Paschal Mystery Chapter 1

How do Catholics read the Bible?

to understand the religious truths God wants us to know for our salvation, not scientific details

3 ways we read the bible

1. Literary form, NOT scientific account

2. Figurative language, ex. Symbolism

3. Etiology (literary technique, not a scientific)

Genesis 1: First Creation Account Symbolism

Numbered Days (1-6)

7th Day (Sabbath)

What do the symbols in Genesis 1 mean?

1. shows order and purpose in creation

2. symbol of rest, worship and communion with God, points to our destiny with God

Genesis 1: First Creation Account Religious Truths

God creates with order and purpose

Human beings are created in God’s image

Male and Female are created with equal dignity

Human beings are entrusted with stewardship of Creation

The goodness of Creation reflects the goodness of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Genesis 2: Second Creation Account Symbolism

Garden of Eden

Adam’s rib

Naked and Unashamed

Out of the dust/breath of life

What do the symbols in Genesis 2 mean?

1. paradise, harmony with God

2. a sacrifice, connection between man and woman

3. pure relationship with God

4. humans connections to earth, God’s intimate involvement in our lives

Genesis 2: Second Creation Account Religious Truths

God is intimately involved in human life; he breathes life into Adam.

Humanity is created for a relationship with God, each other, and Creation.

Men and Women are equal in dignity and complementary.

Genesis 3: The Fall or The Fall from Grace Symbolism

Serpent

Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

Fruit

Fig leaves

What do the symbols in Genesis 3 mean?

1. temptation, evil

2. free will

3. disobedience, desire to be like God

4. shame, loss of innocence

Genesis 3 Etiology

Why snakes crawl → Sin isolates

Pain in childbirth → Sin causes suffering

Work for food → Sin disrupts harmony with nature

Death → Sin leads away from God (the source of life)

Wearing clothes → Sin leads to shame

Genesis 3 Religious Truths

The Fall is an act of disobedience, a rejection of God’s law

This act is called Original sin, the sin of the first human beings   

who disobeyed God’s command by choosing to follow their own will.

This resulted in a loss of Original Holiness

Subject to death

What are the consequences of the Fall?

Sin and death

Separation from God

Guilt and shame

Self-centered viewpoint

What is God’s response to the Fall?

God does not abandon humanity; he offers hope and the Protoevangelium.

What is the Protoevangelium?

first announcement of Good News, promise of a Savior

What did God let the Fall happen?

God did not create evil and is not a cause of it, humans have Free Will, and God can work good from wrong choices.

Who are Cain and Abel?

Cain and Abel are the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain commits the first murder by killing his brother Abel.

What is concupiscence?

Concupiscence is the tendency toward sin. In Genesis 4:7, God tells Cain:
“Sin lies in wait at the door, its urge is for you, yet you can rule over it.” Cain had a choice, he could rule over it.

How does sin progress in the story of Cain and Abel, and what does it teach us about the transmission of sin?

Cain’s jealousy leads to death—he murders his brother Abel. It also teaches that we have all inherited sin—this is the transmission of sin from the first humans to all of humanity.

In Noah and the Flood, type of sin is present in the story?

Communal sin, he whole community becomes corrupt.

What do the flood waters prefigure?

The flood waters prefigure baptism, which washes away sin.

What does the rainbow and the dove symbolize in the story of Noah?

The rainbow is a sign of a covenant with God, and the dove symbolizes peace.

What happens in the story of the Tower of Babel?

The cycle of sin repeats. Humanity rebels against its own limitations and strives to be like God.

What is the etiology in the Tower of Babel story?

It explains the origin of different languages and how people became scattered across the world.

What is the spiritual truth behind the Tower of Babel?

Sin separates us from one another.