Chapter 5 A People of Service

Before we begin Our mission begins with ourselves and our families We must reach out in service, as we were created to serve, not to be served Keep in mind that just as Jesus had a mission on earth, so Jesus’ Church has a mission to accomplish: To make God’s word present in the world Spread good news of the kingdom To make Jesus Christ known to everyone

Today we will focus on one basic way we can build Christ’s church: through service Please read page 39 & do activity Read Page 40 (Building of Stone, Living Stones and Building a Cathedral) and please answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper: 1. What “important project” is Francois talking about? 2. How is the Catholic church different from the cathedral at Chartres? 3. How are the Catholic church and cathedral alike? Complete questions in “Building a cathedral” section 4. Which saint do you think is the best embodiment of helping others? Please be prepared to share about this saint.

Theological Virtues Are gifts of grace from God They are habits, only strengthened through practice Cardinal virtues can be practiced by anyone, however these are strict contracts given to us and shared with God 1. faith 2. Hope 3. charity

Faith “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” It is a form of knowledge that extends beyond the natural limits of our intellect Helps us grasp the truths of divine revelation We can open ourselves to the gift of faith through action, but without the action of God, faith will never come to reside in our soul

Hope Working towards of joining God in the afterlife Its of a supernatural quality, therefore cannot be practiced by those who do not believe in God Composed of desire with the understanding that our wait will not always be easy It is necessary for those who are working towards salvation How do we practice hope? To reject sin, maintain faith

Charity Subjective feeling, and most important of the three Recognizing God as an all source of light and goodness Through the love of ourselves and our neighbors, we practice charity

Be a Builder How can you build up the church? What is the mission of Christ? How did Jesus witness? How did he worship? How did Jesus serve the people?

“Two Job Descriptions” What is a Christian’s ultimate responsibility? What do the Beatitudes teach us? Why are they so significant in completing our mission? What are the Corporal Works of Mercy? How are they similar to the Golden Rule? In what ways does the church need us? Read the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10) and complete the exercise on page 42

Four Cardinal Virtues Principal moral values They can be practiced by anyone, composing the basis of human morality First seen in Plato’s Republic 1. Prudence 2. Justice 3. Fortitude 4. Temperance

Prudence Concerned with intellect “Right reason applied to practice” –Plato It is the virtue that allows us to decipher between right and wrong given any scenario Requires we seek the judgment of others Disregarding advice simply because it does not align with our own beliefs signifies a lack of Prudence within ourselves Why is it necessary to seek the advice of our elders/others in practicing prudence?

Justice It is concerned with our will “Constant and permanent determination to give anyone their will” Justice preaches that if we owe someone a debt, we must repay with no questions asked Legal rights should never outweigh natural born rights How is justice similar to the Golden Rule?

Fortitude Our ability to overcome fear in the face of obstacles To remain steady when met with adversity Fortitude fuels our other virtues, giving us the willpower Allows us to rise above our human fears to meet the needs and calls of the Holy Spirit Restraint of fear so we can act accordingly and logically Why do you think this is also a gift of the Holy Spirit?

Temperance Restraint of our passions and desires It keeps us from excess, therefore demanding we find a happy medium between responsibility and our interests It’s the “golden mean”: an indicator of how much we should and should not indulge in our desires What happens with too much indulgence?