SYNOPSIS OF LESSONS 11-24

LESSON 11: THE CLERGY IN THE CHURCH

As baptised ,members of the Body of Christ ,the Church, we live out our vocation and mission in one of these ways as members of the laity, religious orders or congregations or members of the clergy.The clergy make up the upper levels of the Church's hierarchy which are the pope,bishops,priests and deacons.A person becomes a member of the clergy through the Sacrament of Holy Orders that is ordination. The roots of the hierarchy dates back to the twelve apostles that were chosen by Jesus. Jesus shared his message and mission with his 12 apostles. Simon Peter was chosen by Jesus as head of the apostles. Matthew 16:13-20.

The Holy Spirit revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Messiah
Jesus informs Peter that he was chosen to lead the Church
Jesus asked Peter to exercise his authority in unity with the other apostles

CHAPTER 12: THE LAITY IN THE CHURCH

CCC897

"The term 'laity' is here all baptised Christians except those in Holy Orders and those who belong to a religious state approved by the Church.(eg Lay people can also take part in some of the sacred rituals of the Church by being altar servers, lectors, and lay ministers who can help distribute the Holy Eucharist during Mass and bring Holy Communion to shut-ins and those in hospital)

That is, the faithful, who by Baptism are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the People of God, are made sharers in their particular way in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ, and have their own part to play in the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the World."short all of us.

ROMANS 12:1-21

A Living Sacrifice

12 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2 Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Gifts of Grace

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

CHAPTER 13: THE RELIGIOUS IN THE CHURCH

In the Christian tradition, religious Orders are associations of men or women who seek to lead a life of prayer and pious practices and who are devoted often to some specific form of service. Members usually bind themselves publicly, or sometimes privately, by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to lead a dedicated life.These vows are known as the Evangelical counsels because they reflect the gospel way of life.

CHAPTER 14:THE CHURCH HONOURS MARY

How Can Mary Be God’s Mother?

in Luke 1:43—a text used by Catholics to demonstrate a biblical foundation for the Theotokos —wherein Elizabeth "exclaimed [to Mary] with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’" Fundamentalists point out this text does not call Mary Mother of God; it calls her mother of my Lord.

Called in the Gospels "the mother of Jesus," Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the mother of my Lord." In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father’s eternal Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos). (CCC 495)

Mary is the Mother of God precisely because Jesus Christ, her Son, is God. And when Mary gave birth, she did not give birth to a nature, or even two natures; she gave birth to one, divine Person. If Jesus Christ is one, eternal and unchangeable divine person—God—and Mary is his mother, then Mary is the Mother of that one, eternal and unchangeable person—God.

prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 in its definition. This text prophesied over 700 years before the birth of Christ that the Messiah was to be born of a woman and yet he was to be "God with us."

Bible Verses About Mary The Mother Of Jesus

LUKE 1 :26-48

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

28 He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour! The Lord is with you.'

29 She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean,

30 but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour.

31 Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David;

33 he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.'

34 Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?'

35 The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God.

36 And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month,

37 for nothing is impossible to God.'

38 Mary said, 'You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.' And the angel left her.

39 Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could into the hill country to a town in Judah.

40 She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth.

41 Now it happened that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

43 Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?

44 Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy.

45 Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.'

46 And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;

48 because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed,

Luke 2:51 - And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

Luke 11:27 - And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed [is] the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

John 2:3-5 - And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

John 19:26-27 - When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

Revelation 12:1-2 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth.

Revelation 12:5 - And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and [to] his throne.

DOGMA is now understood to be a truth appertaining to faith or morals, revealed by God, transmitted from the Apostles in the Scriptures or by tradition, and proposed by the Church for the acceptance of the faithful.

The Church’s magisterium exercises the authority it holds from Christ to the fullest extent when it defines dogmas, that is, when it proposes, in a form obliging the Christian people to an irrevocable adherence of faith, truths contained in divine Revelation or also when it proposes, in a definitive way, truths having a necessary connection with these. (CCC 88)

The Roman Catholic Church dogmas relating to Mary

The Virgin of Guadalupe displays the sun, moon, and stars symbolism of the Woman of Revelation 12

The book of Revelation contains a passage in which St. John sees a great sign in the sky. He wrote:

And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

She brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne [Rev. 12:1, 5].

1) Divine Motherhood

Mary is truly the Mother of God.

2) Perpetual Virginity

Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin.Mary is the Immaculate Conception.Mary bore her Son without any violation of her virginal integrity.After the birth of Jesus, Mary remained a Virgin.

3) Immaculate Conception

Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit without the cooperation of man.

