2. To Be a Prophet… A person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed. -Not an easy task… -It generally means that people will not understand you, at least not at first. -Prophets are often believed to be “mad” WHO WOULD WILLINGLY DO THIS THEN?
3. Part One: The Holy Prophet Moses When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called out to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” (Exodus 3:4) Moses accepts God’s invitation to lead the Israelites to freedom from slavery in Egypt and to the Promised Land in Canaan. He communicates a new COVENANT between God and his Chosen People.
4. Moses Communicates God’s Will – The 10 Commandments I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Honour your father and mother. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. You shall not covet your neighbours wife. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbour.
5. A Special Connection Between the Life of Moses and the Life of Jesus Both births were foretold. Innocent children were murdered when both were born. During Passover, lambs were sacrificed and the blood painted over the doorways; Jesus IS the Paschal Lamb – he sacrificed himself Both came to lead people to “freedom” and the “Promised Land”. Through both, God renews his covenant with those who believe.
6. Part Two: God`s Special Spokesmen – The Prophets The prophets were God’s servants who prepared His people for the coming of the MESSIAH (anointed one, saviour) by calling for repentance of sins and faithfulness to God. They delivered PROPHECIES – messages from God, to remind people of their covenant with God -poetry -skits
7. The Prophets then … Isaiah The Messiah’s virgin mother The Messiah will be a great light The Messiah will be a great ruler The Messiah will suffer The Messiah shines in glory upon the people Saint John the Baptist The greatest of the prophets He prepared the way of the Lord Jesus
10. Part Three: Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. John 1:14 Jesus was FULLY divine. Performed miracles – proofs and signs of his divinity. At his baptism, the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus and the voice of God from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt. 3:17) Jesus was FULLY human. In the Gospel of Mark, he is shown as having very real emotions: sadness, anger, fear, temptation INCARNATION – God took on our human nature and likeness BUT he was without sin He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man …
14. 5 Facts About Jesus That Will NEVER Change: Jesus was a real person who actually lived in history. No one disputes this fact. We have reliable eye-witness testimony to Jesus’ life in the New Testament documents. There can be no doubt that Jesus claimed to be God. Jesus proclaimed that he was the only way to God. Jesus proved WHAT and WHO he was by rising from the dead.
15. Part Four: The Saving Mission of Jesus Jesus has three main roles: priest, prophet and king TRIPLE OFFICE Priest: his sacrifice gave us sanctifying grace – the life of God in our souls; gave us the sacraments and prayer; taught through parables Prophet: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me.” (Jn. 14:6); came to give us the Good News King: he is the Messiah, the great ruler over God’s people in the Kingdom of Heaven
16. Covenant Renewed: The Beatitudes Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
17. Some Questions for Discussion What challenges do young Catholics face in trying to proclaim the Word of God in their daily lives? Could you do what the store clerk did? Who is Jesus? What does this mean when we’re at school? At church? With our friends? With our family? What does this mean: Jesus is our GUIDE and our MODEL?
Editor's Notes
Martin Luther King Jr.Dorothy DayGhandiMarc and Craig KielburgerSt. Maximilian KolbePhil FontaineMuktaran MaiBlessed Mother TeresaNelson Mandela
