Christianity- The Bible

The Bible is the sacred text for Christians. The Bible is divided into two parts. The Old Testament-books written
before the time of Jesus and the New Testament-books written after the life of Jesus. The Catholic Bible has 73
books in it. The first four books of the New Testament, known as the Gospels are the most important part of the
Bible for Christians. The Gospels developed in three distinct stages:

Stage 1-Life Stage Stage 2- The Oral Stage 3- The Written Stage
Stage 33-70CE) (30-33CE) (70-95CE)

★ The Life stage is the

last three years of Jesus’
life where he travels
through Palestine with
his disciples teaching
through parables,
performing miracles. He
is arrested in Jerusalem
and put on trial, is
crucified and dies on the
cross. He is raised from
the dead and continues
to appear to his disciples
many times.

★ As time passed the apostles grew old and some of them died. Soon there were very few eyewitnesses left who
had seen or heard Jesus for themselves. A big effort was made to collect everything known about Jesus- his key
teachings, parables, details of his miracles, from witnesses who were present. After the evidence was collected
the Evangelists examined everything and picked out what they wanted for the Christian communities they were
writing for.

The Influence of the Gospels on the lives of Christians today

● Way of Life of Jesus:

Love and forgiveness are two key Christian beliefs. Jesus lived out his religious beliefs in all aspects of his life.
Through Jesus' actions, his parables and miracles we understand the importance of putting the needs of others
before ourselves and going out of our way to help those less fortunate. The Gospels teach us to love everybody,
to treat the poorest in society as our neighbor. They teach us about the value in treating everyone as we would
like to be treated ourselves and the importance of tolerance and understanding. They teach us that being able to
forgive others for wrong doing is key and that we are always being cared for by a loving and forgiving God. The
Gospel lessons of peace, love, compassion, truth, understanding, and positive activism are all things that
transform our lives.

● Worship: Rites of passage and Sacraments

1: The Gospels play a key role during rites of passage and ceremonies. Christians celebrate
the sacraments throughout their lives. The story of Jesus’s baptism will be read during a
christening ceremony, passages about love will be read at marriage ceremonies, and words
from the Gospels can give those who are grieving comfort when faced with death and
bereavement. All of this reminds us of the constant presence of God at significant
 moments in our lives.
2: In the Gospels we read about how the Eucharist or Holy Communion began at the Last Supper and how the
early Christian community obeyed Jesus' command to ‘break bread’ in his name. To this day we worship God by
celebrating the Eucharist. The breaking of bread and the sharing of wine is a constant reminder of God’s love and
the ongoing presence of Jesus in our lives. It also reminds us that Jesus conquered death through the
resurrection and this gives Christians hope in eternal life.

Festivals:The origins of Christian festivals such as Christmas and Easter are in the Gospels.Christians all over
the world celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas and the Death and Resurrection of Jesus at Easter time. We
learn about the events leading up to Jesus’ birth, the journey his mother and Joseph made from Nazareth to
Bethlehem to register for a Roman Census, the story of the Shepherds and the Wise Men etc. The Events of Holy
Week are recorded in the Gospels- The last Supper on Holy Thursday, the Crucifixion on Good Friday and the
Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Islam: The Qur’an:

The development of a sacred text within a major world religion and why it continues to be important to believers.

The Qur’an is the sacred text of Islam. It is the primarysource of information about the beliefs and practices of
Islam. A second text is called the Hadith which contains the words and teachings of the prophet Muhammad.

★ Revelation is the way that God chooses to make himself known to human beings. Muslims believe that God
(Allah) gave a special message to Muhammad. It was dictated to him word for word by the Angel Gabriel. This
revelation began when Muhammad had a vision in a Cave on Mt Hira (outside Mecca). The angels message was
that there was one God, Allah and Muhammad is his prophet. These revelations became the Qur’an. Further
messages were revealed to the prophet over the next 20 years or so. These were later written down by scribes
(Muhammad couldn’t read or write).

