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Monday, June 5, 2017 (Week 5)

G. K. Chesterton

the Evangelist

St. Joseph Church

6:45 pm to 8:00 pm

Fr. Richard Jones, Presenter

St. Thomas Aquinas St. Francis of Assisi G. K. Chesterton St. Catherine of Siena Michelangelo Bl. John Henry Newman

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This Evening’s Schedule

Subject

Page Number(s)

Opening Song – Blest Are They by David Haas and Lori True

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Opening Prayer by G. K. Chesterton – A Prayer for Sunday

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37 Wise Quotes by G. K. Chesterton 5 – 6

Video Outline – Part I and II 7 – 8

Questions for Understanding – Part I 9 – 16

Questions for Understanding – Part II 16 – 21

Samples of G. K. Chesterton’s Books 22

Closing Prayer for the Beatification of Gilbert Keith Chesterton

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Closing Song – You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban

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Opening Song

Blest Are They

Performed by David Haas and Lori True https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwSkmzw8dY8&list=RDqwSkmzw8dY8

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Opening Prayer

A Prayer for Sunday

by G. K. Chesterton

O God of earth and altar, bow down and hear our cry;

our earthly rulers falter, our people drift and die;

the walls of gold entomb us, the swords of scorn divide;

take not your thunder from us, but take away our pride.

From all that terror teaches, from lies of tongue and pen, from all the easy speeches

that comfort cruel men, from sale and profanation

of honor and the sword, from sleep and from damnation,

deliver us, good Lord!

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36 Wise Quotes by G. K. Chesterton

“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they

are the same people.”

“The most incredible thing about miracles is that they happen.”

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind

him.”

“How you think when you lose determines how long it will be until you win.”

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”

“There is the great lesson of 'Beauty and the Beast,' that a thing must be loved before it is lovable.”

“A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.”

“If there were no God, there would be no atheists.”

“The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.”

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure

wrongly considered.”

“Do not be so open-minded that your brains fall out.”

“Religious liberty might be supposed to mean that everybody is free to discuss religion. In practice it

means that hardly anybody is allowed to mention it.”

“We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.”

“When men cease to believe in God, they will believe in anything.”

“The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man.”

“We make our friends; we make our enemies; but God makes our next-door neighbor.”

“We are like the penny, because we have the image of the king stamped on us, the divine king.”

“Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances that we know to be desperate.”

“A Catholic is a person who has plucked up courage to face the incredible and inconceivable idea that

something else may be wiser than he is.”

“Right is right, even if nobody does it. Wrong is wrong even if everybody is wrong about it.”

“I don’t need a church to tell me I’m wrong when I know I’m wrong; I need a church to tell me I’m wrong

when I think I’m right.”

“Once abolish the God, and the government becomes the God.”

“These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own.”

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“Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.”

“In prosperity, our friends know us. In adversity, we know our friends.”

“The worst moment for an atheist is when he is really thankful and has no one to thank.”

“There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to

desire less.”

“We do not want a Church that will move with the world. We want a Church that will move the world.”

“We do not really want a religion what is right where we are right. What we want is a religion that is right

where we are wrong.”

“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with

gratitude.”

“If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with

God."

“The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.”

“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up.”

“The reason angels can fly is because they take themselves lightly.”

“Dear Sir: Regarding your article 'What's Wrong with the World?' I am. Yours truly, Chesterton.”

