Parable of the Net
Judgment day:
Some are kept and some are thrown away.
DECISION MAKING
85
FOR JESUS:
| GOD’S KINGDOM -
is a condition in which God is Lord of all.
| A condition of ORDER, PEACE, and LOVE.
86
The Kingdom of God is a gift… as well as a task.
It involves living morally and serving others.
| It should make a difference in our lives and in the world we live in.
87
The Kingdom of God is already here but not yet fully.
“The Church is ordered toward the Kingdom of God of which she is the seed, sign, and instrument.”
(Redemptoris Missio 18)
read
88
The kingdom of God is for everyone
There is a special place at the table of the Kingdom for sinners: “I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” (Luke 5:32)
89
PARABLE
A comparison drawn from nature or everyday human life and told as a story to embody or evoke some moral or religious insight. Moreover it also demands a concrete response.
90
Characteristics of Jesus’ Parable
Brief: Brevity preserves meaning while leaving the parable open…
Rich in reality:Rooted in realism
Characters they portray are those familiar to Jesus’ hearers: shepherds, kings, housewives, farmers, etc.
Presence of "Twist": To highlight some countercultural values of the Kingdom of God.
91
How to interpret parables
delimit the text
identify the context
determine the audience
look for the main point
92
Delimit the text
“Where does the parable begin and end?” To delimit a text
| means to determine the “boundaries” of a certain parable.
93
Identify the context
Jesus’ parables were contextualized stories and
| usually the “context” was that of Palestine.
94
Determine the audience
To whom is Jesus speaking?”
| The different audience determines the interpretation of the parable.
95
Look for the main point
Some parables are very simple.
Others may have a complicated plot.
It is necessary to identify the main point or focus.
This simplifies matters. The main point of a parable is usually Jesus’ intended meaning.
96
PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR
1. DELIMIT THE TEXT
Setting- Temple
Characters- Pharisee and Tax Collector
Plot- The two characters prayed at the same time in the temple.
2. IDENTIFY THE CONTEXT
PHARISEE-followed the law to the letter.
TAX COLLECTOR- considered as sinners by the society.
3. DETERMINE THE AUDIENCE
Self righteous people.
4. LOOK FOR THE MAIN POINT.
If we want to enter God’s Kingdom, we have to imitate the tax collector’s humility and sincerity.
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TYPES OF PARABLES(Thomas Zanzig: Jesus of History)
1. Parables that describe the King/God- His Nature, Qualities, and attitudes in dealing with people.
ex.
The Lost Sheep (Lk. 15: 4-7)
The Lost Coin (Lk. 15: 8-10)
The Lost Son (Lk. 15: 11-32)
The Workers in the Vineyard (Mt. 20: 1-16)
2. Parables that emphasize the kind of response needed to enter the Kingdom
The Pharisee and the Tax collector ( Lk. 18: 9-14)
The Rich Fool (Lk. 12: 16-21)
The Talents (Mt. 25: 14-30)
3. Parables that deal with our relationship with other people.
The Unforgiving Servant (Mt. 18: 23-35)
The Good Samaritan (Lk. 10: 29-37)
4. Parables that refer to the future coming of the Kingdom of God.
The Wedding Feast ( Mt. 22: 1-14)
The Ten Virgins (Mt. 25: 1-13)
The Weeds among the Wheat (Mt. 13:24-30)
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The Good News Themes in the Parables
1. God’s loving mercy is at the heart of the Good News.
The Lost Sheep
The Lost Son
The Lost Coin
2. Everyone is called to enter the Kingdom
The Wedding Feast
The Fish Net
3. The Kingdom of God demands our repentance
The Unforgiving Servant
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
4. The Good News demands persevering response.
The Wedding Feast
The Ten Virgins
5. Rejoice and be hopeful
The Weeds among the Wheat
The Mustard Seed
99
JESUS’ MIRACLES
Healing Miracles
Nature Miracles
Exorcisms
Restoration of Life
100
Miracle in the Bible
Miracle is a manifestation of God’s presence and power.
101
MIRACLE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
```
Greek words are used to refer to the miracles of Jesus.
TERAS
DYNAMIS
SEMEION
ERGON
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102
TERAS (Marvel)
The miracles of Jesus were acts that made people marvel.
