Chapter 2

Jesus focus - Kingdom of God

Rejected by the jews accepted by Gentiles

First converts - jews and following jewish observance

Council of Jerusalem - Excuse the non-jews/pagans/greeks the jewish observance

Spiritual life =/= Jewish observance

Writtings of the Early Church - Didache 70-100 AD, Letters of St. Clement, Letter of St. Ignatius of Antioch

Teachings of the Apostles - life of the early church, Hierarchy,

Moral Teachings - To protect and defend their faith and morality, from pagan practices

The Synoptic Gospels were written within the period of the Didache

Acts of the Apostles and Apostolic Fathers - Spirituality of the Early Church

Apostolic Fathers - Students and listener of the Apostles, Closeness to the Apostles

Proximity with the time of Jesus

Apostles - Homogenious Group

Apostolic Fathers - Different Places, culture They saw what was happening in the spiritual life of the
church

The themes and characteristics during the time of the Early Church, Teachings of the Early Church

Spiritual life of Early Church

1. Christocentric - Christ experience is very fresh, no abstract, a man how lived, a man with teachings

Christ is very much alive

The Christ they were anticipating to return

Christ being present and will be returning

Heresy - Denying the Divinity and Humanity of Christ

It help in the

Presence of christ in the eucharist

Presence of christ in Prayer life

Presence of christ in the Biblical Homily/Word of God

Economy of Salvation

Father sending the Son

Christ mandating His Apostles

Apostles to the spread of the Good News

2. Eschatological

intermediate state between Christ in the Here and Now and the one who'll come back

focused sila kay christ

Christ returning = preservation

3. Ascetic - the growth of the virtue in the person

Trying hard to make the virtues grow

The Drive to grow in Virtue = important in spiritual life, could be a goal

Ascetic life grew because of Christocentric and Eschatological view

Imitating Christ in his was of Martyrdom = opportinity to live out the life of Christ

Uso ba pa ang Martyrdom?

Lost it relevance and positive value in the mind of the people today

Christ's life highlights the importance of Martyrdom

Following Christ as Spiritual Life

From Christocentric to Idolatry

No longer the growth in virtue, of following and imitating Christ

Virtue - Charity, Humility, Chastity

Prayer life

Desire in growth in virtue - Change of attitude, Methods of attaining virtue - Austerity (Degree of
separating to the world) (Roots of monasticism)

Intensification of Desire to grow - Fasting so that I could give more to others, Letting go of material
things and keeping the things that would make me faithful. Celibacy for both sex. Charity

Way to Perfection

I am open to Martyrdom

Just focusing on the afterlife, the kingdom of God

4. Liturgy - The work on worship, Baptism, Imposition of Hands (Confirmation), and the Eucharist

Opportunity to celebrate

The more you restrict, the more they desire to worship and solidified in their hearts the importance of
worshipping.

Pandemic - New grounds for liturgical practices (Online Mass)

Take advantage what the time is giving you.

Corresponding to the time - Makes to grounded, creative, and grow

Interacting with today's generation

Liturgy is life, the celebration of life we are having.

Spiritual life = Way of worship

Gnosis

Gnosticism - Knowing God

St. Justin - There are seeds of truth in those philosophical thought so ask for grace to lead you to
salvation.

For Clement the Christian life is composed of stages through which the individual passes to the state of
perfection; the various stages are called "mansions of the soul." The mansions are classified as holy fear,
faith and hope, and finally charity.
Natural reason alone is not sufficient for attaining salvation or the complete truth; one also needs
interior grace and external revelation.

Those who do not reach perfection - ordinary faith

Those who are true gnostics (perfect faith)

Only through grace that we attain perfection

The gnostic or perfect Christian is characterized by contemplation, obedience to the precepts, and the
instruction of good men.

Path to perfection - to pray more and do more charity (Prayer and Work)

The final state of Christian gnosis is apatheia (mastery of the passions or serenity), which is the result of
complete control of the passions and desires as well the detachment from created things. It is the peace
and unity that flow from charity.