The Triune God Flashcards
What does the Catholic Church say about music?
It is good to use because it praises God
Why do the Catholic Church teach music is good?
- Unites people
- Helps them feel more involved in worship
- Heightens solemness/joyous nature of how music feels
How did bishops at the Second Vatican Council stress benefits of using music in worship?
“Sacred music is…more holy…as it is connected with liturgical action…”
Why is music used in Catholic worship?
To sing parts of the liturgy
What is the liturgy?
Practices & rituals that happen during the communal worship of God
Name three types of music used in the Catholic liturgy
- Psalms
- Plainchant
- Traditional hymns
What are Psalms?
- Poetry from book of Psalms in OT
- important part of Divine Office
Why are psalms used in worship?
- Centre around praise of God
- Talks about the joy of praising God through song
- covers a wide range of human experiences & emotions
What is Plainchant?
- ancient form of music
- unaccompanied
- limited range of notes
Why is Plainchant used in worship?
- Catholic Church considers it ideal for mass use
- ‘specially suited to the Roman liturgy’ (Concilium 116)
What are traditional hymns?
- religious songs that praise God
- used by generations
- accompanied
Why are traditional hymns used in worship?
- helps people to feel involved
What are acclamations?
Certain parts of the Mass which highlight the praise and celebration of God
What helps to praise God in different ways & are set to music?
- Gloria
- Sanctus
- Alleluia
What is the Gloria?
- hymn to praise God’s glory & goodness
When is the Gloria used?
- used near beginning of Mass
- not used in sorrowful seasons (Advent, Lent)
What is the Alleluia?
- Hebrew word meaning ‘praise God’
- a hymn of joy and triumph praising God
- announces presence of Christ
When is Alleluia used?
- introduces Gospel (presence of Christ)
- sung three times during Easter to announce resurrection
- not used at Lent
What is Sanctus?
- Latin word ‘holy’
- hymn to praise God’s holiness
When in Sanctus used?
- before Eucharistic Prayer
- not used in sorrowful seasons (Advent, Lent)
What is the benefit of a complex music setting?
- reflects God’s glory & greatness
- E.g. settings of the Gloria
What is the benefit of a simple music setting?
- allows whole congregation to join in
- E.g. simple plainchant version of Alleluia is sung
What is the benefit of a modern music setting?
- appeals to youth
What is the Triune God?
Christians believe there is one God who is also three persons
How does Deuteronomy 6:4 stress there is only one God?
“the Lord alone”
What is the Holy Spirit in Matt 3?
- Love that unites Father and Son
- Dove from God the Father to Jesus
Who is the Father in Matt 3?
‘voice from heaven’
What is Jesus’ baptism in Matt 3?
When God reveals himself as the Trinity
How does Galatians 4:6 help to explain the relationship between the Trinity & a Christian?
“…because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts…”
What is the Nicene Creed?
- Statement of faith about what Catholics believe
What does the Nicene Creed explain?
the nature of the Trinity and how the three Persons relate to each other
What does Gen 1:1-3 show?
how all three Persons shared in the act of creation
How does the Nicene Creed teach that God the Father is creator of all things?
“I believe in…the Father…maker of heaven & earth”
How does the Nicene Creed teach that God the Son is eternal?
“born of the Father before all ages”
How does the Nicene Creed teach that God the Holy Spirit gives life to all things?
“I believe in the…Lord, the giver of life”
How does Gen 1:1-3 teach that the Father created the universe?
“God created the heavens”
How does Gen 1:1-3 teach that the Holy Spirit was involved in the creation of the universe?
“wind [spirit] from God”
How does Gen 1:1-3 teach that God created the universe with the power of his Word (Son of God)?
“Let there be light”
What does the love of the Trinity strengthen?
Work of the Catholic Church
What does the love of the Trinity inspire?
Christians to share God’s love with others
How does the Catholic Church aim to share God’s love?
Through mission & evangelism
How does belief in the Trinity influence Christians?
- Holy Spirit is love of Father & Son
- Enters people’s lives as grace
- Inspires them to show love to others
Give a quote to show that love of the Trinity supports the Church’s work in the world & inspires Christians to help others
“…activity of the Church is…love that seeks the…good of man” - Deus Caritas Est 19
What does mission involve?
Sending out people to help others
What is an example of the Church’s missions in action?
Missionaries sent out by the Church to work with people in poverty, by providing education or medical care
How does mission share God’s love?
- Missionaries want to share the love of God through their actions
- They believe they should love others as God loves them
What commandment dictates the mission of the Church?
‘those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also” - John 4
What does evangelism involve?
