1. Chapter One
Called to Holiness

2. Be Perfect
Christian holiness is the only area where perfection is the goal and result
“Being holy” means living a Christ-like life of charity and perfection
Sanctification:
A word for holiness
Word from which the term saint evolved

3. Be Perfect
Being “perfect” means seeking a closer, more intimate union with Christ.
Grace:
How Christian perfection is accomplished
Through sacraments and service to others
Anything that God asks of us he makes possible by his grace
All Christians are called to holiness, called to be saints

4. Created in God’s Image
Man and woman have been created in perfect equality, yet in their particular beings as male and female
Man and woman are created in the image of God
They were created together and for each other
God is neither male nor female- God is pure Spirit

5. Created in God’s Image Adam and Eve
Created in state of original holiness and justice
Lost these gifts through original sin
Went against status as creatures, trying to take on the role of creator
Original Sin
Abuse of the freedom God gave created persons
Adam and Eve chose to follow their own will rather than God’s will
Effects of their actions are shared among humanity ever since

6. Created in God’s Image
Original sin deprives us from the original holiness that God intended for us
Human nature after Original Sin
Wounded
Ignorant
Prone to suffering
Subject to death
Inclined to sin

7. Created in God’s Image
In Baptism, Original Sin is erased and we are turned back towards God
Other effects of Original Sin remain
Today, God’s grace is offered to us in the Sacrament of Matrimony

8. Unity of Body and Soul Human beings are created with a body and soul
The soul is the innermost part of man
The soul makes us spiritual people in the image of God
The body is intended to be a temple of the Holy Spirit

9. Sexuality
Sexuality means appreciating our identity as either male or female and living our lives as such
Sexuality is deeply connected with our bodies and emotions
Capacity to make love and procreate
Forming friendships and bonds with other people

10. Chastity Chastity Comes under the virtue of temperance
Virtue by which a person integrates his or her sexuality into his or her whole self, body, and spirit, according to the vocation or state in life
Comes under the virtue of temperance
A cardinal virtue
Chastity helps us control sexual desires and use them appropriately

11. In Union with Christ
Only in union with Jesus can the disciple attain holiness
Disciple means “follower”
Our goal is to follow and learn from Jesus
Achieved through:
Prayer
Participation in the Sacraments
Practicing Christian Virtues

12. Mystery of God’s Love Mystery:
Infinite incomprehensibility of God
God is not just unknown, he is unknowable
Not only is our future unknown, but our lives are filled with many surprises
Will you be successful in your career?
Will you be the parent of a large family?
Will you make a difference in many lives?
Will you travel the world?

13. God Reveals His Mystery
God’s Mystery has been revealed through history
Adam and Eve
Noah
Abraham
God fully revealed himself by sending his son, Jesus
God’s Revelation is entrusted to the Church through:
Apostolic Tradition
Sacred Scripture

14. God Reveals His Mystery
Apostolic Tradition:
Living transmission of the Word of God
Sharing of the message of Christ through preaching, witness, institutions, and worship
Sacred Tradition
Made up of scriptures in the Magisterium

15. The Holy Trinity There is only one God but in three persons
The Almighty Father
His only Son
The Holy Spirit
Some of the Church’s dogmas about the Trinity
The Trinity is One
The three persons are distinct from one another
The divine persons are related to one another

16. What It Means to Believe
Faith is stating that we believe in something
The virtue of faith enables us to believe in God and is a gift of the Holy Spirit
A faithful person is thankful to God
A faithful person knows the unity of the human community and dignity of every individual
A faithful person makes good use of created things
A faithful person comes to know God’s greatness and majesty
A faithful person trusts in God

17. The People of God
We share God’s life by our participation in the Church
The Church is a gathering of all people of Christ
Some of the Church’s dogmas about the Trinity
The Trinity is One
The three persons are distinct from one another
The divine persons are related to one another

18. The People of God
The Church is a sign of Christ’s loyalty to us, his people
Church as an efficacious symbol
A symbol that points to reality- our salvation
A symbol that also causes our salvation
We come to know God through the Church

19. The People of God
Catholics share in Christ’s life through the Sacraments
Sacraments renew the mystery of God’s love
Paschal Mystery:
Made present in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist

20. Vocabulary Sanctification Grace Original Sin Chastity Discipleship
Mystery
Magisterium
Dogmas
Faith
Church
Catechesis
Paschal Mystery