Incarnation Questions

Represents Jesus' total self giving love for all
1. expression of peace and love
2. Flames from heart - burning love for all
3. Hole through heart - soldier piercing Jesus' side
4. Crown of thorns around heart - Jesus' crown
5. Hand pointing to heart- draws attention
6. holes in his hand - nailed to cross

Beatitudes means Blessing. Christians believe that Jesus‘fulfilled the law’ and developed the law to makeit more perfect. Links to Moses.

Jesus ‘demands a high level of purity’ and the focus is on people’s attitudes and living.
“Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the earth”
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:1-12)

The Parable of Sheep and Goats teaches that serving and caring for others is serving and caring for God.

Caring for people in need is so importantand will link to how weare judged by Godin the next life (sheep=heaven & Goats=hell)
Helping others leads to eternal life.

“I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me somethingto drink, as a stranger and you welcomed me, | was naked and you gave me
clothing, I was sick and you took care of Me" Matthew 25

St Irenaeus showed howthe incarnation was important for brining God and humans closer together.
Jesus is the “meeting point” between God and humanity. Jesus is someone whois fully alive and is the ‘glory of God’.
“Life in man is the glory of God”. Incarnation is important because Jesus (as fully God and fully human) helped humans to come to know God and this allows them to be fully alive and share in God’s glory. (St Irenaeus in Against heresies)

Teaches about the correct balance of understanding about Jesus as fully human and fully God. Stops heresies.
Dei Verbum 4 says that God is revealed and speaks through Jesus, as the Son of God. He brings salvation to all people.

“For he sent his son...so that He might dwell among men and tell them of the innermost being of God”
“Jesus Christ, therefore, the Word madeflesh, was sent as ‘a man to men

Teaches about the correct balance of understanding about Jesus as fully human andfully God.
Stops heresies.

Verbum Domini 12 says that the Word, Son of God, limited himself in human form so that humans could understand him.
Jesus always knew the will of God because heis God.
“The Word limited himself to a human form, so that humans could come to understand him”
“In his perfect humanity Jesus does the will of the father at all times... Jesus thus shows he is divine.”

Grace is the free gift of God’s love to all people.

As God is present in the whole of his creation, Catholics view the whole of reality as a sacrament- As sign of God’s grace and a sign of God's love.
The incarnation helped people to understand God’s love and see him as a living presence in the world, leading to its sacramental nature

A sacrament is an outward sign of an inward grace as put forward by Jesus Christ” CCC

The seven sacraments are:
Baptism
Confirmation
Eucharist
Marriage
Ordination
Reconciliation
Sacrament of the Sick

Catholics believe that all life is sacred because humans are made in the ‘image and likeness of God”(Imago dei)- Genesis 1:26

For Catholics life begins at the moment of conception “the child in my womb leapt with joy” Luke 1:44

All life is holy and should be protected including the unborn. Therefore, Abortion (termination of a foetus) is wrong.
“Do not abort the unborn”- St Aquinas

The incarnation is when God took the human condition to become Jesus.
This shows Christians how much God loves the human race and that God knows what it is like to be human and helps us value God’s love.
“The word becameflesh and lived amongst us”- John 1:14
“By fhe power of the holy spirit, he became incamate of the virgin Mary and was made man” Nicene Creed

Both Luke and Matthew’s account show that Angel Gabriel visits Mary and Joseph, to announce God’s plan of sending his son into the world.
Mary is a Virgin.
Both show Jesus was conceived by the Holy spirit.
Both show Jesus as the Son of God. He will be great and a saviour.
“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High” -Luke’s Gospel
“For the child conceived in her from the Holy Spirit... he will save people from their sins”- Matthew’s Gospel .

Luke’s account- Told from the perspective of Mary.
Angel Gabriel visits the Virgin Mary and tells her she will concieve through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Mary freely choosesto accept “let it be according to your will”

Matthew’s account- Told from the perspective of Joseph.
Joseph was planning to break up with Mary when he found out she was pregnant.
Joseph is visited by the Angel Gabriel in a dream, who confirms Jesus has been sent by God to earth.

The word of God is another namefor the Son of God who is both fully God and is a separate person in the Trinity,

John 1:1-4 teaches about the word of God.
1.The Word of Godis eternal: “in the beginning was the Word”
2.The Word of God is God: “The word was God”
3.The Word of Godis also distinct from God: “The Word was with God”
4. The Word of God is how God expresses his power and love: “the light of all people”

Jesus is fully human. He experiences human life full of emotions and expierences.

He suffers on the cross “My God, My God why have you forsaken me”-Mark’s Gospel

Jesus predicts that he will suffer and die “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering”- Mark’s Gospel
The term Son of Man is linked to Jesus suffering. It is used by Jesus himself and appears 14 times in Mark’s Gospel

Jesus is fully God.
This is seen at his trial before the Sanhedran (Jewish Council) “Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?...i am”- Mark’s Gospel
Also seen in the fact Jesus can perform miracles e.g Jesus walks on water and calms the storm (Gospels)

Icthus (fish) - Acronym means Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour. Used by early Christians as a declaration of their faith

Alpha and Omegq-First and last letter of the Greek Alpabet. Shows God and Jesus are involved in everything from the beginning to the end.

Chi-Rho-Monogram for the first two letters in Greek for Christ. Reminderof the death of Jesus, often an alternative to a cross/crucifix

Some religions (Judaism and Islam) will not portray Godin art and it is forbidden.

1.Godis infinite and cannot be portrayed accurately in images
2.Art could misled people about what God is like.
3.People my pray falsely to the artwork
4. It goes against one of the ten commandments (Exodus 20)
“You shall not make yourself an idol"

Catholics approve of the use of religious art and that which portrays God as it can:
1. Inspire people
2. Give people something to focus on as they pray
3. Help people think positively about God
4. Positive role in religious life
5. Jesus was fully human and fully God art can capture the human qualities.

“Sacred art is true and beautiful; evoking and glorying in faith and adoration” CCC