Chapter 7: The Church Transmits God

1
Chapter 7 The Church Transmits Gods Revelation

• FAITH AND REVELATION

2
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• BASIC QUESTIONS
• In what sense has the Church been in existence
  from the beginning?
• Why does the Church have the power to forgive
  sins?
• What did Christs appearance to St. Thomas
  reveal?
• What did Christs appearance on the road to
  Emmaus reveal?
• What did Christs appearance on the shore of Lake
  Galilee reveal?
• KEY IDEAS
• The Church, as a human family living in communion
  with God and one another, has been present in a
  hidden way from the beginning.
• Christ gave his disciples his divine power to
  forgive sins.
• Christs appearance to St. Thomas confirms both
  the necessity of faith and his physical
  Resurrection.
• His appearance on the Road to Emmaus revealed
  that Christ fulfilled the Messianic prophesies of
  the Old Testament.
• Christ confirmed St. Peters authority as chief
  shepherd of his Church when he appeared to the
  Apostles in Galilee.

3
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• Anticipatory Set
•  
• Read Christs appearance on the Road to Emmaus
  (Lk 241332), and then discuss the following
  questions 
• Why do you think the two disciples did not
  recognize Christ?
• How did the two disciples unconsciously know
  their companion was Christ even before they knew
  it with certainty?
• What message did Christ teach the two disciples?

4
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• What are the two beginning points of the Churchs
  history?
• They are Pentecost and the moment of creation. 
• Why is the moment of creation, properly speaking,
  the beginning of the Church?
• Gods original intentby creating Adam and Eve in
  his imagewas a family of men and women living in
  communion with their Creator and with each other.
  This is the self-same nature of the Church. 
• What destroyed this original plan?
• Original Sin destroyed it. 
• What is the essence of both the Old and the New
  Testaments?
• The Old Testament reveals how God worked to
  restore the communion between himself and human
  beings. The New Testament reveals the ultimate
  act of restoration through Christs Sacrifice on
  the Cross, his Resurrection, and the gift of the
  Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

5
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• Just before his Ascension, what did Christ
  instruct his disciples to do?
• He commissioned them to continue his ministry on
  earth. 
• Why would the Apostles naturally be overwhelmed
  with their task?
• There were eleven of them, and they were mostly
  uneducated. Their leader had been mocked,
  tortured, and crucified by both the religious and
  political authorities. 
• What assistance did Christ promise his Apostles?
• He promised them the Holy Spirit, who would
  teach you all things, and bring to your
  remembrance all that I have said to you.

6
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• Guided Exercise
•  
• Complete a paragraph shrink on the two paragraphs
  beginning, Meditating on this truth, and The
  eminent fourth-century historian.

7
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• JESUS BESTOWS HIS AUTHORITY ON THE APOSTLES
•  
• What power did Christ give his Apostles on the
  night of his Resurrection?
• He gave them the power to forgive sins.
• How was the Apostles power to forgive sins an
  extension of Gods power to forgive sins?
• Only God has the power to forgive sins. Christ,
  being God, exercised this power during his public
  ministry. Christ gave his Apostlesand they to
  their successorsthis divine power.
•  
• DOUBTING THOMAS
• What does the story of Doubting Thomas reveal?
• First, it reveals that faith is necessary to
  grasp the reality of Christs Resurrection.
  Second, it reveals that the Resurrection was not
  an allegorical story or a symbolic representation
  of a transformation that took place within the
  Apostles Jesus Christ rose bodily from the dead,
  bearing the marks of his Crucifixion.

8
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• Guided Exercise
• Complete a Think/Pair/Share on the following
  question
• Christ said to St. Thomas, Have you have
  believed because you have seen me? Blessed are
  those who have not seen and yet believe (Jn
  2029). How do those words apply to us today?

9
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• THE ROAD TO EMMAUS JESUS REVEALED IN THE
  EUCHARIST
• What did the risen Christ explain to the two
  disciples on the road to Emmaus?
• Christ illumined the Scriptures, showing how the
  history of Revelation pointed toward the events
  that had just taken place in Jerusalem. Christ
  was the fulfillment of all the covenants and the
  hope for mankind.
• When did the two disciples recognize their
  companion was Christ?
• They recognized him as he broke and blessed the
  bread and wine when they sat down for a meal. 
• What was the meaning of the breaking of the
  bread in the early Church?
• It meant the celebration of the Eucharist, the
  Mass.

