Welcome Participants to I WANT TO BELIEVE - Scripture Study

I am your Catechist, Mr. Juan Rodriguez, Director of the Parish School of Religion at St. Patrick's in Bay Ridge. I would like to welcome you to our Scripture Studies on Acts of the Apostles. We will be meeting in person every Monday at 1:00PM, and at 6:30PM. We are planning an Online Study through Goto Meeting. Discussions and Notes will be posted here for your personal studies. Stay tuned for Calendar Dates and more. 

Below, you will find both an Online Link to the Bible, and to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You will find an ICON for Online Homework.  

Now, are you excited as I am in joining the Apostles on this Spiritual High Adventure? I hope so! 

 

 1.     Click here for online CATHOLIC BIBLE (NAB): Eng / Span

       2.     Click here for online CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC  
         CHURCH: Eng / Span

       3.    Click here for St. Patrick PSR YouTube Channel on 
         The Communion of Saints

4.    Click here to RSVP

The Communion of Saints: You & I are called to be Holy (PT2)

CCC 2012-2015 

In your own words, “What is a Saint?”

I - God works through those who love Him - St Peter encounter Jesus (CCC 2012)

1. In the Gospel of St John, Jesus asks St Peter three times if he loves Him. (John 21:15-17) There is always a response from St Peter, only that twice he is not truly serious about that love. Why? Read the John 21:1-19

John 21:1 - The Sea of Tiberius - The Second Roman Emperor Tiberius who ruled over the land of Israel at the time of St John the Baptist and Jesus. Here we see Jesus calling His disciples on the Sea of Tiberius, showing us by this call, His Good News will break the chains of Rome and conquer the world. (See Matt 16: 13-19. Jesus takes the Disciples to Caesarea-Phillipi and changes Simon's name to "Cephas", as Christ will Build His Church on the saint.)

 

John 21:2 - It was a group of friends and family who encountered Jesus.

John 21:3 - Peter wanted to fish, and his friends wanted to join in the work. Here we see a glimpse of the Church in Communion, working to capture fish not just for food, or for profit. The fish represent the Saints who would build the Church with the Disciples. Saints who reflect Christ. (For those who studied with us  the  Book of Tobit, remember the fish caught by Tobias? What did the Fish represent? (Tobit 6  & Tobit 11:7-13)

John 21:4-6 - They could not catch fish, but Jesus told them where they would be. What would a Carpenter know? Would you Trust His Word? With our own strength we cannot catch the fish, or shall we say, “we cannot bring those called to sainthood.” We need Jesus’ strength.

John 21:7 - St. Peter seemed to not recognize the Lord until one of his friends told him it was Jesus, after they caught so much fish. St. Peter did the extreme act, he jumped into the water. One who loves the Lord would do anything to reach their Savior. He needed to be close to the Lord. This is the Passion of the Saint. This is the true meaning of Communion of Saints - our desire for Christ.

John 21:8 The disciples brought the fish to the shore. If the fish be a metaphor to the Saints, are we bringing folks to the shore of our parish?

John 21:9-13 - Christ prepared the fire for them to eat supper. Jesus invites them to bring more fish to eat. It is another metaphor showing us that the fishes represent the role the disciples must do by bringing gifted folks to the Table of the Lord. St Peter is the Leader who brings the many fishes to Christ, only He uses a few to feed the disciples. (John 61-15)

John 21:14 - This was the third time Jesus revealed to them that Death has no power over Him. This is the Good News, promised by Christ.

John 21:15-19 Keep in mind these names and words:

A. Simon Peter - The name Simon in the Old Aramaic is Šimʻōn which means,  a reed or plant that is moved. Peter is the new name given to Simon as ROCK - Cephas, which means in the Aramaic translation Gigantic Rock or Bolder. In Greek it is translated as Kepha, and in Latin it is translated as Petras. (Matt 16:18-20)

B. Son of John - The name John in Hebrew is Yôḥānān (יוֹחָנָן‎), which means God has bestowed favor upon you. The word "You" indicates the gift was to Simon's father. 

C. Feed my lambs (12 months or younger). Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep (12 months or older). The work is from Peter to his bishops, priests, deacons, and the Church - The Communion of Saints.

2. St Paul teaches us in Romans 8:28-30 

A. God works through those who love Him. 

B. He confirmed in the Image of His Son. When folks see you, they see Christ - His First Born. Here is where we can see being set apart, which we get the Hebrew word Kadaursch. The word comes from the Kadash

C. His call to us was predestined, has justified us, and also gives us reason to be in His glory.

II - Called to Christian Life and to the perfection of Charity. (CCC 2013)

1. In Vatican II, the Document Lumen Gentium - Light to the World - the Church teaches us, All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity. LG 40 # 2

2. Jesus tell us, Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matt 5:48

3. What is Charity? It is love of God and of neighbor. It is one of the 3 Theological Virtues.

The authors of Lumen Gentium teach us, In order to reach this perfection the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ's gift, so that . . . doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus the holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints. LG 40 # 2

III - Our Union in Christ (CCC 2014)

1. Mystically, we are connected to God through Jesus by way of the sacraments. It is our spiritual journey towards Him. The Communion of Saints clings to the Life of the Trinity. He will always call us to stay close to Him.

