The Church

The The ChurchChurch

Sacrament of Sacrament of SalvationSalvation

The The ChurchChurch

Chapter 3Chapter 3

Chapter 3Chapter 3

The Story of the The Story of the Early ChurchEarly Church

Chapter Chapter ObjectivesObjectives

• The mission of the The mission of the ApostlesApostles

• PentecostPentecost• What the Holy Spirit What the Holy Spirit

does for the Churchdoes for the Church• The primacy of St. Peter The primacy of St. Peter

and the papacyand the papacy• Early persecutionsEarly persecutions• St. PaulSt. Paul• How the Church learned How the Church learned

that the Gospel was also that the Gospel was also for Gentilesfor Gentiles

• Biographical facts about Sts. Biographical facts about Sts. Peter, James the Greater, Peter, James the Greater, John, Andrew, and PhilipJohn, Andrew, and Philip

• Biographical facts about Biographical facts about Sts. Nathanael, Matthew, Sts. Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James the Lesser, Thomas, James the Lesser, Jude, and SimonJude, and Simon

• Biographical facts about Biographical facts about Judas Iscariot and St. PaulJudas Iscariot and St. Paul

• The universal call to The universal call to apostolateapostolate

• The fullness of the Kingdom The fullness of the Kingdom of Godof God

The student will be able to understand:

Keys to Chapter Keys to Chapter 33

• The gift of the Holy Spirit made it possible for The gift of the Holy Spirit made it possible for the Church to fulfill her Christ-given mission.the Church to fulfill her Christ-given mission.

• The papacy is also a gift to the Church.The papacy is also a gift to the Church.•Persecutions are difficult to endure, but they Persecutions are difficult to endure, but they

make the Church stronger and more effective.make the Church stronger and more effective.• The Church, under St. Peter, was led to The Church, under St. Peter, was led to

understand that Gentile converts need not understand that Gentile converts need not adopt the Mosaic Law.adopt the Mosaic Law.

•We know the lives of the Apostles from We know the lives of the Apostles from Scripture, history, and tradition.Scripture, history, and tradition.

•We are all called to evangelize as we await We are all called to evangelize as we await the final Revelation of the Kingdom of God.the final Revelation of the Kingdom of God.

For Discussion:For Discussion:•What instructions did Christ give to his What instructions did Christ give to his

Apostles before his Ascension?Apostles before his Ascension?•What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the

Church?Church?•What was the role of St. Peter in the What was the role of St. Peter in the

Church?Church?•How did the Church reach out to all How did the Church reach out to all

nations?nations?•How did each of the Apostles fulfill the How did each of the Apostles fulfill the

mission that Christ had given him?mission that Christ had given him?

The Mission of The Mission of the Apostles and the Apostles and

PentecostPentecost

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•The mission of the ApostlesThe mission of the Apostles•PentecostPentecost

The Mission of the The Mission of the Apostles and PentecostApostles and Pentecost

What mission did Christ give the Apostles before he ascended into Heaven?

Basic Questions

Just before his Ascension, Christ commanded the Apostles to fulfill the promise of the kingdom of David by bringing the Gospel to the whole world, beginning in Jerusalem.

The Mission of the The Mission of the Apostles and PentecostApostles and Pentecost

What was the significance of Pentecost?

Basic Questions

The Apostles’ mission became practically possible by the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which made them fearless evangelizers.

Focus QuestionFocus Question

How could the period between the Crucifixion and Pentecost be called a time of confusion for the Church?

The Apostles were confused by the rejection of Christ by the crowds, by his Crucifixion, by their own disloyalty toward him, by the reports of his Resurrection until they saw him, and then by his leaving them behind at his Ascension.


How do Christ’s words about the mission to evangelize also indicate that the Church is to fulfill God’s promise to David?The spread of the Gospel from

Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth indicated that Christ intended the Church to encompass the entire world.


What is the significance of Christ appointing twelve Apostles?

They were to be symbolic rulers of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.


Why did the Apostles feel they needed to replace Judas?

They believed that if they were to be the foundation of the restored kingdom, they would need to restore their number to twelve.


What did the Apostles do between the Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit?They returned to Jerusalem, to

the Upper Room where the Last Supper had taken place, where, together with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the rest of Christ’s disciples, the Apostles devoted themselves to prayer.