Preaching the good news about Jesus to other people (evangelists)
What does Mark 1:9-11 describe?
Jesus’ baptism
What does Mark 1:9-11 confirm?
That early Christians understood the role of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as separate yet united
What is Mark 1:9-11 similar to?
Matt 3’s account (e.g. Dove)
What does Mark 1:9-11 show that the Trinity was involved in?
salvation brought about by Jesus’ life, death & resurrection
Who were the two Christian theologians who wrote about the Trinity?
- St Augustine
- Catherine LaCugna
What did St Augustine focus on?
The relationship within the Trinity, and how it can be understood through the concept of love
What did LaCugna focus on?
how the Trinity is revealed to humans as God’s attempt to redeem them
Give a quote that shows how St Augustine explained that love needs three things (Trinity) to exist
“True love is: a trinity of lover, beloved and the love that binds them together”
What did LaCugna teach about the Trinity?
- Son is eternally from Father
- Holy Spirit (love) unites Father & Son -> gifted to believers -> flows into whole of creation
- Therefore everything brought back to God
- Son brings redemption and saves humanity
What is the Magisterium?
- authority the Pope & Bishops have to shape the Catholic Church’s teachings, which comes from the authority of the twelve apostles
What happened at the councils of Nicaea & Constantinople?
- Magisterium confirmed the Catholic Church’s beliefs about the Trinity
- In particular that each person is fully God
Explain the authority of the Magisterium
- Jesus’ closest followers -> 12 apostles
- Bishop -> chosen for an area by apostle -> became by ceremony of laying on of hands -> apostolic authority
- After apostle leader Peter died in Rome -> unbroken succession of Bishops of Rome
- Pope (Bishop of Rome) -> church head
- Pope & bishops -> magisterium
What is a Council?
- Declarations of faith infallible (without error)
- When the Pope & Bishops gather together to discuss & make decisions about important issues for the Church
Why was the Council of Nicaea called?
Bishops wanted to discuss the idea of Arius’s teaching that only God the Father was eternal, not God the Son
What was the outcome at the Council of Nicaea?
- Son eternally begotten from the Father
- Father & Son co-exist
- both equal & of same nature
Why was the Council of Constantinople called?
Further disputes about the nature of the Trinity, including the nature of Jesus, led the bishops to call a second Council to reaffirm Catholic beliefs
What was the outcome of the Council of Constantinople?
- Holy Spirit is third person of Trinity & fully God
- Jesus is both fully God & fully human
Which denominations reject the idea of baptism?
- Quakers
- Salvation Army
What is baptism a sign of?
- Initiation
- Through which a person becomes a member of the Church & a child of God
What is the significance of Matthew 28:19?
- Jesus ordered his apostiles to baptise all of his followers
- Jesus himself was baptised by John the Baptist
What happens through baptism?
- a person enters the life of the Trinity
- they become a child of the Father, join in w/ Jesus’ death & are filled w/ the Holy Spirit
What is the symbolism of baptism?
- early Church -> totally submerged under water (today water poured over heads) -> symbol of joining Jesus in the tomb after he died -> person commits their life to God in the same way
- rising out of water symbolises joining in w/ Jesus’s resurrection, to begin a new life as a Christian
What is the symbolism of water in baptism?
Holy Spirit
Why is baptism important?
- for most Christians it is the sacrament
or sign of initiation through which a person becomes a member of the Church, a child of God - Christians join in with Jesus’ death and resurrection, to share in Christ’s victory over the power of sin and death
- it cleanses a person of all their sins
How does the Catholic Church describe prayer?
‘raising the heart and mind to God’
What is the significance of traditional prayer?
it has set words that have been used by generations of believers
Why do people prefer traditional prayer?
familiar words help to open up to presence of God
What is the significance of spontaneous prayer?
made up in the moment
Why do people prefer spontaneous prayer?
feels like a more personal & sincere way of communicating w/ God
What is prayer?
- highest form of prayer is Jesus offering himself to the Father on the cross
- when a person opens up to God & communicates w/ him, listening for his answer
- “When a person prays, he enters into a living relationshop with God” Youcat 469
What are postures?
Particular positions of the body
What is the significance of posture?
- assists prayer
- helps to show intention behind prayer
What is the signifcance of kneeling?
- sign of humility
- shows the person acknowledges God’s authority & submits to his will
- a position asking for forgiveness
What is the significance of genuflecting?
- sign of respect
- Catholics may genuflect when they enter church or pass the tabernacle to acknowledge Christ’s presence
What is the significance of prostrating?
- sign of total humility & submission to God
- position pleading for help & mercy
- shows the person has given themselves up for God
