Catechism L5-11 The Good News

Prayer Before Studying

Incomprehensible Creator, the true Fountain of light and only Author of all knowledge: vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, to enlighten our understandings, and to remove from us all darkness of sin and ignorance. Thou, who makest eloquent the tongues of those that want utterance, direct our tongues, and pour on our lips the grace of Thy blessing. Give us a diligent and obedient spirit, quickness of apprehension, capacity of retaining, and the powerful assistance of Thy holy grace; that what we hear or learn we may apply to Thy honor and the eternal salvation of our own souls.

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Holy Spirit, giver of all good gifts, enter into my mind and heart. Give me the gift of knowledge, wisdom, understanding and the grace to use it wisely. Help me in all my endeavors. Give me perseverance and fortitude. Help my memory, that I may remember what I learn and recall it when necessary. Guide me in my studies. You who are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, let me not be deceived by false teaching. Our Lady of Good Studies, pray for me. Amen.


St. Louis Mary De Montfort's Consecration Prayer to Our Lady
I, (Name), a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands, O Immaculate Mother, the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before.

In the presence of all the heavenly court I choose thee this day, for my Mother and Mistress.  I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity. Amen.

Topic/Agenda:

1.      Baptism of Jesus Christ

2.      Parables of Mustard Seed, Leaven Bread, and Buried Treasure

3.      To identify the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ

What is the Gospel

Gospel:

• According to Jews knowledge in Hebrew scripture (prior the coming of Jesus):

– that God would send them his Son, the Messiah or Christ (equivalent expressions), and he would rule over all the nations in righteousness.

–The Messiah would usher in a new age of peace, justice and spiritual blessings never before seen on earth. 

• Jesus said “proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.” (Luke 8:1)

• Through Jesus’ apostles, He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. (Luke 9:2)

• After Jesus completes His mission: A gospel is an account describing the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The most widely known examples are the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John which are included in the New Testament

Jesus Started his ministry

Jesus grew up and became a man. The time came for Him to leave the house in Nazareth and begin the work that God the Father sent Him to do. He said goodbye to His mother Mary and started out. First He went to the Jordan River to see John the Baptist. Jesus asked John to baptize Him. When John baptized Jesus the Spirit of God, looking like a dove, came to Him and God the Father spoke:

"This is my beloved Son, with Whom I am well please."

He said that so all the people would know that Jesus was the Son of God. Then Jesus went into the desert to pray and fast and was tempted by Satan. After 40 days, Jesus left the desert. He began to preach to people in towns and in the country. He told them that God loved them and wanted them to be with Him in heaven. He said that God would save them from their sins. Jesus told lots of stories that made it easier to understand what God was like.

Jesus picked twelve young men to be His disciples. They would be His special helpers and would learn more from Jesus than the other people. The disciples soon learned from Jesus how to preach the Good News to others. Jesus told many stories to teach us about the Kingdom of God.

Chosen 12 Apostles

•        Bartholomew

•        Andrew

•        Peter (Simon; brother of Andrew), Philip

•        Thomas, Thaddeus (Judas/Jude brother of James the Less)

•        John, James (brother of John; son of Zebedee; the Great), James (the Less; brother of Jesus; son of Alphaeus & Mary Clopas), Judas (Iscariot)

•        Simon (the Cananaean/Zealot)

•        Matthew (Matthias; the Tax Collector/Publican)

Jesus chose His 12 Apostles

Matthew 10:2-4

•2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[a] 4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

Mark 3:13-9

•13 He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles,[a] to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, 15 and to have authority to cast out demons. 16 So he appointed the twelve:[b] Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Luke 6:12-16

•12 Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas (son/brother) of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Questions

Who are the new Apostles of Christ?

• Priest, Bishops and Deacons
• Pastors and Evangelists/Catechists
• Teachers

Parables of the Kingdom of God

The mustard Seed
The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed which someone plants in his field. The mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds but it grows into a very large plant. It grows so big that bird can build their nests in its branches.

The Leaven in the Dough
The Kingdom of God is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.

The buried treasure
A man found a buried treasure in a field. He wanted to keep the treasure. But the field belonged to somebody else. So the man took all the money he had in the world. He bought the field so he could have the treasure. 

Explanation of the Mustard Seed

• God creates his mighty kingdom which embraces all the peoples of the world.
• Thus the kingdom of God is not compared to a thing like the mustard seed or the leaven, but rather to the process of gradual growth, contrasting a small beginning to a big result.
• The plan of God's kingdom, telling us it has begun in a very small, insignificant, humble way -- small like a small mustard seed or insignificant like a pinch of yeast. Mighty things have humble beginnings.

Explanation of the Leaven in the Dough

• Jesus says that the woman hid it in that big quantity of dough, stressing that the pinch of leaven is so small and hidden, yet it has the potential (power) to penetrate, so to say, to filter through the whole dough.
• They Yeast or the Leaven make the bread or cake rise into a spongy and fluffy one -- The kingdom of God also grows from hidden and small persons.
• Small and insignificant beginning of the Kingdom but the end will be marvelous.

Relation of the Mustard Seed to Jesus
Jesus was taken to be an ordinary man as there was nothing spectacular about him. How could a carpenter's son, hailing from Nazareth, with a few followers even hope to free Israel? The people of Israel, especially their religious leaders were waiting for the Messiah to come to free them from the rule of the Romans but they expected him to come with power and splendor, defeating the Romans and uplifting the Israelites. But here is Jesus, preaching to and healing the sick. the poor and the outcasts! The Jewish priests accused him of healing through the devil's power. His own relatives called him a mad-man! So how could this ridiculous man be the Messiah? How could this insignificant man, from such a humble origin, stake his claims to free Israel?

Gospel:

• A gospel is an account describing the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The most widely known examples are the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John which are included in the New Testament

• Jesus came, preached & announced the true meaning kingdom of God

• The purpose, the fulfillment of the will of God is above all things necessary

• Establish a true and real kingdom (kingdom of God on earth), a gathering together of a religious community which would have as its head the only begotten Son of God

• actual kingdom of heaven — its final consummation again in heaven where Jesus Christ will reign for ever with the saints in glory.

• kingdom of God = Salvation = Christ centered

–accept Jesus as the Messiah, Son of God that God the Father had sent for us

–believe in Him and be baptized and accept the salvation He brings

–Become of kingdom of God by becoming a disciple, follow Him and carry our own cross

–Patiently wait for Jesus second coming

Prayer for the Help of the Holy Spirit
O God, I thank you for this day and the lessons that we have learned today.  May You send forth your Holy Spirit and stay forever into my heart that I may perceive and understand You more, into my mind that I may remember, and into my soul that I may meditate.  Inspire me to speak and behave with patience, piety, holiness, tenderness and mercy. Teach, guide and direct my thoughts and senses from beginning to end. By Your grace, we may live and preach on the Words that You spoke to us today. May your grace ever help and correct me, and may I be strengthened now with love and wisdom from on high, for the sake of your infinite mercy. Amen.

References:

Jesus Baptism:

Matthew 3:13-16

13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” 15 But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.*” So John agreed to baptize him.16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened* and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

Mark 1:9-10

9 One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him* like a dove. 11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

Luke 3:21-22

21 One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.*”

Mark 4:30–32: Parable of Mustard Seed

Luke 13:20-21: Parable of Leaven in the Dough

Ephesians 4:11-13
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.