103
Dynamis (power)
Jesus' acts manifest great power
104
SEMEION (Signs)/ ERGON (Work)
Jesus “works and signs” reveal Jesus’ glory, purpose, identity, and relationship to His Father.
105
Jesus Miracles are signs of the Kingdom of God
Jesus gives witness to God’s love and compassion through His miracles.
God’s Kingdom is here, Satan’s reign is ending.
106
Jesus Miracles reveal His true identity
Jesus indeed is the Son of God and the Messiah.
Jesus has the power to forgive sins.
The Kingdom of God is present in the person of Jesus Christ.
107
THE DIFFERENT MIRACLES OF JESUS
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1. HEALING MIRACLES
Healing of the two blind men (Mt. 20: 29-34)
The Blind Beggar (Lk. 18: 35-43)
The cleansing of a leper (Mt. 8: 1-4)
The healing of a paralytic (Mt. 9: 1-8)
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2. NATURE MIRACLES
Calming of the storm at sea (Mt. 8: 23-27)
The feeding of the five thousand (Mt. 14: 13-21)
The walking on water (Mt. 14: 22-23)
The Wedding at Cana (Jn. 2: 1-12)
3. EXORCISMS
Healing of the Gerasene demoniacs (Mk.5:1-20)
The boy possessed by a demon (Mt. 17: 14-20)
4. RESTORATION OF LIFE
Raising of the widow’s son (Lk. 7: 11-17)
The official’s daughter (Mt. 9: 18-26)
Lazarus ( Jn. 11: 1-44)
108
MIRACLES IN EVERDAY LIFE
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GOD’S ONGOING CREATION
A PERSON’S CHANGE OF HEART
MODERN DAY MIRACLE WORKERS
SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
YOUR OWN SELF
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109
a baptized man and woman vow their love in an exclusive, permanent, sexual partnership. This union is marked by love, respect, care and concern, and a commitment to share responsibility in the raising of a family if God should bless them with children.
Christian marriage is an extraordinary sign of God working through and in the ordinary. Christ Jesus has raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament. Simply put, a good marriage is not simply a civil contract between two persons; rather, it is a holy covenant involving three persons. The couple is joined on their life’s journey by Jesus Christ who promises to bless, sustain, and rejoice in their union.
Sacrament of Matrimony
110
The vocation of marriage is written in the very nature of men and women who are created by a God of infinite love. Original sin, however, taints God’s intent for the harmonious loving between men and women. Thus, men and women must seek God’s grace to achieve the loving unity God intends for them.
Through the period of original Covenant, there was a gradual growth in understanding the meaning of marriage. In early times, polygamy was tolerated; husbands could freely divorce their wives (who were often treated as property); and a married man could have sexual relations with an unmarried woman and

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not be accused of adultery. By the time the book of Genesis was written, however, God revealed to the Jewish people two profound truths about the purposes of marriage. First, marriage is a share in God’s creative act of bringing new life in to the world. Second, marriage is meant to enhance, celebrate, and increase the love between the wife and husband.
Genesis tells us that Yahweh established marriage and sex and declared that they are good and are meant for the procreation of human life.
Genesis also reveals the other major purpose of marriage: companionship between friends who share the same life and love.
God fully intends a permanent, exclusive, monogamous relationship between man and woman who have been created in the Divine image.
Old testament: Marriage
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The New Testament reveals further important insights into the nature of marriage. Jesus’ attendance at the wedding feast of Cana underscores the goodness and naturalness of marriage. When Jesus teaches about marriage, He reaffirms the original intention of His Father – that marriage should be permanent, exclusive relationship.
Jesus shows His profound respect for human dignity when He teaches that looking at a woman lustfully is the equivalent of committing adultery (Mt. 5: 27 – 28). Motives and interior attitudes are important to Him.
The union of husband and wife is like the union of Christ with His Church. St. Paul calls this reality a mystery (a word translated by St. Augustine as “sacrament”). Christian marriage is an external sign of Christ’s love. Marriage is a covenant, a total lifelong commitment that mirrors Christ’s love for His Church.
New Testament: Marriage
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The Church teaches that the Sacrament of Marriage mirrors God’s covenant of love with His people. By giving us His Son, the Father loves us freely and faithfully keeps His promises to us. Jesus, the greatest sign of God’s love, draws us into community, showers us with unexpected gifts, relates to us as unique individuals, and invites us to grow in love by serving others.