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G. K. Chesterton, the Evangelist

Video Outline Part 1

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Chesterton embodied the richness and capaciousness of Catholicism

B. Love of paradox

C. Believed Christianity would set right what was wrong with the world

D. An evangelist because he fought back publicly against the critics of Christianity with

articulate discourse and writing, proclaiming and celebrating the Gospel

II. LIFE AND TIMES

A. Early Life

1. Born in 1874 in London, England

2. Baptized Anglican, but not brought up with a strong faith

3. Interests centered on the arts, theater, drama

4. Attended Slade School of Art in London

5. Early life was nihilistic until he came to an attitude of gratefulness

6. Started writing book reviews for a literary journal and discovered his true

gift was writing

B. Adult Life

1. Married Frances Blogg in 1901; drawn deeper into Christianity; did not

have children

2. Wrote popular series of mystery fiction: The Father Brown Stories

3. Intrigued by paradox and believed that the paradoxes of Christianity

reflected the paradoxes of life

4. Model of intellectual and religious discourse (could separate a person from

his ideas)

5. Lectured extensively in U.S. and elsewhere

6. Became Catholic in 1922; believed “Catholicism is true [and] became a real

messenger refusing to tamper with a real message”

7. Took on the arguments of modernity against Catholicism

8. Died at age 62 in 1936

III. DISTRIBUTISM

A. Chesterton’s vision of catholic social teaching

B. Against Big Business, or the concentration of wealth among a few, and against Big

Government that acted in place of the family; supported healthy and prosperous

middle class

C. Believed that if community or individual had precedence over the family, society

would disintegrate

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Part 2

I. ORTHODOXY

A. Written as an explanation of how Chesterton came to believe in Christianity

B. Argued that the tradition of Christianity is really startling and new

C. Argued against any ideology that locks into a narrow and all-explaining system

(e.g., scientific determinism, materialism, reductionism)

D. Argued against religious skeptic David Hume and his views on the regularities of

nature

E. Discussion of Christianity’s’ critics that the faith is filled with vices; however,

different critics chose conflicting vices (e.g., fallen human nature vs. optimistic

hope; timidity vs. courageousness)

F. There are many paradoxes in Christianity

G. Christianity is not a compromise but a radical and confident putting together of

mutually exclusive extremes

II. THE EVERLASTING MAN

A. Written three years after conversion to Catholicism

B. Two parts:

1. Argues against the evolutionist theory of H. G. Wells, that as man evolved

from primitive to modern, he no longer needed religion and had the skills on

his own to bring peace to the world

a. Prehistoric cave paintings

2. Argued against comparative religion theory, that all religions are the same

and that Jesus is just one religious founder among many

b. Jesus is the only religious leader who claimed to be God

III. WHY A PIVOTAL PLAYER

A. Against Puritanism, and filled with joy

B. Against relativism, and argued fiercely about the uniqueness and truth of Jesus

Christ and his Church

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G. K. Chesterton, the Evangelist

Questions for Understanding

Part I

Chesterton said this his wife, Frances, was the first Christian he

had ever met who was happy. What is happiness or joy? How are they

related to faith?

Answer: Lasting happiness can only come from a deep and abiding relationship with

God. This relationship is built on love, hope, and trust. It involves a love for God that

is above all other loves, a hope in a future spent in union with God, and trust in God’s

promises and unconditional love for us.

Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are attributes that emanate from a

person who is filled with the Holy Spirit through true faith. Joy does not depend on

circumstances, but is present deep within our souls through all of life’s ups and

downs because we are firmly united to the Lord and trust in his care.

For additional reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church 384, 1718

384 Revelation makes known to us the state of original holiness and justice of man and woman before sin: from their friendship with God flowed the happiness of their existence in paradise.

1718 The Beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it:

We all want to live happily; in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition, even before it is fully articulated. How is it, then, that I seek you, Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life, let me seek you so that my soul may live, for my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life from you. God alone satisfies.

1 Peter 1:8-9 8Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls.

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John 15:9-12 9As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. 10If you keep

my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s

commandments and remain in his love. 11“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be

complete. 12This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. John 16:22

22So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

Psalms 28:7

7The LORD is my strength and my shield,

in whom my heart trusts.

I am helped, so my heart rejoices;

with my song I praise him. Proverbs 16:20

20Whoever ponders a matter will be successful;

happy the one who trusts in the LORD! Galatians 5:22-23

22In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1832

1832 The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity."

Humility was one of Chesterton’s most notable attributes. What is it

and why is it so important to the spiritual life?