10
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• ST. PETERS REDEMPTION IN GALILEE
• Why might the Apostles have been surprised that
  Christ told them to return to Galilee?
• They were then in Jerusalem, the capital of
  Israel, and many were expecting Christ to
  reestablish the independent, temporal Kingdom of
  Israel immediately, whereas Galilee was an
  out-of-the-way place. 
• What prophecy was fulfilled by the Apostles
  return to Galilee?
• Isaiah foretold that Galilee would be the place
  where the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel
  would begin In the latter time God will make
  glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the
  Jordan, Galilee of the nations (Is 91). 
• What did the miraculous catch of 153 fish
  symbolize?
• Greek naturalists had identified 153 different
  kinds of fish in the world. Symbolically, the
  Apostles had caught every kind of fish. Since
  Christ had called the Apostles to be fishers of
  men, this implied the Apostles, with Christs
  help, would win converts from every land. 

11
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• Why did Christ ask St. Peter three times if he
  loved him?
• By the charcoal fire on the shore of Lake of
  Galilee, Christ gave St. Peter the opportunity to
  reverse his threefold denial of Christ by the
  charcoal fire in the courtyard in Jerusalem.
• What vocation did Christ reconfirm in St. Peter?
• St. Peter was to be the shepherd who would tend
  Christs lambs, that is, all believers. In
  other words, Christ was repeating his invitation
  to St. Peter to be the rock upon which he would
  build his Church.

12
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• Closure
•  
• Write a paragraph summarizing what the Apostles
  learned from Christs appearances after the
  Resurrection.

13
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• Homework Assignment
• Reading
• RESTORING THE KINGDOM through THE RIDDLE.
• Study Questions
• Questions 16.
• Practical Exercises 12, 4.
• Workbook
• Questions 18.

14
1. Christ After the Resurrection

• Alternative Assessment
•  
• Read silently Christs appearance to St. Mary
  Magdalene (Jn 20118), and then free write for
  five minutes about what this passage reveals.

15
2. Pentecost

• BASIC QUESTIONS
• What did Christ do during the forty days he
  appeared to his Apostles after his Resurrection?
• Why did the Apostles replace Judas?
• What is Pentecost?
• What was the message of St. Peters first sermon
  at Pentecost?
• What is the answer to the riddle, How can
  Davids son be Davids Lord?
• KEY IDEAS
• Christ taught his disciples about the Kingdom of
  God during the forty days after his Resurrection
  and before his Ascension. The disciples waited in
  Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit.
• The Apostles elected St. Matthias to replace
  Judas, which restored their number to twelve.
• On Pentecost the Apostles were filled with the
  Holy Spirit.
• St. Peters first sermon showed that Christ, the
  very person that his audience had had a hand in
  crucifying, was raised from the dead, fulfilling
  the prophecy that God would neither abandon his
  soul to Hades nor let his Holy One see
  corruption.
• David called the Messiah both his son and his
  Lord because Christ was a descendant of David,
  thus his son, and the preexisting Son of God,
  thus Davids Lord.

16
2. Pentecost

• Anticipatory Set
•  
• Read silently about the Ascension of Christ and
  the election of St. Matthias (Acts 1).

17
2. Pentecost

• RESTORING THE KINGDOM 
• What prophecy of St. John the Baptist had Christ
  not yet fulfilled?
• He was to baptize with the Holy Spirit and with
  fire. 
• What did Christ say the Apostles ministry will
  be?
• After having received the Holy Spirit, they would
  be Christs universal witnesses. 
• What does the phrase, in Jerusalem and in all
  Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth,
  describe?
• It describes the restored Davidic Kingdom the
  center at Jerusalem, then Judea (that which was
  left after the division between Israel and
  Judah), Samaria (the lost kingdom of Israel), and
  the ends of the earth (all the Gentile nations).
• According to the Catechism no. 1546, what is the
  nature of the common priesthood of all believers?
  
• The Church is a kingdom of priests. Every
  baptized person participates in Christs
  priesthood according to his or her own vocation.

18
2. Pentecost

• How does the New Kingdom differ from Davids
  kingdom?
• Davids was a temporal empire, whereas the Church
  encompasses all nations and times with Christ
  reigning from Heaven, guiding his ministers to
  handle the earthly affairs of the kingdom. 
• How did Christ spend the time between his
  Resurrection and his Ascension?
• He prepared the Apostles for their ministry as he
  had spent forty days in the desert preparing for
  his own.
• Why did Christ instruct the Apostles to remain in
  Jerusalem?
• They were to await the coming baptism of the Holy
  Spirit.

19
2. Pentecost

• Guided Exercise
•  
• Free write for a few minutes on how Zechariahs
  prophecy (Zec 21112) has been fulfilled in the
  Church.

