THE MYSTERY OF REDEMPTION: AND CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP

CHAPTER 1: THE REVELATION OF THE BLESSED TRINITY’S GOOD CREATION

The Mystery of Redemption Tells the story of how God has rescued fallen humanity Is the central truth of our Catholic Faith

What is Redemption? Original meaning was to be freed from bondage A person who was kidnapped, enslaved, or imprisoned could be redeemed, or “bought back,” by the payment of a price

The Doctrine of the Redemption Focuses on how we receive our salvation Refers to how Christ freed us from our bondage to sin and death We call this doctrine a mystery because it includes truths that exceed human reason’s ability to fully comprehend

The Story of Redemption see pages 2-3

The Creation of the World for Mankind The Creation story in the first three chapters of Genesis is true but is it literally true? The ancient author wrote according to how he saw the world – pre-scientific His focus was human beings in relationship with God not HOW creation came about He wanted to express certain “truths” about the nature of God and the nature of humanity

The Creation of the World for Mankind Religious Truths: are truths about the relationship between God and human beings Metaphysical Truths: are philosophical truths that can be known through reason, which concern the nature and most basic cause of things

The Creation of the World for Mankind Emphasizes that the sun, moon, and stars are not gods but things created by the one God The importance of the Sabbath (7th day) as covenant Themes: God creating by the power of his Word All of creation is good The creation of human beings in the image of God Marriage as covenant God as Father of creation Mystery of the Blessed Trinity

The Creation of the World for Mankind Structure/pattern: There is a direct correlation between the first three days and the second set of three days (see pg. 7) In the first three days God created the “forms” of the world In the second set He will fill those forms 1st day– time and the 4th day– the rulers of time 2nd day– space and the 5th day– the rulers of space 3rd day– life and the 6th day– the rulers of life

Creation as the work of the Blessed Trinity Creation was an act of each person of the Blessed Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit In Genesis, we read that each act of creation was intimately connected to the “Word of God”

Creation as the work of the Blessed Trinity This creation of the world through the “Word” foreshadows God’s redemption of the world through the “Word of God,” Jesus Christ (see Jn 1:1-14) The Holy Spirit is alluded to as the “Spirit of God” moving over the waters (see Gen 1:2)

Creation as the work of the Blessed Trinity Early Christians viewed the use of the plural in the Creation stories as a veiled reference to the Blessed Trinity (see Gen 1:26)

Creation, Cosmology, and Evolution The Catholic Church sees NO necessary contradiction, properly understood, between scientific theory (Big Bang & Evolution) and the Creation account in Genesis Theories of cosmology and evolution are inconsistent with the Bible only to the extent they deny the religious truth Genesis intends to convey