What Jesus Tells Us about Ourselves 191
Persons Are Gifts
You are special! You are a unique gift, created by God. Read the following poem to yourself. Underline or
note phrases in the poem that especially resonate with you. Choose two of the phrases and record them in a
notebook or journal. Write two or three sentences explaining how the phrase connects with your life. Share
what you wrote with a classmate.
Persons are gifts which the Creator God sends
to us . . . wrapped.
Some come wrapped very beautifully,
some come in very ordinary wrapping paper.
Some persons are very loosely wrapped,
others very tightly.
Sometimes the gift has been mishandled in the mail.
Once in a while there is a special delivery!
Some person-gifts are very easy to open up;
others need to be helped out of their boxes.
Is it because they are afraid?
Do they think it might hurt to be opened?
Maybe they have been opened up before
And thrown away!
Could it be that their gift is not for me?
I am a person. Therefore, I am a gift, too!
a gift to myself, first of all.
God my Creator gave myself to me!
Have I every really looked inside the wrapping?
Am I afraid to?
Perhaps I’ve never accepted the gift that I am.
Could it be that there is something else
inside the wrappings than what I think is there?
Maybe I could never see the wonderful gift that I am.
Could God’s gift be anything but beautiful?
I love the gifts which those who love me give to me.
Why not the gift of me?
And I am a gift to other persons.
Am I willing to be given to others?
to be a person for others?
Do other have to be content with the wrapping,
never permitted to enjoy the gift?
Every meeting of persons is an exchange of gifts.
Love is a relationship between persons
who see themselves as they really are:
Gifts given by God to be given to others.
—Author Unknown
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192 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
Jesus, Our Model created through him. And he holds everything to-
and Guide gether. It is Jesus who brings ultimate meaning and
purpose to our lives.
Pope John Paul II’s first encyclical, The Redeemer
of Man, opens with this line: “Christ is the center of Jesus Presents God’s Plan
the universe and of human history.” In a talk he gave
to American youth at New York’s Madison Square So what is it that Jesus taught us about our purpose
Garden in 1979, he further explained what he meant for life? We learn an important lesson from Jesus in
about Jesus being the ultimate model for us. “When this passage:
you wonder about the mystery of yourself,” he said,
“look to Christ who gives you the meaning of life. The Pharisees approached and asked, “Is it
When you wonder what it means to be a mature per- lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
son, look to Christ who is the fullness of humanity.” They were testing him. He said to them in
Jesus Christ is the focal point of human history. He reply, “What did Moses command you?”
is the crucified but resurrected Son of God. He is They replied, “Moses permitted him to write
God’s image who entered into human history. We a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” But Jesus
live in a sinful world, but in Jesus we see what we told them, “Because of the hardness of your
are meant to be. Conversely, we learn from Jesus hearts he wrote you this commandment. But
what God is really like. St. Paul called Jesus the from the beginning of creation, ‘God made
Second Adam. At the Incarnation, Jesus, appeared them male and female. For this reason a
as a “New Adam” in history. Jesus was giving the man shall leave his father and mother (and
human race a brand new start. be joined to his wife), and the two shall be-
come one flesh.’ So they are no longer two
From all eternity, the Father intended to send his but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined
Son to us. Jesus is the perfect model of God’s cre- together, no human being must separate.”
ation. He is the perfect human being whose words In the house the disciples again questioned
and example teach us about humanity and our eter- him about this. He said to them, “Whoever
nal destiny. Jesus teaches us how to be holy, how to divorces his wife and marries another com-
be fully human, and how to be what God intends us mits adultery against her; and if she divorces
to be. her husband and marries another, she com-
mits adultery.” (Mk 10:2–12)
In the Letter to the Colossians, St. Paul wrote
about Jesus: The setting for this passage involves some Phar-
isees who wished to challenge Jesus and his teach-
He is the image of the invisible God, the ing authority. Probably like other teachers of their
firstborn of all creation. For in him were cre- day, they permitted men to divorce their wives under
ated all things in heaven and on earth, the certain circumstances. Jesus, however, taught dif-
visible and the invisible, . . . all things were ferently. Referring to two passages in Genesis (Gn
created through him and for him. He is be- 1:27 and Gn 2:24), Jesus taught about the sacred-
fore all things, and in him all things hold to- ness of marriage. Jesus said that God does not want
gether. (Col 1:15–17) people to separate what he has joined together.
What this means is that Jesus Christ is indeed We can see that Jesus really wants us to go back
the absolute center of the universe. Everything is and study God’s revelation in the Old Testament and
to live as God intended for us before the Original
Sin. We should look, for example, in the book of
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What Jesus Tells Us about Ourselves 193
Genesis to see exactly what God has to say about God Is Creator
human beings. Jesus wanted the Pharisees and ev-
eryone else to learn some important lessons from Sometimes humans forget that God did not have
this important passage. to create us. But he did so out of his infinite good-
ness and love. God remains our Creator whether we
For Review think about him or not. He keeps us in existence
whether we think about this truth or not. History has
1. What basic message did Pope John Paul II often shown that when humans forget about God,
want to give the world about Jesus in his or make themselves into gods, sinfulness abounds.
first encyclical, The Redeemer of Man? They wreak havoc on themselves and the rest of
creation. We must always keep in mind our place
2. Why did St. Paul describe Jesus as the in God’s creation and always acknowledge God as
Second Adam? Creator of all.
3. What is the lesson on the purpose of life God Gives Human Beings a
revealed in Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees Privileged Place in Creation
about whether or not to allow divorce?
Human beings are uniquely precious to our Cre-
For Reflection ator. We are the living masterpieces of his creation.
God created everything that exists, but he made
When was a time you received help and human beings stewards of creation. We are given
courage to be the person God wants you to awesome gifts but awesome responsibility, as well.
be? Did that help come through prayer or the Though God is the Creator, it is our duty to love
Sacraments? From a faith-filled friend or priest? and serve his creatures and creation. Jesus summed
From a parent or someone in your family? up our responsibilities when he taught these two
commandments:
Human Beings
Are Made in God’s Image You shall love the Lord, your God, with all
(CCC, 355–384, 1701–1703) your heart, with all your soul, and with all
your mind. This is the greatest and the first
Jesus, as the New or Second Adam, intended for us commandment. The second is like it: You
to look back at creation prior to Original Sin and to shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Mt
consider how God first desired for people to live. 22:37–39)
The first creation story in the Book of Genesis,
particularly the verses (see Genesis 1:26–31) that
center on the creation of humans and the responsi-
bilities God endowed them with, reveal much to us
about how we are to live and about the Father, who
with the Son and Holy Spirit, created us. Some of
the lessons and truths of this passage are explored
in more depth in the sections that follow.
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194 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
An important way to show love for God and our capacities that separate us from any other earthly
“neighbors” all over our world is to respect and re-
sponsibly use what we have been given. Our world creatures. Because we are made in God’s image, we
belongs to all of God’s children. Its resources, beauty,
and potential are a heritage for each people and each were made out of love for love. Through God’s spe-
nation. When we fail to share the goods of the earth,
we permit great injustices. Overconsumption, for cial grace, we can also enter into a covenant, a loving
instance, negatively affects all human beings as well
as all living creatures on the planet. relationship with our Creator, and respond to God in
God Creates Us in the Divine faith and in love. Because only human beings are
Image (CCC, 1701, 1704–
1706, 1711–1713, 1731) created in the likeness and image of God, no other
Humans are unique because God made us in the creature can do what we can do. Each of our special
divine image, enabling us to share in his own life.
God, who is a pure Spirit, does not possess physi- human abilities is described in more detail below.
cal or material qualities. He is the Supreme Being
who possesses infinite knowledge and Truth. He is a • We can think. Because we have intellects, hu-
Trinity of Persons. God is all-good and a communi- man beings are rational and can reason and
ty of perfect Love: Father, Son, and Spirit. By mak- think. We can discover the meaning of life and
ing us in the divine image, God endowed us with death. We can learn things and pass on our
knowledge to future generations. Most impor-
important spiritual qualities like the tantly, we can discover truth. We can use our
abilities to think, to choose, to minds to discover the eternal, objective, and
love, and to relate to others in universal laws that God implants in his cre-
community. These traits enable ation. We can also use our human reason to rec-
us to share, through knowledge ognize God’s voice. God urges us to do good
and love, in God’s own life. and avoid evil. We each have a conscience that
God has created us with a enables us to choose God’s will. We also have a
body and an immortal soul. As duty to form that conscience properly and then
the Catechism of the Catholic follow it.
Church puts it, “It is in Christ,
‘the image of the invisible God,’ • We can choose. God gave us free wills, that is,
that man has been created ‘in the the ability to choose from among alternatives.
image and likeness’ of the Cre- “Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and
ator” (CCC, 1701). We are not will . . . to perform deliberate actions on one’s
just “somethings,” but “some- own responsibility” (CCC, 1731). Because we
ones.” We are people who can are free, we can determine our own lives and
know and give themselves in our futures. We can change, for example, from
relationships to others and to children who might have been taught preju-
God. We can also share in dices to more loving and tolerant adults. The
God’s life and have Church teaches that the power of “authentic
freedom is an exceptional sign of the divine
image within man” (Pastoral Constitution on
the Church in the Modern World, 17). Free will
empowers men and women to use the talents
God gave them for others. We are also able to
cooperate with all the graces of the Holy Spirit.
• We can love. A good definition of love is choos-
ing to do good for others even if it’s painful or
difficult. Jesus teaches that love is the funda-
mental requirement: “I give you a new com-
mandment: love one another. As I have loved
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What Jesus Tells Us about Ourselves 195
you, so you also should love one possesses profound dignity. We free will
another” (Jn 13:34). Once again, have this dignity from the first
Jesus is our guide, our model for moment of conception until natu- The capacity to choose
learning how to love. ral death. Dignity is “inherent,” among alternatives. Free
meaning it is an essential qual- will is “the power, rooted in
• We are responsible. Because we ity of being human. It is “invio- reason and will . . . to per-
are endowed with free will and lable” because no one has the form deliberate actions on
intelligence, we have the ability right to violate or profane it. It is one’s own responsibility”
to respond to God and to oth- “inalienable” because it cannot (CCC, 1731). True freedom
ers. This makes us accountable be taken away by anyone. Even is at the service of what is
for our choices—whether they if we commit sin, and thus dis- good and true.
are good or evil. Evil choices, tort God’s image in us, we still
of course, will turn us away have dignity and are worthy of dignity
from God and the persons we respect. God’s grace can always
are meant to be. The choices we call us back to be the beautiful The quality of being worthy
make help to form our identities. creatures he made us to be. Our of esteem and respect.
For example, a person who regu- human dignity has nothing to do
larly helps others is letting Christ with our accomplishments, roles,
shine through him or her. This wealth, talents, and so forth. God
person is becoming more like loved us so much that he sent his
Christ. On the other hand, a per- Son to befriend us and save us.
son who habitually lies or cheats Jesus died for every human being
is sinning, but is also transform- because every single person is a
ing his identity, as well. When child of God. The important les-
we turn away from the Truth, we son that Jesus teaches us is that
actually distort the image of God we must respect all people as an
within us. “other self” even if they them-
selves lack self-respect.
• We can change. The abilities to
think, to choose, and to love give
us the power to change and to
grow. Both as individuals and
as communities, we humans can
learn from our experiences—both
good and bad. For example, as
we become more mature, we can
reject childish self-centeredness
and begin to think more about
the needs of others. For instance,
communities can examine how
they live. They might decide to
adopt simpler lifestyles that will
help protect creation for future
generations.
• We have tremendous dignity.
Because we are made in God’s
image, every human being
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196 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
Jesus Taught Respect so that everyone who believes in him
might not perish but have eternal life”
Read and summarize each of the following passages. Ex- (Jn 3:16).
plain how Jesus taught or exemplified respect for others.
God Has Made Us
• Mark 1:40–42 • Mark 5:1–20 Male and Female
• Mark 9:36–37 • Luke 7:36–50 Genesis tells us that God created
humans as complementary beings,
• Luke 23:32–34 • John 8:1–11 male and female. “Complementary”
means “making up for what is lack-
Original Sin The second creation account in ing in another.” Humans need each
Genesis (2:4–25) reveals that human other in many different ways. We
The fallen state of human beings are not only created in God’s complete and fulfill each other. God
nature into which all gen- image, but that God is a friend. We builds interdependence into our very
erations of people are born. read that our first parents were in com- nature, creating man and woman to be
Christ Jesus came to save plete harmony with God, with each helpmates, a communion of persons
us from Original Sin. other, and with the rest of creation. (CCC, 372).
sin Adam and Eve were in an original God also created man and woman
state of holiness and justice. In this equal in dignity. Neither male nor fe-
An offense against God way, they shared in God’s life. He male is superior or inferior to the oth-
through a violation of truth, placed them in the Garden of Eden “to er. Both are beautiful creatures of God
reason, and conscience. It is cultivate and care for it” (Gn 2:15). who need and complete each other:
a deliberate thought, word, This shows their familiarity with and
deed, or omission against closeness to God. Their work was not Man and woman are both
the eternal law of God. hard, exhausting labor but a sort of with one and the same dignity
collaborative effort with God, their “in the image of God.” In
dominion Creator. Together, they worked to their “being-man” and “being-
perfect God’s good creation. woman,” they reflect the Cre-
The role of caretaker and ator’s wisdom and goodness.
faithful steward given by So, Genesis asserts the funda- (CCC, 369)
God to our first parents, mental goodness of human beings
Adam and Eve. All human who were created for friendship with Recall that God declared that what
beings inherit the respon- God. However, through the Original he made to be good, very good. That
sibility to be good and Sin of Adam and Eve, the original includes, of course, our sexual identi-
loving caretakers of the harmony was lost. Human beings be- ties as males and females. Sexuality
world, its resources, and its came subject to suffering and death. is indeed good and beautiful. Because
creatures. Yet, despite the effects of Original Sin we have bodies, we are part of God’s
and the sins we commit, humans are material universe. The human body
good because God created us in his shares in the dignity of the image of
image to share divine life and friend- God for two reasons: our body is to be
ship with us. The proof of our funda- a temple of the Holy Spirit and it is to
mental goodness is that God loved us rise up on the last day. We are created
so much that “he gave his only Son, in the image of God. Our whole human
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What Jesus Tells Us about Ourselves 197
person—body and soul—gains knowledge through Jesus left an example of care for the environment.
our five senses in collaboration with our intellect He showed his love of the environment by using
and will. We express our humanity and experience many beautiful images from nature in his teachings.
reality through our emotions and feelings, passions He also taught the meaning of good stewardship in a
and drives, preferences and dislikes. What’s more, parable of Ten Gold Coins in Luke 19:11–17. There
each individual has a unique, one-of–a kind genetic we learn that good stewardship means wise use of
makeup. There’s only one of you. You are an unre- what God has given. It also means sharing resources
peatable creation of our gracious God. for the benefit of all people.
