1. To explore important themes of our faith. To Reflect on the Encyclical of Pope Francis “Lumen Fidei”

2. Daily Schedule  Presentation of some sections of the Encyclical Lumen Fidei  Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament  Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament  3-minute breaks  Prayer basket  Refreshment

3. The Context of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus

4. “Christian faith is centered on Christ” (Lumen Fidei #15) Christian faith is faith in the incarnation of the Word... it is faith in a God who is so close to us that he entered our human history.... Our faith in the Son of God made man in Jesus of Nazareth enables us to see how much God loves this world and is constantly guiding it towards himself.

5. God’s love for us is a mystery Something that we cannot, and will never fully understand. Our understanding of the Mystery develops over time, both at the personal and ecclesial level The perception of Jesus in the various books of the bible develops, too.

6. God’s love for us is a mystery Why did Jesus have to become human; to suffer, die, and rise from the dead? Would the Son of God have become incarnate if humanity had not sinned (Original Sin)? In other words: what was the purpose of Jesus' life?

7. Attonement // Redemption Adam and Eve's (Original) sin caused a separation so profound that God must intervene to overcome it. Incarnation (the Word becoming flesh) is God's action to right this original wrong. "Jesus came to redeem us” "Jesus came to die for our sins.“

8. Attonement // Redemption The incarnation, passion, death and resurrection, then, is basically understood as the ransom for "buying back" humankind from the clutches of the devil.

9. Creation-for-Incarnation God could have forgiven humanity’s original sin just by “saying it”. Jesus did not have to undergo suffering / death to “redeem / atone” for our sins. Jesus‘ passion, death and resurrection does not express the full meaning and purpose of his life.

10. Creation-for-Incarnation Col 1: 16 -17 ( possible written around 80 AD ) For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

11. Creation-for-Incarnation If all creation was made through and for Him then Jesus is before all of creation He “pre-dates” original sin Therefore His incarnation is independent from the need for redemption.

12. Creation-for-Incarnation Therefore God the Son would have become human even if Adam and Eve never sinned! God becoming human (Incarnation) is not an afterthought, ie., after original sin and human sinfulness. Jesus' Incarnation is Plan A — not Plan B.

13. Creation-for-Incarnation Col 1:17 “... all things were created through him and for him”. The whole purpose of creation is Jesus becoming human, ie., the Incarnation

14. Creation-for-Incarnation It is through the Incarnation God that makes known His eternal love for us The is the purpose of Jesus' life Lumen Fidei #15: Our faith in the Son of God made man in Jesus of Nazareth enables us to see how much God loves this world...

15. Creation-for-Incarnation St. John’s Gospel : (ca. 100 AD) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.... 14 And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...

16. Creation-for-Incarnation John's Gospel does not present Jesus’ life as a ransom nor does it use the language of sacrifice or atonement. Jesus’ life is God-dwelling-among us.

17. Creation-for-Incarnation In St. John’s narration of the passion, Jesus was in full control of the events: Jn 18:4 “Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.” He said to them, “I AM.”... 6 When he said to them, “I AM,” they turned away and fell to the ground.”

18. Creation-for-Incarnation In St. John’s Gospel, Jesus' crucifixion is part of his "hour" of glorification. This “hour” is not sacrifice but epiphany, the manifestation of God.

19. Creation-for-Incarnation For example at the wedding feast in Cana (Jn:2:4): Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come... 11 Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

20. How did the Atonement-Redemption view develop? Just as we do when we face tragedy, the early followers of Jesus tried to make sense of his horrible death. Overwhelmed by Jesus' horrible death and searching for some meaning, the disciples slipped back into an older religious conviction which believed that violence (sacrifice) saves.

21. How did the Atonement-Redemption view develop? They sought insight from their Jewish practices like temple sacrifices of lambs and other animals which seemed to fit the terrible events at the end of Jesus' life and so offered an answer to the “why” question.

22. How did the Atonement-Redemption view develop? One of shortcoming of this view is that it emphasizes redemption/atonement for sin as the reason for the Incarnation and the purpose of Jesus’ life. Some even suggest that purpose of his passion and death was to satisfy the anger of God

23. What difference does it make? Our faith and prayer life should not be based on the idea that God is an angry or vindictive God, demanding the suffering and death of Jesus as a payment for our sins. For many people this idea generates guilt feelings about how our sins crucify Jesus over and over again.

24. What difference does it make? God is, instead, a gracious and forgiving God God is like a parent sharing their love in the life of a new child. Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father...” This should be the context of our celebration of the Triduum