The Living God – a catechism

Part 1 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

CHAPTER 1 – The image of God: Creation, Fall, Restoration

A) The Creation
Genesis 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God
was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”;
and there was light. ...
 How the world was created? – We are not told in the verses
The answer – 2 Macc. 7:28
In Liturgy – “ Thou it was who brought us from nonexistence into being” (The
Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom Eucharistic prayer)
Word – Logos (John 1, 1)
 What makes creation to evolve?
It is the spirit of God who gives life to the world. (Pneuma)
 How do we know that God has creating everything? No one saw Him do it
To discover that someone has created out of the void, out of nothingness, this is
the beginning of belief in God. It is the beginning of what we call FAITH.
Hebrews (11, 3) + include 1, 2 Genesis
 How were the first days measured?
2 Pet 3, 8
 Science vs Bible revelation?
Biblical revelation rises above time and space to God.
He created human Intelligence which has invented science itself

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 The Living God – a catechism
Part 1 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

New words
Demiurg (ancient greeks) = Chaos to order
Septuagint – Greek version of The Old Testament

B) The Creation of Man (Gen 2, 4-7; 21-24)

Two accounts of creation: The first chapters of Genesis do not recount “history”
– a history presumes the presence of a witness
First account – creation of the universe which God gives to man.
Second account – Why man was created last: to be the crowning act of creation
and to lead the world to God.
MAN & WOMAN – share the same nature
Eve – the helper of Adam
Eve (hebrew) = life
Adam (hebrew adama) = earth
(Gen. 2, 21-22)

The woman is called to be the companion of man, the one who remains at his
side.
We belong to the same creation.
Man lives because God constantly renews his life by His breath, by His presence,
by His power.
God created man and human in His image.
In order to create man, God made use of nature as a whole, including it`s
evolution.
The aim of human existence is to resemble our divine model to an ever greater
degree.

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 The Living God – a catechism
Part 1 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

But God did not create man from nothing; He created him “out of the earth” and
everything which it contains” = His own breath

C) The Fall (Gen 2, 8-17; 3: 1-4:16)

The man – both king and priest, responsible for all creation to offer it to God.
Two trees – Tree of Life and Tree of Knowledge of good and evil
The serpent more subtle than any other wild creature (Gen. 3, 1) – (add Rev. 12,
9)
The temptation: to be like God, knowing good and evil (Gen 3, 5); they knew
that they were naked (Gen. 3, 7)
Add (Gen. 3, 8-10)
Where are you? – The state of sin – the state of missing communion
The call of mercy – answered - The justification- naked, Eve, the serpent
The prophecy of Christ`s victory over the devil, victory made possible by Mary,
the new Eve. Add (Gen. 3:15)
New Adam (1 Cor 15:22, 45)
The entrance to paradise it`s closed, for if man tasted of the Tree of Life after
tasting of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, evil would become eternal.
Death – as result of the fall but also a remedy against evil
The human freedom – Cain and Abel
Add (Gen. 4, 7)
Add (Rom. 5, 12)
What was the sin? ?

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 The Living God – a catechism
Part 1 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

CHAPTER 2 – From despair to hope: Job

Some conclusions and reflections in relation to the great fall

Man created in the image of God to live eternally and to become like his Creator
(likeness) came to know the fall and death.
 Perpetual dissatisfaction:
 The desire of something more and something better:
Attest our longing for the lost paradise as does our thirst for God
The absence of God – an infinite emptiness like a deep scar within the human
heart
MAN the image of God = an ugly caricature
The gifts of God: intelligence (ratiunea), will (vointa), creativity (pulled to serve
evil), love.
Conclusion:
LOVE – Jealousy
DESIRE TO IMPROVE ONESELF – Love of Power and domination
THE QUEST FOR ETERNAL GOOD THINGS – Love of material possessions
EVIL – the tempter, the ancient serpent, the divider, the diabolos (devil), the
father of lies = the prince of this world
God does not abandon his creation
His Word through prophets
Job – a perfect model of resistance to evil and patience in the face of trials
 Patience, hope, perseverance in good
God permits trials which demonstrate and develop the good qualities of His
servants, forge their character and strengthen their love and faithfulness.
Integrity – If we accepted good things from the Lord`s hand, shall we not endure
evil things? (Job 2, 15)
Even though God`s image in man has been spoiled by the sin of Adam and Eve,
by the sin of Cain, and by the sin of each one of us, Job allow us to hope for the

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 The Living God – a catechism
Part 1 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

coming of One who will resist with courage and perseverance the assaults of
the evil one and will triumph over him, thereby restoring in mankind the divine
presence which had been lost through sin and re-establishing in us the divine
image in the fullness of its beauty.To do this, God sends among us the very
Model according to which He had originally created us. Just as a faded print can
be restored by reapplying the original stamp, so the Son of God, who reflects
the glory of God the Father, can enter human nature by clothing Himself with it
as with a garment, and thereby can create a new Adam, a perfect Man, a
radiant Image of God. This occurs by what theologians call the Incarnation.