Answer: Humility can be defined as seeing ourselves as unimportant ad having

deference to God and to one another. It is the opposite of pride.

Jesus expects his disciples to be humble and mirror the attitude of a child, who is

dependent on adults as we are on God and the behavior of a servant, who is in the

lowest place and works to ensure the good of others. I the beatitudes, Jesus says,

“Happy are the poor in spirit,” which can be defined as those who practice voluntary

humility. Humility is necessary for a fruitful prayer life as we, God’s creatures, look to

him, the Creator, with an attitude of dependence and submission to his will.

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For additional reading:

Matthew 18:1-4; 23:11-12; 5:3 18:1At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest

in the kingdom of heaven?”2He called a child over, placed it in their midst, 3and

said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will

not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever humbles himself like this child is

the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

23:11The greatest among you must be your servant. 12Whoever exalts himself

will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

5:3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 2546, 2559

2546 "Blessed are the poor in spirit." The Beatitudes reveal an order of happiness and grace, of beauty and peace. Jesus celebrates the joy of the poor, to whom the Kingdom already belongs:

The Word speaks of voluntary humility as "poverty in spirit"; the Apostle gives an example of God's poverty when he says: "For your sakes he became poor."

2559 "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of

good things from God." But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our

pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? He who

humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer. Only when

we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are

we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God."

How did gratitude lead Chesterton to become a Christian? What are

the key ways Catholics express gratitude to God?

Answer: Through friendships with various writers, Chesterton came to see existence

itself as something for which we should be grateful. This gratitude for existence

implied gratitude to someone, which he came to believe was what the Christians call

“God.”

Celebration of the Eucharist, which literally means “thanksgiving,” and adoration of

the Blessed Sacrament are two ways we Catholics express our gratitude to God for

creation, redemption, and sanctification. There are other ways, too, such as simple

gratefulness in private prayer and keeping our hearts thankful in all circumstances.

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For additional reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1359-60, 1408, 2097 1359 The Eucharist, the sacrament of our salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross, is also a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for the work of creation. In the Eucharistic sacrifice the whole of creation loved by God is presented to the Father through the death and the Resurrection of Christ. Through Christ the Church can offer the sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for all that God has made good, beautiful, and just in creation and in humanity. 1360 The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification. Eucharist means first of all "thanksgiving."

1408 The Eucharistic celebration always includes: the proclamation of the Word of God; thanksgiving to God the Father for all his benefits, above all the gift of his Son; the consecration of bread and wine; and participation in the liturgical banquet by receiving the Lord's body and blood. These elements constitute one single act of worship. 2097 To adore God is to acknowledge, in respect and absolute submission, the "nothingness of the creature" who would not exist but for God. To adore God is to praise and exalt him and to humble oneself, as Mary did in the Magnificat, confessing with gratitude that he has done great things and holy is his name.14The worship of the one God sets man free from turning in on himself, from the slavery of sin and the idolatry of the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16Rejoice always. 17Pray without ceasing. 18In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

What is a paradox? What are some paradoxes of Christianity?

Explain the paradox of the Incarnation and of the Cross.

Answer: A paradox, as Bishop Barron says, is the “crashing together of opposites

which generates unexpected meaning and insight.” It can also be described as a

situation, person, or thing that combines apparently contradictory features or

qualities.

There are many paradoxes in Christianity. Some examples include: the first shall be

last and the last shall be first; the humble shall be exalted; blessed are the poor; a

virgin shall give birth; the deal shall rise; he that lays down his life will gain it; if you

give away a gift, you will gain more than you gave; he who loves his life will lose it;

Jesus is fully God and fully man; salvation comes through Christ’s suffering and

death on the cross.

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Paradox of the Incarnation: Jesus is fully God and fully man, one person with two

natures. The Creator of the universe and King of all nations takes on a human nature

and is born a poor baby in a stable: “In this poverty heaven’s glory was made

manifest” (CCC 525).

