CATHOLIC CENTRAL COURSE SYLLABUS
Theology Department: The Mission of Jesus Christ: The Paschal
Mystery
Fall 2015 Semester Class—Sophomore Year—1/2 Credit
Mr. Jason Jackett
Room A-114
jjackett@catholiccentral.net
www.jjackettcc.wordpress.com
1. Prerequisites:
The course prerequisite is a fundamental understanding and practical application of the Catholic
Central freshmen theology classes, i.e. The Revelation of Jesus Christ in Scripture and Who is
Jesus Christ.
2. Electronic Book:
Singer-Towns, Brian, The Paschal Mystery: Christ’s Mission of Salvation [e-book from St.
Mary’s Press through iBooks], Winona: Saint Mary’s Press, 2011, ISBN 978-1-59982-444-4.
More resources which the student may find extremely helpful can be found on the Saint Mary’s
Press homepage at the URL address www.smp.org.
3. Class Blog:
For a copy of the progressively developing lecture notes, class calendar, assigned homework and
answers, as well as announcements about upcoming quizzes, please go to the following URL
address to access our Paschal Mystery class blog: http://jjackettcc.wordpress.com. The
information is updated on a daily basis and organized by weeks. Please sign up to follow the
class blog by Monday, August 24, 2015.
4. Course Description (according to the curriculum framework approved by the
Archdiocese of Detroit):
The purpose of this course is to help students understand all that God has done for us through
his Son, Jesus Christ. Through this course of study, students will learn that for all eternity, God
has planned for us to share eternal happiness with Him, which is accomplished through the
redemption Christ won for us. Students will learn that they share in this redemption only in and
through Jesus Christ. They will also be introduced to what it means to be a disciple of Christ and
what life as a disciple entails.
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5. Major Concepts of the Course:
1. The Trinitarian God is the creator of all things seen and unseen. (CCC 356-373)
2. Human beings are the summit of creation. (CCC 345-357)
3. Man and woman are equal in dignity, and sexual differences are part of God’s plan.
(CCC 356-368)
4. God’s plan included original holiness and original justice. (CCC 374-379)
5. With original sin, humans fell from God’s grace. (CCC 309-314, 385-390, 1707)
6. The promise of the Messiah was God’s promise to redeem the world. (CCC 410-412)
7. The Old Testament describes the chosen people’s longing for the fulfillment of the
promise. (CCC 121-130)
8. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the promise and our redeemer. (CCC 422-451)
9. The life of Christ, his baptism, miracles, parables, and Transfiguration are examples
for our lives. (CCC 535-540, 2618, 541-550, 611, 1337-1344)
10. Redemption was obtained through the Paschal Mystery (CCC 595-618)
11. Our sins were the cause of Jesus death. (CCC 1691-1698)
12. We are called to a life of holiness. (CCC 826,2012, 1014, 2028-2045, 2813)
13. We are to live as a disciple of Jesus. (CCC 520, 518, 767, 1693)
14. Prayer is the only way to have a relationship with God. (CCC 2558)
15. Scripture is a source and guide for prayer. (CCC 2567-2589, 2653, 2654)
16. There are many types of prayer. (CCC 2700-2724)
17. The Theology of the Body is a concrete particular way of living out Christ’s Paschal
Mystery in our own daily lives.
6. Major Objectives of the Course:
a. Content: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Differentiate between the literary forms in Scripture.
Understand that the Trinitarian God is the creator of all things.
Articulate the nature and role of angels.
Defend how humans are the summit of creation.
Know that man and woman together reflect the image of God.
Identify that human sexuality is part of God’s plan, and mirrors the unity of the Holy
Trinity.