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In the covenant of Christian marriage, a husband and wife freely bind themselves together for life. Theirs is an open-ended commitment to love exclusively. No time conditions are put on their relationship. In sickness or health, in poverty or wealth, in good times and in bad times, the couple promises to be faithful. A marriage covenant commitment mirrors God’s unconditional love for His people. If a man and woman insist on certain conditions when getting married, they are simply engaged in a legal contract.
In Christian marriage, love is freely given and trials that come along the way are faced faithfully . Christian marriage is life-giving because through it God gives the married couple the privilege of procreating life.
It is full of surprises, providing countless opportunities to grow in holiness.
It is a concrete way to live the Christian life of love and service in the context of family living.
It is a place to receive the Lord who showers the couple with the graces to love each other with the very love He has for the Church. These graces perfect the human love of the spouses, strengthen their indissoluble unity, and sanctify them on their journey to eternal life.
Marriage: Covenant
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In the Latin rite, the spouses are the ministers of the sacrament. They mutually confer the sacrament on one another by expressing their consent to be married. The sacrament of Christian marriage usually takes place during a Eucharistic celebration. By having a wedding with Mass, the couple celebrates their spousal love as a reflection of the sacrificial love that the Lord has for the couple and the Church. Also, because the marriage ceremony should be valid, worthy and fruitful, the Church highly recommends that the couple prepare for it by confessing their sins in the sacrament of reconciliation beforehand.
The wedding liturgy includes an entrance procession, greeting, prayers, readings and homily. After this, the priest questions the couple concerning their freedom in choosing marriage, their desire to be faithful and their willingness to have and rear children. The bridal couple then exchanges vows in the presence of the priest, two witnesses, and the assembled Christian community. The groom and bride join hands and in turn verbalize their consent. They promise to be true in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, and to love and honor each other until death.
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As the Church’s official witness, the priest blesses the rings and asks the couple to exchange them as symbols of fidelity and unending love. The Liturgy of the Eucharist proceeds as usual with the nuptial blessings given after the Lord’s Prayer.
When a man and woman exchange their vows, the Church witnesses, blesses and celebrates their covenant promises. However, the Sacrament of Matrimony is not just a one-day affair; it unfolds over the years as the husband and wife live out their mutual relationship with each other and the Lord. The risen Lord promises to be with the couple to sustain them on their life journey. He sanctifies sexual love, a most powerful sign of total, exclusive, intimate sharing. He sustains the couple in the ordinary give-and-take of family life. He empowers them to be signs of love to each other, their children, and to all their friends and acquaintances. Through their daily love and fidelity, they will meet the Lord who lives within them by the power of the Holy Spirit. The celebration of Christian marriage is “till death do us part.”
Sacrament of MAtrimony celebrated
114
Christ’s love sanctifies the love of the husband
and wife in the sacrament of marriage. Once the
marriage is consummated, an irrevocable, perpetual,
and exclusive bond results between the spouses who
freely consented to become lifelong partners. Their
relationship is covenantal, not simply contractual, in
which the Lord showers His graces to perfect their love
and strengthen their unity. A major fruit of their life in
common is the welcoming of children God may send them. Their life together, along with their efforts to rear and educate their children in a family setting, is the primary means for a married couple to attain holiness.
principal effects of sacrament of matrimony
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Christian marriage involves a total commitment of a couple’s bodies, feelings, affections, hearts, wills, and spirits or souls. As a result, marriage demands indissolubility, fidelity, and openness to fertility. Practices contrary to these essential goods include polygamy, which destroys the exclusivity of marriage and undermines the dignity of the man and woman; divorce, which ends up separating what God has joined together; and refusal of fertility, which deflects marriage from its greatest gift – children.
Married love is a great gift from God. Sexual sharing in a
marriage is a profound means of love and commitment between a man and a woman. Its purpose in God’s plan is twofold:
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(a) ________, that is, to bond a man and a woman together as partners for life; and
(b) ________, that is, to share in God’s creative activity of bringing new life into the world. Children are the crowning gifts of marriage, contributing to the
good of the mother and father. Marriage and the family are exemplars of God’s gift of life and are at the service of life.
unitive:
| procreative
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The example of permanent marriage commitment is a prime way to bring Christ into the world. This is concretely true for the children who result from the marriage. Children first encounter the love and knowledge of God from their parents and are, in fact, living symbols of their parents’ love. Children need the stable, reassuring love a solid marriage to develop healthy attitudes to life and to God.