It was proclaimed as an independent dogma by Pope Pius IX in his Apostolic Constitution "Ineffabilis Deus" (December 8, 1854). The feast of the Solemnity of the Immaculate conception is celebrated on December 8th every year.

4) The Assumption

Mary was assumed body and soul into Heaven.This marian dogma was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950 on his Encyclical Munificentissimus Deus. The feast of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 15th every year and is a day of obligation

CHAPTER 15 : THE CHURCH HONOURS THE SAINTS

A saint ,the name derived from “hagio” (one who is holy) originally meant all baptised members of the early church as they were given a share in God’s holy life.Now it refers to holy Christians who lived their lives in an extraordinary and heroic way, persons who lived a life of holiness and virtue, following Christ’s call to be “perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt.5; 48).

The official process for declaring someone a saint is called canonization.The stages a person goes through

Servant of God → Venerable → Blessed → Saint

A Saint is not an angel but a rewarded just person by God to be in heaven. In Hebrews12 :1, Saints are referred to as “the great cloud of witnesses”.
In the vision of John the apostle, he views saints as people who had done their earthly struggle and gone through a persecution but are washed through the blood of Jesus. He said, (Jn 9:14)
Saints can pray for Christians in their needs because they are closer to God.How do we know this? John indicates in Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
the Feast of All Saints celebrated in the Catholic Church as a day of obligation on November 1st.The Mystical Body of Christ is composed of the saints in heaven who form the Church Triumphant, of the faithful on earth who form the Church Militant, and of the souls in Purgatory who form the Church Suffering.

All Souls Day commemorates the dead which according to Jesus is important too.These though they died in God’s grace are not able to enter heaven immediately but must spend time in purgatory where their souls will be cleansed before they can enter heaven into the communion of saints.Jesus himself raised the dead to life as accounted in the gospel and so that teaches that the dead are equally important and so need not be forgotten. Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus in Matt 9:18-26. Jesus raised an only son of a widow in Lk. 7:11-17. Lazarus who had died was raised to life by Jesus in Jn 11:38-44.

CHAPTER 16 : THE CHURCH PRAYS

Jesus himself taught us how to pray when he instituted the Lord’s Prayer the “Our Father”

Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

Jesus himself often withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

Luke 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain …

Matthew 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain …

Mark 1:35,36 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, …

Mark 6:46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

John 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him …

Different forms of prayer and expression have evolved over time in the Church including praise,thanksgiving,intercession and petitions.These prayers are expressed in different ways through vocal prayer (praying aloud,singing) meditation (reflection in silence) and contemplation(gazing silently )

CHAPTER 17: THE CHURCH CELEBRATES THE LITURGY

The act of the faithful, gathering as a community to celebrate,worship and thank God =Liturgy

In the liturgy we celebrate the salvific action of jesus in our daily lives.
we participate through our active and conscious deeds like singing,saying prayers,gestures and responses
We participate in liturgy through the celebration of the liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office).These are the prayers the whole church says throughout the day.

Liturgy of the Hours

Invitatory Office of Readings
Memorial Morning Prayer
Memorial Midmorning Prayer
Midday Prayer
Midafternoon Prayer
Evening Prayer
Memorial Night Prayer

Canticle of Simeon

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in His peace (alleluia).

CHAPTER 18: THE CHURCH CELEBRATES THE SACRAMENTS

There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism,Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance,Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony."They are special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence.

CHAPTER 19: THE CHURCH’S LITURGICAL YEAR

The Liturgical Year is marked by special seasons: Advent, Christmas, Lent, The Paschal Triduum or Three Days, Easter, and Ordinary Time.
The Liturgical Year begins on the first Sunday of Advent, which usually occurs around the beginning of December or the end of November, and ends on the feast of Christ the King.
The purpose of the Liturgical Year Calendar is not to mark the passage of time, but to celebrate and understand more fully the entire mystery of Jesus Christ, from his incarnation and birth until his ascension, the day of Pentecost, and the expectation of his return in glory.
The Liturgical Year Calendar communicates what readings the Church has designated to be used for each day and special feasts and commemorations
It communicates the colour of the vestments to be worn by the priest during each celebration of the liturgy. The colours for the seasons are: Advent & Lent ~ purple, Christmas & Easter ~ white/gold, and Ordinary times ~ green. Red is usually associated with the Palm Sunday & Pentecost .Red also becomes the colour for all feasts of Apostles, except John (White), and for feasts associated with the martyrs of the church.
The Liturgical Cycle covers a three-year period , In which Year A focuses predominantly on Matthew’s Gospel,Year B on Mark’s Gospel and Year C on Luke’s Gospel. John’s Gospel is interspersed throughout the years, particularly during Easter.