20
2. Pentecost

• THE ELECTION OF ST. MATTHIAS
• On what authority did St. Peter decide the Church
  needed to choose a successor to Judas?
• Christ had told St. Peter to feed his sheep,
  that is, to be the chief shepherd of the Church. 
• Why was it important that there be twelve
  Apostles?
• St. Peter understood the choice of the Twelve was
  significant a symbol of the Twelve Tribes of
  Israel. Appointed by Christ to be the leader of
  the Apostles and of the Christian community, he
  decided it was necessary to replace Judas before
  the restoration of the kingdom began. 
• What criteria were used to choose the successor
  of Judas?
• Judass replacement had to have been with Christ
  from his Baptism until the Ascension so he could
  be an eyewitness to the Resurrection.

21
2. Pentecost

• Guided Exercise
•  
• Complete a Focused Reading of the paragraph
  beginning, In Greek, using the following
  question 
• In the Church, what is the connection between the
  words office and bishop?

22
2. Pentecost

• PENTECOST
• What does Pentecost mean, and what did the Jews
  celebrate at this feast?
• Pentecost comes from the Greek for fiftieth it
  is the fiftieth day after Passover and the feast
  on which the Jews celebrated the giving of the
  Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
• In what sense was Pentecost an international
  event?
• Jews from all over the world gathered in
  Jerusalem to celebrate this festival. 
• What two similes did St. Luke use to describe the
  descent of the Holy Spirit?
• There was a sound like the rush of a mighty wind,
  and tongues as of fire appeared.

23
2. Pentecost

• How did the assembled Jews from the various
  nations react to the Apostles speaking in
  various languages?
• They were amazed, although some thought they
  might have been drunk.
• What was St. Peters message to the crowds in
  Jerusalem?
• Christ and the events unfolding before their eyes
  fulfilled the covenants and inaugurated the
  restoration of the Kingdom of Israel. They were
  seeing what the prophet Joel had foretold the
  Spirit of God poured out on everyone.

24
2. Pentecost

• THE RIDDLE HOW CAN DAVIDS SON BE DAVIDS LORD?
• What does the question, How can Davids son be
  Davids Lord? mean when applied to Christ?
• How can Christ be both the Son of God and the Son
  of David? If Christ is truly divine, how could he
  also have been born of a woman?
• Why is it understandable that Christ asked people
  this riddle during his public ministry?
• It is at the core of who the Messiah is a Son of
  David and the Son of God. 
• Was this question ever answered in the Gospels?
• No.

25
2. Pentecost

• Who answered this riddle?
• St. Peter, at Pentecost, inspired by the Holy
  Spirit, answered it. 
• What challenges did St. Peter face with his
  audience during his sermon at Pentecost?
• Some mocked the Apostles, saying they were drunk
  others had earlier turned against Christ and
  demanded his Crucifixion still others looked
  down on the Apostles because they were from
  Galilee. 
• What approach did St. Peter adopt to persuade the
  crowd?
• He appealed to their understanding of the
  Scriptures and showed how Christ had fulfilled
  them.

26
2. Pentecost

• How did St. Peter explain the behavior of the
  disciples at Pentecost?
• He explained that the prophesy of Joel has been
  fulfilled these are the last days in which God
  was pouring out his Spirit on ordinary sons and
  daughters of Israel. 
• What was the point of Christs miracles according
  to St. Peter?
• They were evidencewhich many in St. Peters
  audience had personally witnessed or heard about
  from othersthat Jesus is the Messiah sent to
  them by God. 
• According to St. Peter, how does Psalm 16
  prophesy that the Messiah would rise from the
  dead?
• Thou wilt not let thy Holy One see corruption
  (Acts 1335 cf. Ps 1610).
• According to St. Peter, why did David call his
  son my Lord?
• The Son of David is also the Son of God he
  entered history to accomplish the work of
  salvation, and now he lives and reigns at the
  right hand of God the Father.

27
2. Pentecost

• Guided Exercise
•  
• Perform a paragraph shrink on the paragraph
  beginning, Jesus, being of both human and divine
  natures.

28
2. Pentecost

• Closure
•  
• Write a paragraph summarizing the message of St.
  Peters Pentecost sermon.

29
2. Pentecost

• Homework Assignment
• Reading
• ST. PETERS AUTHORITY through ST. PHILIP BAPTIZES
  THE ETHIOPIAN
• Study Questions
• Questions 713.
• Practical Exercise 3 7.
• Workbook
• Questions 916.

30
2. Pentecost

• Alternative Assessment
•  
• Free write for five minutes on how Christ gave
  new meaning to the Jewish feast of Pentecost as
  he had done for the Passover.