God Created Humans as We Are Social Beings
Stewards of the Earth (CCC, 1877–1948)
The first creation account in Genesis also reveals Because we are created in God’s image, we hu-
that God made human beings stewards of the earth. mans are social beings. We live in various societies
Men and women have a special dominion over the or groups that are bound together by principles of
earth and its resources. But that does not mean that unity. Among these communities are our families,
we have the right to selfishly exploit our world. schools, and parishes.
When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of
Eden, he told them “to cultivate and take care of it” Our God-given vocation is to reflect the divine
(Gn 2:15). Dominion over creation requires us to image. One way that we do that is by relating to
cultivate God’s creation and care for it by preserv- and loving others. Another way that we do that is by
ing “the beauty, diversity, and integrity of nature, as sharing our gifts in and for the world. God is a Trin-
well as . . . fostering its productivity.” Sinfulness in ity of relationships—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
the form of greed has led to abuses that have seri- The three divine Persons in this relationship relate
ously threatened our physical world. to each other by giving, receiving, and loving. The
Trinity created human beings and angels out of love
to share divine life.
How Can “Good” Human Beings Do Evil Things?
Though we know Genesis says that human beings are basically
“good” in God’s eyes, it’s hard to explain why some do evil things.
At one point in William Shakespeare’s famous play, Macbeth,
the forlorn king says he is disenchanted with life and has a
pessimistic view of it. In contrast to his negative judgment
is the Biblical view. It says that human life is good, and
that we are precious sons and daughters of a loving God.
Use a tape recorder or a video camera to record an
interview with a person whom you greatly admire. Ask
the person to talk about his or her philosophy of life.
Be sure to also ask your interview subject what he or she
thinks about the basic goodness of human beings. Summarize your interview in a
short one-page essay, or play a key portion of the recorded for the whole class.
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198 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
Because God is love and we are created in his Because we have been created to be with and
image, we are most human when we love. We learn for others, we must use our gifts and talents to help
about love most directly from Jesus. He teaches us other people. We must work with those in civil au-
how us to care for one another with respect, equal- thority to build up the communities in which we live
ity, and mutual self-giving. We are made to loving- in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom
ly treat each other as sisters and brothers. We are by working for peace and justice. We must work to
also made to establish communities that benefit and eradicate sinful inequalities that weaken and destroy
bring a fuller life for each person. justice, peace, and human dignity. Furthermore, we
must promote the common good, that is, “the sum
Humans are relational, that is, social, by nature. total of social conditions that allow people, either as
We belong to each other, to our world, and to our groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment
Trinitarian God. God made us to be one with each more fully and more easily” (Pastoral Constitution
other and with him for eternity. We exist with and on the Church in the Modern World, 26).
for others. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Je-
sus taught us that everyone is our neighbor, even our The common good requires us to develop and
enemies whom we must forgive. We must respect use our talents. St. Irenaeus said that “the glory of
each person because he or she has been created by God is man fully alive.” We are fully alive, that is,
God and endowed with great dignity. Therefore, we fully human, when we are most like the perfect hu-
must respect and work for the basic human rights of man, Jesus Christ. When we are “fully alive,” we are
all people. becoming the person God created us to be. We each
EXPLAINING THE FAITH
How can we say God is good when he allows evil in the world?
We should remember that God is supremely good and has proved his love in so many ways. For example,
God did not have to create the world and its creatures. But he did so out of love. Sacred Scripture also
tells the story of God’s love through human history. It reached its climax when God sent his Son, Jesus
Christ, to suffer and die for his sinful creatures. Suffering and evil are a sad part of the human story.
But, we can’t say that God causes or sends them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes the
dilemma this way:
Faith gives us the certainty that God would not permit an evil if he did not cause a good to come
from that very evil, by ways that we shall fully know only in eternal life.” (CCC, 324)
The Old Testament Book of Job confronted the question of evil. Job was a good man who lost all his
children and property and then contracted a horrible disease. Despite his setbacks, Job continued to
trust God. In fact, good came from Job’s sufferings. God restored his family, his flocks, and his wealth.
Job also became a holier man. He admitted that God’s ways are mysterious. We are not God, and we
don’t see things from God’s perspective. We need to know that we are totally dependent on God, and
not in control. Therefore, we can never adequately explain all the evil that befalls us.
Another point to consider is that God created a world that is in a process of becoming. It is not
yet perfect. The more perfect exists alongside the less perfect. “With physical good there also exists
physical evil as long as creation has not reached perfection” (CCC, 310). And finally, we need to see
that the misuse of freedom is the cause of much evil. God created humans and angels as intelligent and
free creatures, not as mindless robots or unthinking puppets. The gifts of intellect and free will give us
tremendous dignity. But these two gifts must be used responsibly. We must freely choose to love God and
others. When we refuse to love, we sin. That sin brings about incredible evil and suffering.
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What Jesus Tells Us about Ourselves 199
have special gifts that we must use to 5. What is meant by “free will”? common good
reflect God’s goodness. We must de- Give one example of how a
velop our minds (intellects), engage person might use free will. The sum total of social con-
our hearts (love), and use our hands ditions that allow people,
to develop our unique talents so that 6. What is the fundamental re- either as groups or as in-
we can bring God to other people. quirement or expectation dividuals, to reach their
that God places on all human fulfillment more fully and
Recognizing that we are social beings? more easily.
beings, and being fully alive persons
leads us to exercise the virtue of sol- 7. What do the Bible and the solidarity
idarity. Solidarity is the Christian Church mean by dignity as it
virtue of social charity and friend- relates to human beings? A Christian virtue of char-
ship. Solidarity can mean visiting the ity and friendship whereby
sick, reaching out to the lonely, and 8. How are men and women members of the human
responding to the needs of the poor. “complementary”? family share material and
It is Jesus who teaches us the value spiritual goods.
of each human life. Through the In- 9. What is Original Sin? How
carnation, God is united in solidarity does it affect human beings
with each person. Solidarity gives us today?
the courage and generosity to share
our money and possessions as well as 10.Explain, in simple terms,
our spiritual gifts. Solidarity recog- what the Church means by
nizes that we are all members of the the common good.
human family and that we must go
out of our way to help one another. For Reflection
For Review • Share a recent experience
of solidarity (social charity
1. What book of the Bible con- or friendship) you have had.
firms that God had a plan for How did you feel about
every creature but especially reaching out to someone who
for the first human beings? needed your friendship and
help? Will your experience
2. What is meant by the words make it easier to do it again?
“in our image” and “after our
likeness”? • Recall a movie or book that
deeply impressed you with
3. What words in Genesis 1 tell a powerful message about a
us that God gave human be- person’s ability to change and
ings a special place among grow.
the creatures of the earth?
• What are some ways that
4. Name some of the spiritual your friends and fellow
qualities that God gave to students really do recognize
human beings. and honor the God-given
dignity of other individuals?
How do their words show it?
How do their actions show it?
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200 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
Jesus Saves! the children of Adam and Eve—the whole human
(CCC, 1264, 1846, 1849, race—became infected by sin. Every human being
1707–1709, 1714–1715) who would ever live would suffer the consequences
of that Original Sin.
There are two vital messages for us in the Incar-
nation. The first is that we are created fundamen- One of the consequences of Original Sin is that
tally good. Why else would God bother to send his both individuals and communities of people must
Son Jesus to become one of us? The other message, cope with concupiscence. Concupiscence is the
however, is that we clearly needed to be saved. Je- weakness or inclination in human beings to sin, in-
sus, the Son of God, would not have come to live, dividually and collectively. This sin, of course, can
suffer, and die for us unless there was no other solu- take many shapes. It could be cowardice, selfish-
tion. Jesus Christ, our Savior, rescued us from sin ness, deceit, anger, violence, jealousy, and a host
and death so that we could have a life of eternal joy of other tragic and destructive evils. We often have
with the Blessed Trinity. the best intentions to do the right thing. But, we are
weak and inclined to commit sin. It is as if we are at
From the beginning, human beings were wound- war with ourselves. We are so prone to sin because
ed by sin and inclined toward evil and selfish mis- we are often weak-willed. We fail to do what we
takes. Genesis 2:15–3:24 reports that Adam and know is right.
Eve chose to follow their own desires and ignore
God’s plan for them. Pride led to their downfall Salvation History verifies that what we sense
and expulsion from the Garden. There were many is, as well, the moral battle of every person. Within
consequences. They were alienated from God and each of us wages a battle between good and evil,
became subject to suffering and death. In addition, between light and darkness. Though we are beauti-
ful creatures of a loving God, we are also sinners.
Sin wounds human nature and hurts human solidar-
ity. When we sin, we fail to show true love for God
or for our neighbor. What we do show is that we
choose to put our own wills and desires above ev-
erything else. At least at that moment in time, we are
willing to disobey God. We refuse to follow Jesus
and his teaching. Obeying God and following Jesus
are keys to our Salvation. St. Paul understood this
sad human weakness and the tendency to choose
our own will over the will of the Father:
What I do, I do not understand. For I do not
do what I want, but I do what I hate. . . . For
I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil
I do not want. Now if [I] do what I do not
want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that
dwells in me. (Rm 7:15, 19–20)
St. Paul recognized what each of us recognizes
as we move through life. We are weak and can’t res-
cue ourselves from this inclination, the magnetism
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What Jesus Tells Us about Ourselves 201
of sin. We need a Savior to rescue us We Are Children concupiscence
from this hopeless situation. of God (CCC, 1226,
1262–1274, 1279– The weakness or incli-
We Are 1280, 1391–1397, nation in human beings
Saved Sinners 1468–1470) to sin, individually and
collectively.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church Before his Ascension into Heaven, Je-
summarizes the lot of humans so well: sus instructed his Apostles to preach
“The Gospel is the revelation in Je- the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
sus Christ of God’s mercy to sinners” He also instructed his followers to
(1846). make disciples of all nations, and to
baptize them “in the name of the Fa-
The Paschal Mystery—the Pas- ther and of the Son, and of the Holy
sion, Death, Resurrection, and glorifi- Spirit” (Mt 28:19). From the very be-
cation of Jesus Christ—has delivered ginning, the Church obeyed Christ’s
humans from the clutches of sin and command. On Pentecost St. Peter told
from the Evil One. The sacrifice Je- the crowd:
sus made saves us from eternal death
and wins for us eternal life with the Repent and be baptized, every
Triune God. In short, Jesus gave up one of you, in the name of Je-
his life so that we might live. Jesus sus Christ for the forgiveness
showed us how to love by making of your sins; and you will re-
the ultimate sacrifice. God the Father ceive the gift of the holy Spir-
accepted the self-surrendering gift it. (Acts 2:38)
of Jesus but later rescued him from
death. Jesus rose from the dead to su- What Peter promised in Jesus’
perabundant life at the right side of name was a wonderful gift—the for-
God the Father. Together, the Father giveness of sin and gifts of the Holy
and the Son sent us the Holy Spirit Spirit. Those gifts restore and renew
who releases power and grace to us. us. They enable us to live holy, happy,
The Holy Spirit comes so that we full lives. Peter followed the instruc-
might live wholesome, holy, and lov- tions Jesus gave his Apostles. He called
ing lives for others. Jesus has contin- for repentance, just as Jesus did. Jesus
ued his work of Salvation in his Body, had proclaimed:
the Church. The Holy Spirit guides,
enlightens, and strengthens the Pope, This is the time of fulfillment.
bishops, priests, and all those who The kingdom of God is at
minister in the name of the Church. hand. Repent, and believe in
We also benefit from the Seven Sac- the gospel. (Mk 1:15)
raments given to the Church by Jesus.
These Sacraments are fountains of Repentance means to reform our
grace that continue the saving work hearts, minds, and wills. It also means
of Jesus through time. turning from sin and avoiding any-
thing that might lead to sin. The call
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202 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
that Jesus made for repentance is sometimes called EXPLAINING THE FAITH
metanoia, a Greek word that means “turning away”
or “changing directions.” Jesus knew that this new If we inherited the inclination to
direction would be necessary if God’s love was to sin, do we really have free will?
find room in our hearts. We have to let go of any-
thing that enslaves us, anything that leads us away The Church teaches that the Original Sin
from God. We have to convert and welcome the of Adam and Eve has been transmitted or
graces of the Holy Spirit. These graces would help passed down to all of their descendents. So,
us to combat sin and would help us to look at the each person is born in a “condition of sin”
world from Christ’s point of view. but can be freed from that through Baptism
and the merits of Jesus Christ. Nonetheless,
Repentance and the Sacrament of Baptism are much of the pain and sorrow in our world is
linked in the teaching of the Church. If we think not due to Original Sin but to our continued
about it carefully, it’s easy to see that Baptism is and deliberate sins. Unlike Original Sin, these
a Sacrament of conversion. Through Baptism, we are actual sins. They are offenses against
gain a new life in the Holy Spirit. In Baptism, the God that we personally choose to commit.