Who initiated the action to choose a replacement for Judas?

St. Peter, the leader of the Church on earth now that Christ had ascended into Heaven.


Who was chosen as an Apostle to replace Judas?

St. Matthias.


Who was present for the Descent of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room?

The Apostles, Mary, and other disciples.


What similes did St. Luke use to describe the coming of the Holy Spirit?There was a sound “like the rush

of a mighty wind” and there appeared “tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.”


How were the Apostles immediately transformed?

They lost all their fear and began boldly proclaiming the Gospel, unafraid of the consequences.


How long did Christ remain on earth after his Resurrection?Forty days.


What did Christ do during this time?He appeared to his Apostles

“speaking of the Kingdom of God.”

Focus QuestionFocus QuestionHow did the Apostles understand Christ’s phrase, “Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth”?Christ was drawing a verbal map of

the ancient kingdom of David. Jerusalem was David’s capital city. Judea was the tribal territory of David that surrounded Jerusalem. Samaria was the land north where the rest of the tribes of Israel were located. “The ends of the earth” represented all the Gentile nations that David had brought under his control.

Guided Guided ExerciseExercise

Identify the criterion St. Peter laid out

for Christ’s successor and then speculate

on why this requirement was essential.


Where does the Jewish feast Pentecost get its name?It is celebrated on the fiftieth day

after Passover. Pentecost comes from the Greek word for “fiftieth.”


What was the gift of tongues the Apostles received?

Men of different nations heard the Galilean Apostles speaking in their own native language.


What was the basic message that St. Peter preached?

The long-awaited Messiah had come in the Person of Christ, who was crucified, who rose from the dead, and who now sits at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven.


What did St. Peter say they must do to be saved?Repent and be baptized for the

forgiveness of sins.


In what sense was Pentecost the beginning of the Church?

Pentecost marks the beginning of the Church’s public ministry in the world.


Conduct a think/pair/share using the following question:

Why was Pentecost an auspicious date

for the beginning of the Church?

The Service of The Service of the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit

and the Primacy and the Primacy of St. Peterof St. PeterLesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives

•What the Holy Spirit does for the What the Holy Spirit does for the ChurchChurch•The primacy of St. Peter and the The primacy of St. Peter and the papacypapacy

The Service of the Holy The Service of the Holy Spirit Spirit

and the Primacy of St. and the Primacy of St. PeterPeter

What does the Holy Spirit do for the Church?

Basic Questions

The Holy Spirit works within the Church in many ways, for example, in assisting the Pope and bishops in governing, sanctifying, and proclaiming the Gospel, in the writing and interpretation of Sacred Scripture, in the sacraments, and in the gifts, fruits, and special charisms of the Holy Spirit.

The Service of the Holy The Service of the Holy Spirit Spirit

and the Primacy of St. and the Primacy of St. PeterPeter

What is the primacy of St. Peter and the papacy?

Basic Questions

Similar to the prime minister of the Davidic kingdom, St. Peter and his successors, the Popes, possess primacy of authority in the Church as vicars of Christ.


What is the primacy of Peter?

It is the authority Christ gave to St. Peter and his successors, the Popes.

Focus QuestionFocus QuestionHow does the office of St. Peter relate to the office of the prime minister in the Kingdom of David?

In the Old Testament kingdom of David, the king appointed a prime minister from among his twelve chief servants. Similarly, in the New Testament kingdom, Christ the king appointed one of the Twelve to have primacy over the others. In both cases, the prime minister is identified by the sign of his office—the keys of the kingdom.


What does the term Vicar of Christ signify?It means that St. Peter and his

successors possess the authority of the king—Christ—himself.


What is the extent of St. Peter’s authority over the Church?

It is full, supreme, and universal.


Has the role of the papacy been exactly the same throughout the centuries?No. It has evolved as the political

and social circumstances surrounding the Church have changed.


What has remained constant in the role of the papacy?The papacy is the Church’s

highest moral and doctrinal authority. When disagreement and conflict arise in the Church, it is the Pope who has the authority to resolve and clarify matters of faith and morals and maintain the unity of the faith.


Summarize CCC 553 (p. 81), and then

come up with two examples of St. Peter exercising his ministry during

this time.

Graphic Graphic OrganizerOrganizer

Complete the following table to organize the various ways in which the Holy Spirit continues to work within the Church.