2.  Spiritual intimacy keeps us united to Him. No matter if we are given special gifts or none, we are promised and drawn to Communion. 

IV - In order to be Holy, you must encounter the Cross. (CCC 2015)

1. We can never avoid His Cross. It is the spiritual instrument that gives us reason to be Holy. It is what helps us experience the Beatitudes: (Matthew 5:3-12 , & 2 Timothy 4

St. Gregory of Nyssa teaches us, He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows. See this example of St Jose Sanchez Del Rios

 

The Communion of Saints: Acts of the Holy Spirit. (PT 1)

CCC 686-688

There are many stories in Sacred Scripture that show the ACTS of the Holy Spirit working in the Church.

Acts 2:1-13 The Holy Spirit Awakens the Church

Acts 2:14-47 The Mission of the Church is known and ACTED upon

Can you name signs of the Acts of the Holy Spirit…

In your life?
In someone else’s life?
In St Patrick?
In Bay Ridge?

I - The Holy Spirit is at Work - CCC. 686

1. The Spirit works through the Father and Son in completing the Plan of our Salvation.

2. The Catechecism mentions, These End Times - The Church teaches us that we do not know the End, but only the Father. It also points to our own End as we can see that future  during our present journey. TIME is key to understanding our limitation, and only God can know.

A. Our experience is joined to Christ by way of His Incarnation - He becomes one of us to show the Value of our Life in God. We are precious and awesome, yet fragile as we are in continuous need of Him.

B. The Spirit of God revealed by Christ is given to us for our journey. We welcome Him into our own being to be our Guide and to Protect us a long the journey towards Holiness. 

3. The Spirit insures in our hearts and mind His Divine Plan, accomplished in Christ that it is forever stamped on our very being. As Jesus is the First Born, we become through Him, the an image of the First Born - an Imitator of Christ. A new creation as we are meant to be, as He alone can insure this blessing by being our Example. Holiness should not foreign to us. Jesus, by way of the Holy Spirit, assures us Sainthood can always be achieved through Him.

A. We become Christ to the World and the Spirit shows it as we live as Church, in communion, in forgiving sins, in living out His Resurrection, so that we may have ever lasting life. Our expression of faith in Him becomes infectious to whomever we encounter, animating ones soul at a time. Luke 1:39-45

II - I believe in the Holy Spirit. CCC 687

In 1st Corinthians 2:11, St Paul teaches, No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

1. One must understand the Spirit is who reveals to us Christ as both His Word and Living Utterance. He speaks by way of the Prophets.

A. No one hears His Voice, but the Spirit is reveals Himself by movements, which we can see  through our faith.

B. Another way of seeing Him in ACTION is through the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit. We see Him in acts of the Christian living for Christ. 

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit according Catholic Tradition are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of God.

The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit according to Catholic Tradition are charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.

With the Seven Gifts and Twelve Fruits in mind, we can consider Seven Works of the Holy Spirit

• The Holy Spirit Transforms our Lives. ...
• The Holy Spirit Convicts Us of Sin. ...
• The Holy Spirit Guides Us to the Truth. ...
• The Holy Spirit Empowers Us to Proclaim Christ. ...
• The Holy Spirit Gives Us Spiritual Gifts. ...
• The Holy Spirit Empowers Us to Worship. ...
• The Holy Spirit Leads Us.

C. The Spirit does not speak of Himself or for Himself. John 16:13 It is very difficult for those who live in the world cannot see the Spirit works. Those who struggle with believing in the Holy Spirit grow angry when they cannot understand where He is. It is the believer who know how the Spirit moves. John 14:17

III - The Church… A Communion living in the faith of the Apostles. CCC 689

1. It is in the Church that Christ has given us, the Christian will know the Holy Spirits movements and works. The Catechism teaches us we will know Him...

- In the Scriptures he inspired;

- In the Tradition, to which the Church Fathers are always timely witnesses;

- In the Church's Magisterium, which he assists;

- In the sacramental liturgy, through its words and symbols, In which the Holy Spirit puts us into communion with Christ;

- In prayer, wherein he intercedes for us;

- In the charisms and ministries by which the Church is built up;

- In the signs of apostolic and missionary life;

- In the witness of saints through whom he manifests his holiness and continues the work of salvation.