Holy Spirit showers many graces on us, including: But, our sinning is not inevitable. We are not
programmed to say “yes” to temptation. We
• The forgiveness of sin. Baptism forgives Origi- do have free will; we can say “no.”
nal Sin and personal sin—as well as the pun-
ishment due sin. However, some consequences God has honored us with the ability to
of sin remain, like suffering, weakness of will, choose because he knows that love needs
the inclination to sin, and, ultimately, death. freedom. In the First Letter to the Corinthians,
St. Paul reminds the Church in Corinth that
• Sanctifying grace. This type of grace heals God “is faithful and will not let you be tried
fallen human nature and gives us a share in the beyond your strength”(1 Cor 10:13). St. Paul
divine life of the Blessed Trinity. Sanctifying is also referring to grace. If a temptation is
grace is a habitual, supernatural gift that makes too strong for us, it is not too strong for God
us perfect, holy, and Christ-like. who will strengthen us if we ask for help. God
also gives us sufficient wisdom to choose to
• Initiation and incorporation. Baptism, along do the right thing.
with Confirmation and Eucharist, is one of the
Sacraments of Initiation. As proof that you are children, God sent the
spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out,
• Sealing. The Sacrament provides us with an in- “Abba, father!” So you are no longer a slave
delible spiritual character that marks us as be- but a child, and if a child then also an heir,
longing to Christ. through God. (Gal 4:6–7)
• Birth into a new life in Christ. Through Bap- This is Good News indeed! God has been so
tism, we become children of God and a temple gracious to give us Jesus as our Savior. He has ad-
of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is necessary for our opted us into his family, and given us the gift of the
Salvation as is the Church herself. Holy Spirit so that we can live Christ-like lives and
become his disciples. As we will discuss further in
In summary, Baptism brings us into God’s own the next chapter, Jesus also calls us his friends. We
family. That means that we are no longer simply are friends that he asks to continue his work here on
God’s creatures. Now, as a baptized Christian, each earth. Jesus calls us to help lead others to him.
one of us becomes an adopted child of God the Fa-
ther. We also become brothers or sisters of Jesus
and, of course, of one another. St. Paul wrote:
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What Jesus Tells Us about Ourselves 203
Being a disciple of Jesus is a 3. Define sin. How does sin af- metanoia
lifelong commitment. In fact, it’s re- fect our relationship with
ally an endless process of repenting God and with our neighbors? A Greek word for “repen-
for our sins and failings, and turning tance” or a turning away
more and more to God. However, Je- 4. Define and give an example from sin with the intention
sus offers us powerful assistance for of concupiscence. of living a life of virtue and
this tough journey. One support is the holiness.
Sacrament of Penance, a Sacrament 5. What is metanoia? How is it a
in which we can confess our sins, re- good word to describe what
ceive God’s loving forgiveness, and Jesus asks of all people?
be reconciled with the Church. What’s
more, in the Sacrament of Penance, For Reflection
we receive graces to help us live more
faithfully in the future. • What things are most
effective in your own life for
The Fathers of the Second Vati- resisting sin?
can Council called the Eucharist “the
source and summit of the Christian • Many people do not see evil
life” (quoted in CCC, 1324). In this events as a direct result of
Sacrament, we receive Jesus himself. sin. How does this attitude
Holy Communion is a spiritual food reject a basic Christian
that “preserves, increases, and renews teaching?
the life of grace received at Baptism”
(CCC, 1392). The Body and Blood of The Beatitudes:
Jesus also separate us from sin. The Lessons for
Eucharist strengthens love within us, Happiness
and unites us more closely to the other (CCC, 1716–1729)
members of Christ’s Body. In receiv-
ing Jesus, we are more able to be like We were created by a loving God to
him, and more ready to take him and know, love, and serve him. Of course,
his message into the world. In particu- the goal of knowing, loving, and serv-
lar, Jesus asks us to serve the poor and ing God is happiness in heaven. In a
suffering, and those who desperately sense, God programmed us with a de-
want to hear the Good News about sire for eternal happiness. Nothing in
God’s love for us. this world can really satisfy the hun-
gry heart that every human being pos-
For Review sesses. Not wealth, not straight As,
not getting into the best college, not
1. What are two important mes- athletic success, not fame, not power,
sages we can learn in the not a huge bank account or awesome
mystery of the Incarnation? good looks. None of those things are
2. Name several consequences
of Original Sin.
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204 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
Beatitudes evil, but they can’t really satisfy us The Beatitudes also explain how we
for the long run. Only God’s good- should love God and neighbor in a
Beatitude means “supreme ness and love satisfy our deepest hun- Christ-like way. The Beatitudes are
happiness.” The eight ger for true and lasting happiness. summarized below.
Beatitudes preached by
Jesus in the Sermon on the In fact, God wants us to be happy “Blessed are the poor in
Mount respond to our natu- in this life, as well as in heaven. This spirit, for theirs is the
ral desire for happiness. is why he left us with a blueprint for kingdom of heaven.”
happiness, the Beatitudes. Jesus pre-
sented these eight guidelines and ap- Being “poor in spirit” means that we
proaches to happiness in the Sermon recognize that everything we have is
on the Mount. In fact, the word beati- a gift from God. So, we depend to-
tude means “happy.” In the Beatitudes, tally on a good and loving God who is
Jesus teaches how we must think and in charge of the universe. We should
act to find true happiness. They order not hoard what we have been given.
us no longer to possession of things, Rather, we should use our talents, in-
but to the Kingdom of God, to partici- telligence, possessions, and whatever
pate in God’s nature, to be children of we have to help others.
God, and to love.
“Blessed are they who
Living the mourn, for they will be
Beatitudes comforted.”
The Beatitudes show us the heart of Those who mourn know how close
Jesus. They also invite us to become God is. In their sorrow, they are ul-
partners with God in establishing his timately comforted as they see that
Kingdom here on earth. Being able God’s love will never end. They see
to live the Beatitudes, however, is a and believe that “love is stronger than
gift from God. The Beatitudes ask death.” Suffering a deep loss also
so much more of us than our human sensitizes people to others who are
nature might see as reasonable. But wounded, suffering, sick, or dying. A
God grants us the graces we need if shared bond of suffering helps people
we ask for them. The Beatitudes ap- to reach out and help where they can.
pear at the beginning of the Sermon And those who mourn remember the
on the Mount (Mt 5:3–12). They are lesson of the Paschal Mystery. After
also found in the Sermon on the Plain suffering and death, God will surely
in Luke 6:20–26. The Beatitudes bring new life and new joy.
complete the promises that God made
to Abraham, the father of the Jewish “Blessed are the meek,
faith. They show us how to fulfill our for they will inherit the
desire for happiness and teach us how land.”
we should live in order to reach our
eternal destiny of union with him. The blessed “meek” are gentle people.
They have an inner strength that isn’t
always easy to see. They meek aren’t
pushy, self-centered, or controlling.
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FBLRESSEEDDERICK Faithful Disciple
OZANAM
When Frederick Ozanam was a col-
lege student at the University of the
Sorbonne in Paris in the 1830s, he
was often offended when some of his teachers
made fun of the Catholic Church. Ozanam, who
had once had his own doubts about the faith,
politely but brilliantly defended the faith. His
fellow students and even the professors took no-
tice. They were impressed with his eloquence.
During those years, France was still settling
and healing after the collapse of the French
Empire that had been created by Napoleon.
Years of war and destruction had left people
cynical and poor. To help defend Catholicism
even further, Frederick soon founded a discus-
sion club at the university. One night, after he
had just finished a talk about the contributions of Christianity, one student raised his hand
and criticized Frederick. “All you do is talk about faith,” he said. “Is your faith good
for anything besides talk?” That comment stung Frederick deeply because he felt it was
accurate.
Soon after hearing that remark, however, Frederick and a friend began to visit and take
food to the poor in the apartment houses all over Paris. They founded a small group under
the patronage or special help of St. Vincent de Paul, a sixteenth-century priest who had
served the poor. These groups quickly spread throughout Paris, and eventually through-
out Europe. Those who joined the groups lived and worked in the spirit of the Beatitudes,
especially the Beatitude that asks us “to hunger and thirst for righteousness.”
Frederick Ozanam and his friends knew that they were simply doing what Jesus
would do—serving and comforting the poor and the needy. Frederick continued his stud-
ies and received doctorates both in law and in literature. In 1841, he married Amelié
Soulacroix. They became parents of a daughter, Marie. Frederick continued to teach
at the Sorbonne where students flocked to his classes. But Frederick’s health began to
decline. In 1858, he died at the age of forty on a journey back to France from Italy.
Frederick’s young family was shattered by their loss. But Amelié Ozanam knew that her
husband’s work and ministry would live on. Today, the St. Vincent de Paul Society that
Frederick founded has hundreds of thousands of members and serves the poor in 131
countries around the world. Frederick Ozanam was beatified in 1997 by Pope John Paul II.
Blessed Frederick Ozanam’s feast is celebrated on September 7.
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206 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
The meek understand that they are followers of Je- Thérèse of Lisieux who said, “Remember that noth-
sus. They treat others with deep respect, understand- ing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do
ing, and compassion. They don’t complain or make with love.”
scenes even if they have a reason to. They don’t hide
when they’re ridiculed for their behavior or for their “Blessed are the merciful, for they
beliefs. Instead, the meek identify with Jesus who will be shown mercy.”
suffered wrongs patiently. The meek are good stew-
ards of God’s good earth, treating creation with joy- When we pray the Our Father, we petition God to
ful and gentle gratitude. They will inherit the earth. “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who
trespass against us.” God created us out of love and
“Blessed are they who hunger and sent his Son, Jesus into the world to redeem us. As
thirst for righteousness, for they grateful children of God and as followers of Jesus,
will be satisfied.” we must forgive others—even our enemies. We
must do it without conditions and without grudges
Disciples of Jesus must have high ideals and goals. against those who have hurt us. We must genuinely
They cannot be satisfied with mediocrity. The high- care for others by showing true compassion as Jesus
est goal we can have is to help establish God’s jus- did. If we are merciful, God will show mercy to us,
tice in our world today. With God’s will in mind, in turn.
we must work hard to give our brothers and sisters
what they need. That’s what it means “to hunger and “Blessed are the clean of heart,
thirst for righteousness.” And all the while, those for they will see God.”
seeking righteousness should recall the advice of St.
The clean of heart are people who are undivided
in their loyalties. They are honest, truthful, and
Are You a Beatitude Person?
Reflect on an answer “yes” or “no” to the following questions connected to the
Beatitudes. Then, write short answers that reflect on how you
might begin to or further develop that Beatitude in your own life.
• Poor in Spirit: Do I recognize God as the source of
everything in my life? Do I share my gifts with others?
• Mourn: Do I empathize with others? Do I do anything to
help those less fortunate than I am?
• Gentle: Am I a gentle and kind person? Do I respect others?
• Righteous: Do I really want to be Christ-like?
Do I do anything to grow in holiness?
• Merciful: Do I forgive others when they hurt me?
• Clean in heart: Am I an authentic, trustworthy, and trusting person?
• Peacemaker: Do I go out of my way to solve conflicts?
• Persecuted: If it was a crime to be a Christian,
would there be enough evidence to convict me for it?
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What Jesus Tells Us about Ourselves 207
EXPLAINING THE FAITH
Is it really possible to live the Beatitudes as Jesus asks us to do?
At first glance, the eight Beatitudes announced by
Jesus seem impossible to take seriously. How can
it be a blessing to mourn, to be meek, or to be
persecuted for the sake of righteousness? In
asking us to live according to the Beatitudes,
is Jesus asking something that human beings
can’t honestly accept or believe in? The answer
is “No.” Because Jesus began his public life by
teaching the Beatitudes to a crowd, he must
want his followers to take them to heart. In
many ways, all of the Beatitudes say, “Because
I have come, everything is different.” The logic
of life is turned upside down. Because Jesus is ushering
in the Kingdom of God, the heartaches and tragedies that
used to grieve and burden us are no longer painful or burdening. In the Beatitudes,
Jesus calls for a new mind-set. Happiness (or Beatitude) is found in living in a new
way, the Kingdom way. Although it may not seem possible to fully abide by the Beatitudes,
we can surely learn to trust that God’s way, not the world’s ways, will surely lead to happiness.
genuine. This Beatitude refers to people who “put “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:19). His followers must
on the mind and heart of God” and put God before share the same message.
all other priorities. That is, they look at others with
the eyes of Jesus. They accept them as brothers and “Blessed are they who are
sisters, as people of great beauty and value. The persecuted for the sake of
pure of heart know what is important. They know righteousness, for theirs is
that it is only God who satisfies the deepest human the kingdom of heaven.”
longings for love and understanding. The clean of
heart will not be distracted. They see goodness and Star athletes know the truth of the expression, “No
the face of God all around them. pain, no gain.” The Quaker founder of Pennsylva-
nia, William Penn, had something similar in mind
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for when he said, “No cross, no crown.” To stand up
they will be called children of God.” for what is right, especially in the face of mockery,
rejection, and abuse, is to stand with Jesus Christ.
