Theology Questions

through the ongoing work of daily Christian life in which the baptized respond to the call of Christ “to be holy”

- genuine self-knowledge is increased- bad habits are corrected- the conscience is purified- Christian humility grows- the will is strengthened- lukewarmness and spiritual neglect are resisted- self-control is increased

God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to die for us + to conquer sin by rising from the dead

- Baptism: water- Confirmation: sacred chrism - Eucharist: wheat bread + grape wine- Reconciliation: oral confession - Holy Orders: laying on of hands- Marriage: vows + consummation- Anointing of the Sick: oil + hands

- an offense against reason, truth, + right conscience - a failure in genuine love of God and neighbor - a word, act, or desire against moral law- an offense against God

- when the Israelites were leaving Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his armies out to kill them- the Israelites were surrounded, but escaped + safely crossed when God parted the Red Sea - as in Baptism, those who pass through the waters of Baptism are freed from the slavery of sin, while their former lives + habits are washed away

1. we are cleansed of all sin - Original and actual 2. we become members of the Body of Christ 3. we receive the grace needed to enter heaven

1. fulfills his Father's promise2. affirms his humanity 3. marks the beginning of his human mission

- Noah and the flood- crossing the Red Sea- crossing the Jordan River to the Promised Land

- child receives Baptism, Eucharist, then Confirmation at different times in life - child is dressed in white + presented w/ a baptismal candle - parents may choose between baptism by affusion or immersion

- in the story, water is the means by which God brings about cleansing the earth - as in Baptism, the sins of the world are washed away by water

after his Death + Resurrection, when he instructed the Apostles to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit"

- removal of Original + actual sin- entry into the Mystical Body, the Church- becoming a temple of the Holy Spirt - the theological virtues of faith - the moral virtues of faith - the gifts of the Holy Spirit

it is through this sacrament that an individual is justified in the eyes of God, becoming a "new creation"

- after 40 years of wandering in the desert, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land- as in Baptism, Baptism is understood as the beginning of a Christian's journey toward the Kingdom of Heaven

parents baptize children in their name and their best interest and vow to instruct the child in faith, but it is ultimately up to the child (as it grows) to choose whether or not to accept it and live it out

living the Christian vocation requires free will, self-control, and following the moral law

the grace conferred on the baptized is freely bestowed by God and can in no way be merited or earned by our own efforts

in that through Baptism, the old person dies to sin and a new person is raised up in Christ

the baptized is made participant in the kingly, priestly, and prophetic mission of Jesus Christ