31
3. The Primitive Church

• BASIC QUESTIONS
• What did the primitive Church do?
• Who was St. Stephen?
• How did the early Church worship?
• Who was the Ethiopian eunuch, and why was he
  important?
• KEY IDEAS
• The primitive Church grew quickly under St.
  Peters leadership and devoted herself to
  preaching, the Eucharist and prayers, and caring
  for one another.
• After he had been arrested and brought before the
  Sanhedrin, St. Stephen the deacon delivered a
  courageous but inflammatory summary of Jewish
  history. Accused of blasphemy, St. Stephen was
  stoned to death the first martyr.
• The primitive Church worshiped in the synagogue
  publicly on the Sabbath and then celebrated the
  Eucharist in their homes privately on Sunday.
• Led by the Holy Spirit, St. Philip showed the
  Ethiopian eunuch that Jesus was the fulfillment
  of the Scriptures (Old Testament). When he asked
  for Baptism, the Apostle complied. The Ethiopian,
  who was barred from Judaism because he could not
  be circumcised, was the first Gentile convert
  baptized into the Church.

32
3. The Primitive Church

• Anticipatory Set
•  
• Perform a focused reading of Catechism, no. 781
  (cf. FROM THE CATECHISM at the end of the
  chapter), using the following question
• In what particular way does God desire that his
  universal salvific will be carried out?

33
3. The Primitive Church

• ST. PETERS AUTHORITY
• How did St. Peter show his authority on
  Pentecost?
• He preached to the crowd and urged them to
  repent, believe, and be baptized. About 3000 were
  baptized that day. 
• What did the followers of Christ do during the
  days after Pentecost?
• They devoted themselves to the Apostles
  teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of
  bread, and the prayers (Acts 242). They
  listened to the Apostles preaching, took part in
  the Eucharist, and prayed. They shared their
  belongings with each other and the poor.
• Who spoke for the Church when the Apostles were
  arrested by the Sanhedrin?
• St. Peter.
• Why were the Sanhedrin forced to release the
  Apostles?
• Had they arrested the Twelve, they feared a riot.

34
3. The Primitive Church

• Guided Exercise
•  
• Work with a partner to brainstorm reasons why
  many of the early conversions were relatively
  easy to achieve.

35
3. The Primitive Church

• THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. STEPHEN
• What is The Way?
• It was what the early Church called herself. 
• What is a deacon?
• He is a man the Apostles ordained to assist in
  the day-to-day activities of the Church.
  Extension Deacon comes from the Greek for
  servant. 
• Why did St. Stephen come to the attention of the
  Jewish authorities?
• He worked miracles and was a dynamic speaker.

36
3. The Primitive Church

• What was the subject of St. Stephens preaching
  before the chief priests?
• He explained how the coming of Christ had been
  prophesied throughout the Scriptures (Old
  Testament).
• Why did the court declare St. Stephen had
  committed blasphemy?
• He said he was having a vision and saw Christ
  standing at the right hand of God. Extension
  This was a problem for the Sanhedrin because St.
  Stephen was saying that Jesus, whom they had
  condemned to death, was Gods Anointed (Messiah,
  or Christ). 
• What did the authorities do to St. Stephen?
• They stoned him to death thus, he is the first
  Christian martyr.

37
3. The Primitive Church

• Guided Exercise
• Complete a Think/Pair/Write/Share using the
  following question
• What was the effect of the persecution that the
  Jewish authorities had launched against the
  Church?

38
3. The Primitive Church

• EARLY CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
• What did the early Christians consider their
  place in Judaism?
• They considered themselves Jews who kept the
  Sabbath and followed Jewish Law, the only
  difference being that they recognized the
  Messiah. 
• How did the early Christians worship?
• They worshiped at the synagogue publicly on the
  Sabbath and celebrated the Eucharist in their
  homes privately on Sunday.
• What does it mean to say the synagogue and Temple
  are united in the Christian Mass?
• The first part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the
  Word, is drawn from the synagogue liturgy with
  its scriptural readings and prayers. The second
  part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist,
  developed from the Temple liturgy of the thank
  offering and the Passover as Christ celebrated it
  at the Last Supper.

39
3. The Primitive Church

• ST. PHILIP BAPTIZES THE ETHIOPIAN
• Who was the first Gentile to whom an Apostle
  preached?
• St. Philip preached to an Ethiopian eunuch. 
• Why did St. Philip preach to him?
• He was sent by an angel.
• Why was it not surprising that the eunuch was
  reading the prophesy of Isaiah?
• Since the time of Solomon, there had been a
  Jewish presence in Ethiopia, and, as a result,
  there were a good number of converts to the
  Jewish faith living there.