★ The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by God (through the Angel Gabriel) in Arabic. There are
114 chapters in the Qur'an, which is written in the old Arabic dialect. The first complete master copy of the Quran
is believed to have been completed within 2 years of the prophet’s death. Muslims are still taught to learn and
recite it in Arabic, even if this is not their native language and they cannot converse in it. At the time of the
revelation of the Qur'an, books were not readily available and so it was common for people to learn it by heart.
Committing the Qur'an to memory acted as a great aid for its preservation and any person who is able to
accomplish this is known as a hafiz. Muslims believe that the Quran contains the actual words of Allah. In other
words the author of the Qur’an is Allah. Muslims believe that everything in the Qu’ran is the truth and cannot be
Changed.
 Christinaity & Irish Culture

St Patrick
St Patrick became a priest and bishop and arrived in Ireland as a missionary in the 5th Century AD. By the 6th
century, Ireland was mainly a Christian country. Christianity replaced the pagan religion and Celtic pagan
festivals became Christinan festivals instead. St Patrick did all this by incorporating pagan traditions, such as
bonfires into Christian celebrations, such as Easter, because the Irish were used to worshipping their Gods with
Fire. Other examples of this missionary tactic included incorporating other pagan symbols such as the sun into
Christianity - eg the Celtic crosses have a symbol of the sun in their design. Therefore, St Patricks time in Ireland
left a significant imprint in Irish culture, and we see this with a celebration of his death on March 17th.

Monasteries
Many new monasteries were built in Ireland when Christianity became rooted in the country. Holy men & women
built monasteries as places to pray and honour God. These monasteries were places of learning. The Bible was
studied in the monasteries by monks. They wrote manuscripts in the scriptorium of the monastery. These monks
were called scribes. One example of a famous manuscript is the Book of Kells. Today the Book of Kells is kept in
Trinity College Dublin. The Book of Kells contains a richly decorated copy of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark,
Luke, John) in Latin. As well as being Scribes, some monks were stonemasons, and they carved high stone
crosses. The carvings on these high crosses were used to teach monks about the story of Christianity.

Other monks were skilled craftsmen of metal and gold. They made chalices and brooches
from metal and decorated them with gold and amber. One famous example of this kind of
work is the Ardagh Chalice from the Golden Age period. The monks teach us a lot about
their lives through the beautiful pieces of work they left behind for us to study.

Example of a Monastery - Gougan Barra, West Cork

St. Finbarr (the patron saint of Cork) founded his most important monastery at the island in the lake at Gougane
Barra during the sixth century. He is said to have spent much time in isolation in this serene and peaceful place.
The current church which stands on the island dates back to 1903. Featuring stunning stained glass windows,
coursed limestone walls and a rounded wooden entrance. The inside has an elegant barrel vaulted ceiling and a
freestanding altar. The church is set close to the remains of the monastery built by a priest called Denis O
Mahony who retreated to the island and built this monastery in honour of St. Finbarr. There are a number of cell
structures and a cross which make up the ruins of this historic place. It is said that one of these cells belonged to
St Finbarr, however there is no certainty to this claim.

St Brigid & St Brigid’s Crosses

Brigid was born near Dundalk in Co Louth in 450 AD. Brigid’s father named her after one of the most powerful
goddesses in the pagan religion - the goddess of fire. St Patrick was inspired by the teaching of St Patrick and
she became a Christian. She wanted to devote her life working for God, looking after the sick, poor and eldery.
She eventually entered a convent and made her vows to become a nun. News of St Brigid’s good works soon
spread and many women were inspired to join the convent and work beside her. St Brigid founded many
convents in Ireland, and the most famous is in Kildare. Brigid also founded a school of art, including metalwork
and illumination. St Brigid is most associated with the St Brigid’s cross. Making the St Brigid’s cross with rushes is
a traditional ritual in Ireland to celebrate the beginning of spring. St Brigid is the female patron saint of Ireland.
Her feast day is February the 1st.

