Module 1 Revision Flashcards
What are important life events?
Important life events are a turning point/ influence circumstances and events in ones life which triggers and stirs a range of important ‘mystery’ questions about themselves and their meaning and purpose.
Such questions urge the kind of reflection that leads to greater self-understanding and self discovery. Both can lead to a greater appreciation for oneself as a mystery.
Questions related to death can lead people to greater self-discovery and perspectives on life.
What are significant life events?
Birth, Development into adulthood, marriage and death.
Birth
- unborn life, parenthood, wonder if the new born child, depth of personal joy, family relationships and belonging.
Development into adulthood ( some societies have initiation rituals or most have conditions that are met before recognising members as a Albee if living full adult, mature and responsible lives.)
- desire to be accepted as responsible
- how to become more responsible
- discovering how to influence and make a difference
- personal identity within society
- social and community responsibilities
- future vocations at work
Marriage
- commitment, the path to future, relationships, parenthood, personal priorities, trust and sharing.
Death
- nature of death, hell vs heaven, personal value and priorities, personal life-style, find forgiveness for past guilt, illness and suffering
What does it mean to religious
When people seek, search and think about the meaning of life and the reality of God they are being religious.
How a persons responds to this search and where they find support and answers to their questions may lead a person to accept and follow a particular religion.
What are true experiences?
True experiences of God are ‘MYSTERY’ experiences.
- Eg Eucharist. Catholics are invited to prepare themselves ‘to celebrate the sacred mysteries’ and to ‘proclaim the mystery of faith’.
The experiences Christ offers through the Eucharist are deeply personal. Believers need to experts them, but cannot express them in words alone. As a result, they need signs, symbols intertwined into a ritual.
What is the search for meaning?
The search for meaning is an expression of our human belief that the world and our lives are not meaningless.
There are PARTICULAR EXPERIENCES IN LIFE that calm into question WHAT BELIEF WE HOLD, we encounter events which go beyond our normal routine.
Meaning can be defined as the ‘purpose of why the individual exists’; true meaning and reason for their existence, and what it is that their ‘soul’ requires to attain inner happiness.
What is the purpose of life?
The purpose of life means the way they will attain and fulfil their meaning; the Role or the Way they must live and complete the actions to fulfil their meaning of life.
What are the three categories of Life Experiences
Theses experiences may lead to questions. - power to change a person and to prompt them to ask important questions about the purpose of thier life and its meaning.
- The created world (wonder of goodness)
- Others (wonder of goodness)
- The mystery of who people are (Personal Mystery can lead to a perosn to question: their purpose of their life and its meaning.
What are the experiences of Creation?
The wonder of creation - lead people to ask questions about life and its meaning.
This type of questions may lead people to first begin thinking about the existences if a Being (or beings) greater than themselves.
Eg Universe surrounds people everywhere. Day and nights - consistently. Its powers affect people constantly - even though they are not conscious about it.
Wonder of universe - grandeur and power, it’s future as they grow, and the understanding of its Origin = thoughts lead them to an Awareness of the Divine.
What is the Experiences of the goodness of others.
The goodness in other people may also lead to ask important questions about life and its meaning.
- begin to think about the existences if a BEING (or beings) greater than themselves
Eg. History of humanity has goodness and nobility; family, community coming together and helping each other in desperate times.
Heroic actions in times of evil causing harm and destruction.
Anyone who is aware of their own personal weakness will find human evil much easier to understand.
Human goodness is difficult to understand and cannot be easily explained, because it is human nature to not do good in times of temptations.
Realising how hard it is to behave in ways that are good leads to people to wonder about when human goodness comes from.
What are the experiences of personal mystery
Discovery of personal mystery is one of the most significant of all human experiences.
- has potential to lead questioning about who they are and what their meaning and purpose of life is.
- may lead the person to first begun thinking about the existence of a Being or beings greater than themselves.
To find meaning and purpose in life, and for Christians to discover God, people need to be away of personal mystery.
MYSTERY in this sense refers to experiences that have four characteristics.
What are the four main characteristics to experiences in the sense of ‘Mystery’
- are deeply personal
- need to be expressed
- cannot be expressed by words alone ( as a result, they require other non-verbal expressions such as gestures, symbols and rituals.)
- can never be fully understood, for there will be new insights and ideas.
What does the catechism of the Catholic Church teach about human heart questions?
- desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself.
- only in god will he find the truth and happiness he never stops seeking for: dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with.
- The invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exits it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence.
- he cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrust himself to his creator.
Where can human heart questions be found?
IT IS WITHIN THEIR HEARTS THAT THEY FIND THEMSELVES ‘STIRRED’ TO SEEK GOD.
WHEN PEOPLE LISTEN TO THIER HEARTS THEY AN FIND GOD MORE EASILY
Define What a Conscience is
“Conscience is a man’s most secret core and sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.”(CCC1776)
How can a conscience be formed?
Conscience can be supported by studying
- the life of Jesus himself
- the scriptures
- the teachings and beliefs of the Apostles, handed down within the church instituted by Jesus.
- Christian moral teachings