40
3. The Primitive Church

• Why could the Ethiopian eunuch not have become a
  Jew?
• According to Deuteronomy 231, a eunuch could not
  be part of the Jewish community because he could
  not have been circumcised.
• What did Isaiah promise to pious eunuchs?
• God promised they would one day be more important
  to him than sons and daughters. Extension This
  is fulfilled by those who make themselves eunuchs
  for the sake of the Kingdom of God, that is,
  accept the vocation to celibacy.
• What was an effective argument used by the early
  Christians to gain converts?
• They showed how Christ fulfilled the Scriptures.
• What was the significance of the Baptism of the
  Ethiopian eunuch?
• He was the first Gentile baptized a Christian,
  bypassing Judaism. This was a sign that the
  Gospel is for everyone. Extension Ethiopia was
  the farthest part of the known world.

41
3. The Primitive Church

• Closure
•  
• Write a paragraph arguing the Baptism of the
  Ethiopian eunuch showed that the Church is for
  every person on earth without distinction.

42
3. The Primitive Church

• Homework Assignment
• Reading
• SAUL THE PERSECUTOR through THE COUNCIL OF
  JERUSALEM.
• Study Questions
• Questions 1419.
• Practical Exercise 8.
• Workbook
• Questions 1725.

43
3. The Primitive Church

• Alternative Assessment
•  
• Work with a partner to complete Practical
  Exercise 8 about St. Stephen and the effect of
  martyrs.

44
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

• BASIC QUESTIONS
• Who was Saul?
• What is the significance of the conversion of
  Cornelius?
• What is the significance of the Council of
  Jerusalem?
• KEY IDEAS
• Saul was a zealous Jew who persecuted the
  primitive Church until Christ appeared to him
  personally and made him an Apostle.
• God revealed to St. Peter that the proselyte
  Cornelius and all his household should be
  baptized without becoming Jews first.
• At the Council of Jerusalem, St. Peters decision
  that Gentile converts did not have to follow the
  Mosaic Law was accepted by the Church.

45
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

• Anticipatory Set
•  
• Conduct a Think/Pair/Share on the following
  questions
• Do you think the Apostles imagined soon everyone
  in the world would be living the Mosaic Law and
  making pilgrimages to the Temple?
• Why might they have assumed this?

46
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

• SAUL THE PERSECUTOR
•  
• Who was Saul?
• He was an educated Jew and Roman citizen who was
  zealous for the Mosaic Law and willing to go to
  any length to curb abuses of it.
• Why did Saul lead the persecution of the early
  Church?
• The new practices and teachings being introduced
  by the believers of Christ must have seemed an
  abomination to him.

47
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

• SAULS CONVERSION
• What did Christ mean when he said to Saul, Why
  do you persecute me?
• Saul was persecuting the Church, the Mystical
  Body of Christ. Therefore, he was persecuting
  Christ himself. 
• Why did Ananias argue with Christ?
• He was afraid to go to Saul because he was a
  mortal danger to Christians.
• Why were Christians in Jerusalem reluctant to
  bring St. Paul to the Apostles?
• They had a hard time believing Saul had really
  converted to Christ.

48
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

• ARE CHRISTIANS BOUND BY THE MOSAIC LAW?
•  
• What was the basic question the Church had to
  answer with respect to Gentiles?
• Did a Gentile have to become a Jew first before
  he could become a Christian? 
• Who was Cornelius?
• He was a Roman commander and a proselyte of the
  gate. 
• What did the voice in the kill and eat vision
  mean by the command, What God has cleansed, you
  must not call unclean?
• First, all foods are clean, that is, may be
  eaten this is a departure from Jewish dietary
  regulations. Second, if a man has been cleaned by
  Baptism, he is acceptable to God. 
• How did St. Peter know Cornelius and his
  household should be baptized?
• They had received the gift of the Holy Spirit,
  and this convinced St. Peter that they had the
  right to be baptized. Extension Cornelius and
  his household received the Holy Spirit before
  they were baptized.

49
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

• THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM
•  
• Where did Sts. Paul and Barnabas go?
• They traveled to Antioch, preached Christ, and
  won many Gentile converts. 
• What was the first name used to describe
  followers of Christ, and what new name did they
  receive in Antioch?
• They called their religion The Way. In Antioch
  they were called Christians for the first time.
• What did the Jewish Christians who came to
  Antioch claim?
• They told the Gentile converts they could not be
  saved unless they were circumcised and followed
  the Law of Moses. 
• How did St. Paul correct St. Peter?
• When these Jewish Christians appeared, St. Peter
  withdrew from eating with the Gentile Christians.
  St. Paul confronted St. Peter publicly, arguing,
  If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and
  not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles
  to live like Jews? (Gal 214)

50
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

• When was the Council of Jerusalem?
• It was held about AD 50. 
• What position did St. Peter take during the
  council?
• Both Jewish and Gentile converts to Christianity
  are saved by grace and not by following the
  Mosaic Law. Therefore, Gentile converts should
  not be burdened with Jewish customs and laws. 
• Why was it remarkable that St. James should
  support St. Peter?
• It was remarkable someone who loved and followed
  the Mosaic Law so perfectly would be so detached
  as not to impose it on others.