By definition, Christians are peacemakers. As God’s These are the Christians who are persecuted for the
children, it is wrong to fight, quarrel, and cause dis- sake of righteousness. Jesus never promised his fol-
sension. This tears apart the human family. Rather, lowers an easy path. He did promise, however, that
we are called to join the Prince of Peace in set- we could have eternal happiness united with the
tling disputes, avoiding violence, forgiving others, Blessed Trinity. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and
and showing compassion. We are to unite, not di- my burden light” (Mt 11:30). For Christians, the
vide. We are to cooperate, not compete. We are to cross is not a sign of defeat. It is the ultimate sign of
build bridges, not erect walls. The Risen Lord says, victory and of life with our Savior Jesus. His love
for us is never-ending:
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208 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
Blessed are you when they insult you and
persecute you and utter every kind of evil
against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice
and be glad, for your reward will be great in
heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets
who were before you. (Mt 5:11–12)
For Review
1. Define the word beatitude.
2. Where and how did Jesus teach the
Beatitudes?
3. Explain what it means to be “clean of
heart.”
4. What will be the reward of those who are
persecuted for the sake of righteousness?
For Reflection
Finish a necessary and new Beatitude for the
world today: “Blessed are . . .”
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What Jesus Tells Us about Ourselves 209
Main Ideas • God intends for us to promote the common Chapter 8 Quick View
good—social conditions that answer every-
• Because Jesus is fully human and fully di- one’s needs and allow all people to fulfill
vine, he is the perfect ambassador to the hu- their potential. (pp. 198–199)
man race. (pp. 190–193)
• Solidarity is the Christian virtue of social
• More than anything or anyone, Jesus shows charity or friendship. (p. 199)
us God’s perfect plan for creation and for all
of us. (pp. 190–193) • Through the Original Sin of our first par-
ents, the perfect justice and harmony of cre-
• Jesus used the issue of divorce to explain ation was fractured. (pp. 200–201)
that God really intends for people to live as
they were first created prior to the Original • Concupiscence is the inclination of all hu-
Sin. (p. 192) man beings to sin, either as individuals or
collectively. (pp. 200–201)
• The Book of Genesis confirms the essential
goodness of everything God created includ- • Metanoia, a word with Greek roots, means
ing human beings. (pp. 193–199) repentance, a turning away from the things
that enslave us and lead us away from God.
• All human beings are made in the divine (pp. 201–203)
image and likeness of God. (pp. 193–199)
• At the beginning of the Sermon on the
• God gave human beings a privileged place in Mount, Jesus offered guidelines for achiev-
creation; he gave them dominion over other ing true happiness in the Beatitudes.
creatures and over creation. (pp. 193–194) (pp. 203–208)
• Of all creatures on earth, only human beings Terms, People, Places
can enter a love relationship with our
Creator. (p. 194) Use all of this chapter’s ten vocabulary terms to
write a three- to four-paragraph essay about the
• Because we are made in God’s image, hu- challenges of living as a Catholic in the twenty-
man beings have wonderful and unique first century.
capacities. They can think, choose, love,
accept responsibility, and change. (pp. Beatitudes
194–196) Common good
Concupiscence
• Every human being has tremendous inher- Dignity
ent dignity from the moment of conception. Dominion
(pp. 195–196) Free will
Metanoia
• God created human beings as complemen- Original Sin
tary beings, male and female, so that we Sin
make up for what is lacking in each other. Solidarity
(pp. 196–197)
Primary Source Quotations
• Men and women are equal in dignity and in
rights. (pp. 196–197) Salvation and Free Will
He who created us without our help will
• Jesus taught us to be good stewards, using not save us without our consent.
wisely what God has given to us. (p. 197)
—St. Augustine of Hippo
• Because we are created in the Trinitarian
image, we are naturally social beings.
(pp. 197–199)
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210 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
Chapter 8 Quick View Jesus Is the Beloved Son of God 3. Read Luke 6:20–23. Note two differences
He [Jesus] it was, and he alone, who sat- in Luke’s version of the Beatitudes com-
isfied the Father’s eternal love, that fa- pared to Matthew’s.
therhood that from the beginning found
expression in creating the world, giving 4. Watch the PBS documentary Merchants
man all the riches of creation, and mak- of Cool. The documentary shows how ad-
ing him “little less than God” in that he vertisers create and sell popular culture
was created “in the image and after the to teens. After viewing it, write a report
likeness of God.” He and he alone also about the way popular culture contradicts
satisfied that fatherhood of God and that the teachings of Jesus on what is “the good
love which man in a way rejected by life” and the true meaning of happiness. If
breaking the first Covenant and the later possible, view the documentary online.
covenants that God “again and again of-
fered to man.” 5. Exercise the virtue of solidarity by doing
one of these projects as an individual or
—Pope John Paul II group:
The Meaning of the Beatitudes • Research an area of the world that is suffer-
The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ ing from a current crisis. Create a portfolio
preaching. They take up the promises of newspaper, magazine, or Internet stories
made to the chosen people since Abra- on this hot spot of trouble.
ham. The Beatitudes fulfill the promises
by ordering them no longer merely to the • Design a poster on the theme of global soli-
possession of a territory, but to the King- darity. Display it in the school hallways.
dom of heaven. . . .
—Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1716 • Sponsor a needy child.
The Power of the Meek and Humble • Sponsor a fund-raising drive at your school.
The most powerful weapon to conquer Consider encouraging classmates to ab-
the devil is humility. For, as he does not stain from a snack one day each week for
know at all how to employ it, neither does a month. Then donate the proceeds to the
he know how to defend himself from it. Catholic Relief Services (CRS).
—St. Vincent de Paul 6. Check news sites to find articles that deal
with the consequences of human sin—both
Ongoing Assignments for individuals and for communities. Se-
lect one article and identify the sin or sins
1. Research several presentations of the Be- involved. Comment on how the situation
atitudes in film, art, PowerPoint and other described would have been different if the
online media. Using these for inspiration, parties involved had acted like children of
create your own PowerPoint presentation a loving God, and as brothers and sisters to
on the Beatitudes. Christ and other people.
2. Focus your research on a single Beatitude. 7. Read the parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke
Research the Beatitude that interests you 10:25–37. Then write an essay about the
most. Report on the meaning of any one of meaning of this parable. What connection
the eight Beatitudes. does it have to the virtue of solidarity? Or,
rewrite this parable in a modern-day set-
ting. For the robbery victim, substitute a
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What Jesus Tells Us about Ourselves 211
person in today’s society who is often mis- • Reflection: What burdens and sins “cling” to
you right now? Take them to Jesus and ask
treated and ignored by important people. him to send the Holy Spirit to help you. You
want to be the beautiful person God intends
Share your story. you to be. What made you really happy as a
small child? How did those ideas of happi-
8. Do one of the following projects focused ness evolve and change as you grew older?
on stewardship: • Resolution: Make a three-step plan for hap-
piness. What will you do to enact the plan
• Photograph some favorite nature scenes. in the next week? In the next month? In the
Include some contrasting pictures of places next year?
where natural beauty has been disfigured or
destroyed. Create a presentation to depict
the contrast between God’s beauty and hu-
man folly.
• Visit the Catholic Conservation Center on-
line. Read and report on its introduction to
Catholic Environmental Justice.
• Discover how much productive land and
water you need to support what you use
and what you discard. Then compare what
you use to what is available on our planet.
After you see your results, investigate what
individuals, communities, and schools can
do to act as better stewards of God’s good
earth. Map out an action plan for the com-
ing semester.
Prayer Chapter 8 Quick View
Spend some quiet time in prayer before a cruci-
fix. Try to embrace the silence as a time free of
distractions and noise. Your spirit really needs
some quiet time to connect with God. Slowly
and carefully read these words from the Letter
to the Hebrews:
Let us rid ourselves of every burden and
sin that clings to us and persevere in run-
ning the race that lies before us while
keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the
leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake
of the joy that lay before him he endured
the cross, despising its shame, and has
taken his seat at the right of the throne
of God. Consider how he endured such
opposition from sinners, in order that you
may not grow weary and lose heart.
—Hebrews 12:1–3
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9
FRIENDS
AND DISCIPLES
OF JESUS
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s
friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer
call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is
doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I
have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who
chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit.
—John 15:13–16
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The Heart of a True Friend
The heart of a true friend is filled with endless love and
compassion; it is the love that Jesus modeled in his life
and ministry.
What It Means to Be a Disciple of Jesus
To be a disciple of Jesus means becoming his pupil,
making a commitment to Jesus, and, finally, helping to
spread his message.
Growing in Friendship with Jesus
In the Gospel of John, Jesus invites his followers to an even
closer relationship; he invites them to be his friends.
Committed Disciples Help to Spread
the Gospel
The committed disciples of Jesus become just like Jesus by
imitating his actions, sharing his love, and spreading the
Gospel throughout the world.
St. Paul: Apostle and Dedicated Disciple
Though not one of the original Twelve Apostles, St. Paul be-
came one of the greatest thinkers of the Church, the Apostle
to the Gentiles, and one of the Church’s most dedicated
disciples.
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214 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
The Heart Friendship:
of a True Friend What People Say It Is
This chapter explores the meaning of friendship and Here are a few cited and anonymous quota-
especially how it relates to our friendship with Je- tions about friendship. Read through the list.
sus Christ. As the passage from the Gospel of John Which one speaks most clearly to you about
verifies, Jesus invited his followers to be his friends. the meaning of friendship? Ask a friend or
Put another way, the Son of God, Second Person of classmate to add his or her own quotation
the Holy Trinity, and Creator of the universe calls us about the meaning of friendship. Add your
his friends. Since we have many human friends, we own quotation as well.
have a concept of what friendship means. But it’s
important to consider the subject deeper in prepara- There is nothing on this earth more to
tion for its context as a friendship between God and be prized than true friendship.
humans.
—St. Thomas Aquinas
George Gordon Byron (1787–1824) came from
a wealthy family and was sent off to boarding A friend knows your faults but loves
school. One day when he was a teenager, he saw an you anyway.
older student beating up his friend. Unfortunately,
Friendship is born at that moment
Byron had a clubfoot that made it hard for when one person says to another,
him to move and defend his friend. “What! You, too? I thought I was the
But Byron made up in courage only one.”
what he lacked in physical agil-
ity. He went over to the bully —C. S. Lewis
and demanded to know how many
times he planned to hit his Be slow in choosing a friend, slower
bloodied friend. “What’s it to in changing.
you?” sneered the bully. “Be-
cause,” answered Byron without —Benjamin Franklin
hesitation, “I’ll take half of
them.” Friendship is a single soul dwelling
Byron was living proof in two bodies.
of the saying, “A true friend
is one who walks in when ev- —Aristotle
eryone else walks out.” He saw
that real friendship meant self- A sometimes “friend” finds time on
sacrificing love and generosity. her calendar for you; a true friend
It meant being willing to step does not even look at her calendar.
into a challenging and dangerous
situation to help a friend. A Christian should never complain of
the tough times he is having while he
knows that Jesus Christ is his friend.
A friend is a person who listens atten-
tively while you say nothing.
The best vitamin for developing
friends is B1.
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Friends and Disciples of Jesus 215
The Gospels show us that Jesus however, pupil means “one who disciple
was completely filled with this kind grasps intellectually and analyzes
of compassionate love. Christ shed thoroughly” the teaching of another. A follower of Jesus. The
his blood on the cross and won for This definition comes from the two word comes from a Latin
us the forgiveness of our sins and the smaller Latin words: dis (“apart”) and word that means “learner.”
chance for eternal life. Not only was capere (“to take”).
Jesus willing to take half the blows
coming to his friends; he was ready to Jesus was known as a “teacher” or
take them all. “rabbi,” and was often addressed that
way in the Gospels. The friends of
For Reflection Jesus called him rabbi because they
truly wanted to learn from him. But
How do you find this statement his opponents also called him rabbi
accurate: “A true friend is one when they were challenging Jesus.
who walks in when everyone else For example, in Matthew 8:19 “a
walks out”? scribe approached and said to him,
‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever
What It Means you go.’” In Mark 4:38 the frightened
to Be a Disciple Apostles, buffeted about in their boat
of Jesus by a violent wind, woke the sleeping
Jesus. The terrified disciples said to
Though the invitation comes from Je- Jesus, “Teacher, do you not care that
sus himself, it is the Holy Spirit who we are perishing?”
makes it possible for us to become
devoted disciples of Jesus Christ. The There are several other references
Holy Spirit gives us the courage, wis- to Jesus as rabbi or teacher in the Gos-
dom, understanding, and knowledge pels. In Luke’s Gospel, an anonymous
to accept Jesus, his way of life, and stranger who had been quarreling
his mission. That’s the short defini- with his brother also addressed Jesus
tion for discipleship. More concretely, in this way: “Teacher, tell my brother
there are three steps to being a dis- to share the inheritance with me” (Lk
ciple, explained in the sections that 12:13). And in John’s Gospel, Na-
follow. thaniel (1:49), Nicodemus (3:2), the
disciples (4:31, 6:25, 9:2, 11:8), and
Learning All We Can Mary Magdalene (20:16) all referred
from Jesus to Jesus as rabbi. Nicodemus spoke
the truth when he realized that Jesus
The word disciple comes from the was a special teacher, worth listening
Latin word discipulus that can be to: “Rabbi, we know that you are a
translated as “a pupil.” In this case, teacher who has come from God, for
no one can do these signs [miracles]
that you are doing unless God is with
him” (Jn 3:2).