Paradox of the Cross: Only through Jesus’ suffering and death can man attain true

happiness and communion with God. A torturous, brutal death of the Son of God is

the only way to atone for original and all sin and reunite man with God eternally.

For additional reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church 517, 525, 616-17

517 Christ's whole life is a mystery of redemption. Redemption comes to us above all through the blood of his cross, but this mystery is at work throughout Christ's entire life:

already in his Incarnation through which by becoming poor he enriches us with his poverty; - in his hidden life which by his submission atones for our disobedience;

in his word which purifies its hearers;

in his healings and exorcisms by which "he took our infirmities and bore our diseases";

and in his Resurrection by which he justifies us. 525 Jesus was born in a humble stable, into a poor family. Simple shepherds were the first witnesses to this event. In this poverty heaven's glory was made manifest. The Church never tires of singing the glory of this night:

The Virgin today brings into the world the Eternal and the earth offers a cave to the Inaccessible. The angels and shepherds praise him and the magi advance with the star, for you are born for us, Little Child, God eternal!

616 It is love "to the end" that confers on Christ's sacrifice its value as redemption and reparation, as atonement and satisfaction. He knew and loved us all when he offered his life. Now "the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died." No man, not even the holiest, was ever able to take on himself the sins of all men and offer himself as a sacrifice for all. The existence in Christ of the divine person of the Son, who at once surpasses and embraces all human persons, and constitutes himself as the Head of all mankind, makes possible his redemptive sacrifice for all. 617 The Council of Trent emphasizes the unique character of Christ's sacrifice as "the source of eternal salvation" and teaches that "his most holy Passion on the wood of the cross merited justification for us." And the Church venerates his cross as she sings: "Hail, O Cross, our only hope."

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How does Chesterton’s Distributism align with Catholic social

teaching?

Answer: Chesterton’s Distributism is his application of Catholic social teaching

which starts from the same foundation of respect for the dignity of each human being

and the rights that flow from the dignity as one of God’s creatures. They both

emphasize our responsibility to one another and are especially concerned with the

disadvantaged members of society.

Neither Chesterton nor the Church advocate for the dominance of any social

institution over and above the individual. Both are against Socialism and support the

rightly ordered state. Both call for an equitable distribution of wealth, however, not a

distribution unduly imposed by the state, but coming from equitable wages and the

charity of all members of a society.

Chesterton focuses more specifically on the rights of the family and how big

government and big business often infringe on those rights by causing both parents

to have to work due to low wages, thus separating husband from wife and mother

from child. His solution is a more equitable distribution of business ownership, so

workers can enjoy the just fruits of their labor and not be utterly dependent on the

whims of the right or the welfare of the state. He advocates for the enlargement of the

middle class to reduce the huge gap between the rich and the poor.

For additional reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1928-41, 2425-26 1928 Society ensures social justice when it provides the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is their due, according to their nature and their vocation. Social justice is linked to the common good and the exercise of authority. 1929 Social justice can be obtained only in respecting the transcendent dignity of man. The person represents the ultimate end of society, which is ordered to him:

What is at stake is the dignity of the human person, whose defense and promotion have been entrusted to us by the Creator, and to whom the men and women at every moment of history are strictly and responsibly in debt.

1930 Respect for the human person entails respect for the rights that flow from his dignity as a creature. These rights are prior to society and must be recognized by it. They are the basis of the moral legitimacy of every authority: by flouting them, or refusing to recognize them in its positive legislation, a society undermines its own moral legitimacy. If it does not respect them, authority can rely only on force or violence to obtain obedience from its subjects. It is the Church's role to remind men of good will of these rights and to distinguish them from unwarranted or false claims.