51
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

• Guided Exercise
•  
• Work with a partner to write the points St. Peter
  makes in Acts 15711.

52
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

• Guided Exercise
•  
• Work with a partner to answer Practical Exercise
  9 about the Churchs decision in the Council of
  Jerusalem as a fulfillment of Mosaic Law.

53
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

• Closure
•  
• Write a paragraph summarizing the significance of
  the Council of Jerusalem.

54
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

• Homework Assignment
•  
• Reading
• WHAT JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT THE END OF HISTORY
  through THE VISION OF THE HEAVENLY LITURGY
• Study Questions
• Questions 2026.
• Practical Exercise 9.
• Workbook
• Questions 2632.

55
4. Saul and the Conversion of the Gentiles

•  Alternative Assessment
•  
• Free write about how the Church might be
  different if the Council of Jerusalem had decided
  that everyone who converted to Christianity had
  to follow the Mosaic Law completely.

56
5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• BASIC QUESTIONS
• What are the end times?
• How is the Book of Revelation like the liturgy?
• KEY IDEAS
• The New Testament can be said to reference three
  end times the end of the Old Covenant, which
  was marked by the destruction of the Temple AD
  70 the final historical epoch which began after
  the Resurrection of Christ and the absolute end
  of history when Christ will return in glory.
• The Book of Revelation is a kind of vision of the
  heavenly liturgy, and, like the Mass, it has two
  parts that are akin to the Liturgy of the Word
  and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

57
5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• Anticipatory Set
•  
• Read one of Christs discourses about the end of
  the age (Mt 24144).

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• WHAT JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT THE END OF HISTORY
• What did the early Christians seem to expect
  would take place soon?
• They seemed to believe that the end of the world
  was imminent. 
• What did Christ foretell about the end of the
  world?
• He said that some of those standing with him
  would see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom
  (Mt 628), and this generation will not pass
  away (Mt 2434) before the things he described
  will take place.
• What actually did end?
• Though the earth itself was not destroyed, the
  world of the Old Covenantthe world of man being
  separated from Godwas brought to a sudden and
  catastrophic end.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• What do Christians seek regarding the end of the
  world?
• Christ will establish a new Heaven and a new
  earth without pain and suffering in which his
  people will dwell in the eternal love of God. 
• Can anyone predict when the end of the world will
  come?
• No that is reserved for God.
• What is the first key to understanding the
  prophecies in the Book of Revelation?
• The first key is to examine the historical
  setting in which the book was written.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• THE END OF THE OLD COVENANT
• What had St. John the Apostle witnessed by the
  end of his life?
• He had witnessed the end of Israel, which had
  been destroyed by the Romans.
• What did Florus do?
• His cruel rule of Judea was marked by massacres
  of innocent Jews. 
• How did fanatical Jews respond to Floruss
  oppression?
• They revolted, attacked Roman soldiers, and
  murdered any Jews they suspected of collaborating
  with the Romans.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• How did the revolt go at first?
• At first it was successful, but then the Romans
  sent their best general, Vespasian, who turned
  the tide in Romes favor. 
• What did the Christians do when the Romans closed
  in on Jerusalem?
• They withdrew from Jerusalem to the town of Pella
  in the mountains across the Jordan. This
  fulfilled Christs words, Let those who are in
  Judea flee to the mountains.
• How were the sufferings of the Jews in Jerusalem
  under siege by Titus?
• Jerusalem was crammed with refugees, who suffered
  terrible starvation. The inhabitants either died
  of starvation or were killed in battle or during
  the sack of the city. Over 1,000,000 perished,
  and the rest were sold as slaves or thrown to the
  lions. Jerusalem was destroyed.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• What happened to the Temple?
• As Christ had prophesied, the Temple was razed
  and not rebuilt.
• How did Christs original followers interpret
  these events?
• They saw them as the fulfillment of Christs
  words, Truly, I say to you, this generation will
  not pass away till all these things take place.
  The Greek word for generation usually refers to a
  period of about forty years, and the destruction
  of Jerusalem and the Temple came almost exactly
  forty years after Christs prophesy. 
• To what two ends of time does the Book of
  Revelation refer?
• It refers to the end of the world when Christ
  will return and the historical epoch that began
  after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, that is,
  the last 2000 years.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• Guided Exercise
• Work with a partner to review Matthew 24144 and
  complete the following table about the three
  kinds of end-times statements in Christs
  teaching.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy
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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• Guided Exercise
• Complete a Think/Pair/Share using the following
  question
• In what sense was the destruction of the Temple
  the end of the world? 

