Ch. 7: Redemption Through the
Paschal Mystery
The Wonders of Our Salvation
• If we consider what Jesus
Christ has accomplished by
his Life, Death,
Resurrection, and
Ascension to Heaven, we
can only wonder at what
he has done for us.
• The sacraments make the
wonder of God’s work
present and help us to
celebrate the gift of
Redemption.
Discussion: What are some things
you have experienced in nature that
amaze or impress you?
The Presence of God in Creation
• Creation itself is the first
wonder of the world; it
begs us to take notice of
God’s power, intelligence,
goodness, and love.
• Human beings are the pinnacle of God’s creation,
made in his own image and likeness.
• Each of us is aware that we are not responsible for
our own existence—this existence is a sign of God’s
love for every individual.
The Incarnation
• In the Incarnation, the
Second Person of the Trinity
became human and shared
in the joys and sufferings of
being human.
• The Incarnation effected our
salvation, fulfilling God’s
promises:
– the Protoevangelium
– God’s promise to Abraham
– The covenant with Moses
and the Israelites
– The preaching of the
prophets
• The Incarnation
teaches us important
truths:
– Humans have great
dignity
– All creation has worth
– God shares in both
our personal joys and
sufferings
• The sacraments help us to celebrate the wonder
of the Incarnation in special moments of our
lives.
Good News: The Kingdom of God Is at Hand
The Kingdom of God, ushered in by Christ, provides
the structure and goal for our life in the Lord.
The Kingdom of God Is at Hand
• Jesus’ announcing the Kingdom calls us to be
open to the Kingdom in our lives, which
requires:
– Faith: a wholehearted acceptance of and
commitment to Jesus
– Conversion: turning our hearts and minds
away from sin and toward God
• The seven sacraments celebrate this Good
News, offering sacred signs of God’s reign and
helping to bring it about.
Forgiveness of Sins
• An essential part of Jesus’
mission and message was
the forgiveness of sin.
• Jesus called for
repentance—turning from
sin, forgiving others
(including our enemies), and
embracing God’s Kingdom.
• Through the forgiveness of sin, Jesus reveals that his
heavenly Father loves and forgives sinners.
• All of the sacraments, but especially Baptism and
Penance, help us celebrate and make real God’s
compassion for us.
Friendship with Jesus
• Another gift of our Redemption is that we can
experience an intimate, loving friendship with
Christ.
• The fruit of this love is membership in the
Church.
• We experience friendship
with Jesus in prayer, in
fellow believers, and
especially in the sacraments.
The Paschal Mystery Wins Our
Redemption
• Christ’s work of Redemption
is principally accomplished by
the Paschal Mystery.
• The Paschal Mystery is
celebrated and made present
in the liturgy of the Church,
and its saving effects are
communicated in the
sacraments, especially the
Eucharist.
• Jesus calls us to live the
Paschal Mystery in our daily
lives by dying to sin and
reaching out in love to
others.
• In order to help us live out
this Mystery, God sends us
the Holy Spirit, especially in
the sacraments.
• By enacting the fruits of the
Spirit we become more like
Christ.
The Last Things: Christian Death and
the Resurrection of the Body
• The study of the last things
is called eschatology. It
encompasses:
– Death
– Resurrection of the body
– Particular and General
Judgment
– Heaven, Hell, Purgatory
• At death our souls will separate from our bodies and our loving
God will judge us fairly and compassionately in a particular
judgment.
• At the Second Coming of the
Lord Jesus (aka the
Parousia):
– the Trinity will raise the bodies
of both the just and unjust
– in the Last Judgment Christ
will reveal the truth of each
person’s relationship with God
– those judged to have lived good
Christian lives will experience
the Beatific Vision
– God will transform all material creation in Christ, creating a
suitable eternal dwelling for us
– We don’t know when the Parousia will occur.
More About Eternal Life
• Immediately after death,
we will experience an
individual, particular
judgment to determine
whether:
– we will merit the eternal
reward of Heaven,
– need to be purified of our
sins in Purgatory, or
– deserve punishment in
Hell.
• God does not force us to spend eternity with him in
Heaven because God respects our freedom.
Heaven
• If we die in God’s
friendship and grace and
are perfectly purified, we
will receive the reward of
Heaven.
• Heaven is sharing in
God’s life for eternity.
• There we will be fully
incorporated into Christ,
yet we will retain our true
individual identities.
• The happiness in store for us in Heaven is beyond
human imagination.
Purgatory
• Purgatory is for those who die in
God’s grace and friendship but need
purification from venial sin before
entering Heaven.
• Purgatory is necessary because we
must be unhindered in our love in
order to embrace an all-loving God.
• Our belief in the Communion of
Saints supports our understanding
of Purgatory. The Communion of
Saints includes:
– The pilgrim Church (those living on earth)
– The Church suffering (those in Purgatory)
– The Church triumphant (the blessed in
Heaven)
Hell
• Hell is eternal
separation from God
brought on by
deliberate mortal sin
and the failure to
repent.
• Both Scripture and
Tradition uphold the
existence of Hell,
though we cannot be
certain who is in Hell.
Discussion:
• How does the understanding of Heaven and Hell
we have been discussing differ from how they are
usually portrayed?
• Why would God ever allow someone to go to
Hell?
• Why would anyone ever choose not to go to
Heaven?
Our Hope for the End of Time
• At the Last or General
Judgment, Christ will
come again, and
everyone will recognize
God’s saving plan in
Christ Jesus.
• The virtue of hope helps
us to look forward to the
glorious day of Christ’s
Second Coming.