Lesson 3: Introduction To Salvation History
Lesson 3: Introduction To Salvation History
Lesson 3
Introduction to Salvation
History
Performance Standard
Learning Competencies
Doctrine
Discuss God’s work in creation and the salvific act He
made known to humanity.
Morals
Promotes ways to preserve creation and to
savetheearth from destruction.
Worship
Gives praise and thank God for the wonderful gift
of creation through prayer.
Learning Targets:
At the end of the lesson, I can:
Doctrine:
discuss God’s work in creation and salvation.
Morals:
promote ways to preserve creation and save the Earth from
destruction.
Worship:
give praise and thank God for the wonderful gift of creation
through prayer.
Opening/Closing Prayer
Loving Father and Creator of all, we come to You today deeply grateful for
Your creation. As we look around us, we are amazed at the greatness and majesty
of all that You have made. Nature around us speaks of your greatness - the vast
expanse of the sky, the mountains, trees, lakes and streams speak of your great
design. You have given us such beauty in the colors of the rainbow, the beauty of
flowers and fields. Words cannot adequately express the magnificence of all You
have created. We join in praise with the writer of the Psalms when he says, "O
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth." May we show our
love and reverence to You, our Lord, by caring for all that You have created. We
humbly give You praise and thanks. Amen Glory be …
One of the most beautiful stories in the Bible is found in the beginning of the
first book, first chapter. It is the story of CREATION.
The Story of Creation
(Gen. 1:1-31)
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth and the earth
was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind
sweeping over the waters. Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light.
God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Evening came,
andmorning followed—the first day. Then God said: Let there be a dome in the
Then God said: Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear. And so it happened: the water under the sky was
gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared. God called the dry land “earth,”
and the basin of water he called “sea.” God saw that it was good. Then God said:
Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every
kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. And so it happened: the
earth brought forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind
of fruit tree that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw that it was good.Evening
came, and morning followed—the third day.
Then God said: Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day
from night. Let them mark the seasons, the days and the years, and serve as lights
in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the earth. And so it happened: God made the
two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the
night, and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the earth, to
govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw
that it was good. Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.
Then God said: Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,
and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky. God created the great
sea monsters and all kinds of crawling living creatures with which the water teems,
and all kinds of winged birds. God saw that it was good, and God blessed them,
saying: Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply
on the earth. Evening came, and morning followed—the fifth day.
Then God said: Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: tame
animals, crawling things, and every kind of wild animal. And so it happened: God
made every kind of wild animal, every kind of tame animal, and every kind of
thing that crawls on the ground. God saw that it was good. Then God said: Let us
make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over
the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and
all the creatures that crawl on the earth.
God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.God blessed them and God said to them: Be
fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of
the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth. God
also said: See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every tree
that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the wild animals, all the
birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the earth, I give all the
Creation is not just a fairy tale that puts children in awe at the power of God,
the creator. According to the Church’s teaching, “Creation is the foundation of all
God’s saving plans, the beginning of the history of salvation” (CCC #280).
Pope Francis, in Laudato Si, highlighted three crucial point:
1. Service to Common Good
The notion of the common good also extends to the future generations. The
global economic crises have made painfully obvious the detrimental effects of
disregarding our common destiny, which cannot exclude those who come after us.
We can no longer speak of sustainable development apart from intergenerational
solidarity. Once we start to think about the kind of world we are leaving to the
future generations, we look at things differently; we realize that the world is a gift
which we have freely received and must share with others.
2. A call to Stewardship
3. A call to responsibility
The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it, we have a
responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity
as a whole… our duties towards the environment are linked to our duties towards a
human person, considered in himself and in relations to others. It would be wrong
to uphold one set of duties while trampling on the other.
Activity 1.1
Direction: Write two (2) sentences of reflection on the truths of God’s creation
taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).
Activity 1.2
Direction: Name groups/organizations and individuals, then describe their
advocacy or project for preservation of the environment.
Groups/Organization Advocacy/Works/Projects
At Home
“I am a steward of God,
Reference:
In the Church
and I have Christ who is In School
my Model”
Christian Living Education. Panagtagbo Series. (2018).
In my community
Doctrine:
identify the individual religious beliefs and practices.
explain the teachings of the Church on our relationship with other
religions
deepened the understanding on the roots of Catholic teachings,
beliefs and practices.
Morals:
appreciate the beliefs and practices of other religions
recognize God’s love in other religions.
Worship:
offer prayers for unity among different religions .
Opening/Closing Prayer
Prayer for Peace by Christian, Jewish and Muslim
(Excerpted from Current Dialogue 24/93, p.36)
“And He put all things beneath His feet and gives Him as head over all
things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things
in every way.” (Eph. 1:22-23)
“Whoever is without love, does not know God, for God is love”. (1John 4:8)
Using this passage of St. John, may help us in our relationship with other
religions. Love is the core value of every Christian. This love is not only shown to
others but all people including those of other religions.