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• THE VISION OF THE HEAVENLY LITURGY
• What is the second key to open up the Book of
  Revelation for understanding?
• The Mass, or Divine Liturgy, is the second key. 
• Of what is the Book of Revelation a vision?
• It is a vision of the heavenly liturgy, that is,
  the loving act of worship and praise that occurs
  continually in Heaven. The liturgy Christians
  celebrate on earth is a participation in the
  heavenly one.
• How are the Book of Revelation and the liturgy
  related?
• The structure of Revelation is the same as that
  of the liturgy. The Book of Revelation is divided
  in two parts, the first corresponding to the
  Liturgy of the Word and the second corresponding
  to the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• The Liturgy of the Word
•  
• When did St. Johns vision take place?
• It took place on Sunday, the Lords Day, when
  Christians everywhere were celebrating the Mass. 
• Who is one like a son of man?
• It is Christ. 
• How is the beginning the Book of Revelation
  similar to the beginning of the Mass?
• This section, a call to repentance, is like the
  Penitential Rite before the Liturgy of the Word.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• Guided Exercise
•  
• Review St. Johns vision of Christ knocking at
  the door (Rev 320), thinking about the following
  question 
• How does the open door relate to human freedom?

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• In St. Johns vision of God enthroned with all
  the heavenly beings forever worshiping him, of
  what would St. Johns original hearers have been
  reminded?
• They would have thought of the Temple in
  Jerusalem. 
• What is the relationship between the Lion of
  Judah and the Lamb?
• These are both symbols of Christ. Extension The
  Lion of Judah is the image of a conquering
  champion. The victory of salvation was won by the
  Lamb of God, who was slain. 
• What do the seven seals represent?
• They are a series of symbolic events that hold
  reference to both events of the time and lasting
  truths of the Faith.
• How do the four horsemen suggest the Jewish war
  of revolt?
• The first horse rides out to conquer, and the
  other three bring war, famine, and death. The
  Jewish rebels started the war against Rome to
  free Israel, but the result was a terrible war,
  the starvation of the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
  and the deaths of over one million.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• What is the mark received by the 144,000?
• The cross-shaped Tau is put on the foreheads of
  the servants of God12,000 from each of the
  tribes of Israelto protect them from
  destruction.
• What is the dual meaning of those who are marked?
  
• They are both the Jewish Christians who fled to
  the mountains across the Jordan and the full
  number of those who will be saved at the end of
  time. 
• How does the seventh seal recall the Exodus from
  Egypt?
• The seven angels blow seven trumpets, and each of
  the first six trumpets releases a plague to
  punish the earth, recalling the plagues the
  Egyptians suffered. As in the Book of Exodus, the
  wicked refuse to repent. 
• What is the overall story told in this section of
  the Book of Revelation?
• God calls people to repentance. Some repent
  others do not. God protects those who remain
  faithful to him, and those who are not are left
  to suffer the misery of their abandonment.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• The Heavenly Eucharist
• When was the Ark of the Covenant supposed to have
  reappeared, according to the Second Book of
  Maccabees?
• It would be rediscovered when God gathers his
  people together again and shows his mercy (2 Mc
  27). 
• What does St. John introduce immediately
  following his description of the Ark?
• St. John gave the vision of a woman with child
  pursued by the great red dragon. 
• What does the great dragon in the vision wish to
  do?
• It wants to devour the child after he will have
  been born.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• What is the destiny of the child?
• He is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron,
  and he is caught up to God and to his throne. 
• What happened to the woman?
• She flees into the wilderness where she was
  protected by God.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• How is the Blessed Virgin Mary the New Ark of the
  Covenant?
• The Ark contained the tablets of the Law, some
  manna from Heaven, and Aarons rod. The Blessed
  Virgin Mary bore in her womb her Son, who is the
  Word of God, the Bread of Life, and the one who
  will rule the nations with a rod of iron. She
  carried Christ in her womb therefore, she
  contained these things inside herself as the Ark
  contained its contents. 
• How is the woman like the Church?
• As the woman was attacked by the dragon but
  protected by God in the wilderness, the Church
  was attacked by the Devil but was kept safe in
  the mountainous area of Pella. 
• How does the vision of the woman with child
  relate to Adam and Eve?
• The serpent/dragon tempted Adam and Eve and
  conquered them. Christ and his Mother, the New
  Adam and New Eve, overcome the beast.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• Closure
•  
• Write a paragraph summarizing how the Book of
  Revelation is like the Mass.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• Homework Assignment
• Reading
• THE BEASTS through CONCLUSION.
• Study Questions
• Questions 2733.
• Practical Exercise 5.
• Workbook
• Questions 3343.