But a faithful marriage is a powerful sign to those outside of the immediate family as well. Just as God’s love is unconditional and forever, so the Christian husband and wife strive for this ideal in their lives together. Their fidelity and exclusive love is an extraordinary sign to the world of God’s fidelity and undying love for His people.
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Thus the Catholic Church does not permit divorce and remarriage. The covenant made between two validly married Catholics can only be dissolved by the death of one of the partners. In extraordinary circumstances, a couple may separate for the good of the children and the individuals involved. Though the civil authority may dissolve the legal aspects of a valid marriage (called divorce in civil law), the state has no authority to dissolve a true Christian marriage – its true sacramental nature.
According to Church teaching, a legally separated Catholic
(divorced under civil law) may not remarry while his or her spouse
is alive. This teaching is consistent with the Lord’s teaching,
“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of
adultery” (Lk 16: 18). Christ calls his disciples to high standards.
Moreover, He gives them the graces to live His commands. The
Church encourages a person who is suffering from a broken
marriage to continue to celebrate the sacraments and remain
close to the Christian community. The Lord promises in a special
way to bless those who suffer most. Fellow Christians should
support hurting brothers and sisters, pray for them, and follow the teaching of the Lord by not judging them.
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Married couples minister in a special way to each other and to their children as they help form the “domestic church.” The sacrament of matrimony celebrates the great vocation to love as Christ loves and to serve each other in the context of family living. Marriage is a vocation, or divine call, as necessary and valuable to the Church as other vocations. Discernment of and preparation for marriage is a process that begins early in life and continues through the engagement period. Because marriage is for the good of the Church and the entire community, the Church and the state have an obligation to help support and sustain marriage.
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(1) _________. Each act of intercourse must be open to procreation, because the whole meaning of marriage is expressed in each marital act. Contraception closes off the possibility of procreation and separates the unitive and procreative meanings of marriage. This is objectively wrong and is essentially opposed to God’s plan for marriage and proper human development. Deliberately separating these two meanings can damage or destroy the marriage and bring many other negative consequences, both personal and social. Natural family planning (NFP) methods enable a couple to plan their family in accord with God’s design.
(2) _______. Male-female complementarity is essential to marriage. It makes possible authentic union and the generation of new life. Attempts to make same-sex unions the equivalent of marriage disregard the nature of marriage.
Since marriage and same-sex unions are different realities, it is not unjust discrimination to oppose the legal recognition of same-sex unions. These unions pose a serious threat to the fabric of society that affects all people.
(3) ______. Marriage is meant to be a lifelong covenantal union, which divorce claims to break. Troubled couples as well as divorced persons are encouraged to rely on God’s help and to use the resources of the Church for support and healing. An annulment is a possibility for some divorced persons. This is a finding by a church tribunal, or court, that no valid marriage bond was formed because the requirements for valid consent were not met at the time of the wedding.
(4) _____. Many couples live together in a sexual relationship without marriage. This is always wrong and objectively sinful because the complete gift of self can only take place within the public, permanent commitment of marriage. Cohabitation can have negative effects on couples themselves, as well as any children who are part of the relationship.
contraception;
Same-sex unions;
Divorce;
Cohabitation
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In marriage a man and woman become one flesh. They love each other as they love themselves and cherish each other's bodies as their own. This union is an image of Christ’s love for his Church. Spouses are called to give themselves to each other as fully as Christ gave himself to his Church.
When the baptized spouses exchange
their promises of loving and permanent fidelity
before the Church, their marriage covenant
becomes a participation in the unbreakable covenant between Christ and the Church. The Holy Spirit binds the spouses together and enables them to perform acts of self- giving love to the benefit of themselves, their families, and the whole Church. In this way their marriage does more than symbolize Christ’s love; it makes that love present in the world. In order to imitate Christ’s love for his Church, the relationship between man and woman needs healing. Their relationship is not a one-sided subjection of the wife to the husband, but a mutual subjection of husband and wife, following St. Paul’s charge to “be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21).
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