Knowledge Of Faith

Full Life in the Kingdom An introduction to a formation process as envisioned by Disciples of the Lamb, Apostles of the King

What really am I in for?

Maybe there’s a catch!

Introduction
Who’s this for?
Adults
The evangelized
Members
What will the teachings cover?
Six areas
Knowledge of the Faith
Christian Living
Liturgy

Introduction
Prayer
Community
Mission
Week Seven is unique!
“The Way Ahead”
A new vision
Some goals
To tie each area to your experience
Especially to join Faith and Life

Introduction
Invite your active involvement
Give you something to practice/work on
This is a process not a program!
The elements fit together
Leads on to Discipleship and the Apostolate
Feedback is welcome!
Have been discerning God’s wisdom
Picture isn’t complete

Knowledge of the Faith Its Role in the Life of a Disciple

Knowledge of the Faith
John Paul II at the beginning of the new millennium:
What must we do?
It is not therefore a matter of inventing a "new programme". The programme already exists: it is the plan found in the Gospel and in the living Tradition, it is the same as ever. Ultimately, it has its centre in Christ himself, who is to be known, loved and imitated, so that in him we may live the life of the Trinity, and with him transform history until its fulfilment in the heavenly Jerusalem. . . . This programme for all times is our programme for the Third Millennium. (NMI 29)

Necessity of Knowledge
Knowledge of the Faith is first the knowledge of a person – Jesus Christ
Is knowledge necessary?
God our savior, wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. (NAB; 1 Ti 2:4).
God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth"; that is, God wills the salvation of everyone through the knowledge of the truth. Salvation is found in the truth. (CCC 851)

Knowledge and Experience
“Human experience provides sensible signs that lead the person, by the grace of the HS, to a better understanding of the truths of the faith.” (NDC p. 89)
Because the Eternal Word assumed human nature, human experience is where Jesus is revealed and where our salvation in him is realized. (NDC pp. 97-98)

Limits of Knowledge
The "tree of the knowledge of good and evil“ symbolically evokes the insurmountable limits that man, being a creature, must freely recognize and respect with trust. (CCC 396)
Knowledge has been affected by the Fall
We are subject to ignorance (CCC 405)
We want to know everything
We think we know everything

Knowledge and the Holy Spirit
"No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit.“ (1 Cor 12:3) "God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!"‘ (Gal 4:6) This knowledge of faith is possible only in the Holy Spirit: to be in touch with Christ, we must first have been touched by the Holy Spirit. He comes to meet us and kindles faith in us. (CCC 683)

Knowledge and Faith
"Faith seeks understanding": (St. Anselm) it is intrinsic to faith that a believer desires to know better the One in whom he has put his faith, and to understand better what He has revealed; a more penetrating knowledge will in turn call forth a greater faith, increasingly set afire by love. (CCC 158)
Knowledge and faith work beautifully together

Knowledge and Love
Of all visible creatures only man is "able to know and love his creator". He is "the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake", and he alone is called to share, by knowledge and love, in God's own life. (CCC 356)
We are made in God’s image and likeness (Gen 1:26-27)
Love desires to know the object of its love

The Perfection of Knowledge
Our goal:
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. (1 Co 13:12)
God knows us perfectly
One day we will know him perfectly
In the meantime we pursue our knowledge of him

Sources of Knowledge of the Faith
Knowledge begins with human reason and experience
By natural reason man can know God with certainty, on the basis of his works. But there is another order of knowledge, which man cannot possibly arrive at by his own powers: the order of divine Revelation. Through an utterly free decision, God has revealed himself and given himself to man. This he does by revealing the mystery, his plan of loving goodness, formed from all eternity in Christ, for the benefit of all men. God has fully revealed this plan by sending us his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. (CCC 50)

Sources of Knowledge of the Faith
Scripture and Tradition
Tradition and Sacred Scripture are bound closely together and communicate one with the other. Each of them makes present and fruitful in the Church the mystery of Christ. They flow out of the same divine well-spring and together make up one sacred deposit of faith from which the Church derives her certainty about revelation. (CCCC 14)

Human Learning
Learning Through Human Experience
Learning Through Discipleship
Role of teachers, mentors
Learning Within the Christian Community
Learning within the family
Learning Through the Witness of Others
Learning by “Heart”
Study and memorization
Learning by Living

For the Future
Knowledge of Scripture
The Church "forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful. . . to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. (CCC 133)
READ THE SUNDAY READINGS!!!
Join a Bible Study

For the Future
Learn the meaning of the Creed and the other teachings of the Church
Get the Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Compendium of the Catechism . . .
Or the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
Books, magazines, videos, DVD’s, websites, podcasts, etc.

For the Future
Read the some of the documents of Vatican II
Some of the documents of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Get EWTN, listen to Catholic radio online, attend a conference
Contact the Archdiocese
ETC.

What do I do?
A practice for the week ahead:
How did I learn about the faith this past year?
Human Experience, Discipleship, Christian community/Family, Witness of Others, Memorization/Study, Living, etc.
What can I do this year to grow in my knowledge of the faith?
What resources do I need?
Write it down!

Knowledge Of Faith

by Sean Wenger on Dec 15, 2007

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Knowledge Of Faith — Presentation Transcript