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1931 Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that "everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as 'another self,' above all bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity." No legislation could by itself do away with the fears, prejudices, and attitudes of pride and selfishness which obstruct the establishment of truly fraternal societies. Such behavior will cease only through the charity that finds in every man a "neighbor," a brother. 1932 The duty of making oneself a neighbor to others and actively serving them becomes even more urgent when it involves the disadvantaged, in whatever area this may be. "As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." 1933 This same duty extends to those who think or act differently from us. The teaching of Christ goes so far as to require the forgiveness of offenses. He extends the commandment of love, which is that of the New Law, to all enemies. Liberation in the spirit of the Gospel is incompatible with hatred of one's enemy as a person, but not with hatred of the evil that he does as an enemy. 1934 Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity. 1935 The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it:

Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design.

1936 On coming into the world, man is not equipped with everything he needs for developing his bodily and spiritual life. He needs others. Differences appear tied to age, physical abilities, intellectual or moral aptitudes, the benefits derived from social commerce, and the distribution of wealth. The "talents" are not distributed equally. 1937 These differences belong to God's plan, who wills that each receive what he needs from others, and that those endowed with particular "talents" share the benefits with those who need them. These differences encourage and often oblige persons to practice generosity, kindness, and sharing of goods; they foster the mutual enrichment of cultures:

I distribute the virtues quite diversely; I do not give all of them to each person, but some to one, some to others. . . . I shall give principally charity to one; justice to another; humility to this one, a living faith to that one. . . . And so I have given many gifts and graces, both spiritual and temporal, with such diversity that I have not given everything to one single person, so that you may be constrained to practice charity towards one another. . . . I have willed that one should need another and that all should be my ministers in distributing the graces and gifts they have received from me.

1938 There exist also sinful inequalities that affect millions of men and women. These are in open contradiction of the Gospel:

Their equal dignity as persons demands that we strive for fairer and more humane conditions. Excessive economic and social disparity between individuals and peoples of the one human race is a source of scandal and militates against social justice, equity, human dignity, as well as social and international peace.

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1939 The principle of solidarity, also articulated in terms of "friendship" or "social charity," is a direct demand of human and Christian brotherhood. An error, "today abundantly widespread, is disregard for the law of human solidarity and charity, dictated and imposed both by our common origin and by the equality in rational nature of all men, whatever nation they belong to. This law is sealed by the sacrifice of redemption offered by Jesus Christ on the altar of the Cross to his heavenly Father, on behalf of sinful humanity." 1940 Solidarity is manifested in the first place by the distribution of goods and remuneration for work. It also presupposes the effort for a more just social order where tensions are better able to be reduced and conflicts more readily settled by negotiation. 1941 Socio-economic problems can be resolved only with the help of all the forms of solidarity: solidarity of the poor among themselves, between rich and poor, of workers among themselves, between employers and employees in a business, solidarity among nations and peoples. International solidarity is a requirement of the moral order; world peace depends in part upon this. 2425 The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modem times with "communism" or "socialism." She has likewise refused to accept, in the practice of "capitalism," individualism and the absolute primacy of the law of the marketplace over human labor. Regulating the economy solely by centralized planning perverts the basis of social bonds; regulating it solely by the law of the marketplace fails social justice, for "there are many human needs which cannot be satisfied by the market." Reasonable regulation of the marketplace and economic initiatives, in keeping with a just hierarchy of values and a view to the common good, is to be commended. 2426 The development of economic activity and growth in production are meant to provide for the needs of human beings. Economic life is not meant solely to multiply goods produced and increase profit or power; it is ordered first of all to the service of persons, of the whole man, and of the entire human community. Economic activity, conducted according to its own proper methods, is to be exercised within the limits of the moral order, in keeping with social justice so as to correspond to God's plan for man.

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Part II

What are the three main themes in Chesterton’s writing? How can

you use these themes to evangelize?

Answer: Chesterton’s main themes include wonder, joy, thankfulness, freedom,

and the centrality of God in all things. (Answer to the question of using these

themes will vary. However, here are some examples:)

When reaching out to others to share the faith, we should reflect the amazing truth

that God loves us and has ordered all of creation to our benefit. People are most

attracted to others who are joyful, positive, thankful, and humble.