Way ExplanationThrough the Pope and the

bishops

In Sacred Scripture

In the Sacraments

In the gifts of the Holy Spirit

In the fruits of the Holy Spirit

Through special graces

Early Early Persecutions Persecutions and St. Paul, and St. Paul,

Apostle Apostle to the Gentilesto the Gentiles

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•Early persecutionsEarly persecutions•St. PaulSt. Paul

Early Persecutions and St. Early Persecutions and St. Paul, Apostle to the Paul, Apostle to the

GentilesGentiles

What difficulties did the early Church face?

Basic Questions

The early Church faced persecution and martyrdom, difficulties she could bear because of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These problems actually strengthened the nascent Church.

Early Persecutions and St. Early Persecutions and St. Paul, Apostle to the Paul, Apostle to the

GentilesGentiles

Who was St. Paul?

Basic Questions

Saul was a superbly educated Jewish Roman citizen who zealously persecuted the Church in Jerusalem until his conversion by the Risen Christ, after which he became the Apostle to the Gentiles.


Conduct a focused reading of the paragraph beginning, “A man

named Stephen…” (p. 83), using the following question:

What are some parallels between the deaths of Christ and Stephen?


Write and answer three focus questions

about St. Polycarp, going beyond simple factual ones.


Why are the martyrs held in such high esteem in the Church?

Martyrs are the ultimate witnesses to the truth of the Faith, “bearing witness even unto death.” They have imitated Christ to the point of dying out of love for him.


What is an example of Christ’s predicting the future suffering of the Church?He told the Apostles the world

would hate them and persecute them because of him.


How could early Christians face suffering and death?They were confident that the

same Holy Spirit who empowered the Apostles at Pentecost would also strengthen them in the face of persecution and death.


What did the Jewish authorities assume would be the result of Christ’s death?They assumed it would scatter

Christ’s followers and silence his message.


How did the Church respond to the

first persecution?The Apostles refused to stop preaching and the Church’s numbers grew, with the Apostles being held in higher and higher esteem.


In Christian terms, what is a martyr?Someone put to death

because of his faith in Jesus Christ.


Who was the first Christian martyr?St. Stephen.


What did St. Stephen’s death mark?The beginning of a tremendous

persecution of the Church in Jerusalem.


How many of the Apostles would eventually suffer martyrdom?

All of the Apostles except St. John.


What was the effect of the persecutions of the Church of the first centuries?They had the exact opposite of

their intended effect. The martyrs became the Church’s greatest testimony to Jesus Christ. Through the witness of the martyrs, Christianity soon spread throughout the entire Roman world.

Graphic Graphic OrganizerOrganizer

Complete the following table to articulate St. Paul’s unique qualifications to become the Apostle to the Gentiles.

QualificationBenefits to

EvangelizationClassical Education

Training in Philosophy and Logic

Thorough Knowledge of the Old Testament

Roman Citizenship


How did St. Paul’s life become transformed?He went from being a fierce

persecutor of Christianity to one of its staunchest supporters.


Where did St. Paul meet Christ?

On the road to Damascus.


What question did Christ ask St. Paul?“Why do you persecute me?”


What was St. Paul’s specific mission after his conversion?To bring the Gospel to Gentiles.


Why was St. Paul spared crucifixion?Because St. Paul was a Roman

citizen, he was spared the humiliation of the cross.


Where was St. Paul born?

Tarsus, a seaport in what is now Turkey.


Why did St. Paul have two names?

Like many Jews who lived in the Roman Empire, he had a Roman name (Paul) and a Jewish name (Saul).


What does it mean to say that in Tarsus and Jerusalem St. Paul received an ideal education?In Tarsus, Paul received an

excellent classical education and in Jerusalem, under Gamaliel, Paul received the best Jewish education possible at that time.


What job did the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem grant Saul?

To lay waste the Church by imprisoning her members.

The Gospel for The Gospel for All PeopleAll People

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•How the Church learned that the How the Church learned that the Gospel was also for GentilesGospel was also for Gentiles

The Gospel for All The Gospel for All PeoplePeople

How did the Church come to understand that Christianity was for Gentiles, as well as for the Jews?

Basic Questions

Although the Apostles knew from the beginning that their mission was the spread the Gospel to all nations, they learned from experience and the guidance of the Holy Spirit that Gentile converts to Christianity did not have to become Jews first.


