RVE 8 (2nd Quarter)
Ministry of Christ (Luminous Mystery)
Success
- Attained a degree of perfection.
Perfection
- When it conforms reality, that reality that has been designed and that
is the gradation of beings.
- Jesus is not perfect because he confronts our condition. But we do not
confront his conditions.
- Jesus held to the traditions of his time.
Conforming
- One can be what he/she wants.
Ex. Jesus submitted himself to baptism because it is right.
Baptism
- Cleansed from original sin beginning of greatness of a Christian.
3 missions of Christ:
Prophetic
- To go and share his words.
Priestly
- Mediate, an example of love.
- Beacon of hope.
Kingly
- To govern the flock that Peter asked to tend to feed.
Baptism of Adults and Infants
Baptism of Desire
- Not baptized through Christian sacrament with water because of
death.
- Will receive the fruits of baptism at the moment of death if their grace
of conversion included “divine and catholic faith”.
- Act of perfect charity and perfect contrition.
Baptism of Blood
Martyrdom
- Died for Christian faith before receiving the sacrament.
Effects:
- Immediate entrance into heaven.
- Complete emission of sin.
Baptism of our Lord
John the Baptist
- Precursor of Jesus.
- Prepared the way of the Lord; we the people, are the way of the Lord.
Sacraments
- Visible and efficacious signs by Christ to give grace.
- Way of encountering God
7 Sacraments:
1. Baptism
2. Eucharist
3. Confirmation
4. Reconciliation
5. Matrimony
6. Anointing of the sick
7. Holy Orders
Baptism
- One of the sacraments of initiation.
- Being branded as sons of God.
Baptism
Confirmation Sacraments of
Eucharist Initiation
- Ways of revealing true selves
3 events that happened during Jesus baptism at the Jordan River:
- The opening of the heaven.
- The descent of the Holy Spirit.
- The heavenly proclamation.
“ Behold, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”
- Mk 1:11
Jesus is Tempted
When Jesus is tempted
- When he prayed for 40 days and 40 nights.
- Got tired
Man
- Got physically weak
3 temptations of Christ:
1. Riches (Turning stone into bread)
- Material needs.
2. Popularity (Urged him to jump off)
- To show off.
3. Power (Turn away fro the father)
- Idolatry
Reactions of Christ:
1. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from
the mouth of God.
Mahatma Gandhi
- The earth can provide every man’s needs, but not every one wants.
“Money is the root of evil”
- No wrong use of money.
2. You shall put the Lord, your God to the test. – Provoke
- Real trust in God is in being obedient to the father’s will.
3. “The Lord your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”
Overcome through:
Fasting
Prayer
Jesus Proclaims the Kingdom of God
Parables
- Are simple stories that illustrates moral or spiritual lessons.
Why Jesus used Parables?
- The revelations of God cannot be comprehended by our human minds
that is why Jesus was using parables.
3 Parables used by Jesus:
1. Parable of the Pearl of great price.
2. Parable of the dragnet
3. Mustard seed
Parable of Pearl of great price
- The kingdom of God is beyond all price. It costs more than whatever
you have.
- It’s the most beautiful thing that exists.
Parable of the dragnet
- The kingdom of God welcomes all but only the worthy will be allowed
to “own” it.
Parable of the mustard seed
- The kingdom of God is a place that can only be accessed by faith. Even
just a small faith, as long as it is a unique faith.
- Only with faith can we see the inside of the kingdom, and are allowed
to walk through it.
According to Jesus
- The kingdom of God is a beautiful place that greets all, and treats
everyone with dignity, but only those who has faith can only enter.
Other insights:
• Among us, in the poor in spirit, and those persecuted for justice’s sake
• To be sought, first of all, and all other things will be given besides
• Not a kingdom of this world
• Entered only by those born of the water and spirit
• Hard to enter by those who are rich, unforgiving, or just give lip service
• Inherited fully by those who fed, clothed, visited, and cared for the “least of
my brethren.”
• For whoever serves Christ in this way, it is a kingdom of righteousness, peace,
and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Kingdom of God
- It is connected with the mission of Christ.
- To bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to the captives, recovery of
sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year
acceptable to the Lord.
- The kingdom of God is a place of peace, serenity, tranquility, and love
for Christ’s mission was to free ‘the poor.’
‘The poor’ doesn’t literally mean ‘poor’ monetarily, but poor in the condition
of a state of living.
Goodness reigns in the kingdom of God. It is indeed a place of peace,
serenity, tranquility, and love.
We are tasked to do the same as what He did. Share the message of the
Kingdom of God. Share Christ, the Good news, the center of the Kingdom we
are to share.