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5. The End Times and the Heavenly Liturgy

• Alternative Assessment
•  
• Free write for five minutes about St. Johns
  vision as an allegory of the saving action of
  Christs life, Death, and Resurrection.

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6. The End of the World

• BASIC QUESTIONS
• What are the two beasts of Revelation?
• What is the New Jerusalem?
• What is Gods Final Judgment?
• KEY IDEAS
• The two beasts in Revelation 13 represent corrupt
  governments that persecute the Church and seduce
  people.
• The New Jerusalem is the city of the redeemed. It
  has no Temple because God will dwell directly
  with his people.
• God will recompense us for the good or evil we
  have done. Persons and even particular churches
  will be lost if they choose not to adhere to the
  Faith, of which the seven churches of Asia are an
  example.

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6. The End of the World

• Anticipatory Set
•  
• Read silently the Catechism, no. 676, and then
  complete a Think/Pair/Share using the following
  question
• Against what does the Church warn us in the
  Catechism, no. 676?

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6. The End of the World

• THE BEASTS
• What are the meaning of the horns and the diadems
  of the first beast?
• The horns symbolize power, and the diadems
  symbolize royal authority.
• What is the significance of the beast having
  seven heads?
• This beast possesses a kind of diabolic
  perfection.
• Overall, what does the beast represent?
• The beast seems to represent the seductive power
  of temporal might. This may refer both to the
  powerful, tyrannical governments of the day, such
  as the Roman Empire or the dynasty of Herod, and
  to any corrupt government that has existed since.

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6. The End of the World

• What kind of creature is the second beast?
• It is a lamb in disguise, a kind of counterfeit
  Christ that can work miracles yet seduces people
  to do evil.
• What is the significance of the number 666?
• It might be a numerological reference to Nero or
  to anyone who can seduce with the tyranny of
  power.

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6. The End of the World

• THE NEW JERUSALEM
•  
• What is the overall narrative of the Book of
  Revelation?
• It is the symbolic retelling of the conquest of
  Christ over sin and death. Extension This is the
  same narrative re-presented during each Mass. 
• What is the New Jerusalem?
• It is the new place where God dwells with his
  people. 
• What is the effect of God dwelling with his
  people in the New Jerusalem?
• There is no longer suffering, sadness, or death.

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6. The End of the World

• How is the New Jerusalem like the Garden of Eden?
  
• God and his people dwell together as it was in
  the Garden, and Gods original intent for
  creation is realized because his people live in
  joy, love, and worship.
• Why is there no Temple in the New Jerusalem?
• God himself is the Temple and provides the citys
  light. 
• How does the New Jerusalem fulfill what the
  prophets foresaw through the Davidic Covenant?
• According to the Davidic Covenant, the kings of
  the earth will bring their glory into Jerusalem,
  and its gates will never be shut. This is what is
  promised in the New Jerusalem.

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6. The End of the World

• Guided Exercise
•  
• Complete a Think/Pair/Write/Share using the
  following question
• The New Jerusalem can be compared to a bride
  adorned for her husband. What can this comparison
  tell us about the New Jerusalem?

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6. The End of the World

• Guided Exercise
•  
• Free write for five minutes about how the New
  Jerusalem is already present on earth through the
  Mass.

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6. The End of the World

• CONCLUSION THE END OF THE STORY
•  
• What does the Book of Revelation accomplish?
• It reveals (1) the intention of Gods will in
  history after the Resurrection of his Son, (2)
  the Church as the Bride of Christ manifesting God
  to the world until the end of time, and (3) the
  way Heaven is available on earth to those who
  live a Christian life of Godly worship. 
• What warning does the Book of Revelation issue?
• St. John urged the seven Churches to repent and
  be faithful to Christ. None of these Churches now
  exists. Each person has to decide whether to be
  faithful to Christ or to be seduced by the
  beast. 
• What is the final promise God made in the Book of
  Revelation?
• God will reward or repay everyone according to
  what he or she has done.

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6. The End of the World

• Closure
•  
• Read silently the Parable of the Sheep and the
  Goats (Mt 253146) and review the quote at the
  end of the chapter (Rev 221213). Write a
  paragraph relating those two passages to the
  warning of the Book of Revelation.

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6. The End of the World

• Homework Assignment
• Study Questions
• Questions 3435.
• Practical Exercise 6.
• Worksheet
• Questions 4449.

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6. The End of the World

• Alternative Assessment
•  
• According to the Sacred Scriptures, no one can
  really imagine how Heaven will be. Free write for
  a few minutes about what you think or hope about
  Heaven.

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THE END