Trinity

1. Trinity Central Mystery of the Catholic Church

2. Creed • Statement of belief • Apostles Creed • Comes from the apostles • Nicene Creed • Revised and proclaimed at the Council of Nicea • Expanded the statements in the Apostles Creed • Response to heresy • The deliberate contradiction of the teaching of the Church • Person who claims or teaches a heresy is a heretic

3. Belief in God/ Theism • Monotheism • Belief in one God • Polytheism • Belief in many gods • Atheism • Denial of the existence of god • Agnosticism • Since god cannot be proven he must not exist

4. Triune God • Three “Persons” / One God • Same substance or essence • consubstantial • Distinct “persons” • communion of persons • God, the Father • Creator, source of life • God, the Son, Jesus • Savior, redeemer of humankind • God, the Spirit • Sanctifier, makes us holy

5. Unity of Persons Father Inseparable Son Spirit

6. Distinct “Persons” Spirit Out pouring Father Son flow Son Father Spirit source

7. God, the Father • We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

8. God, the Son • And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

9. God, the Holy Spirit • And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

10. Revealed in Scripture • Creation Story • Luke 10: 21 • Luke 10: 22 • John 14:9 • John 17: 11 • Matthew 28:19

11. God the Father • Eternal source of all that exists • Visible and invisible • All powerful • Desires a loving relationship with His creation • Jesus reveals God • Filial • intimate • God has no gender • Neither male nor female

12. God the Son • Assumed a human nature for our salvation • To save us by reconciling us with God • To share His divine love with us • To model holiness for us • Enable us to share in His divine nature • Jesus is truly God • Jesus is truly human • Jesus is THE Christ

13. God the Holy Spirit • The Lord, the giver of life • Proceeds from the Father and the Son • Active since the time of creation • Spoke through the prophets • Promised by the Son • Helps, empowers and strengthens us for holiness • Fully revealed at Pentecost

14. Gifts of the Spirit • Knowledge • Understanding • Fear of the Lord • Piety • Wisdom • Right judgment • Courage • Young people usually face problems with real courage

15. What did you learn? • What is monotheism? • What three major religions are monotheistic? • How are the three divine persons united? • Distinct? • What do we believe about God the Father? • How is Jesus related to the Father? • What are the four reasons for Jesus’ incarnation? • What is the role of the Holy Spirit as the advocate for Christians?

16. What is monotheism? • Monotheism is the belief in and worship of one God only • What three major religions are monotheistic? • The three major monotheistic religions are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam • How are the three divine persons united? • The three Divine Persons are united, inseparable in who they are and what they do. That means all of God is contained in each Divine Person, and each Divine Person works for our salvation. • Distinct? • The three Divine Persons are also distinct, because each plays a different role in working for our salvation, each has a unique origin, and each relates to the others in a unique way • What do we believe about God the Father? • We acknowledge that God the Father is the source of all creation. We recognize that he is all-powerful and that he desires to provide for and be in an intimate, loving relationship with us.

17. How is Jesus related to the Father? • By calling God Abba, the Aramaic word for “Father,” Jesus reveals two things about his relationship with the Father. • First, he shows us that the relationship is one of father and child, in which the Father provides unconditional love and support. (filial) • Second, he demonstrates that this father-child relationship is a close and loving one. In his prayers Jesus speaks directly to his Father, and his parables also illustrate the Father’s gentle love and compassion. (intimate) • What are the four reasons for Jesus’ incarnation? • The Catechism names the following four reasons why God sent his only Son to become human: • to save us by reconciling us with himself; • to share his divine love with us; • to show us how to be holy; • to help us share in his divine nature • What is the role of the Holy Spirit as the advocate for Christians? • The Holy Spirit spoke to God’s people through the prophets and anointed Jesus for his mission of salvation. Before his death, Jesus promised to ask God to send his Spirit as an advocate to strengthen and prepare us for holiness. After his Resurrection, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with us forever and to help us to live as Jesus did.