Keeping in mind human free will should lead us to invite others into a relationship

with Jesus Christ and not threaten or coerce them. Explaining the gift of freedom

also helps define God as non-competitive and all-loving. It is God’s grace that

saves, and our efforts are in support of his will. However, each person is free to

choose or reject the Gospel.

Acknowledging God and giving him glory in all circumstances shows our faith. As

Chesterton said: “You cannot evade the issue of God. Whether you talk about

pigs or the binominal theory, you are still talking about him. If Christianity should

happen to be true, then defending it may mean talking about anything or

everything. Things can be irrelevant to the proposition that Christianity is false, but

nothing can be irrelevant to the proposition that Christianity is true.”

For additional reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church 905, 2044, 2472, 257, 1730

905 Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, "that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life." For lay people, "this evangelization . . . acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world."

This witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers . . . or to the faithful.

2044 The fidelity of the baptized is a primordial condition for the proclamation

of the Gospel and for the Church's mission in the world. In order that the

message of salvation can show the power of its truth and radiance before

men, it must be authenticated by the witness of the life of Christians. “The

witness of a Christian life and good works done in a supernatural spirit

have great power to draw men to the faith and to God."

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2472 The duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds. Witness is an act of justice that establishes the truth or makes it known.

All Christians by the example of their lives and the witness of their word, wherever they live, have an obligation to manifest the new man which they have put on in Baptism and to reveal the power of the Holy Spirit by whom they were strengthened at Confirmation.

257 "O blessed light, O Trinity and first Unity!" God is eternal blessedness,

undying life, unfading light. God is love: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God freely

wills to communicate the glory of his blessed life. Such is the "plan of his loving

kindness", conceived by the Father before the foundation of the world, in his

beloved Son: "He destined us in love to be his sons" and "to be conformed to

the image of his Son", through "the spirit of sonship". This plan is a "grace

[which] was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began", stemming

immediately from Trinitarian love. It unfolds in the work of creation, the whole

history of salvation after the fall, and the missions of the Son and the Spirit,

which are continued in the mission of the Church.

1730 God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and control his own actions. "God willed that man should be 'left in the hand of his own counsel,' so that he might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him."

Man is rational and therefore like God; he is created with free will and is master over his acts.

What is free will and how is it perfected?

Answer: Free will is a gift from God to all humankind and is inherent in the

dignity of the human person. We are free to initiate and determine our own

actions, including the choice for good or evil. Free will attains perfection when it is

directed toward God and we choose to put his will above our own. As the

Catechism states, “The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes and

the closer one is to his ultimate good, which is God” (CCC 1731, 1733).

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For additional reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1730-33, 1738 1730 God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and control his own actions. "God willed that man should be 'left in the hand of his own counsel,' so that he might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him."

Man is rational and therefore like God; he is created with free will and is master over his acts.

1731 Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude. 1732 As long as freedom has not bound itself definitively to its ultimate good which is God, there is the possibility of choosing between good and evil, and thus of growing in perfection or of failing and sinning. This freedom characterizes properly human acts. It is the basis of praise or blame, merit or reproach. 1733 The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to "the slavery of sin."

1738 Freedom is exercised in relationships between human beings. Every human person, created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect. The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and public order.

Why is Jesus Christ not “just one religious leader among many”?

Answer: Christian faith professes that Jesus is God, the second Person of the

trinity. He is the only religious leader who claimed to be God, which is why he was

put to death for blasphemy. Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I AM,” invoking the

name God gave Moses at the burning bush. He also told his disciples that if they

had seen him, they had seen God, the Father. The truth of Jesus’ divinity is

confirmed by his resurrection from the dead.

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For additional reading:

John 8:58 58Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be,

I AM.”

