Catholic Christianity: Redemption Flashcards
What is Redemption?
The process by which the damage caused by sin is repaired or restored
Why is Redemption needed?
Sin creates a barrier between humans and God, damaging their relationship and preventing eternal life with God in heaven
What is Original Sin?
Humans are born with a natural tendency to sin, inherited from Adam and Eve’s disobedience
What is Atonement?
The process of making up for or repairing the damage caused by sin
What does the second creation story show about sin?
Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were expelled from the Garden of Eden
How does Jesus atone for human sin?
Through His death on the cross, Jesus repaired the damage caused by sin and opened the way to God
What does Jesus’s death on the cross symbolize?
It was a sacrifice for humanity’s sins, showing perfect obedience to God
What happened at the moment of Jesus’s death?
The temple curtain was torn, symbolizing that Jesus opened the way to God
What is the significance of the Resurrection?
It proved Jesus was the Son of God and conquered sin and death.
What does the Ascension show?
Jesus returned to the Father, restoring how things were meant to be, and promised the Holy Spirit
What is Salvation?
The process by which humans are saved from sin and its consequences through Jesus
What is the Nicene Creed?
A statement of Christian belief, including the phrase, “For us men and our salvation.”
What is Pentecost?
The event when the Apostles received the Holy Spirit and began preaching the Gospel
Evidence for Redemption
“For us men and our salvation.”
“For us men and our salvation.”
Jesus became human to give people a new life through his death and resurrection
Evidence for Atonement
“The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)
Evidence for the Resurrection
“He has risen!”
Evidence for the Holy Spirit’s Role
“You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
What is the highest form of prayer in the Catholic Church?
The Eucharist
What is the purpose of the lectern in a Catholic Church?
The lectern is where the readings are proclaimed during Mass
How many readings are typically proclaimed during Sunday Mass?
Four readings:
- Old Testament
- Psalm
- New Testament
- Gospel
What is the significance of the altar in the Catholic Church?
- Where the bread and wine are offered to God, consecrated
and sacrificed - Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross is made real
What is the tabernacle, and why is it important?
- Where consecrated hosts are kept, ensuring the presence of Christ remains in the church after Mass
- It allows for private prayer, Eucharistic Adoration, and taking the Eucharist to the sick
What does the crucifix symbolize for Catholics?
- Jesus’s suffering and sacrifice to save humanity from sin
- God’s love for humanity
What are the Words of Institution?
The words said by the priest during Mass that consecrate the bread and wine, making Jesus truly present on the altar
How did church architecture change after Vatican II?
- Altar was moved forward to allow priests to face the congregation
- Churches were often built in circular or semicircular layouts to make the congregation feel more involved
What is the significance of votive candles in Catholic Churches?
Allowed individuals to light a candle while praying for a specific person or need, symbolizing prayer intentions
How do Catholics view the Eucharist compared to Protestants?
- Catholics believe in the real presence of Christ and the Eucharist as a sacrifice
- Protestants often see it as a memorial of the Last Supper and refer to it as a table for communal sharing
What do Christians agree about redemption and salvation?
Redemption and salvation come about because of the death and resurrection of Jesus
How do Protestant Christians (Calvinists) view salvation?
Salvation is a past event, given to those chosen or predetermined by God
How do Catholic Christians view salvation?
Salvation is an ongoing process; a person must accept God’s grace and grow in holiness
How do some Christians view salvation in relation to the future?
Salvation is a future event, to be fully realized at the end of time
What metaphor is used to explain Jesus’s role in redemption as a sacrifice?
Jesus is seen as a sacrifice, similar to the Old Testament lamb, taking the punishment for sins
How is Jesus seen as an example in redemption?
Jesus sets an example of obedience to God, even through suffering, by saying, “Not my will but yours be done.”
What is the metaphor of Jesus as a restorer?
Jesus undid the damage caused by Adam’s sin and brings life to all who believe
What is the metaphor of Jesus as a victor?
Jesus’s death and resurrection is a victory over evil and death, allowing humans to share in the defeat of suffering
What is St. Irenaeus’s metaphor of redemption?
Compares:
- The tree of knowledge (Adam and Eve’s sin)
to
The tree of the Cross (Jesus’s obedience),
Repairing the broken relationship between humanity and God
What does the tearing of the temple curtain symbolize?
The removal of the barrier between God and humans, allowing eternal life through Jesus
How does St. Anselm describe redemption?
Describes Jesus’s death as a ransom, paying the price for humanity’s sin and setting them free
What criticism is there of St. Anselm’s ransom metaphor?
It implies that God couldn’t save humanity without paying a ransom, suggesting external control
What quotation backs up the criticism to St. Anselm
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
What does Mark 10:45 prove criticism to St. Anselm
- Emphasizes Jesus’s voluntary sacrifice rather than implying that God was under external control
- It frames the ransom metaphor as part of God’s plan for humanity’s salvation
What is the effect of Jesus’s obedience in the tree metaphor?
Jesus’s obedience, even to death on the Cross, undoes the damage of Adam’s disobedience, restoring the relationship with God
What is the conscience?
the part of a person’s mind that distinguishes between what is morally right and wrong and guides their behavior
How does the Youth Catechism define the conscience?
“The inner voice in a man that moves him to do good under any circumstances and to avoid evil by all means. At the same time, it is the ability to distinguish one from the other.”
How do Catholic Christians describe the conscience?
The conscience is the voice of God speaking within a person to guide them
What does Gaudium et Spes say about natural law?
“In the depths of his conscience, man detects a law which he does not impose upon himself but which holds him to obedience, always summoning him to love good and avoid evil. For man has in his heart a law written by God.”
What are the two elements of the conscience?
- Innate Element (Natural Law): Born with a natural sense of right and wrong
- Nurtured Element: Informed and developed through education and the Church’s teachings
What is the role of the Ten Commandments in forming the conscience?
They are God’s law that helps guide moral behavior and inform the conscience
What does the Church teach about a guilty conscience?
It is the feeling of shame or regret associated with knowingly doing something wrong
What does Saint Paul say about the conscience in his letter to the Romans?
“When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness.”
How should Catholics form their conscience?
By knowing and understanding the Church’s teachings, listening to others, and aligning personal conscience with moral law
Does the Church recognize the personal conscience as binding?
Yes, the Church teaches that individuals must not be forced to act contrary to their conscience
What is the Eucharist?
The sacrament in which Catholics believe the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ through transubstantiation
Why is the Eucharist important to Catholics?
- It provides grace to resist sin
- It offers a genuine encounter with Christ
- It is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet
What are the key parts of the Mass?
- Penitential Act
- Liturgy of the Word
- Offertory
- Eucharistic Prayer
- Agnus Dei
- Communion Rite
- Blessing and Dismissal
What is transubstantiation?
that the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Christ during the consecration at Mass
What is the significance of the Agnus Dei?
- It refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God.
- Links Jesus’s sacrifice to the Passover Lamb, symbolizing freedom from sin
What is Eucharistic Adoration?
A practice where Catholics worship the real presence of Christ in a consecrated host displayed in a monstrance
What do Catholics believe about the Blessed Sacrament?
That Christ is truly present, even after Mass, in the consecrated hosts reserved in the tabernacle
What does the Catechism say about the Eucharist?
- It is the source of the Christian life: providing grace
- It is the summit of the Christian life: the highest form of prayer
How do other Christians view the Eucharist?
- Orthodox Christians: Believe in the real presence, similar to Catholics
- Protestants: View it as symbolic (Memorialism).
- Nonconformists: Often do not celebrate the Eucharist
