What is the Incarnation?
The Christian belief that God came to earth in human form as Jesus.
What are the key ideas of the Incarnation?
- Jesus was fully human and fully God
- God loves humans so much he was willing to hsare in humainty fully
- Jesus experinced the stresses of being human
What was the Annunciation?
The announcment to Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus, Son of God.
Similarites of Luke and Maththew’s form of the Annunciation?
- Mary was a virgin
- An angel announces Jesus’s birth
- Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit
- God worked through humans
Differences between Luke and Maththew’s form of the Annunciation?
- Angel Gabriel only appears to Mary in Luke, but in Maththew he appears to both Mary and Joseph
- In Luke his name is Jesus, in Maththew it’s Emmanuel
- Joseph didn’t question the role he had to play
What are the three titles of Jesus?
- The Word of God
- The Son of God
- The Son of Man
What does it mean if Jesus is the Word of God?
- The Word (Jesus) is eternal
- The Word of God is God (his self-expression)
- The Word of God gives light, life and guidance
What is Grace?
God’s love
Why is Jesus is the Son of God?
During his trial he was asked if he was the Son of God which he replies “I am”. Showing he’s fully God
Why is Jesus the Son of Man?
He called himself the “Son of Man” when he refers to his future suffering
What happens when the focus on Jesus’ humanity is too much?
We just see him as a good human not God
What happens when we focus too much on Jesus’ divinity?
We won’t see him as human, just looks like a human.
Which two documents present the balance of Incarnation?
- Dei Verbum (V2 council)
- Verbum Domini (Letter from Pope Benedict)
What does Dei Verbum tell us about the Incarnation?
Teachings
‘He sent his Son…. so he might tell us of the innermost being of God’
God is revealed and speaks through Jesus.
What does Verbum Domini 12 tell us about the Incarnation?
‘The eternal Word became small enough to fit into a manager… so that the word could be grasped by us’
Jesus limited himself to human form so humans could understand God.
What did St. Irenaeus tell us about incarnation?
Jesus is the meeting point between God and humans.
What is the ‘ICHTHUS’?
Greek word meaning ‘fish’
At the perscution period of Catholics, they would draw half of this fish symbol to identify other Catholics.
What does the ICHTHUS mean?
Indvidual
I – Iesous (Jesus)
CH – Christos (Christ)
TH – Theou (of God)
U – Uios (Son)
S – Soter (Saviour)
What does the AlphaOmega symbol mean.
Alpha is the first Greek letter, Omega is the last Greek letter
It shows that God is from beginning to end
What is Chi-Rho?
The First two letters of the Greek word Christ
Represents the belief that Jesus Christ is God and through his death he saves all humans.
How can we interpret the Christ the Redeemer statue?
- reminds people of the love of God
- Jesus’ love and obedience
How can we interpret the Crucifix?
- reminder of Jesus’ pain and suffering
- the loving obidence of God from all humans
How can we interpret the Sacred Heart statueof Jesus?
- holes in his hand showing he died for us
- Flames coming from his heart as a symbol of burning love
What are the Catholic view for religious art?
- it can help us concentrate on Jesus qualities and become inspired , we don’t worship them
- Jesus was fully human and visible like the statues
- it helps illiterate people percieve Christ