Weddings in Christianity

Christians believe that marriage is a gift from God, one that should not be taken for granted. It is the right
atmosphere to engage in sexual relations and to build a family life. Getting married in a church, in front of God, is
very important. A marriage is a public declaration of love and commitment. This declaration is made in front of
friends and family in a church ceremony. A Catholic wedding ceremony traditionally includes a full mass and
communion, all of which can take up to an hour. The processional includes when the groom and the best man
enter from the side of the church. Then the bridesmaids and groomsmen escort one another up the aisle,
followed by the maid of honor. And lastly, the bride and her father (or another male family member) make their
grand entrance. The priest greets the wedding guests and invites all to join in singing an opening hymn (or song),
usually "Gloria." Once complete, the priest will say an opening prayer for the newlyweds.

The Liturgy of the Word is comprised of several readings recited by either the priest or friends or family members
designated by the couple. It includes a reading from the Old Testament, a psalm, a reading from the New
Testament and a Gospel reading. Next is the Rite of Marriage. These are the vows. They serve as both a
declaration of intent and consent by each entity receiving the marriage rites. The couple can memorize and recite
the vows to one another, read the vows from the book, or have the priest read them and respond with "I do."
Wording may vary from church to church, but they tend to follow a similar pattern. After the vows, the rings will be
exchanged and the priest will bless them as symbols of love and fidelity. If the couple chooses to partake in a
nuptial mass, this is the part where the wedding ceremony starts to take on the feel of a Sunday mass. This
begins with the altar being prepared for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, or communion. Special family members or
close friends may be chosen ahead of time to assist in the offertory, or presentation of gifts of bread and wine to
the priest. The guests will stand as the priest recites a final prayer, or concluding rite, and blesses the new union
as well as the entire congregation. The Church ceremony is then usually followed by a big family and friend
celebration at a reception with music, dinner, and dancing.

Weddings in Hinduism

Hindu weddings are traditionally big, bright, and colourful, they are a celebration of love and commitment and
can also be a celebration of the couple’s religion and culture. According to Hindu beliefs, marriages are made in
heaven and once you are married, the bond is supposed to last for seven lifetimes. Hindu weddings include a
long process of rituals and traditions, which may take place over several days. Traditionally, a Hindu wedding will
take place over three days, however, some will be extended to five. In Hindu and Sikh weddings, the Groom is
led to the marriage venue in a procession with his family, groomsmen and friends. Typically the Groom will be on
a horse or elephant with fantastic music which sets the mood for the rest of the marriage celebrations. The
Bride’s mother will apply a tilak on the Groom’s forehead and will then escort him and his family into the venue.
Lord Ganesh is the Hindu elephant God that removes all obstacles and during the Ganesh Puja the priest will
invoke the God. This is a Hindu wedding tradition performed for good luck.

Following this, the Vaarpooja is where the bride’s parents perform a ceremony where they wash the groom’s feet.
At the end of the ceremony, a veil of cloth is held in front of the groom to prevent him from seeing the bride as
she enters. The bride will be escorted to the Mandap (alter/stage/platform area at top where couple stands) by
her uncles. Once inside, verses are chanted as the veil is lowered and the couple exchange flower garlands. She
will offer the flower first to declare that the bride has chosen the groom of her own free will. The bride and groom
will chant prayers.They perform a sacrificial fire tradition. Often ghee, rice and flowers will be put into the flame.
The couple circles the holy fire four times as the priest chants Mantras. After tying the Mangalsutra (a necklace,
not a ring in Hindu tradition), the newlywed couple takes seven steps around the holy fire. Once completed, the
couple legally becomes husband and wife! The Sindhoor is placed at the parting of the bride’s hair to signify she
is now a married woman. The couple seek blessings from priest, family and friends. One of the most recognisable
moments of a Hindu wedding ceremony is the Vidaai. This is where the bride’s family bid farewell to their
daughter as she rides away with her new husband. This is one of the most emotional Hindu wedding traditions.
As the bride walks out of the wedding venue she is given a handful of rice and sometimes coins, which she will
throw over her head as she leaves. This symbolises a repayment to her parents for all they have given her
throughout the years. Once the ceremony is over the wedding reception will begin. This has a very different feel
to the ceremony itself and like any wedding reception, is a fun party where people can relax, laugh, and dance.