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216 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
Precepts of the Church Making a Commit- his face fell, and he went away
ment to Jesus sad, for he had many posses-
Rules Catholics follow to sions. (Mk 10:20–22)
help them become good Because Jesus was brilliant in his role
and moral people. They as teacher, people approached him to Here was a case of someone being
include attending Mass hear his lessons about how to live. attracted to the message of Jesus. But,
on Sundays and holy days While most of those who heard Je- somehow this young man could not
of obligation, confessing sus were ready to follow after him, apply the message any further. This
sins at least once a year, the Gospels tell of one occasion when was a good person, one Jesus looked
receiving Communion at someone who learned from Jesus was on with great love. The young man
minimum during the Easter not ready to make a commitment to saw that Jesus could tell him how to
season, observing days of him. This is described in Mark’s Gos- live so that he might gain eternal life.
fasting and abstinence, and pel when a rich man (identified as a Jesus looked into this young man’s
providing for the needs of young man in Matthew’s Gospel) ap- heart and saw that he was preoccu-
the Church. proached Jesus and posed an impor- pied by his possessions. They were
tant question, “Good teacher, what keeping him from being truly free.
must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mk They were preventing him from giv-
10:17). ing himself to God. So, Jesus asked
him to sell his things and give the
Jesus told the young man that he money to the poor. Moreover, he in-
should keep the commandments. The vited this youth to become one of his
young man replied to Jesus, disciples. However, this young man
simply could not let go of his things;
“Teacher, all of these I have he walked away in sadness.
observed from my youth.”
Jesus, looking at him, loved The most important lesson we can
him and said to him, “You are glean from this incident is that nothing
lacking in one thing. Go, sell is more important than the love of God
what you have, and give to and following his ways. Oppositely, it
[the] poor and you will have is a human weakness and often sinful-
treasure in heaven; then come, ness to hoard one’s wealth and set it
follow me.” At that statement up to be the top priority in life. With
worldly riches often comes the belief
A New Ending for the Rich that one is in control, that we do not
Man Who Went Away need anyone, not even God. Wealth
can make us feel like we are in charge.
Read the story of Jesus’ encounter with the rich man We begin to think that money can buy
in Mark 10:17–31. Then create a scenario in which the happiness. Jesus asks us to put our
rich man changes his mind and returns to Jesus. Write faith in God, not in our possessions,
an introduction to the scene and some dialogue be- talents, or achievements. Everything
tween the rich man and Jesus. Choose a classmate and we have is a gift from God. We must
exchange scenes. Take turns acting the new endings not hoard our gifts but offer thanks for
for the rest of your class. them and use them for others.
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Friends and Disciples of Jesus 217
EXPLAINING THE FAITH When the man walked away, Jesus, the Teacher,
turned to those around him. He said that it was very
Is it wrong to be rich? difficult for wealthy people to enter God’s kingdom.
In one of his most vivid images, Jesus said, “It is
In the Gospels, Jesus never specifically con- easier for a camel to pass through [the] eye of a nee-
demned wealth though he made it clear that in dle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom
the journey to God, it could be a burden. To il- of God” (Mk 10:25). This teaching astonished the
lustrate how burdensome, he used the analogy of Apostles. The Apostles then asked Jesus who could
a camel not being able to move through the eye be saved. Jesus answered them by saying, “For hu-
of a needle. In this story about the camel, many man beings it is impossible, but not for God. All
Scripture scholars suggest that Jesus was actu- things are possible for God” (Mk 10:27).
ally referring to one of the gates of Jerusalem, a
gate called “The Needle’s Eye.” To help protect Helping Jesus to Spread His
the city, this gate was built so low that a camel Message
could only enter on its knees and without bag-
gage strapped to its back. Since being on one’s Jesus did not ask all of his disciples to give up their
knees is a sign of submission, Jesus was also ap- wealth. For example, Joseph of Arimathea was a
parently saying something about the attitude or wealthy disciple of Jesus and a member of the San-
disposition of a wealthy person’s heart. hedrin, the supreme court of Israel. It was Joseph
who provided a tomb for Jesus after his Death. So,
In describing wealth as a burden, Jesus ques- why did Jesus ask the rich young man to sell his be-
tioned traditional Jewish teaching. In the mind longings and give the money away? Jesus knew that
of the Jews, great wealth had long been seen as the young man was too attached to his wealth and
a sign of God’s favor. So, the Apostles and others the things his money could provide. For this man,
who heard Jesus talking about the “burdens of wealth was literally keeping him from following
wealth” were shocked. Today, the Church echoes Jesus.
this Gospel teaching of Jesus. In itself, wealth is
not evil. But excessive attachment to it and af- The story of the rich man points out that there is
fluent lifestyles are. They violate the mandate much more than just listening to and agreeing with
Jesus issued in Matthew 25. Those who do not Jesus in our words. We must put his teaching into
answer the needs of the hungry, the thirsty, the action. We must follow Jesus and do what he tells
naked, the imprisoned, will be judged harshly, us. Much of what he instructs us to do involves our
Jesus warned. To share wealth, the Church points role in spreading the Good News, the Gospel.
to one of the Precepts of the Church. This pre-
cept or law requires Catholics to help provide for This point is emphasized toward the end of the
the needs of the Church and its outreach to the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus warned, “Not everyone
needy. And in Christianity and in Judaism, be- who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the king-
lievers have also been advised for centuries to dom of heaven, but only the one who does the will
give away a tithe or a tenth of what they have of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21). Then, Jesus told
to those in need. “Love for the poor is incompat- a story to drive home the point: The true disciple not
ible with immoderate love of riches or their self- only learns from the teacher, but he acts and builds
ish use,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church on what he has been taught. Jesus said:
states clearly (CCC, 2445).
Everyone who listens to these words of mine
and acts on them will be like a wise man
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218 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
who built his house on rock. The rain fell, 5. Why did Jesus think that wealth often
the floods came, and the winds blew and gets in the way of making discipleship
buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it commitments?
had been set solidly on rock. And everyone
who listens to these words of mine but does 6. What is the third step to discipleship
not act on them will be like a fool who built named in this section?
his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods
came, and the winds blew and buffeted the For Reflection
house. And it collapsed and was completely
ruined. (Mt 7:24–27) What do you think Jesus is trying to say in
the Gospels about riches and wealth? Would
More on Being a Disciple most people agree with his teaching today?
Do you agree with his teaching? Why or why
Read and compare Matthew 7:15–23 with not?
7:24–27. How are these lessons the same?
How are they different? Check a bibli- Growing in
cal commentary to help you complete this Friendship with Jesus
assignment.
For his disciples, the teachings of Jesus are In the first step to discipleship, followers of Jesus
like the house built on rock—solid and true. To- focus on learning from his teaching. At this stage,
day, we continue to learn about the message of Je- discipleship is primarily an activity of the intel-
sus through the Church. For twenty centuries, the lect. Disciples gather knowledge about what Jesus
Church has passed on the teachings of Jesus and his taught and who he is. This first step is very impor-
call to evangelize. The Pope, bishops, priests, teach- tant. Knowing someone well can lead to a lasting
ers, and many inspired spiritual writers help us to personal relationship. The true disciples are those
understand, live out, and then share the teachings who get to know Jesus so well that they want to be
of Jesus. with him. The disciples of Jesus wish to imitate him,
to be his friends, and to love him. This “head knowl-
For Review edge” of Jesus leads to heart knowledge. That is,
knowing Jesus leads to loving him.
1. What does the word disciple mean?
It is Jesus himself who invites the second step of
2. What is the first step to discipleship? discipleship—a deeper and loving commitment. He
takes the initiative by inviting us to be his friends. In
3. Explain what’s involved in the second step John’s Gospel, Jesus says, “I call you friends. . . . It
to discipleship? is not you who chose me, but I who chose you and
appointed you to go and bear fruit” (Jn 15:15–16).
4. How did Jesus test the commitment of the
man who came to ask how he could earn
eternal life?
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Friends and Disciples of Jesus 219
Jesus Shared His particularly close friend. He was called “beloved”
Heart with His Friends or “the disciple Jesus loved.” As he was dying on
the cross, Jesus entrusted the care of the Blessed
The Gospels tell us that Jesus had many friends. His Mother to this close friend saying, “Behold, your
Apostles were certainly counted among his friends. mother” (Jn 19:27).
With these Galilean men, Christ traveled dusty
roads, shared meals, and talked and slept under the John’s Gospel also tells of the close friendship
open sky. Jesus also shared his heart with the Twelve. Jesus maintained with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
Once, after seeing a poor widow put a small copper of Bethany. One of the most emotional scenes in the
coin in the treasury, he was deeply moved. Because Gospels describes how Jesus arrived at Bethany four
of her spirit of generosity, he told the Apostles, she days after the death of Lazarus. Martha went out to
had donated “more than” had any of the rich people. meet him and complained, “Lord, if you had been
This woman gave from her heart, not just from her here, my brother would not have died” (Jn 11:21).
surplus (see Mark 12:41–45). Her sister Mary echoed the same lament to Jesus.
John’s Gospel says:
Jesus also comforted his friends. At the Last
Supper, they were grieving because Jesus said that When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews
he would soon die. With tenderness, Jesus said, “Do who had come with her weeping, he became
not let your hearts be troubled” (Jn 14:1). Later, in perturbed and deeply troubled, and said,
the Garden of Gethsemane, he confessed to Peter, “Where have you laid him?” They said to
James, and John, “My soul is sorrowful even to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept.
death. Remain here and keep watch with me” (Mt So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
26:38). He also forgave them for their shortcom- (Jn 11:33–36)
ings. Jesus forgave Peter who denied knowing him,
and Thomas who doubted his Resurrection. Jesus Jesus then brought his friend Lazarus back to
was a faithful friend to his Apostles. life, showing that he, Jesus Christ, is the Resurrec-
tion and the Life.
The Gospels verify that the friendships of Je-
sus ran deep. John Zebedee, for instance, was a Among the other friends of Jesus was Mary
Magdalene. She was the one he appeared to first af-
ter his Resurrection. Also included in his circle of
friends were tax collectors and sinners, including
prostitutes. Jesus was criticized for associating and
eating with them, an ancient sign of friendship. He
even invited Matthew, a despised tax collector, to
follow him.
Friendship, as everyone knows, also carries the
risk of betrayal. And that is what happened to Jesus.
Judas, one of the twelve Apostles, betrayed Jesus,
turning him over to be arrested by Roman soldiers in
the Garden of Gethsemane. When Judas approached
Jesus to identify him with a kiss, Jesus said, “Friend,
do what you have come for” (Mt 26:50). Jesus still
loved his betrayer, just as he still loves us when we
sin and turn against him.
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220 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
philia In all his friendships, Jesus ex- marked by many different qualities.
hibited the many qualities of friend-
A Greek word that de- ship listed in this chapter’s opening Among those are the ability to keep
scribes brotherly love, or a exercise. He was loyal to them, to
life-long affection between the point of death. He was warm and confidences, loyalty, understanding,
friends. affectionate, understanding, and de-
pendable. Jesus gave his friends ev- dependability, and patience. Other
storge erything he had. He shared his life
and his heart with them. Jesus was the critical friendship traits include the
A Greek word that de- perfect friend.
scribes love among family following:
members. A Closer Look at
the Qualities of • Availability. Availability has two
eros Friendship aspects: exterior and interior. Ex-
terior availability means making
A Greek word that de- It’s helpful to reflect a bit more on some time for friends. “We make time
scribes sexual love and qualities of friendship that Jesus calls for our friends and excuses for
attraction. us to. First of all, note that friendship others,” reports one popular max-
is a kind of love. The Greeks used the im. This means that we might
agape turn down an invitation from an
word philia to distinguish it from acquaintance to hang out instead
A Greek word that de- several other kinds of love. with a special friend. Interior
scribes a self-sacrificing For example, philia is a differ- availability means that when we
sort of love; the love Jesus ent sort of love than storge (the are with our friends, we are able
showed to all. to emotionally and verbally con-
love among family members), nect with them. For example,
eros (the sexual love between we listen attentively to those we
a man and a woman), and agape know well. We pick up on non-
(the self-sacrificing love exempli- verbal communication, and are
fied in the expression “to give and sensitive to moods. For example,
not to count the cost”). There is an we can easily recognize if a good
interesting connection between be- friend is sad and can respond to
ing a friend of Jesus and agape love. him or her with sympathy.
Because we are his friends, Jesus ex-
pects us to love others in a self-giving • Generosity. Friends give and re-
way, even to the point of forgiving ceive time, affection, and gifts
and loving our enemies. Our friend- from each other. True friendships
ship with Jesus makes it possible to are reciprocal; they are a two-
obey him and then love others with way street. If you are the only
agape love. one giving in a relationship, then
By definition, a friend has a per- it probably is not a true friend-
sonal attraction, affection, and high ship. A true friendship is a re-
regard for the person who is seen as lationship from which you can
a friend. This special relationship is expect to gain something. This
is not a selfish response; it is the
beauty and gift of this special
kind of love.
• Common interests. Friendships
are often “born” when two peo-
ple discover that they like to do
things together. It is important for
friends to have plenty of things
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Friends and Disciples of Jesus 221
EXPLAINING THE FAITH
What’s the connection between Eucharist and friendship with Jesus?
“I have called you friends,” Jesus told the Apostles at the Last Supper “because I have told
you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose
you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain . . .” (Jn 15:15–16). These words
directed to his Apostles are also directed to us. At that same meal Jesus also chose to give us
the Eucharist, his Body and Blood. The two are connected: friendship and the Eucharist. In
establishing the Eucharist, Jesus gave all generations to come the same, uniting Bread of Life
and the same Cup of Salvation. Down through the ages, the Eucharist gathers in people from
every culture and language. It unites the followers of Jesus with him and with each other
through the Church, the Body of Christ. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
The principle fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union
with Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Lord said: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
abides in me, and I in him.” Life in Christ has its foundation in the Eucharistic banquet.