Who were the first converts to Christianity?Jews living in or traveling to

Jerusalem.


What was the question the Apostles had to answer as they attracted Gentile converts?Did the people of the whole world

have to become Jews and follow the Mosaic Law before they could become Christians?


Was there a clear answer in the Apostles’ minds?

No. They were initially divided.


In the early Church, what was always the best way to convince people that Christ was the Savior?To show them how Christ fulfilled

the Scriptures.


Why is it unlikely that St. Philip set aside doctrinal questions and simply baptized the Ethiopian eunuch?St. Stephen had been led by an

angel and guided by the Holy Spirit so he must have concluded that baptizing the eunuch was the will of God.


Why was it symbolically appropriate that the Ethiopian was the first Gentile convert to Christianity?

To the Romans, Ethiopia represented the farthest point of the known world, in other words—“the end of the earth.”


What two major changes in their lives did non-Jews have to undergo if they wanted to convert to Judaism?

They had to be circumcised and follow the Jewish dietary laws.


How did St. Peter decide that it was not necessary to follow the Jewish dietary laws to convert to Christianity?He had a divine vision in

which he was told to kill and eat animals the Jewish Law labeled as “unclean.”


How did Jews look at associating with non-Jews?It was unlawful for a Jew to

associate with or to visit Gentiles.


How did St. Peter overcome this prohibition?In his vision about the net, Peter

was told to go meet Cornelius, a Gentile. St. Peter said, “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”


Look up Deuteronomy 23:1 and reread Isaiah 56:4-5 (p. 88).

Explain how it could be said that the Church fulfilled one of

God’s promises in regard to eunuchs.


What was the Council of Jerusalem?It was the first Council of the

Church and a prototype for the later Ecumenical Councils.


What did the Council decide?

That Gentile converts did not have to follow the Mosaic Law.


Why was the Council of Jerusalem a first for the papacy?

Here we find the first instance of a Pope officially defining a teaching of the Church.


Extract the various meanings of twelve from the section “The Meaning of Twelve” (p. 90).

The Apostles: The Apostles: Peter, James the Peter, James the Greater, John, Greater, John,

Andrew, and Philip Andrew, and Philip

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•Biographical facts about Sts. Peter, Biographical facts about Sts. Peter, James the Greater, John, Andrew, and James the Greater, John, Andrew, and PhilipPhilip

The Apostles: Peter, James the The Apostles: Peter, James the Greater, John, Andrew, and Greater, John, Andrew, and

PhilipPhilip

What do we know about Sts. Peter, James the Greater, John, Andrew, and Philip?

Basic Questions

St. Peter was the rock upon whom Christ founded his Church and the first Pope. St. James the Greater was St. John’s brother. St. John was the Apostle whom Jesus loved. Sts. Peter, James, and John formed Christ’s inner circle. St. Andrew, St. Peter’s brother, and St. Philip were both originally followers of St. John the Baptist.



To what extent could you say that Christ was family friend-oriented

when it came to choosing his Apostles?


What will the next section of this text do?It will follow the lives of the

Apostles from Christ’s calling to their deaths.


What is the basis of these brief biographies?They are based on available

evidence from Scripture, history, and tradition.


After Christ called St. Peter to be his follower, what was the defining moment in his life?When St. Peter, speaking for the

Apostles, declared Jesus to be “the Christ.”


What is the significance of the names Simon, Cephas, Petros, and Peter?Simon was the Apostle’s original

name. Cephas was the new name Christ gave him, meaning “rock.” Petros was the Greek form of Cephas, and Peter is its English translation.


What is the meaning of St. Peter’s new name, Rock?This name signified that St.

Peter would be the foundation of the Church that Christ would establish.


What do the keys of the Kingdom of

Heaven signify?They indicate that St. Peter would be both the leader in the Church and Christ’s own representative.


What is the power of binding and loosing Christ granted Peter?

It is the authority to make decisions in Christ’s Church.


What is St. Peter’s relationship to the city of Rome?In Rome, St. Peter helped to

establish and nourish the Christian community, the place he eventually suffered martyrdom.


Why does each bishop of Rome become the successor of St. Peter?

Because St. Peter was the first bishop of Rome, each successor takes his office as head of the Catholic Church.


