2. What Can I Hope For When I Give?
Fidelity and Service
What builds strong What destroys
relationships? relationships?
3. What is Love?
St Paul says: “True love is the only thing that can
really make a difference in the world.” He
describes true love as:
“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not
envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It
does not insist on its own way; it is not
irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in
wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
(1 Corinthians 13: 4-8)
4. Jesus gave us an example of perfect and
true love when he gave his life out of love
for us: “I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another. Just as I have
loved you, you also should love one
another.”
5. Apostolic Church
Apostle means “emissary” – “one who is sent” as an
agent on a mission. When we say we believe in an
“apostolic church,” we are saying that we believe
that the Church has been sent by Jesus into the
world.
All members of the Church are called to be
emissaries for Christ, agents of the kingdom of God
for all peoples. One of the main tasks Jesus has
given us is to love one another and to change the
world into a better place by teaching it the
meaning of true love.
6. The Sacrament Marriage
- man and woman make a
covenant (promise, pledge,
bond) – a lifelong
commitment
- two important reasons for this
commitment:
1) to bring together a
man and a woman as “one
flesh” (Genesis 2:24) to enrich
their lives together, and
2) to establish the best
possible atmosphere for
having children and raising
them
7. - because man and woman are created in
the image of God, who is love, the love of a
husband and wife for each other is an
image of the absolute and unfailing love of
God.
8. The Sacrament of Holy Orders
- Jesus promised to be with the
apostles when they proclaim
his message to the world,
through the power of the Holy
Spirit
- task of spreading the word is
carried out by the bishops
(successors of the apostles),
and by the priests and
deacons
- task also includes building up
the body of Christ through
faithful and loving service, and
sharing God’s love with others
9. - priests ordained in the Latin rite take a vow
of celibacy and devote themselves entirely
to God and to the Christian community.
Celibacy is a sign of selfless service to God’s
people.
10. Catechism #1534
… Holy Orders and Matrimony are directed
towards the salvation of others; if they
contribute as well to personal salvation, it is
through service to others that they do so.
They confer a particular mission in the
Church and serve to build up the People of
God.
11. Faith Journal
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS
… YET!
What motivates people to give? Make a list of
at least 6-8 points.
Are some motivations more Christian than
others? Explain.
When is giving likely to produce good results?
When might giving produce evil results?