John 14:6-10 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to

the Father except through me. 7If you know me, then you will also know my

Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8Philip said to

him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 9Jesus said

to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me,

Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show

us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in

me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who

dwells in me is doing his works.

Colossians 2:9 9For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily,

Catechism of the Catholic Church 469, 653

469 The Church thus confesses that Jesus is inseparably true God and true man. He is truly the Son of God who, without ceasing to be God and Lord, became a man and our brother:

"What he was, he remained and what he was not, he assumed", sings the Roman Liturgy. And the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom proclaims and sings: "O only-begotten Son and Word of God, immortal being, you who deigned for our salvation to become incarnate of the holy Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, you who without change became man and were crucified, O Christ our God, you who by your death have crushed death, you who are one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us!"

653 The truth of Jesus' divinity is confirmed by his Resurrection. He had said:

"When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am

he." The Resurrection of the crucified one shows that he was truly "I AM", the

Son of God and God himself. So St. Paul could declare to the Jews: "What

God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising

Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son, today I have

begotten you.'" Christ's Resurrection is closely linked to the Incarnation of

God's Son, and is its fulfillment in accordance with God's eternal plan.

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How did Chesterton show that he was a committed disciple of Jesus

Christ and a model of lay spirituality in the contemporary world?

Answer: Chesterton was a model evangelist. He widely professed his Christian

beliefs and his conversion to Catholicism. He never tried to hide his religion or

keep it private. On the contrary, he ardently and publically defended Christianity in

his writing and speaking. Chesterton took his baptismal responsibility seriously

and continually worked to prove the truth of the faith, using his God-given gift of

writing.

In addition, he exhibited many fruits of the Holy Spirit: charity, modesty, joy,

patience, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, and chastity.

For additional reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church 899-900, 1832

899 The initiative of lay Christians is necessary especially when the matter involves discovering or inventing the means for permeating social, political, and economic realities with the demands of Christian doctrine and life. This initiative is a normal element of the life of the Church:

Lay believers are in the front line of Church life; for them the Church is the animating principle of human society. Therefore, they in particular ought to have an ever-clearer consciousness not only of belonging to the Church, but of being the Church, that is to say, the community of the faithful on earth under the leadership of the Pope, the common Head, and of the bishops in communion with him. They are the Church.

900 Since, like all the faithful, lay Christians are entrusted by God with the apostolate by virtue of their Baptism and Confirmation, they have the right and duty, individually or grouped in associations, to work so that the divine message of salvation may be known and accepted by all men throughout the earth. This duty is the more pressing when it is only through them that men can hear the Gospel and know Christ. Their activity in ecclesial communities is so necessary that, for the most part, the apostolate of the pastors cannot be fully effective without it. 1832 The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the

first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity,

joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness,

modesty, self-control, chastity."

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GILBERT KEITH CHESTERTON Born in London on May 29, 1874, Chesterton wrote over a hundred books in his lifetime, wrote thousands of newspaper and magazine essays, and was a prolific cartoonist, illustrating for magazines and books alike. Below is a sample of some of his writings:

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Closing Prayer

God Our Father, Thou didst fill the life of Thy

servant Gilbert Keith Chesterton with a sense of

wonder and joy, and gave him a faith which was

the foundation of his ceaseless work, a charity

towards all men, particularly his opponents, and

a hope which sprang from his lifelong gratitude

for the gift of human life. May his innocence and

his laughter, his constancy in fighting for the

Christian faith in a world losing belief, his

lifelong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and

his love for all men, especially for the poor, bring

cheerfulness to those in despair, conviction and

warmth to lukewarm believers and the

knowledge of God to those without faith. We beg

Thee to grant the favors we ask through his

intercession, so that his holiness may be

recognized by all and the Church may proclaim

him Blessed. We ask this through Christ Our

Lord. Amen

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Closing Song

You Raise Me Up

by Josh Groban

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oni0tO_HN30

Based on the Study Program – Catholicism: The Pivotal Players by Bishop Robert E. Barron