CHAPTER 20 : THE CHURCH AND THE WORD OF GOD

Apostolic Fathers Someone who can directly trace himself to an Apostle or personally know a person who was closely associated with the apostles. Apostolic Tradition occurs in 2 ways .First through living transmission of the Good News(also called tradition) that is through preaching,teachings,life and worship of the Church.The second way is through Sacred Scripture, the transmission of the same Good news in written form.

By the Magisterium we mean the teaching office of the Church. It consists of the Pope and Bishops. Christ promised to protect the teaching of the Church : "He who hears you, hears me; he who rejects you rejects me, he who rejects me, rejects Him who sent me" (Luke 10. 16). and therefore infallible.

CHAPTER 21 :THE CHURCH SERVES THE POOR AND THE OPPRESSED

Matthew 25:40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are great ways in which we can do acts of mercy and charity toward others. They are:

Corporal Works of Mercy

1. Feed the hungry.

2. Give drink to the thirsty.

3. Clothe the naked.

4. Visit and ransom captives.

5. Shelter the homeless.

6. Visit the sick.

7. Bury the dead.

Spiritual Works of Mercy

1. Correct sinners.

2. Instruct the ignorant.

3. Counsel the doubtful.

4. Comfort the sorrowful.

5. Bear wrongs patiently.

6. Forgive all injuries.

7. Pray for the living and the dead.

SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH

Life and Dignity of the Human Person abortion and euthanasia. The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty.
Call to Family, Community, and Participation Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened,
Rights and Responsibilities Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable Needs of the poor and vulnerable first.
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers The economy must serve people
Solidarity We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences.
Care for God's Creation We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation

CHAPTER 22 : THE CHURCH PROCLAIMS THE TRUTH

THE TRANSMISSION OF DIVINE REVELATION

CCC 74 God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth":29 that is, of Christ Jesus.30 Christ must be proclaimed to all nations and individuals, so that this revelation may reach to the ends of the earth:

I. THE APOSTOLIC TRADITION

CCC 75 "Christ the Lord, in whom the entire Revelation of the most high God is summed up, commanded the apostles to preach the Gospel, which had been promised beforehand by the prophets, and which he fulfilled in his own person and promulgated with his own lips. In preaching the Gospel, they were to communicate the gifts of God to all men. This Gospel was to be the source of all saving truth and moral discipline."32

1.evangelisation
2. respect for life	Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.Jeremiah 1:5
3. respect for family
4. respect for human sexulailty

CHAPTER 23 THE CHURCH WORKS FOR THE UNITY OF OTHER CHRISTIANS.

THE GREAT SCHISM

The initial Christians lived mainly in places under the control of the Roman Empire ,those areas in the East were called the Eastern Churches where the main language was Greek and lead by the Patriarchs, and the areas in the West formed the Western Church which came directly under the pope in Rome and spoke mainly Latin.Then came the great Schism of the 1000AD where The Eastern Churches wanted to make certain decisions without the permission of the Pope ,but the Pope disagreed as a result ,the patriarchs formed what is known today as the Greek Orthodox Church and the western part under the leadership of the Pope was known as the Roman Catholic Church.

600 years later in the 1500’s a young Catholic priest from Germany called Martin Luther disagreed with the then practice of selling indulgences in a theses of his was excommunicated by the Church and many Christians in Germany follwed suit.He then formed the Lutheren Church .During the same time the King of England HENRY VIII initially defended the church of Rome against Luther and was called the defender of the church.However not long after that his affair with Anne Boleyn caused him to run foul of the Church when he wanted to divorce his wife Queen Catherine for apparently not producing a male heir.So His advisors called for him to separate from the Church like Germany and he did do forming the Anglican Church/ Church of England.Unfortunately for Henry this marriage was not the last and he went on to have 6 wives ,2 of whom he beheaded .From then on any leader who seemed to disagree with the leadership of any church, seemedto up and form a new one.

As much as these churches are different they do have some similarities like belief in the Holy Trinity and the Sacred scriptures.

We must be aware of these differences so that we do not do anything that goes against the teachings of the Catholic Church.

This does not mean that we have to remain separated from Christian from the other Churches. It is the desire of the Catholic church ,that all Christians as followers Christ will be united as one,since all of us accept him as our Lord and Saviour.This is known as Ecumenism.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. - Matthew 7:21-23

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. [Romans 16:17-18]

Divisions are created by teachings that are contrary to sound doctrine. Unity in the faith is impossible without the doctrine of Christ. Without such a foundation we have no basis for the faith, for the gospel, for knowing Jesus, or for knowing anything pertinent to the Truth.