(CCC, 1391)
Through this same Eucharist, our bonds within the Body of Christ are sustained and
strengthened.
in common. Then, they will have a basis for However, this is only part of the friendship sto-
sharing. But, it is also important for friends to ry. Our friends see something special in us, as well.
allow each other the freedom to develop their It could be an inner beauty, a talent, a great sense
own interests. Whatever enriches one friend ul- of humor, or the ability to listen well. Friendship is
timately enriches the other. reciprocal; it works both ways. Our friends cherish
us because they see someone whom they want to
• Openness. Friends do not have to be “fake” or imitate. Your friend wishes to be you.
play roles with each other. They can and should
be themselves. Friends should be able to ac- On the spiritual level, what happens to one friend
cept each other without the need to play games. happens to the other. If your friend grows, you also
Openness means that friends communicate grow. And vice versa. The poet John Donne wrote,
on a gut level. That is, they share our feelings “No man is an island.” How right he was when talk-
as well as our ideas. With our friends, we are ing about friendship. If you have even one friend,
willing to laugh and cry, rejoice and express you are never alone.
anger, praise and correct. Friendship relies on
sincerity. Friendship between
You and Jesus
One expert on friendship promotes the theory
We can apply some of these insights about human
that best friends or close friends are special because friendships to our friendship with Jesus. On the top-
ic of availability, Jesus is always present to us. He
they have traits that we’d like to have ourselves. always has us in mind. He would never forget us.
There is something in them that we want to imitate.
As a result, we are drawn in friendship to certain
people in order to become more like them. Interest-
ingly, this attraction is typically subconscious.
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222 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
The words of the prophet Isaiah are essentially the 6. Serve one another. “If I, therefore, the master
same message that Jesus communicated to us: and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought
to wash one another’s feet. I have given you
Can a mother forget her infant, a model to follow, so that as I have done for
be without tenderness for the child of her you, you should also do” (Jn 13:14–15).
womb?
7. Forgive one another. “Then Peter approaching
Even should she forget, asked him, ‘Lord, if my brother sins against
I will never forget you. me, how often must I forgive him? As many
as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I say to you,
See, upon the palms of my hands I have not seven times but seventy-seven times’” (Mt
written your name. (Is 49:15–16) 18:21–22).
Our names are written on the heart of Jesus. Do 8. Witness Jesus to others without fear. “Even the
we take time for him? Do we turn to him in prayer, hairs of your head have all been counted. Do
tell him about the day, express regret for our sins, not be afraid. You are worth more than many
and thank him for his gifts? Do we receive him in sparrows. I tell you, everyone who acknowl-
the Eucharist? Not making time for a friend risks edges me before others the Son of Man will
destroying the relationship. Jesus has said, “You are acknowledge before the angels of God” (Lk
my friends if you do what I command you.” And 12:7–8).
here are eight important aspects of the command
that Jesus gives us. Recall another trait of friendship: sharing com-
mon interests and openness. Jesus cares very much
1. Believe in Jesus. “I am the resurrection and the about what you are interested in, whether it’s sports,
life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, music, drama, or whatever. Who, after all, put those
will live, and everyone who lives and believes interests and desires in you? In return, Jesus wants
in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (Jn us to use and develop those talents. When you do,
11:25–26). you are praising God and drawing others to him. Je-
sus responds by giving himself in the Eucharist. He
2. Invite Jesus into your life. “Behold, I stand at enters our life and enables us to enter his.
the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice
and opens the door, (then) I will enter his house
and dine with him, and he with me” (Rv 3:20).
3. Love God and others. “You shall love the
Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your mind. This is the
greatest and the first commandment. The sec-
ond is like it: You shall love your neighbor as
yourself” (Mt 22:37–39).
4. Make Jesus your best friend. “Whoever loves
father or mother more than me is not worthy of
me, and whoever loves son or daughter more
than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:37).
5. Love deeply. “Love one another. As I have
loved you, so you also should love one another.
This is how all will know that you are my dis-
ciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn
13:34–35).
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Friends and Disciples of Jesus 223
It only takes a moment to see why we would Committed Disciples Help
want to call Jesus a friend. Here is God’s Son, the to Spread the Gospel
perfect teacher who is understanding, patient, and
kind. Here is the one who loves perfectly, the one Following Jesus is not a passive exercise. Disciples
who gave his life for his friends so that we might of Jesus must do much more than simply follow
have abundant eternal life with him. “But God their Master. They must share the Gospel with oth-
proves his love for us in that while we were still ers. In the first steps toward discipleship, we give
sinners Christ died for us” (Rm 5:8). The friendship our minds and hearts to Jesus. Later, however, we
of Jesus offers us the inner life of the Blessed Trin- must put our faith into action.
ity. He offers us eternal happiness, everything our
hearts desire. The first disciples took seriously Jesus’ great
commission at the end of Matthew’s Gospel (Mt
For Review 28:16–20). Jesus sent his followers out to the ends of
the earth to make even more disciples. They went to
1. Which Gospel tells us most about the invi- baptize and teach everything that Jesus commanded
tation from Jesus to be his friends? them: to repent for sins; to believe in Jesus; to for-
give others; to love God above everything and one’s
2. Describe four times in which Jesus treated neighbor as oneself; to serve; and to proclaim Jesus’
others as friends. message of peace, justice, and mercy to everyone.
3. Tell how Jesus took risks in offering his The tasks of discipleship are awesome, both in a
friendship—relating to people who were difficult and rewarding sense. Christ. Jesus himself
usually rejected or hated by most people. told us that discipleship will not be easy:
4. What are four friendship traits that are Whoever wishes to come after me must deny
needed for any healthy friendship? himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose
5. What does it mean to say that friends it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and
need to be “available” to each other? that of the gospel will save it. What profit is
there for one to gain the whole world and
6. What does the trait of “openness” mean forfeit his life? What could one give in ex-
to a friendship? change for his life? Whoever is ashamed of
me and of my words in this faithless and
7. Name three of the eight important re- sinful generation, the Son of Man will be
quests that Jesus makes of those who ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s
wish to be his friends? glory with the holy angels. (Mk 8:34–38)
For Reflection Jesus will not require most of his disciples to die
physically for him. However, he does ask us to die
• What are the qualities of friendship of one to our own self-centeredness. When we love, we die
of your best friends that makes him or her to selfishness. We are saying “no” to ourselves as we
attractive to you? reach out to others. Jesus assures us that through the
process of dying to selfishness, we will truly live.
• Review the eight requests that Jesus
makes of those who wish to be his friends.
Which request would be the most difficult
for you to fulfill?
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224 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
works of mercy Death to self is the first step to lov- Enter through the narrow gate;
ing others that is, putting their needs for the gate is wide and the
Charitable actions that re- ahead of our own. road broad that leads to de-
mind us how to come to the struction, and those who enter
aid of a neighbor and his What also makes following Jesus through it are many. How nar-
or her bodily and spiritual more difficult is that we live in a “faith- row the gate and constricted
necessities. less and sinful generation.” Those are the road that leads to life. And
words of Jesus used to describe his those who find it are few. (Mt
own generation (see Mark 8:38). Al- 7:13–14)
though he was speaking about people
living two thousand years ago, it ap- In commenting on this passage,
plies to people in every generation. Pope Benedict XVI said that Jesus re-
Consider our own times. Advertising, minds us that everyone has an equal
for example, constantly pushes the chance to enter through the narrow
idea of self-gratification. We are told gate, “but it is ‘narrow’ because it is
that we have the right to satisfy our demanding; it requires commitment,
every need and desire—whether it is self-denial, and mortification of one’s
the latest in technology or the latest own egoism.” Jesus wants everyone
whitening toothpaste. The idea of self- to go to Heaven, “but with one and
sacrifice and generosity obviously the same condition: that of making the
does not sell products. effort to follow him and imitate him,
taking up one’s cross, as he did, and
In our day, the media also pro- dedicating one’s life to the service of
motes the “beautiful people”—glam- our brothers.” In our world today, this
orous Hollywood stars, exorbitantly message often seems to be unfash-
paid athletes, Fortune 500 CEOs, and ionable. However, Jesus makes it the
self-indulgent musicians who often very basis of our judgment at the end
“sing” lyrics that are degrading, most of time. In the parable of goats and
often to women. They are held up as sheep, Jesus tells about the Last Judg-
the people we should admire and em- ment. The sheep will be placed on the
ulate. Their lifestyles, however, are right and will inherit the Kingdom of
often far from what Jesus asks of his Heaven; the goats will be placed on
followers. He wants us to be men and the left and will suffer eternal punish-
women for others, to give and not to ment. The basis for our own judgment
count the cost and to wash the feet of will be what we did, or did not do, for
others. In other words, the disciples others. Our goal as Christian disciples
of Jesus are asked to imitate the Mas- is to hear these words from Jesus on
ter at the Last Supper. the last day:
Jesus tells us that following him Then the king will say to
takes discipline. In the Sermon on the those on his right, “Come,
Mount, he tells us to be careful on our you who are blessed by my
way: Father. Inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the
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Friends and Disciples of Jesus 225
Practice a foundation of the world. For I was hungry
Work of Mercy and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you
gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed
The Catechism of the Catholic Church me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you
teaches that the “works of mercy are char- cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”
itable actions by which we come to the aid Then the righteous will answer him and say,
of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed
necessities” (CCC, 2447). See a list of the you, or thirsty and give you drink? When
works of mercy on page 272. Offered be- did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
low are some suggestions for projects that or naked and clothe you? When did we see
can help you (either individually or with you ill or in prison, and visit you?” And the
others) to practice the works of mercy. king will say to them in reply, “Amen, I say
Choose at least one of these projects to to you, whatever you did for one of these
work on. Write a report of the experi- least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt
ence, expressing how it helped to con- 25:34–40)
nect you more deeply in your friendship
with Christ. For Review
• Sponsor a “gently used” clothing 1. What is the “Great Commission”?
drive at your school. Donate what you
collect to a local shelter. 2. What are some of the specific things Jesus
told his Apostles that he wanted them to
• Visit a sick classmate, elderly neigh- do in the Great Commission?
bor, or a nursing home.
3. What was Jesus really talking about when
• Organize a class “get-well-soon” proj- he told his followers that they would have
ect or card for a sick classmate. to “enter through a narrow gate”?
• Collect recent magazines for donation 4. What is the criteria of judgment Jesus speaks
to hospitals. of in the parable of the goats and sheep?
• Write a note of consolation to a For Reflection
neighbor or friend who has had a re-
cent death in the family. How would you respond to questions St. Ignatius
of Loyola asked to Christians of his day: “What
• Tutor a younger student. have you done for Christ? What are you doing
for Christ? What will you do for Christ?”
• Volunteer in a soup kitchen.
• Write letters to legislators to ask
them to sponsor bills to help the
homeless, or support measures for af-
fordable housing for poor people.
• Interview a member of your parish’s
St. Vincent de Paul Society. Ask how
you can help in the work this organi-
zation does to serve the poor.
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226 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
St. Paul, Apostle The Pharisee Saul soon became the great Apostle W
and Dedicated Disciple Paul. After arriving at Damascus, he was baptized
by Ananias and then retreated to Arabia where he
St. Paul is a model of faith and a Christian disciple spent three years in prayer preparing for his future
worth emulating. St. Paul was one of the greatest missions.
teachers and missionaries of Christianity. His origi-
nal name was Saul. He earned his living as a tent- When Paul eventually went back to Jerusalem,
maker. Born around AD 10 in Tarsus in modern-day the Apostles at first feared him. But Barnabas judged
Turkey, he studied to be a Pharisee in Jerusalem un- that Paul was indeed a changed man. Thus began
der Gamaliel, a famous rabbi of his day. Because of Paul’s tireless and courageous life as a missionary
Saul’s zeal as a Pharisee, he joined in the persecu- and evangelist for Jesus Christ. He embarked on
tions of the early followers of Jesus. For example, three missionary journeys that took him to Antioch,
he took a leading role in the stoning of St. Stephen, Cyprus, Asia Minor, Greece, Ephesus, Macedonia,
the first Christian martyr. Achaia, and eventually to Rome. During his various
travels, Paul wrote epistles, that is, letters to his new
When Saul was traveling to the city of Damascus converts. The letters dealt with various problems
to persecute and arrest Christians, Jesus appeared to that individual congregations were having. These
him. In a blinding vision, Jesus asked, “Saul, Saul, letters included theological reflections concerning
why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 22:7). By per- Jesus Christ, and instructions on ways to deal with
secuting Christians, members of Christ’s Body, the false teachers and heresies. Paul also shared advice
Church, Saul was persecuting Christ himself. This on practical matters, and gave excellent instructions
life-changing encounter with the Risen Lord con- on how to live the Christian life.
verted Saul to Christianity. It convinced him to
preach the Gospel to Gentiles, that is, non-Jews. Thirteen of the New Testament’s letters are at-
tributed to St. Paul, though modern scholars think
that he only wrote seven of them—Romans, 1 and
2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalo-
nians, and Philemon. Many scholars consider Ro-
mans and 1 Corinthians to be his greatest epistles.
The other six letters attributed to St. Paul—2 Thes-
salonians, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy,
and Titus—were probably written by his disciples.
On Paul’s last return to Jerusalem, his opponents
attacked and imprisoned him. Paul appealed to the
authorities, firmly claiming that because he was a
Roman citizen he should be tried in Rome. His wish
was granted. On the dangerous journey across the
Mediterranean Sea, he was shipwrecked on the is-
land of Malta. When he finally made it to Rome, he
was kept under house arrest for two years waiting
for his trial.
Paul was probably set free when he went to trial
and then resumed his missionary work. One tradi-
tion holds that he preached in Spain and may have
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Friends and Disciples of Jesus 227
DISCIPLESHIP IN BRIEF For Review
In John’s Gospel, there is a one-sentence 1. How did Paul make his living?
description of discipleship: “This is the way
we may know that we are in union with him: 2. Where was Paul going and what was he
whoever claims to abide in him ought to live doing when Jesus appeared to him?
as he [Jesus] lived” (1 Jn 2:5–6). Or, to put 3. What happened to Paul right after his life-
John’s point in another way once popular- changing encounter with Jesus?
ized by initials on a bracelet: “What would
4. Name two kinds of message that Paul’s
Jesus do?” Create a short role-play that is
based on a common moral dilemma teens epistles or letters to Christian churches
face each day. Resolve the dilemma by hav- often contained.