Funerals in Christianity
The Christian faith revolves around a belief in heaven, hell and purgatory. Where a person’s soul will end up is
determined by how they act throughout their life; the righteous will go to heaven and be in the presence of the
Lord, while the sinners will go to hell. For those who have committed forgivable sins in their lifetime, Christians
believe they must serve time in purgatory before they can move on to heaven.
Typically the Christian faith prefers burials over cremations; this is because it interferes with their beliefs on
resurrection and the afterlife. However, if a loved one is cremated, the church asks that their ashes are
respectfully buried instead of scattered. Organ donation is seen as an act of charity and therefore accepted.
Catholic funerals usually occur within three days of the death, but can be anything up to a week. When a
Catholic is nearing death, a special rites and Holy Communion is often carried out by a priest or deacon. After
the person has died, their family members may hold a vigil service the evening before the funeral.
Following this, 'removal' will take place, wherein the body will be taken from the home to the local church or
place of worship. The coffin is usually carried by six males and if the procession passes the house of the
deceased, it will stop as a mark of the deceased.

The mass includes a procession up the aisle of priest, coffin, and congregation, and an introductory rite
or greeting by the priest. The coffin is sprinkled with holy water and then covered with a special cloth
(pall). A Bible or crucifix may be placed on the casket – these are symbols of the Christian faith.
The Mass begins with an opening song and prayers. The funeral liturgy begins – a family member, friend
or the priest will read a passage from Old Testament and a psalm. A eulogy will also be delivered for
the person who has died. As part of the Mass, the mourners will receive Holy Communion (Catholic) or a blessing
from the priest (non-Catholic). Final Commendation – special prayers are delivered, and the priest sprinkles the
coffin with holy water as it’s taken out of the church. Music is played and the coffin is followed by family up the
aisle. Rite of Committal – if the deceased is being buried in a cemetery, family and friends will accompany
the coffin to the grave. Here the priest will read a verse of the scripture and say more prayers.
If attending a Catholic funeral, mourners are expected to dress smartly and wear dark colours.

Funerals in Islam

The Islamic religion views death as a transition to another state of existence called the afterlife. Where you go in
the afterlife depends on how well you followed Islamic religious codes during your life. Muslims, practitioners of
the Islamic faith, believe that if you lived a good life, you will go to Paradise after you die. If not, you will be
separated from all that is good in the world. Islamic law (“sharia”) dictates that funeral arrangements must start
immediately after the death of a loved one. For this reason, there is no viewing, wake, or visitation. Mourners
must attend their mosque’s prayer room to offer religious prayers for the deceased.
Immediately after the death of a loved one, their eyes and mouth are closed, and the body is covered with a white
sheet. According to a set of funeral rites and rituals, the body is washed three times by close family members of
the same sex. Since Muslims believe in the physical resurrection of the body after death, the faith prohibits
cremation. Firstly, mourners will recite Ṣalāt al-Janāzah, the Islamic funeral prayer, which seeks pardon for the
deceased and all dead Muslims. The funeral is typically held outside the mosque, in a location such as a prayer
room, community square, or courtyard. During this, everyone must face towards Mecca and form at least three
rows. After the prayers are complete, the body is transferred to the chosen burial site. For a Muslim burial, the
grave should be perpendicular to Mecca, with the deceased’s body positioned so their right side faces the Islamic
holy city.

As the body is lowered into the grave, the congregation say a prayer. Wood or stones are laid down to prevent
the body touching the dirt. Lastly, each mourner places three handfuls of soil into the grave. Large or decorative
headstones are not usually allowed, so a small stone or marker is left to identify their final resting place. The
Muslim funeral rites are led by an imam (an Islamic leader), and typically include funeral prayers and several
readings from the Quran. All attendees, male or female, are expected to dress modestly and adhere to funeral
etiquette. Men usually wear a shirt and trousers, while women wear a long-sleeved top, ankle-length skirt, and a
headscarf. Additionally, shoes must be removed when entering a mosque prayer hall to ensure that
no impurities are brought inside.
Traditionally, only men are allowed to attend the burial, however, some Muslim communities permit
women to attend.
The period of mourning usually lasts 40 days, but this will vary depending on the family. Traditionally,
the mourning period for a widow is longer: four months and ten days. During this time, they must
wear black, remain in their husband’s home, and are forbidden to interact with men they could
potentially marry.