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Lesson 1

The Beginning of the Church

Studying the history of the Church gives us a stronger sense of who we are, what we believe and why, and allows us to forge a path into the future that is firmly rooted in successes, wisdom and a living tradition.

Catechism Connections

Lesson Topics
Church History Church Structure Creation & Creator Evangelization Gospels Sin Suffering & Death The Church
Essential Lessons
Lesson Vocabulary

  • Church
    :
    (n.): The name given to the assembly of the People of God whom He has called together from all the ends of the earth. It is both the earthly institution established by Christ during His earthly life to mediate the gift of salvation on earth, and the heavenly communion of all the saints together with God and His angels.
  • Church Militant
    :
    (n.): Those members of the Church still working out their salvation by waging the battle against sin here on earth.
  • Church Suffering
    :
    (n.): Those members of the Church undergoing purification in Purgatory before their entry into Heaven.
  • Church Triumphant
    :
    (n.): Those members of the Church who enjoy the Beatific Vision in Heaven.
  • Ecclesia
    :
    (n.): Latin word for the Church, derived from the Greek “ekkalein,” which means “to call out of.” The Greek form of the word is used frequently in the Old Testament for the assembly of the Chosen People before God.
  • Septuagint
    :
    (n.): The pre-Christian Greek translation of the Old Testament books made by Jewish scholars and later adopted by Greek-speaking Christians.
  • Qahal
    :
    (n.): Hebrew for “assembly” or “congregation,” and one of the first words used in the Old Testament to describe the Chosen People of God whom He had called out or assembled in His name.
  • Fall of Man
    :
    (n.): When Adam and Eve, due to the temptation and lies of Satan, disobeyed God and rejected His love. Also called the Fall of Man.
  • Original Sin
    :
    (n.): The state of human nature deprived of the original holiness and justice Adam and Even enjoyed before the fall.
  • Concupiscence
    :
    (n.): The tendency or inclination to sin that is an effect of Original Sin. Even though Baptism erases the stain of Original Sin, the tendency to sin remains.
  • Messiah
    :
    (n.): The Hebrew word for “anointed one” and the title given to the Savior God promised to the people of Israel.
  • Twelve Apostles
    :
    (n.): The twelve men Jesus chose and endowed with special authority as the first leaders (bishops) of His Church. stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. (Matt. 7:7–11) The Church is the form this Kingdom of God on earth would take. By his preaching of the Good News and the coming of the Kingdom of God, Jesus inaugurated the Church. “To fulfill the Father’s will, Christ ushered in
  • Great Commission
    :
    (n.): The final words of Christ to His Apostles before His Ascension into Heaven, found in Matthew 28:18–20. In these words, Christ gave His Apostles, and thereby the Church, the mission of evangelization — making disciples of all the nations.
  • Pentecost
    :
    (n.): The day when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles and the Church was born. Fifty days after Jesus’ Resurrection (10 days after His Ascension into Heaven), Mary and the Apostles gathered in the Upper Room and were filled with the Holy Spirit, who came in a rush of wind and appeared as tongues of fire over their heads.
  • Pharisee
    :
    (n.): A member of a Jewish sect that strictly observed the Mosaic law in its ceremonies, practices, and oral tradition. They believed in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body at the end of time.
  • Sanhedrin
    :
    (n.): The ancient Jewish court system that settled religious, poltitical, and judical matters.
  • The Way
    :
    (n.): A title for the Church used by the earliest Christians that refers to the journey of the faithful on the path to salvation. This title echoes Jesus’ statement that He is “the way and the truth and the life” (Jn. 14:6).
  • Ecumenical Council
    :
    (n.): A meeting of all the world’s bishops together in union with the pope.
  • Pope
    :
    (n.): The successor of St. Peter as bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the universal Catholic Church. The pope exercises a primacy of authority as the vicar of Christ on earth and the shepherd of the whole Church.
  • Deacon
    :
    (n.): Men ordained not for priesthood but for ministry and service as assistants to bishops and priests. They serve important functions in the ministry of the word, divine worship, pastoral governance, and the service of charity, tasks which they must carry out under the pastoral authority of their bishop.
  • Martyr
    :
    (n.): A person killed for bearing witness to his faith.
  • Apostolic succession
    :
    (n.): The handing on of apostolic preaching and authority from the Apostles to their successors, the bishops, through the laying on of hands, as a permanent office in the Church

    • Plan

    Chapter Powerpoint
    pptx
    Vocabulary Review
    pdf
    Vocabulary Review Answer Key
    pdf

    Teach

    The Sacrament of Ordination (Christ Presenting the Keys to Saint Peter) (ca. 1636)
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    "What is Truth" Video

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