7. Understand that God’s plan for man included original holiness and original justice.
8. Enumerate the consequences of the fall from grace by humans.
9. Know that the first prophecy was the promise of the Messiah.
10. Distinguish between a covenant and contract.
11. Understand why Jesus had to be baptized and tempted by Satan.
12. Describe how Jesus announced the kingdom through parables and miracles.
13. Summarize and explain the institution of the sacrament of Holy Eucharist.
14. Describe the events of the Paschal Mystery.
15. Express how the resurrection fulfilled our redemption.
16. Know that there are moral implications of being redeemed and living as a disciple of
Jesus.
17. Know why we must pray, and what prayer types are available.
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18. Explain the basic concepts of the Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body,
especially as they pertain to the Paschal Mystery.
b. Faith Formation Skill Objectives: Upon the completion of this course the
student will know how to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Summarize Scripture.
Know and distinguish between the forms of sin.
Use the four Gospels.
Discuss the Paschal Mystery.
Identify the traits of holiness.
Identify many forms of prayer.
Determine the best form of personal prayer.
Make a commitment to living out the teachings of the Theology of the Body in your
own life as a way of participating in Christ’s Paschal Mystery
7. Essential Questions

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Why would God the Father allow His Son, Jesus to suffer and die the way he did?
Why are followers of Jesus Christ sometimes so willing to make sacrifices and to accept
pain and suffering, especially in witness to Christ and their faith?
Isn't making sacrifices and putting up with suffering a sign of weakness?
In the end, isn't it really only the final result that matters?
Why shouldn’t I treat my body or any part of creation in any way that I want to?
8. Course Outline
First Quarter:
Section One: God’s Plan for Salvation: The Big Picture
Part One: The Goodness of Creation
a. The Primeval History
b. Creation Reflects the Glory of God
c. Human Beings: The Summit of Creation
d. The Garden of Eden: The Perfect Life
Part Two: The Fall from Grace
1. Adam and Eve’s Disobedience
2. Original Sin: A Consequence of the Fall
3. Satan and the Fallen Angels
Part Three: The Path to Restoration
1. God’s Promise to Adam and Eve
2. The Old Testament Covenants: Part One
3. The Old Testament Covenants: Part Two
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4. Covenant Keeping: Successes and Failures
5. The Growing Messianic Hope
Section Two: Jesus Christ’s Mission Is Revealed
Part One: The Word Became Flesh
1. God Prepares the Way: The Roles of Mary and Joseph
2. The Gospels and Christological Prophecies
3. Why the Word Became Flesh
4. The Titles Say It All
Part Two: The Redemptive Nature of Christ’s Earthly Life
1. The Luminous Mysteries
2. The Poverty of Christ
3. The Obedience of Christ
4. Christ’s Moral Preaching
5. Christ’s Healings
Section Three: God’s Plan for Salvation is Fulfilled
Part One: The Suffering and Death of Jesus
1. The Events of the Passion
2. Who Killed Jesus
3. The Meaning of the Cross
Second Quarter:
Section Three: God’s Plan for Salvation is Fulfilled (continued)
Part Two: The Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus
1. The Events of the Resurrection
2. What is the Resurrection
3. The Significance of Christ’s Resurrection
4. The Ascension
5. The Significance of Christ’s Ascension
Part Three: Redeemed by Christ: Our Eternal Destiny
1. Saved from
2. Saved for
3. Our Judgment by God
4. Heaven, Hell, Purgatory
Section Four: The Paschal Mystery and Your Life
Part One: Living as a Disciple of Christ
1. Our Call to Holiness
2. Participating in Christ’s Priestly Ministry
3. Participating in Christ’s Prophetic Ministry
4. Participating in Christ’s Kingly Ministry
Part Two: Suffering and the Paschal Mystery
1. Making Sense of Suffering
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2. Is Accepting Suffering a Sign of Weakness
3. Finding Strength in Times of Suffering
Section Five: Prayer and the Paschal Mystery
Part One: The Fundamentals of Prayer
1. Why We Pray
2. The Forms of Prayer
3. The Expressions of Prayer
4. Overcoming Obstacles to Prayer
5. Ignatian Gospel Meditation
6. Other Treasures of Prayer Found in the Tradition (material taken from outside the
scope of the textbook)
Part Two: Praying the Triduum
1. Introduction to the Triduum
2. Holy Thursday
3. Good Friday
4. The Easter Vigil
Capstone to the Course: Theology of the Body and the Paschal Mystery (material taken from
outside the scope of the textbook)
Part One: Introduction to Theology of the Body
Part Two: Implications of Theology of the Body for the Notion of the Paschal Mystery
Part Three: Theology of the Body as a Way of Living out the Paschal Mystery
**At some point during the first quarter we will be completing the diocesan mandated program
Called to Serve; details will be forthcoming.