WWJD?ing the main character in the story act like 5. Why is St. Paul called the “Apostle to the
Jesus would. Arrange to perform the skit for Gentiles”?
your class.
6. How and where did Paul die?
For Reflection
• What gifts do you have that can help to
build up the Church?
returned to the East. Eventually, though, Paul was • Peruse the epistles of St. Paul. Write or
martyred by beheading in Rome in either AD 64 or share a passage that encourages you to be
67, by the emperor Nero in one of his persecutions
of Christians. a better disciple of Jesus Christ.
St. Paul is one of Christianity’s greatest thinkers.
His theological themes treated the role of faith, jus-
tification, the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian,
Jesus Christ as God’s eternal Son, the centrality of
Christ’s Resurrection, and the Church as the mysti-
cal Body of Christ. Moreover, even though Paul was
not among the original Twelve Apostles, he is called
“the Apostle to the Gentiles.” At a council held in
Jerusalem in AD 49, Paul convinced Church leaders
like St. Peter that Gentiles could become Christians
without having to become Jews first. He preached
that Jesus Christ came to save all people, Jews and
Gentiles alike. Paul also wrote many practical in-
structions on how to live a loving life in union with
Jesus Christ by power of the Holy Spirit. It is a life
that will eventually result in the Resurrection in
Christ of all believers.
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228 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
Chapter 9 Quick View Main Ideas people, serving one another, forgiving one
another, etc. (pp. 221–223)
• There are three steps toward discipleship:
learning from Jesus; making a personal • Jesus said that it is necessary to die to self
commitment to Jesus, and helping to spread in the midst of a “faithless and sinful gen-
the Gospel. (pp. 215–218) eration,” a moral climate that describes his
own day as well as ours. (pp. 223–225)
• The word disciple comes from the Latin
word discipulus that means “pupil” or “stu- • The kind of friendship Jesus showed
dent.” (p. 215) throughout his ministry was agape love, a
type of love that the Greeks defined as self-
• Jesus was known as and called “rabbi,” both sacrificing love. (p. 220)
by those who followed him and by those
who disagreed with him. (p. 215) • Though not one of the original Twelve
Apostles of Jesus, St. Paul was one of the
• Many people approached Jesus for instruc- greatest Christian teachers of the Church.
tion on how to best live their lives. Included He was also known as the “Apostle to the
among them was the rich man who was not Gentiles.” (pp. 227–228)
willing to sell his things and give the pro-
ceeds to the poor. (pp. 216–217) Terms, People, Places
• Jesus taught that people with riches often Use five of the seven vocabulary terms for this
believe that they are in control and do not chapter to help you complete the following sen-
need God. (pp. 216–217) tences. Review the terms carefully before com-
pleting the sentences.
• Jesus compared the difficulty of follow-
ing him as a faithful disciple to entering Agape
“through the narrow gate.” (p. 217) Eros
Works of mercy
• Jesus did not ask everyone to give up their Disciple
wealth and all of their possessions, only Philia
people who were too attached to their Precepts of the Church
wealth. (pp. 217–218) Storge
• In the Gospel of John, Jesus invited those 1. _________________ is a Greek word that
who followed him to also be his friends. describes brotherly love or life-long affec-
(p. 218) tion between friends.
• Throughout the Gospels, it is clear that Je- 2. __________________ is a listing of works
sus cultivated deep friendships and shared of practical charity that includes instruct-
his life and his heart with his friends. (pp. ing the ignorant, comforting the sorrowful,
218–220) and bearing wrongs patiently.
• Jesus befriended many people who were so- 3. A Greek work that describes sexual love
cially rejected in his culture. (p. 219) and attraction is ____________ .
_______________ is the love among fam-
• Qualities that must characterize any true ily members.
friendship are: availability, generosity, com-
mon interests, and openness. (pp. 220–221)
• Eight expectations that Jesus has of his
friends include believing in him, inviting
him into our lives, loving God and other
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Friends and Disciples of Jesus 229
4. A pupil or one who intellectually grasps The Risk of Discipleship Chapter 9 Quick View
and thoroughly analyzes the teachings of If you follow the will of God, you know
another defines a _____________. that in spite of all the terrible things that
happen to you, you will never lose a final
5. _____________ is a Greek word that de- refuge. You know that the foundation of
scribes a self-sacrificing type of love, the the world is love, so that even when no
love that Jesus exhibited throughout his human being can or will help you, you
life and ministry. may go on, trusting in the One that loves
you.
6. ________________ are rules that Catho-
lics are to follow, including participating —Pope Benedict XVI
in Sunday Mass.
Ongoing Assignments
Primary Source Quotations
1. Disciples of Jesus want to live simply based
Thinking about Discipleship on needs and not selfish desires. They also
It is not hard to obey when we love the want to preserve God’s beautiful creation.
one whom we obey. Do one of the following:
Teach us to give and not to count the • Find ten advertisements that appeal to
cost. instant gratification. Prepare a Power-
Point presentation that discusses how
—St. Ignatius of Loyola each ad either appeals to a real human
need or just simply to a superfluous
Called to Follow Jesus “want.”
The transmission of the Christian faith
consists primarily in proclaiming Jesus • Report on five different ways to resist
Christ in order to lead others to faith in consumerism and shop differently.
him. From the beginning, the first disci-
ples burned with the desire to proclaim • Visit the Catholic Migrant Farmworker
Christ: “We cannot but speak of what we Network online. Report on the connec-
have seen and heard.” And they invite tion between the food we eat and the
people of every era to enter into the joy workers who provide it.
of their communion with Christ.
—Catechism of the Catholic Church, 425 2. In various surveys and opinion polls done
on friendship over the years, certain quali-
Deepening Friendships ties or traits appear over and over. Ten of the
The better friends you are, the straighter top traits appear below. On a scale of 1 (the
you can talk, but while you are only on lowest) to 5 (the highest), rate how much
nodding terms, be slow to scold. each quality is evident in your relationship
with two of your closest friends. Total your
Take care not to frighten away by stern score for each friend. Then, conclude the
rigor poor sinners who are trying to lay activity by writing a paragraph about how
bare the shocking state of their souls. Jesus had all these friendship traits.
Speak to them rather of the great mercy
of God . . . sometimes people are helped Traits
by your telling them about your own
lamentable past. • Ability to keep confidences
—St. Francis Xavier • Loyalty
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230 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
Chapter 9 Quick View • Warmth and affection • Who addresses Jesus? Are they sincere?
• Understanding Explain.
• Good listener
• Sense of humor • What brilliant response does Jesus give?
• Patient
• Generous John 1:43–51
• Common interests
• What does Nathaniel originally think
3. Locate the lyrics to any two songs on about Jesus?
friendship. Analyze these questions:
• Why does he change his mind?
• What qualities of friendship do the
songs emphasize? • What does he proclaim about Jesus?
• Identify and explain how some verses 5. The Gospel of Luke has some of the most
could apply to a friendship with Jesus. challenging things to say about money.
Read the following passages. Summarize
4. Read the following passages Gospel pas- them and reflect on them in a short two-
sages in which Jesus is called “Teacher” or page theme.
“Rabbi.” Then answer the questions that
correspond with each. • Rich fool: Luke 12:13–21
Matthew 22:15–22 • On almsgiving and watchful servants:
Luke 12:33–53
• Who addresses Jesus?
• Do they respect Jesus or not? Explain. • Right use of money: Luke 16:9–13
• How does Jesus answer them?
Mark 9:14–29 • Rich Man and Lazarus: Luke 16:19–31
• Who makes the request of Jesus and • Zacchaeus: Luke 19:1–10
what does he want?
6. Read and report on What Is Mercy?: 14
• What does Jesus say in Mark 9:23? Ways to Show You Know, an article by Jim
What do you think he means? Auer, a noted teen catechist. Search for the
article on the Internet.
Mark 9:38–41
7. Report on a religious order that has as one
• Who addresses Jesus as Teacher? of its ministries the corporal or spiritual
• What point is Jesus making in verse 39? works of mercy.
Luke 7:36–50
8. Read Galatians 3:1–29. Imitate St. Paul’s
• Who addresses Jesus? fiery style by writing a letter to a group of
• Is the man sincere? Why or why not (of- young Catholics who have stopped going
to Mass. Use persuasive language to con-
fer proof)? vince them that the Church needs them.
• What is the point of the parable told by 9. Construct a one-page biography of St. Paul
Jesus? based on his own writings. Do an Internet
search for Catholic sites on St. Paul, the
Luke 20:20–26 Apostle to the Gentiles.
10. St. Paul’s letters give much practical ad-
vice on how Christians should act as wor-
thy disciples of Jesus. Read and report on
the following:
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Friends and Disciples of Jesus 231
• Romans 12–13. List three specific be- Chapter 9 Quick View
haviors expected of Christians.
• Ephesians 4–6. Name four types of
behavior redeemed Christians should
avoid. What does St. Paul say about
drunkenness (5:18)? How should par-
ents and children relate to each other
(6:1–4)? Describe the images Paul uses
in 6:13–17.
Prayer
The following prayer is attributed to St. Francis
of Assisi. It outlines several great ways that dis-
ciples of Christ can put their faith into action.
Commit the prayer to memorization.
Prayer for Peace
Lord, make me an instrument of your
peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not seek so much to be
consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to
eternal life.
Amen.
• Reflection: How has the Lord given you
peace? How have you been an instrument
of his peace and love to others?
• Resolution: Collaborate with another to
bring joy to someone’s life this coming
week. Resolve to do some specific act to
spread Christ’s joy to a special person or
group.
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10
JESUS
TEACHES US
TO PRAY
Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.
—Matthew 21:22
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Prayer Means Talking
to and Listening to God
When we make time for God in prayer we learn that God
answers our prayers in many ways, and in his own time.
Prayer Is God’s Gift to Us
Because God first approaches us, we can seek, approach,
and build a living relationship with him through prayer.
Jesus Is Our Best Guide to Prayer
Through his words and his own prayer life, Jesus offers
a model for many different kinds of prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer
To teach us to praise God’s name and how to ask for our
needs, for forgiveness, and for protection from evil and
temptations, Jesus taught us the Our Father, the perfect
Christian prayer.
A Prayer Primer
Using traditional Catholic prayers and practices, we can
develop our own unique life of prayer, a life of talking
and listening to God.
Living the Mission
Jesus Christ calls us to share the Good News with others
with our words and actions.
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234 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
Prayer Means Talking Prayer is essential for Catholics because all
to and Listening to God relationships between friends need communica-
tion. So it is with a friendship with Jesus. Disciples
An old story is told about the effects of prayer and of Jesus pray because Jesus asks us to pray. God
about how God answers prayers. It goes like this: promises that he will answer our prayers. How-
ever, that answer may come in three different ways.
After a hurricane, a man was trapped in his God may answer our prayers with: “Yes,” “No,” or
home due to flooding. The waters came up “Wait awhile.” The man in the story actually had his
to his front door, so he decided he better start
to pray. “Lord, please rescue me.” Fifteen prayers for help answered. But, he was so locked
minutes later someone in a canoe came by into his own ideas about prayer that he didn’t realize
and offered to take the man to safety. “No that God uses other people to accomplish his will!
thanks,” said the man, “God will save me.”
Sometimes, God will say, “No,” to something
The floodwaters soon came into the we ask for because it is not ultimately good for us.
house, forcing the man upstairs. Again he His “No” might close one door. But, as we often
prayed, “Lord, please help me.” Ten minutes discover, it opens another. Finally, the Lord answers
went by and a motor boat came, but the man our prayers in his own time—not in ours. Jesus’ ad-
declined help, saying, “God will save me.” vice about prayer is to not be concerned about how
or when the prayer will be answered, but rather to
Finally, the floodwaters drove the man to continue to pray without ceasing.
the roof of his house. Desperately the man
begged God, “Please help me Lord.” Within For Reflection
minutes he looked up to the sky and saw a
helicopter. He waved the pilot away saying, When was an occasion that prayer really
“I don’t need your help. God will save me.” helped you to cope with a difficult situation
or relationship? How did you pray at that
A half hour later, a monstrous wave time? How did the prayer help?
rushed over the top of the house and carried
the man off. Sadly, he drowned, and when
he met God in heaven, he told him how con-
fused he was. Even though he’d prayed, he
had not been saved. God replied, “That puz-
zled me, too. I sent you a canoe, a boat, and
a helicopter. Yet, you still drowned!”
What this man forgot was that prayer—simply
defined as “communication with God”—must go
both ways. Prayer does mean talking to God and
asking for what we need. But prayer also involves
listening to God and the many ways God speaks:
sometimes directly to our hearts, sometimes through
the Church and its Sacraments, sometimes through
events, and sometimes through other people. The
man on the roof didn’t remember to listen to God.