The Church in this present time is called to examine closely her relationship
to non-Christian religions by considering what people have in common and what
draws them to fellowship. Pope Paul VI, in his Nostra Aetate, presents ways on
how Catholic Christians should relate to other religions.
Judaism
The Catholic Church has a unique and strong relationship with the Judaism.
“The Church, the people of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the
Jewish people, “the first to hear the Word of God”. The Jewish faith, unlike other
non-Christian religions, is already a response to God’s revelation in the Old
Covenant. To the Jews “belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving
of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of
their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ”, “for the gifts and the call of God
are irrevocable” (CCC 839).
“The Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as
“a preparation for the Gospel and given by Him who enlightens all men that they
may at length have life” (CCC 843). As loving people, our attitude toward other
religions is to accept and honor whatever is good while identifying errors and
seeking out of love to bring their believers into the full light of the Gospel.
The Bible and Church’s teachings are very clear on promoting unity among
God’s people. The Catholic Church acknowledges the common beliefs she shares
with other religions. To deepen your understanding of common beliefs with
other religions, do some research and identify some of these. Go to Activity 2.1.
God
Jesus
Mary
Activity 2.2
Learning Targets:
At the end of the lesson I can:
Doctrine:
explain the doctrines of Catholic faith.
Morals:
articulate one’s Faith by sharing it with others.
Show gratitude to God in prayer for the gift of faith.
Worship:
Express thanks to God and exhibit proper disposition during
Liturgical Celebrations.
Opening/Closing Prayer
Faith is human’s positive response to God’s saving acts. It touches every part
of human life – our minds (believing), our wills (doing), and our hearts (trusting).
Believing
Faith involves our basic convictions as Christians. “For if you confess with
your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the
dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). Faith, then, is knowing that is not mere
“head knowledge” of some abstract truth but is a personal knowledge of Jesus
Doing
“Other than believing, faith is also doing. As St. James writes: “My brothers,
what good it is to profess faith without practicing it” (Jas 2:24). Christ himself
taught: “None of those who cry out ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of God,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt. 7:21). Faith,
then, is a commitment to follow (obey) God’s will for us. PCPII brings out this
“doing” dimension of faith as “witnessing” through “loving service”of our needy
neighbors. In our concrete situation, particularly urgent is the call for: 1)deeds of
justice and love; and 2) for protecting and caring for our endangered earth’s
environment (cf. PCP II 78-80)” (CFC 130).
Entrusting/Worshipping
“Beyond believing and doing, faith is also entrusting oneself into God’s hands.
Abraham, our father in faith, at God’s command, left everything to set out for a
foreign land. Against all human odds, Moses trusted Yahweh to free the Hebrews
from their slavery in Egypt. In the New Testament, Jesus worked signs and cures
only with those who trusted in him. He promised the possessed boy’s father:
“Everything is possible to a man who trusts” (Mk 9:23). Faith, then, is from the
heart – the loving, trusting, and hoping in the Lord that comes from God’s own
love flooding our hearts. This trusting faith “lives and grows through prayer and
worship” – personal heartfelt conversation with God that is the opposite of
mindless, mechanical repetition of memorized formulas. Genuine personal
prayer and group prayer find both their inspirational source and summit of
perfection in the Liturgy, the Catholic Community’s official public Trinitarian
worship of the Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the Holy Spirit (cf. PCP II
74-77)” (CFC 132-133).
With believing we learn our faith, with doing we show our faith in our actions,
and with entrusting we can express our steadfast trust in God. We can articulate
our faith by sharing it with others.
Moreover, we need to remember that Faith is not just a human act but also a
gift from God. For example, during baptism of adults, the candidate will be asked,
“What do you want to ask from the Church?” the candidate’s answer is FAITH. In
the same manner, we can only ask for it and receive it from God through the
Church. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once said, faith is a glorious presence of God
in us.
What can I say and do?
Faith without action is dead, and prayer is one of the expressions of faith.
To learn how people show their faith in God, try to observe the disposition or
actions of the people inside the Church as the liturgical celebration (e.g. Holy
mass) is going on. Doing this will help you observe proper disposition during
liturgical celebrations. You may also refer to the catechesis on proper decorum in
attending the Holy Eucharist. Go to Activity 3.3 for guidance.
Moreover, as Christians, we profess our faith in many ways, not just reciting
the Nicene Creed. What about you? What are the concrete expressions of your
faith? Go to Activity 3.4.
Activity 3.1
Direction:Ask your parents or relatives about the meaning of the following
doctrines of the Church. Using the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) or
Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC), find what the Church teaches about these
doctrines.