9. Course Assignments and Requirements:
Each student will receive three grades in Paschal Mystery—two quarterly grades and a
semester grade. The quarterly grades will be determined by the total number of points earned by
each student divided by the total number of points possible in one of three categories—i.e. class
participation and attendance, homework, and quizzes. The percentages of each category will be
averaged and the final resultant percentage is used to assign a corresponding letter grade based
upon the school’s grading scale which can be found below. Each category will be weighted in
the following fashion: attendance and participation will be worth 30% of the final grade,
homework will count for 10% of the final grade, and quizzes will account for 60% of the final
grade.
Attendance and class participation are evaluated on a daily basis; therefore it is very
important to be present and prepared for every class. A student is considered present and
prepared for class when he is following all the classroom and school procedures (please confer
the Classroom Procedures: Fall 2015 Academic Semester passed out in class or available on the
class blog and the Parent-Student Handbook which is available on the Catholic Central website).
Each student present and prepared for class will be awarded a participation point each day.
Students who are not present and prepared for class will lose participation points according to the
norms laid out in the classroom procedures. In addition, students will have the opportunity to
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earn attendance and class participation points from time to time when we have in class activities
and exercises. Homework will be assigned most days, collected, and corrected for accuracy for a
homework grade. Quizzes will be given at the end of each part about every five to seven school
days. Pop quizzes will be given in a random fashion directly from the assigned reading if the
teacher determines that students are not able to participate in class discussions by asking and
answering questions because they are not doing their reading and/or homework. Project quizzes
will be given at the end of most if not all sections. Each project will be handed out and
explained individually. Projects will generally be worth about two quiz grades. In general, a
student can earn about five to ten class participation points a week, i.e. five for being present and
prepared for class every day and five for in class activities or exercises. Also generally speaking,
a student can earn about five to twenty homework points and about forty to fifty quiz points each
part (about every five to seven school days). Finally, a student can earn about one hundred quiz
points at the end of each section about every month or so.
The semester grade will be determined by adding up the two quarterly percentages and the
percentage achieved on the final exam and dividing by three—in other words, each quarterly
grade and the final exam counts for one-third of the final semester grade. Progress reports will
be sent out half way through each quarter for any student who is doing C- work or below.
However, both students and parents alike are encouraged to monitor progress on a more frequent
basis online on NetShamrock at http://www.catholiccentral.net as well as on our Paschal Mystery
class blog at http://jjackettcc.wordpress.com. Regarding any comments, questions, counsel, or
complaints, I can always be reached by the students in the classroom or the halls during the day,
before or after school (7:30-8:00 am and 2:45-3:00 pm) in Room A-114 and by both parents and
students via e-mail at jjackett@catholiccentral.net. I look forward to a blessed and fruitful
semester working with you all. Thank you and God ahead of time!
10. Grading Scale and Computation of Grades:
100
96.49
92.49
89.49
86.49
82.49
79.49
76.49
72.49
69.49
66.49
62.49
59.49
-
96.50%
92.50%
89.50%
86.50%
82.50%
79.50%
76.50%
72.50%
69.50%
66.50%
62.50%
59.50%
0%
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
C- (C- or below is deficient work)
D+
D
DF
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