Why was St. Peter crucified upside down?According to tradition, St. Peter

requested this, saying that he was not worthy to die in the same manner as Our Lord.


Why is St. John’s brother called St. James “the Greater”?He is called this to distinguish

him from the other Apostle named James, who is called “the Lesser, perhaps because of their relative age or height.


Why were St. James the Greater and his brother St. John considered to be in Christ’s inner circle?

They were chosen by Christ to be with him at the Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane.


What was St. James the Greater the first to do?He was the first of the Twelve to

suffer martyrdom.


What special title did St. John receive?St. John was the “disciple whom

Jesus loved.”


What “reward” did St. John receive for being the only Apostle with enough love and courage to stay with Christ at the foot of the Cross?

Christ asked St. John to care for his mother and gave St. John to the Blessed Mother as her son.


How was St. John’s death unique among the Apostles?He was the only Apostle to die a

natural death, according to tradition, at a great age.


What were some of St. John’s writing?The Gospel of St. John, three

epistles, and the Book of Revelation (or Apocalypse).


With what city is St. John associated?Ephesus.


Identify and explain one sensible speculation about one of the

Apostles mentioned in the text of this lesson.


Who was St. Andrew’s famous brother?St. Peter.


Who did St. Andrew follow before Christ?St. John the Baptist.


What is St. Andrew’s cross?

It is an X-shaped cross; according to tradition, this was the shape of the cross he was crucified on.


Why was St. Philip one of the first future Apostles to encounter Christ?He was a follower of St. John the

Baptist who pointed out to his disciples that Jesus was the “Lamb of God.”


What good deed did St. Philip do for his friend, St. Nathanael?

He brought him to Christ.


What is an example of a Gospel scene in which St. Philip is mentioned?St. Philip asked Jesus to show

God the Father to the Twelve.

The Apostles: The Apostles: Nathanael, Matthew, Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James the Thomas, James the Lesser, Jude, and Lesser, Jude, and

SimonSimon

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•Biographical facts about Sts. Biographical facts about Sts. Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James the Lesser, Jude, and Simon.the Lesser, Jude, and Simon.

The Apostles: Nathanael, The Apostles: Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James the Matthew, Thomas, James the

Lesser, Jude, and SimonLesser, Jude, and Simon

What do we know about Sts. Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James the Lesser, Jude, and Simon?

Basic Questions

St. Nathanael was introduced to Christ by his friend St. Philip. St. Matthew was a tax collector who wrote one of the Gospels. St. Thomas at first doubted Christ’s Resurrection. St. James the Lesser, the “brother” of Jesus, headed the Church in Jerusalem. St. Jude is the patron of lost causes. St. Simon the Zealot is probably nicknamed for his zeal for the Mosaic Law.



Why might St. Nathanael have concluded that

Christ was the Messiah simply because Christ

said he saw St. Nathanael under the fig tree?


What was St. Matthew’s profession before he met Christ?

He was a tax collector.


Why, at first glance, was a tax collector an unlikely choice for an Apostle?Tax collectors were generally

hated by the Jews and were considered public sinners on a level with prostitutes.


What does the choice of St. Matthew emphasize?

The universality of Christ’s call and the Church as a refuge for the forgiveness of sinners.


How did St. Matthew respond to Christ’s call?He underwent a complete

conversion, immediately leaving his profession and becoming his disciple.


Why was St. Matthew both an Apostle and an evangelist?St. Matthew was an Apostle

because he was one of the Twelve. He was an evangelist because he wrote a Gospel.


By what other names is St. Judas known?He is called St. Jude and

Thaddeus.


How is St. Simon distinguished from Simon Peter?The Gospels often refer to him as

“Simon the Zealot” to distinguish him from Simon Peter.


Who were the Zealots?

They were a violent group that desired a political messiah who would drive the Romans from Palestine and reestablish Israel as an earthly kingdom.


By what other name is St. Bartholomew identified?

St. Nathanael.


What did St. Nathanael think about Christ when he first learned where he was from?He assumed Christ could not be

the Messiah, since he was from Nazareth, from which he said nothing good could come.


How did Christ convince St. Nathanael to follow him without reserve?Christ told St. Nathanael that

before St. Philip called him, he saw St. Nathanael under the fig tree. This was enough to convince St. Nathanael that Christ was the Son of God and King of Israel.