Regarding OT (VT) – 2 Cor 3:16

Isaia 14: 12-15
New words
Satan (hebrew) = adversary (dusman)
Theophany – manifestation of God
Transcendence – God is above everything

CHAPTER 3 – The incarnation

A) The Annunciation – the good news (gr. Evangelismos)

Today is the beginning of our salvation,

The revelation of the eternal mystery!
The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin
As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.
Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos:
Rejoice, O Full of Grace,
The Lord is with you.
(Troparion of the feast)

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 The Living God – a catechism
Part 1 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

 How can the image of God be found again?

 How can true relations be re-established between God and humanity?
The promise of Messiah – a promise announced by the prophets and kept by
faith and hope.
Jacob`s Ladder (Gen. 28, 10 – 22)
Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of man (John 1, 51)
When God becomes incarnate, taking human flesh, heaven and earth become
reunited.
For He is true God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, who sits in heaven at
the right hand of the Father. Yet He is at the same time true man, the second
Adam.
But for this miracle to take place, man must accept God. Mary is the
acceptance, for she freely agrees to receive God in her womb.
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.
(Luke 1, 38)
Mother of God, Mary:
 Ladder of Jacob – the link between heaven and earth
 Gate of heaven – God makes His entrance among men in the person of
Jesus (Iconostasis – Kingdom of Heaven)

B) The virgin of the sign

Icon: Mary bearing in her womb the Son of God
Illustrating Isaiah prophecy:
Hear then, O house of David! ...the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a
virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [that is,
God is with us] (Is. 7, 13-14)
Mother of God – YES answered
God wants an answer free of all constraint and pronounced only out of love.

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Part 1 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

How can this be? – Through the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you (Luke 1, 35)
First to recognize the Incarnation and the fulfilment of the prophecy: Elizabeth
with the leaping of St. John in her womb
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! (Luke 1,
41-42)
Iconography of Theotokos (Icon Oranta)
Three stars – her virginity before, during and after childbirth
Her answer: Luke 1, 46-55 (The Magnificat)
Isaiah, Rejoice!
Rejoice, O Isaiah!
A virgin is with child,
And shall bear a Son, Emmanuel,
Both God and man,
And Orient is His name.
Magnifying Him, we call the Virgin blessed.

The aim of the Christians, of their struggle against sin to obtain God`s pardon, is
to allow the incarnation of the Word in their life to become apparent.
Christ, the living God, seeks us to lead us back to His Father and to reconcile us
with Him.
It is He who will give back to us the lost image. To rediscover our resemblance
(asemanare) to God.
God became man, so that man may become god (lowercase).
New words
Theotokos = she who gives birth to God
Hodigitria = the one who guides

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 The Living God – a catechism
Part 1 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Orans = latin orare – to pray

Fiat = let it come to be
Parthenos (gr) = Virgin

C) The Nativity
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1, 14)

Today the mystery of nativity is perverted leaving a small place for our Lord
Jesus.
The accent falls on commercialism, gifts, decorations, family celebration, Noel,
festivity....
The King of Israel – has lowered (self-emptying of God, Kenosis) Himself to the
point of becoming a defenceless child lying in straw at the feet of animals.
Phil 2: 6-7
Christ was rejected in his human condition. Exiled into Egypt.
A message of peace:
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men (Luke 2,
14)
Icon of Nativity and Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1, 18-25)
Thy Nativity, O Christ our God,
Has shone to the world the light of wisdom!
For by it, those who worshipped the stars,
Were taught by a star to adore Thee, the Sun of Righteousness,
And to know thee, the Orient from on high.
O lord, glory to Thee!
(Troparion of the feast)

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 The Living God – a catechism
Part 1 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

The gifts of Magi: gold for a king, frankincense for God and myrrh for a mortal
man.
History blends with the divine plan. (PROVIDENCE)
Jesus is the “anointed One” of the Lord:
 Messiah (hebrew)
 Christ (greek)
He is the King of Israel son of David.
The Son of God at the mouth of the cave has taken our human condition upon
Himself: He is born of the earth and will return to the earth at the time of His
burial (as well in a cave).
(1 Cor. 15, 47-49)

LECTURI

Psalmul 103
The book of Job
The book of Genesis – Chapter 1-4

EXTRA

Numele celor 3 magi

1. Melchior
2. Gaspar
3. Baltazar
The seven gifts of the Spirit (Isaiah 11, 1-3)

1. The spirit of wisdom – Duhul Intelepciunii

2. The spirit of understanding – Duhul Intelegerii
3. The spirit of counsel – Duhul Sfatuirii
4. The spirit of might – Duhul Tariei
5. The spirit of knowledge – Duhul Cunostintei
6. The spirit of godliness – Duhul Bunei Credinte
7. The spirit of the fear of the Lord –Duhul fricii de Dumnezeu