Holy Trinity
Eucharist
Immaculate Conception
Activity 3.2
A B
____ 1. One God, three persons ____ 9. Fully God and fully human
Activity 3.3
Activity 3.4
Direction: As the follower of Christ, you express your faith in many ways. Draw a
symbol of your faith in god. Below the symbol, write a short explanation on how
you can share your faith with others.
Doctrine:
explain the doctrine of the Holy Trinity
Morals:
profess faith on the saving work of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Worship:
pray for unity amidst adversity of disposition and aspiration among people.
Opening/Closing Prayer
Introduction:
May God dwell in our hearts through faith. Certainly, if God is at the center
of our life, we will not get lost. Our innermost faith in Him will lead us to the way
where we should go. Let us ask God to increase our faith in the Holy Trinity and
that we may be able to show what we believe to others by making God present in
our life.
Amen.
Source:https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=784
The Dogma of the Holy Trinity is stipulated in the Catechism of the Catholic
Church (CCC), which encapsulated our Christian faith.
The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three
persons, the "consubstantial Trinity". The divine persons do not share the one
divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire: "The Father
is that which the Son is, the Son that which the Father is, the Father and the Son
that which the Holy Spirit is, i.e. by nature one God." In the words of the Fourth
Lateran Council (1215), "Each of the persons is that supreme reality, viz., the
divine substance, essence or nature." (CCC233)
The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian
faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all
the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most
fundamental and essential teaching in the "hierarchy of the truths of faith". The
whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means
by which the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, reveals himself to men
"and reconciles and unites with himself those who turn away from sin”. (CCC234)
The Trinity is a mystery of faith in the strict sense, one of the "mysteries
that are hidden in God, which can never be known unless they are revealed by
God". To be sure, God has left traces of his Trinitarian being in his work of
creation and in his Revelation throughout the Old Testament. But his inmost
Being as Holy Trinity is a mystery that is inaccessible to reason alone or even to
As Christians, we are all challenged to put Jesus at the center of our life
and have a profound faith in Him. It can be shown in a manner of how we relate
to the people around us.
Activity 4.1
Direction: After learning from the scriptures and the teaching of the Church,
assign specific role of each person of the Holy Trinity.
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
Activity 4.2
Activity 4.3
Direction: The Holy Trinity is the model of unity. Each person has a role in the
history of salvation. To give praise to the Holy Trinity, compose a prayer giving
praise to the Holy Trinity and asking for unity amidst the diversity of disposition
and aspiration in humanity. Use the space below.
Doctrine:
discuss the Biblical foundation attributing to God as Creator and
Redeemer.
Morals:
explain and express the saving act of god, the Father, to those in
need.
appreciate and value the act of forgiveness with love.
identify God’s saving act in one’s journey in life.
Worship:
contemplate on God’s providential grace for creating and saving
humanity.
Opening/Closing Prayer
Almighty God, my Eternal Father,
from the fullness of my soul I adore You.
I am deeply grateful that You have made me
in Your image and likeness,
and that You ever hold me in Your loving embrace.
Direct me to love You with all my heart,
with all my soul,
and with my whole mind.
Direct me to love all Your children as I love myself.
O, my Father, my soul longs to be united to You,
and to rest in You forever.
Have the Holy Spirit touch my soul
so that I may love You as He does,
and as Your Beloved Son Jesus does.
Amen.
Source:https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=1124
In the Nicene Creed, we profess our faith in God as “maker of heaven and
earth, and of all things, visible and invisible”. Thus, the Catechism of the Catholic
Church proclaims: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth." [Gen 1:1] Holy Scripture begins with these solemn words. The profession
of faith takes them up when it confesses that God the Father almighty is "Creator
of heaven and earth" (Apostles' Creed), "of all that is, seen and unseen" (Nicene
Creed). We shall speak first of the Creator, then of creation and finally of the fall
into sin from which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to raise us up again.
Creation is the foundation of "all God's saving plans," the "beginning of the
history of salvation" [GCD 51] that culminates in Christ. Conversely, the mystery
of Christ casts conclusive light on the mystery of creation and reveals the end for
which "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth": from the
beginning, God envisaged the glory of the new creation in Christ. (CCC 279-280)
Calling God as our Father, the Creator and Redeemer, look back at the
history of your life and see how He revealed Himself to you. Go to Activity 5.2.
Activity 5.1
Direction: Using the Bible, look for Biblical texts not mentioned in this lesson
showing God as Creator and Redeemer. Use the table below.
Bible Verses
God as Creator
God as Redeemer
Activity 5.2
Direction:In your personal life, God revealed Himself in the history of your life
since birth. Draw a timeline or a road map of your life from birth up to present.
Identify the highlights in your life where God was most visible or felt, include
those instances where you shared God’s saving act to others, and times when you
were able to forgive someone. Use a clean piece of paper or its equivalent.
Activity 5.3
Direction: Write at least three ideas that struck you most from the lesson. Explain
each. Use a clean piece of paper or its equivalent for this activity.