"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son" [2 John 1:9].

"...If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." [John 8:31-32]

True unity is not sought by pretending that there are no differences, as modern ecumenists have done, but by recognizing and respecting those differences, while focusing on the great orthodox truths all Christians share. Articulated in the classic confessions and creeds, it embraces such fundamentals as the Virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the Atonement, the Resurrection, the authority of Scripture, and the Second Coming.

Man-made unity is not what God desires. He wants a holy people.Many Christians believe that unity in itself will bring about a holy revival. But unity cannot bring holiness, only holiness can bring about true unity. For when God's people start seeking to live, worship and pray according to the Holy Word of God, then God Himself will answer Jesus' prayer and make those who seek Him, truly "one!" THEN God will unite the hearts of those who love Him, and hate sin and error, and He will truly shine forth from the midst of such a people - the true people of God!

The unification of the various national identities, races, and religions can only be achieved through the eradication of sin. That means only through the Lord Jesus Christ can we become perfectly one. The other avenue to unite people, the program of the Antichrist, will only be accomplished temporarily through deception.

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

CHAPTER 24 :THE CHURCH DIALOGUES WITH PEOPLE OF OTHER FAITHS

As Christians, we believe that diversity is a part of God's creation. God calls us to live together in peace and love, and to engage in genuine dialogue with people of other faiths.

In the many pluralist societies where they live, Christians and people of other religions are bound together in a dialogue of life, with all its difficulties but also its riches and promises. They gain new insights about their own faith and that of others. They discover afresh resources, which will help them, become more humane and make the world a better place for living together. They learn how to be more sensitive to the needs and aspirations of others and more obedient to God’s will for all creation.

Guiding Principles

Dialogue must be a process of mutual empowerment, not a negotiation between parties who have conflicting interests and claims. Rather than being bound by the constraints of power relations, partners in dialogue should be empowered to join a common pursuit of justice, peace and constructive action for the good of all people.

In dialogue we grow in faith. For Christians, involvement in dialogue produces constant reappraisal of our understanding of the Biblical and theological tradition. Dialogue drives all communities to self-criticism and to re-thinking the ways in which they have interpreted their faith traditions. Dialogue brings about change in the experience of faith, helping people to deepen and grow in their faith in unexpected ways.

In dialogue we affirm hope. In the midst of the many divisions, conflicts and violence there is hope that it is possible to create a human community that lives in justice and peace. Dialogue is not an end in itself. It is a means of building bridges of respect and understanding. It is a joyful affirmation of life for all.

In dialogue we nurture relations. Building bonds of relationship with those considered "the other" is the ultimate goal of all dialogues. Such bonds however and are not built easily or quickly. Therefore patience and perseverance are crucial in the practice of dialogue. The tenacity to go on, even when the fruits are not obvious, is one of the basic disciplines of dialogue.

In dialogue we must be informed by the context. Dialogue takes place in concrete settings. Awareness of such realities as historical experience, economic background and political ideologies is essential. Further, differences in culture, gender, generation, race, and ethnicity also have an important impact on the nature and style of interaction. The purpose of dialogue, once the context is taken seriously, is not to remove or run away from differences but to build confidence and trust across them.

In dialogue we strive towards mutual respect. Dialogue partners are responsible for hearing and listening to the self-understanding of each other’s faith. Trust and confidence comes from allowing partners to define themselves, refraining from proselytism, and providing an opportunity for mutual questioning, and if appropriate justified criticism. Such practices promote an informed understanding of each other, which becomes the basis for all other relationships.

In dialogue it is important to respect the integrity of religious traditions in the variety of their structures and organisations. Equally important is to recognise the way that participants in dialogue define their relation with their community. Some affirm their right and obligation to speak for their community. Others would choose to speak from their own experience.

Dialogue is a co-operative and collaborative activity. All partners involved need to be included in the planning process from the very beginning. The strength of setting the agenda together lies in the fact that all partners own the agenda and become committed to making it work. For the conduct of dialogue clear objectives and commonly agreed criteria for participation and regular assessment are essential.

In dialogue we strive to be inclusive, since dialogue can easily become an elitist activity and be confined to certain strata of society. Care should be taken to ensure that dialogue takes place at different levels, between different groups and on subjects that affect the lives of all sections of the community.

CATECHISM 2015 FORM 3 PAUL

Monday 8 April 2019

https://www.avemariapress.com/engagingfaith/2011/04/guided-meditation-peter-denies-jesus/

Sunday 11 September 2016

CHAPTER 24

Sunday 21 August 2016