Write on what Christ meant when he said

to St. Thomas, “Have you believed because

you have seen me? Blessed are those who

have not seen and yet believe” (Jn 20:29).


Why is St. Thomas often called “Doubting”?

St. Thomas, who was absent when Christ first appeared to the Apostles, refused to believe in the Resurrection, saying, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails and place my hand in his side, I will not believe” (Jn 20:25).


What is St. Thomas’s profession of faith, often repeated even today?

When St. Thomas saw the risen Christ, he said, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28).


Which Church did St. James head?

The “mother” Church of all Christianity, the Church in Jerusalem.


What is St. James’s epistle like?

It shows a very concrete and practical Christianity, emphasizing that good works are the teachings of Christ put into practice.

The Apostles: Judas The Apostles: Judas Iscariot and Paul, the Iscariot and Paul, the

Universal Universal Call to Apostolate, and Call to Apostolate, and

the the Fullness of the KingdomFullness of the Kingdom

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives•Biographical facts about Judas Iscariot Biographical facts about Judas Iscariot and St. Pauland St. Paul•The universal call to apostolateThe universal call to apostolate•The fullness of the Kingdom of GodThe fullness of the Kingdom of God

The Apostles: Judas Iscariot and Paul, The Apostles: Judas Iscariot and Paul, the Universal Call to Apostolate, and the Universal Call to Apostolate, and

the Fullness of the Kingdomthe Fullness of the Kingdom

What do we know about Judas Iscariot and St. Paul?

Basic Questions

Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ. St. Paul went from the greatest persecutor to the greatest missionary in the early Church.



What is the universal call to the apostolate?

Basic Questions

All of the Christian faithful are called to be missionaries.



When will the Kingdom of God reach its fullness?

Basic Questions

The Church awaits her definitive fulfillment at the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time.


Why is Judas Iscariot infamous?

He betrayed Christ to the Jewish authorities.


What hard lesson does Judas’s downfall teach?Even the graces given to Christ’s

Apostles—and the familiar friendship of Christ himself—may be of no avail if one is unfaithful and does not believe.


What kind of Jew was Saul?

He was a dedicated and pious Jew who went to Jerusalem to study the Mosaic Law under the great rabbi Gamaliel.


What was Saul’s professional occupation?He was a tentmaker, a useful

trade that permitted him to support himself during his later apostolic travels.


What did Saul’s zeal for Judaism lead him to do?To stop the spread of

Christianity, which he considered both erroneous and blasphemous.


How did St. Paul’s life change when he met Christ on the way to Damascus?St. Paul placed his life entirely at

the service of Jesus Christ and his Gospel.


What is St. Paul’s most famous title?Apostle to the Gentiles.


Why is it correct to say that St. Paul was one of the greatest missionaries in Christian history?

St. Paul brought the Gospel to many places in the Roman Empire, even planning to go to Spain, suffering great hardships to do so.


What was the central message of Christ’s public ministry?

“The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”


What did some Jews envision the Messiah as being and doing?

A great political or military leader, an earthly king, one who would lead a revolution to end the Roman occupation of Israel.


Where was the Kingdom of God already present when Christ preached it?It was present in the Person of

Jesus Christ.


Why is faith needed to see the Kingdom of God present in the pilgrim Church?Because without the eyes of faith,

the Church looks like just another human institution.


What do we mean in praying, “Thy kingdom come” in the Mass shortly

after the Consecration?We are acknowledging Christ’s hidden presence in the Eucharist and asking him to hasten his final coming, which will reveal the glory of his presence now veiled under the appearance of bread and wine.


Why is the Church called pilgrim?

The Church on earth knows that her final destination—Heaven—has not yet been reached.


Complete a focused reading on the section, “Called to be Apostles…”

(p. 99), using the following question:

What does it mean to say that every Christian is called to be a

missionary?


Explain in what sense the following statement, taken from the student text

(p. 100), is a “proof” of the Gospel.

The fact that these simple fishermen and ordinary people whom Christ

appointed as his Apostles were willing to risk their lives to the point of

martyrdom for the Gospel is itself a strong witness to the truth they had

heard from Christ and the gifts they had received

through the Holy Spirit.

The Church

Documents

pentecostwhat mission

church stronger

apostlespentecostthe

holy spirit

significance of christ

rejection of christ

focus questionhow

focus questionwhat