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Teaching the Miracles of Christ

Faith Formation Day

September 19, 2015

Orlando, FL

Presented by:

Gloria Reinhardt Majerus

Religious Education Consultant

Our Sunday Visitor Cubiculum Division

Facts about the Bible

•  Comes from the Greek word which means book

•  Divided into two parts. The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament (Christian Scriptures).

•  Testament means agreement or covenant

•  Scripture means sacred writing.

The New Testament or Christian Scriptures is divided into five major parts.

Greek- 100 yrs.

•  Gospels- testify to God’s saving deeds in His Son, Jesus the Messiah

•  Acts of the Apostles - describes the Spirit-led growth of the early church

•  13 letters traditionally ascribed to St. Paul- tell us about the life of the early Church and give instructions for Christian living

•  Other letters such as Hebrews, Jude, Peter, James & John- these are also pastoral letters

•  Revelation/ Apocalypse- high symbolic work

How the Gospels came to be:

•  Stage 1- The Historical Jesus

•  Stage 2 - Oral Tradition

•  Stage 3- Written Letters and Gospels

Are the Books of the Bible Inspired?

What does Inspiration mean?

•  Inspired writings

–  Catholic Christians believe that God inspired both the Old (Hebrew Scriptures) and New (Christian Scriptures) Testaments.

–  Remember that means the Holy Spirit authored the Bible through the individual talents and insights of the various human writers.

–  Throughout the process of writing and editing the Holy Spirit was at work to make sure that what the evangelist wrote was the “gospel truth”.

Biblical Criticism

Historical Criticism

•  What is the larger context surrounding the passage?

•  What religious, social, cultural and historical realities influenced the writers?

Form Criticism

•  What literary type or form was used by the biblical author?

•  Form Criticism studies how the text took shape in the period of Oral Tradition before the gospel took written form

Source Criticism

. Discovers the source of the materials the different evangelists used to construct their gospel.

Redaction Criticism

. Focuses on the evangelists as editors: how and why they arranged their material the way they did.

Mark (LION) Gospel of the Suffering Servant

–  Human face of Jesus

–  Action Gospel

–  Gospel of Discipleship – “Who do you say I am?”

–  Introduces Jesus as the Son of Man

Mark’s Jesus

•  Man in a hurry

•  Man who is easy to relate to, sometimes earthy

•  Man who is very approachable

•  Man of emotions

•  Man who is very human

Matthew (A PERSON) Gospel of Jesus as a teacher

–  Gospel of Christian Living

–  Teaching gospel

–  Jesus is the promised Messiah

–  Gospel of the Church

Matthew’s Jesus

•  Jesus is the New Moses

•  Jesus has good “roots”

•  Jesus is reflective

•  Jesus is the teacher

•  Jesus is the New Moses

•  Jesus is a person who has MUCH to tell us

Luke (an ox or a young bull/calf)

–  Jesus as a compassionate person

–  Gospel of women

–  Gospel of prayer, as the source of our courage to risk,

–  emphasis on the poor and outcast

–  Called the Gospel of Joy

Luke’s Jesus

•  He is an advocate for the oppressed

•  He is a champion of women

•  He is a friend to those who are ignored

•  He has great compassion

•  He is the person who opens to us the Spirit

•  He is forgiving

•  He is a person of peace

John (Eagle) Gospel of Jesus as God incarnate

–  Gospel of Signs and Glory

–  Images such as light/darkness; life/death; flesh/spirit; glory/eternal life

–  Jesus as God

John’s Jesus

•  He inspires awe

•  He is a person of nobility

•  He is DIVINE and human

•  He is majestic

•  He is in control

•  He knows who He is

•  He is a person of dignity

Miracles

Meaning of the Miracles

•  The word Miracles comes from the Latin word miraculum which means something amazing, extraordinary or astonishing that can not be explained by natural means.

•  Therefore, Miracles are out-of-the-ordinary happenings that are contrary to the ordinary natural order or course of things.

•  Miracles caused people to wonder

–  In the Synoptic Gospels- deeds of power

–  In John’s Gospel they are signs

•  Miracles are related to Jesus proclamation of the reign of God

Parts of a Miracle

  Introduction

  Display of faith

  Response

  Result

  Reaction

Key ingredient to the meaning of the Miracles is FAITH and the Kingdom of God

Types of Miracles

n  Healing miracles- Jesus’ power over the human condition

n  Nature Miracles- shows Jesus has power over creation

n  Exorcism Miracles- shows Jesus has power over evil

n  Miracles dealing with death- power over the course of life/death.

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