Catholic Faith Refresher Course

And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.   -- Matt.16:18

"For God so loved the world, as to give His only begotten Son: that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish. but may have life everlasting." (John 3:16)

 DIRECTIONS TO THE STUDENT

The best way to learn about the life of Jesus Christ is to read the four Gospels. It is impossible to give an adequate account of his life and teachings here. In some instruction classes priests use the movies The King of Kings, or Jesus of Nazareth or The Greatest Story Ever Told, but those too are not sufficient. You simply must read the life of Christ in the Gospels. All we will attempt to do in this lesson is give a short sketch of the life of Christ.

A. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST    Jesus Christ was born in a stable at Bethlehem in Palestine some 1900 years ago. {This date is very important because in the study of Christianity you must go back to its Founder, Jesus Christ, who lived more than 1900 years ago.) Christ was a Jew, born of a Jewish maiden, the Virgin Mary .His mother was a virgin before, during, and after His birth. Christ, having no human father, had St. Joseph as His foster-father. The shepherds, the angels, and the Magi, wise men from the East, visited Jesus at Bethlehem.

B. CHRIST LIVED AT NAZARETH

Christ spent His boyhood in the small town of Nazareth with Mary and Joseph. We hear nothing about Him after this until He was twelve years of age. St. Luke tells us about His visit to the temple in Jerusalem at the age of twelve where He instructed the learned Jewish theologians. After this, we hear nothing about Christ until He begins His public life.

C. CHRIST'S PUBLIC LIFE

When Christ was thirty years of age, He began His "public life," that is, the period ofRis life in which He taught the principles of a good life. His miracles, His teaching, and His foundation of the Church took place after He was thirty years old. He was crucified at the age of thirty-three. For a full account of Christ's public life read the Gospels.

D. CHRIST'S HOLINESS  

Christ practiced all the difficult virtues that He taught to others. He lived a life of continual prayer, lowliness, poverty,kindness and purity

E. CHRIST'S MIRACLES

All the miracles of Jesus are not recorded in the Gospels: But "there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written. " (John 21 :25)

The Gospel record tells us that Christ delivered at least seven people from the devil and performed at least fifteen miraculous cures. He brought three people back from the dead; and ten times He exercised His miraculous powers over the forces of nature. In all, some forty miracles are explicitly mentioned in the gospel accounts.

F. CHRIST'S PROPHECIES

A prophecy is the detailed foretelling of a future event which cannot be naturally foreseen. Christ foretold His suffering and death on the cross, His denial by Peter, His betrayal by Judas, His resurrection, the coming of the Holy Ghost, the persecution of His followers.

G. CHRIST PREPARES FOR HIS SUFFERING AND HIS DEATH

Christ entered Jerusalem in triumph on the back of a donkey on Palm Sunday, but His enemies were conspiring against Him to put Him to death. Christ gave us His Body and Blood in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter .

H. CHRIST'S SUFFERING AND DEATH

On Holy Thursday night, Christ suffered a terrible sweating of blood in the Garden of Olives. There He was arrested by His enemies and brought before Annas and Caiphas, the high priests. All the Apostles left Him. Peter denied knowing Him, while Judas betrayed Him. Christ was brought before Pilate, the Roman governor, then Herod, the local governor, and back again to Pilate. He suffered the Roman scourging, crowned with thorns and unjustly condemned to death. On Good Friday He was blasphemed by His enemies and by an unthinking mob. He hung on the cross for three long hours, offering His life for our sins.

I. CHRIST'S RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD

On Easter Sunday Christ came out of the tomb, glorious and immortal. After His resurrection Christ appeared to the Holy Women, to Mary Magdalene, to St Peter and the apostles, to St Thomas, and to more than five hundred of the believers.