BEGINNING BENCHMARK

8th Grade

  • There is a union of two natures, divine and human, in the one person of Jesus Christ; the two natures cannot be separated or divided.
  • Through the death of Jesus, as the ransom for many, the separation between God and God's people has been bridged. In this way, Jesus is the atoning sacrifice.
  • God freely created the universe out of nothing and keeps it in existence by his Word,the Son, and by his Creator Spirit, the Giver of Life.
  • The patriarchs of the faith were Jewish.The Chosen people received distinctive signs and symbols from God that marked itsliturgical life and prefigured the sacraments of the New Covenant.
  • Jesus taught in parables to provide the people with a new way of living God's call tolove and forgiveness.
  • The Holy Spirit, through the authority of the Church, guides the community of faith incorrectly interpreting and understanding the Bible as the inspired Word of God.
  • Unlike the Gospel of John, which has its own unique perspective, the synoptic Gospels(Matthew, Mark, Luke) are similar in structure and theme.The Gospel writers were inspired by God to write the Good News of Salvation. St. Paul journeyed to spread the gospel message of salvation to all the peoples of theearly Church. He authored many of the Epistles of the New Testament.
  • The foundation of the Church is the Trinity; the unity of the Church reflects the unity ofthe Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are inseparable in their work of salvation.
  • Initially, creeds like the Apostles' Creed served as part of the process of Christianinitiation and helped to form a common identity by providing a common language offaith. Over time Church councils wrote creeds, (e.g., the Nicene Creed) to settle theologicalcontroversies and to suppress heresies.
  • Death entered the world as a result of Original Sin. In his Resurrection, Christconquered death, so a person's bodily death is only the end of his or her life on earthand not the end of his or her existence.
  • The state of living eternally with the Holy Trinity and the Communion of Saints is calledheaven.
  • The Kingdom of God is already present but is not complete until Christ comes again inglory to judge the living and the dead.
  • There are people who live as God's children in this world but who, at the time of death,have not achieved total purification from sin. Those people enter a state, calledPurgatory, in which they are strengthened and cleansed.The Church offers prayers and the Eucharistic sacrifice for the dead, the souls inPurgatory, so that they may be purified and enter the joy of heaven.
  • In the Last Judgment, God will show every person how he or she either accepted orrejected his love by examining how each person responded to the needs of the least ofGod’s children.
  • Hell's principal punishment consists of eternal separation from God.
  • Mary cooperated with God’s plan for salvation by uniting herself with God’s will. Mary’sfiat at the Annunciation was her unconditional yes in becoming the Mother of Jesus.Mary is called "Theotokos" meaning “God bearer”, or the one who gives birth to God.
  • God makes faith possible. Faith leads one to want to grow closer to him andunderstand his plan.God gives people hope which helps to keep them from discouragement.God alone saves; faith, the response to God’s grace, is therefore necessary forsalvation.
  • Holy things, especially the Eucharist, bind and unite the Body of Christ with each otherand with God.
  • The pope is the bishop of Rome, the successor to St. Peter. The pope, with the wholeCollege of Bishops, of which he is the head, continues to guide the Church which wasfounded by Christ. Pastoral letters and encyclicals have a teaching role in the Church.
  • The natural law expresses human dignity and forms the basis of human rights. Nocommunity or nation has a monopoly on the truth of how one is to live, but rathergovernments and all other social institutions are called to enhance the dignity of thepeople as the principle of every social organization.Christians are called to understand themselves as part of a broader community. Thegood of that community is the responsibility of every individual. Every individual and personal right comes with an attendant responsibility.
  • The seven Sacraments are Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage and Holy Orders.
  • The Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ is celebrated in each part of the Mass.Every liturgical celebration includes a proclamation of Sacred Scripture.
  • Sunday is the Lord's Day, the primary day for celebration of the Eucharist, because it isthe day Christ rose from the dead, the first day of creation, and the day of Pentecost.
  • Jesus' life fulfills the promise of the Old Testament. The Beatitudes make clear the spirit of love in the law of the Ten Commandments andhelp perfect the moral law.
  • Free will and intellect, or reason, make people responsible for their actions to live amoral life.People sin when their desires, words, and actions disobey God. This contrasts withJesus’ faithful following of his Father’s will in all things.Mortal sin causes the loss of sanctifying grace and unrepented mortal sin brings eternaldeath.Even though venial sins are less serious offenses, they may lead to more serious sins,especially when they become habits.Every sin has consequences. The need to heal these consequences, once the sin hasbeen forgiven, is called temporal punishment. Prayer, fasting, almsgiving and otherworks of charity can remove entirely or diminish temporal punishment.Responsibility for an action can be decreased if one is pressured, fearful or unaware ofinformation at the time of decision making.
  • Grace, made available through Jesus Christ, involves victory over sin, evil, and deaththrough Jesus Christ’s Paschal Mystery.God's grace precedes, prepares and draws out a person's free will; grace perfects
  • Common prayers and formulas to review:

Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Grace Before and After Meals, Morning and Evening Prayers, Guardian Angel Prayer

Nicene Creed, Fatima Prayer, Hail Holy Queen

Ten Commandments, Apostle’s Creed, Nicene Creed, Corporal & Spiritual Works of Mercy, Beatitudes, Joyful, Glorious and SorrowfulMysteries of the Rosary.

Act of Hope, Act of Faith, Precepts of the Church, Holy Days of Obligation

Seven Sacraments