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Jesus Teaches Us to Pray 235
When and How You Pray: A Quick Survey
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of
containing God’s gift of himself.” Teenagers often say that they pray in the following times:
• to thank God for favors granted • when I’m in trouble
• after Holy Communion • before and after meals
• when I need something • when I’m alone
• before going to sleep • in the morning
• while jogging or walking • when I see a beautiful sunset or rainbow
• to ask for forgiveness when I’ve hurt someone
Answer the following questions about your own prayer life:
1. What is your own definition of prayer?
2. Where is the best place for you to pray?
3. When is the best time for you to pray?
4. On what occasions do you usually turn to God in prayer?
Prayer Is God’s There are, as you have already prayer
Gift to Us (CCC, seen, many ways of defining or look-
2558–2567, 2590, ing at prayer. St. John Damascene Conversation with God; lift-
2623–2649) defined prayer as “the raising of ing of one’s mind and heart
one’s mind and heart to God.” When to God or requesting good
The Holy Spirit enables us to pray to we pray, therefore, we consciously things from him; joining
God the Father. This means that the pay attention to God. We direct our one’s thoughts and love to
only reason that we can pray is be- thoughts to the loving God who calls God in adoration and bless-
cause God approaches us first. In fact, us. St. Thérèse of Lisieux described ing, petition, intercession,
our hearts are made to seek him. We prayer as “a surge of the heart; it is thanksgiving, and praise.
desire Jesus Christ and his gift of Sal- a simple look turned toward heaven,
vation. Prayer is our way of respond- it is a cry of recognition and of love,
ing to God who first seeks us. It does embracing both trial and joy.” This
take humility to pray because we are means that we can take everything to
admitting that we can’t go it alone. the Lord when we pray—what trou-
We need God. We need and want to bles us and what we are happy about.
say “Yes!” to his great love for us. We
want to ask the Father for many good Prayer Is
things. And he is happy to give them Relationship with God
to us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
defines prayer as “the living relation-
ship of the children of God with their
Father who is good beyond measure,
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236 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
spontaneous prayer with his Son Jesus Christ, and with the The Many Ways to
Holy Spirit” (CCC, 2565). Prayer is Talk to God
A form of personal prayer a relationship, a two-way street with
in which the person prays God the Father who is our “Abba” or Honesty is important in how we ex-
to God in his or own words. Daddy. It is also a relationship with press our prayer. Like any good
Jesus Christ, our Savior, brother, and friend, Jesus wants to hear about our
praise friend. And, it is a relationship with dreams and hopes as well as about
the Holy Spirit who is our Comforter our fears and disappointments. Noth-
A form of prayer whereby and Helper. Prayer connects us with ing we take to him is unimportant.
we acknowledge God and our loving Triune God. Interestingly, Friends are like that too; they want to
his goodness and glorify the first place of education for prayer hear about the really important things
him for who he is. is also in relationship—in the rela- in our lives, not just the day-to-day
tionship of the Christian family. events. Talking to God in everyday
petition language about what is really im-
Because prayer is “conversation portant to us is known as spontane-
A form of prayer where we with God” as St. Clement put it, we ous prayer. We don’t come with an
ask for something. can assume that it will take time to de- agenda. We simply become aware
velop. St. Teresa of Avila also thought of our Lord’s presence and share our
thanksgiving of prayer this way. She said to think thoughts and feelings with him.
of prayer as a journey with an invis-
A form of prayer that in- ible Friend, a companion who walks There are many types of prayer.
volves expressing gratitude next to us along the path of life. We Sometimes we use our own prayer
or thanks to God for all that turn to this Friend in an ongoing con- words; at other times, we use or recite
he gives to and for us. versation. Human friendships thrive the words of others. The main types
on similar dialogue. Prayer deepens of prayer are described below.
contrition our friendship with God and gives us
the strength to live according to God’s Praise
A form of prayer in which plan for us.
we ask God, our merciful Prayers of praise are also called
Father, to forgive our sins. blessings or adoration. We bless God
because he first blesses us. That is,
intercession God showers his graces on us. When
we bless God in return, we adore and
A prayer of petition for the praise him. We adore God because he
sake of others. is the Creator, and we are his crea-
tures. We praise God and give him
glory because he is so good, gra-
cious, loving, and compassionate. He
deserves this response from us. The
Holy Spirit helps us to praise God, en-
abling us to have faith in Jesus Christ
and allowing us to call God “Abba.”
True praise of God is free of selfish
motives because we take joy in loving
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Jesus Teaches Us to Pray 237
God alone. Many of the psalms in the Old Testament the good things that we need to live our lives ful-
praise, adore, and bless God. The opening verse of ly. When we receive Holy Communion, our Savior
Psalm 8 praises God for his marvelous creation: Jesus Christ lives in us and unites us to God. This
Sacrament also unites us with our Christian brothers
O Lord, our Lord, and sisters by the power of the Holy Spirit.
how awesome is your name through all
the earth! Contrition
You have set your majesty above the heavens! Contrition is a type of petition prayer. We ask our
What are humans that you are mindful merciful Father to forgive us for our sins. In this
type of prayer, we also express sorrow or regret for
of them, failing to do God’s will.
mere mortals that you care for them?
Intercession
Yet you have made them little less than god,
crowned them with glory and honor. Intercessory prayer is prayer we offer to God on be-
half of others. Whenever people ask us to pray for
(Ps 8:2, 5–6) them, they trust that we will approach God on their
behalf. Prayer for others is a wonderful example of
Petition Christian mercy and love in action, especially when
we pray for those people who are in extreme need.
To petition is to ask for favors. Prayers of peti- Christian saints who live with God in eternity offer
tion are also called prayers of supplication. We ask intercessions on our behalf. We, too, offer interces-
God to provide what we need. Jesus himself tells sions for our loved ones who have died.
us to ask God for the most important gift of all—
the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave this instruction when he The Many Ways to Listen
taught about the need for persistence in prayer (see to God
Luke 11:9–13). Psalm 17 is an example of a prayer
of petition: A conversation with God also requires moments
of silence. We need quiet time and space in order
Keep me as the apple of your eye; to “hear” God speak. Of course, God speaks to us
hide me in the shadow of your wings in many ways, but distractions often keep us from
from the violence of the wicked. hearing what he says. For example, he speaks to us
in the beauties of creation—sunsets and sunrises,
(Ps 17:9) gentle rains, and cooling breezes. He addresses us in
the events and people who come into our lives. For
Thanksgiving example, God can (and often does) speak through
the love and direction of our parents and friends.
Prayers of thanksgiving offered to God are very He sometimes speaks to us through a disappoint-
natural. God has given us so much. We have our ment, steering us in another direction. God the Fa-
lives (including our health, families, talents, and so ther always addresses us through his Son. Jesus also
forth). God has also given us Jesus and Salvation. speaks to us through Scripture, and in the Sacra-
And we have been given the Holy Spirit who lives ments, especially the Eucharist.
within us. Thanking God in prayer shows that we
owe him everything. He deserves our gratitude. The God may also speak to us in our dreams or in
Psalmist tells us, “Give thanks to the Lord who is the thoughts and ideas he places into our minds. We
good, whose love endures forever!” (Ps 107:1).
The Eucharist is the greatest prayer of thanks-
giving. In fact, all types of prayer are gathered at
Mass: we bless, adore, praise, and thank God for
all the blessings he has given to us. We also express
our sorrow, ask for forgiveness, and petition God for
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238 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
often call that kind of an idea, an “inspiration,” a Vocal or Spoken Prayer
word based on the Latin word spiritus for “breath”
or “life.” Listening to the Lord can also help to calm Our prayers can be said mentally or out loud. When
our troubled emotions, as he reminded his listeners we express our feelings in words, we are doing what
in the Sermon on the Mount: Jesus himself did when he taught and prayed the
Our Father. When we say our prayers aloud within
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your our families or at Mass with our Christian brothers
life, what you will eat (or drink), or about and sisters, we strengthen our spiritual relationship
your body, what you will wear. Is not life with them and with God.
more than food and the body more than
clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they Meditation
do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into
barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Meditation is a “tuning in to God,” thinking about
Are not you more important than they?” (Mt him, and trying to be aware of his presence. Medita-
6:25–26) tion involves actively using our thoughts, emotions,
imaginations, and desires to think about how God
The Lord can strengthen our wills to do the right is in the world and in our lives. We meditate to gain
thing when we face temptation. And he can heal the a greater knowledge and love of the Lord so that
bad memories that might be troubling us. Jesus can we may better serve him. Great Catholic saints like
just as easily boost our self-esteem, or remind us of St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and St.
all the good things he has done for us. When we put Francis de Sales have suggested using the Bible, es-
ourselves in the presence of Jesus, quiet down, and pecially the Gospels, for meditation. We can also
wait in silence, we might hear him speaking to our meditate on the writings of the saints, the events in
minds, or through our feelings, imagination, will, or our world, and the action of God in our own lives.
memory.
Mental Prayer
The key to hearing the Lord is to be still and
let him speak. The payoff for true conversation— This kind of prayer usually centers on Jesus. In our
listening as well as talking to God—is that a real minds, we “talk” with him or reflect on one of the
encounter takes place. mysteries of his life. For example, we might spend
time thinking about how hard it was for Jesus to en-
Many Expressions of dure all of the physical pain of his scourging and
Prayer (CCC, 2700–2719, crucifixion when he had no comfort from anyone.
2221–2724) All of his friends had abandoned him.
Heartfelt Christian prayer has always been ex- Contemplation
pressed in a variety of ways. Sometimes, it is the
prayer of just one person; at other times, it is prayer Sometimes, mental prayer can lead to contempla-
raised collectively by a group, such as the People of tion, a form of silent, wordless prayer where we
God at the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Consider some simply rest in the presence of our all-loving God.
of the ways that Christians pray in the sections that St. John Vianney, a nineteenth-century French par-
follow. ish priest, told of a simple peasant who perfectly
described what contemplative prayer means. The
peasant sat each day in front of the Blessed Sacra-
ment reserved in the tabernacle. “I look at God and
he looks at me.” What the peasant meant was that
he “looked at” God with such devotion and love that
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Jesus Teaches Us to Pray 239
no words were needed. And, he felt for others it might be contemplation.
God “looking upon” him with such It could also be that different prayer
devotion and love that no words were expressions will work for us at dif-
needed. ferent times of day or in different cir-
cumstances. No matter how we pray,
When praying this way, we empty God wants to hear us. And he wants
our minds of thoughts and images and to speak to us!
simply allow the divine presence to
fill us. We don’t have to do anything For Review
at all. If you are already able to pray in
this way, you really have been given a 1. What are two different ways
great gift from God. of defining prayer?
Dom John Chapman, an English 2. What is spontaneous prayer?
Benedictine monk (1865–1933), once Give an example of how it
advised, “Pray as you can; don’t pray might be used.
as you can’t.” In other words, people
should feel free to find prayer expres- 3. Define a prayer of petition.
sions that best suit them. For some
it might be vocal or spoken prayer;
The Psalms: meditation
A Timeless Treasury of Prayer
A form of prayer where the
The Book of Psalms, a collection of hymns sacred to Jews and Chris- mind and imagination focus
tians alike, is a great resource. Reading a Psalm can help you to begin on Christ or some truth of
a conversation with God. Jesus, himself, prayed the Psalms, including Divine Revelation with the
Psalm 22, while on the cross. The Psalms capture every human emotion purpose of applying the les-
from sadness and fear to joy and awe. Many Psalms are also prayers sons we learn to our lives.
full of confidence and trust in a loving God. Others pour out grief or
deep contrition for sin or personal failings like fear or the failure to contemplation
reach out to the poor. The Psalms are also recited or sung at every Mass
as a response to the Scripture readings. A form of silent wordless
prayer in which mind and
• Locate and read the following six Psalms. heart rest in God’s good-
Psalm 30 ness and majesty.
Psalm 38
Psalm 51
Psalm 96
Psalm 104
Psalm 148
• Next, identify the type of prayer in the Psalm: praise, petition,
thanksgiving, contrition, or intercession.
• Write down a key verse or line from the Psalm that particularly
appeals to you.
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240 Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry
4. What are two different kinds of thanksgiv- EXPLAINING THE FAITH
ing prayer that a Christian might say?
Is it possible to petition God too
5. Name and explain four prayer expressions. often?
For Reflection Sometimes we feel guilty that too much of our
prayer falls into the “gimmee” category; that
• Reflect on Dom John Chapman’s advice is, “God, give me this,” “God, give me that.”
on prayer on page 239. How would you Should we balance our prayers of petition with
explain this advice in your own words? prayers of blessing? It’s true that blessing, as
the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it,
• Which kind or kinds of prayer expressions “expresses the basic movement of Christian
best fit you, your lifestyle, and your prayer” (CCC, 2626). In blessing prayer, there is a
personality at this time of your life? dialogue, a loving exchange that acknowledges
the very existence, being, and goodness of
Jesus Is Our the other. The Catechism also reminds us,
Best Guide to Prayer “Because God blesses, the human heart can in
return bless the One who is the source of every
Savvy travelers know the value of consulting atlases, blessing” (CCC, 2645). Truthfully, our prayer
travel guides, and Internet mapping sites in planning life often needs to deepen and grow. But that
travel. These resources help to guide us on the way. is not a reason to keep from constantly asking
It usually is much more difficult to travel alone than God for favor. Remember, Jesus taught about a
it is with relying on guides of many kinds. It is easy persistent person who knocked on the door of
to travel the road of prayer with a guide as well. As a friend at midnight looking for three loaves of
the title to the section points out, Jesus is our best bread. Though the friend inside the house may
guide to prayer. We can learn from him by reading not have got out of bed to give him the bread
the Gospels and meditating on his words. out of friendship, “He will get up to give him
whatever he needs because of his persistence”
We can learn what we need to know about prayer (Lk 11:8). Jesus went on to say:
from Jesus. What’s more, through the power of the
Holy Spirit, Jesus will pray alongside of us. We can And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
be confident that our prayers are heard because Je- seek and you will find; knock and the
sus constantly intercedes for us. At the Last Supper, door will be opened to you. For everyone
Jesus prayed his great priestly prayer of intercession
to the Father: who asks, receives; and the one who
seeks, finds; and the one who
I pray not only for them, but also for those knocks, the door will be
who will believe in me through their word, opened. (Lk 11:9)
so that they may all be one, as you, Father,
are in me and I in you, that they also may be So, while you should
in us, that the world may believe that you expand your prayer form to
sent me. And I have given them the glory other expressions, don’t
you gave me, so that they may be one, as we feel guilty about petitioning
are one, I in them and you in me, that they God for all that you need.
may be brought to perfection as one, that the
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