Blog #9: Acts of the Apostles

"Christ Ordaining the Apostles (Christ Ordaining the Twelve Apostles)." Christ Ordaining the Apostles (Christ Ordaining the Twelve Apostles). N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.

In what ways did the people you learned about during this unit suffer? What was their reaction to their suffering?

I learned that people suffered from being ridiculed and shamed for their beliefs. Many people did not believe the Word of God and humiliated and sometimes physically hurt the Apostles and the people of the Church. In my own story, Paul and his men suffered on the ship while a storm raged around them. However, all of their reaction to the hard times eventually were unfailing faith that God will always be there to protect and guide us. 

Wilson, Marvin R. "The Apostle Paul and His Times: Did You Know?" Christian History | Learn the History of Christianity & the Church. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.

Which story from the Acts of the Apostles did you find most inspiring and why?

I found my own story from the Acts of the Apostles most inspiring. During the storm, Paul's men were beginning to lose faith. However, God sent a messenger to Paul, who passed the message on to his men in a sort of pep talk that showed them that we should believe in God and get him through the hard times. I find that inspiring because it's always nice to have someone to turn to when things get hard. 

"Marine Planning: Stormy Seas." Michelmores. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.

How have you experienced challenges in your own life and how have you dealt with them?

I have experienced challenges balancing school, sports, and my social life before. However I always make sure that I have someone to remind me to take a step back and collect my thoughts, so that I can focus on the task at hand. Sometimes it is a close friend or family member, or I take a few minutes to reflect on where I am in life and pray to God about it.

ictorio2227. "7, Christian Video Background, Video Loop, Easy Worship." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Mar. 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.

Who are people that you can turn to in times of need and why?

I can always turn to my mom in times of need, because she is always very supportive in all of the things I do. I also have a few close friends who I can always count on to be there for me. And of course, I can always turn to God, because He is always there for me and ready to guide me through His plan for me.

"Friendship Resources for EYFS and Primary." TES. N.p., 14 Nov. 2016. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.

Blog #8: Discipleship

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What did you learn about the original disciples from the group projects?

I learned that the disciples were selfless and fully devoted to a life preaching and spreading the Word of God. I also learn that they were very dedicated to the cause, some going as far as to die for their faith.

Which disciple did you find most interesting and why?

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I found Matthias most interesting because while I was researching him, I found that before he was Matthias, he was Zacchaeus. In Luke 19, Zacchaeus first met Jesus, and that's always been a prevalent story in my early Catholic education. I remember as a kid admiring how dedicated Zacchaeus was by climbing the tree and serving Jesus and repenting her ways of a tax collector.

Based on what you learned, what are the characteristics of people who follow Christ?

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I learned that people who follow Christ are wholeheartedly devoted to Him and willing to repent their sins and give all of their material possessions to preach the Word of God. They are also kind and patient and forgiving.

Do you feel that you display any of these characteristics? Why or why not?

I feel like I do display some of these characteristics. Definitely not to the extremes that the disciples went to, but I feel like I make an effort to be kind to people and make them feel loved.

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The Beatitudes

The Beatitudes are a set of eight statements in the story of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. They descfibe how the people who give their time, love, and lives to God will be rewarded.

http://www.theology21.com/2011/06/30/sermon-on-the-mount-why-the-law-according-to-jesus-is-impossible-to-follow/

To follow the Beatitudes, one must fully devote themselves to God and his Plan. The Beatitudes entail traits like humbleness and goodness as essential characteristics of a person living out the Beatitudes. I think if people were to follow the Beatitudes a little more closely, the world could be a more civil, peaceful place. There would be less discrimination and hate, because everybody would be focusing on their devotion to god rather than the differences that seem to separate us so much these day. To be able to accomplish this, one would have to look at themselves more closely and choose who they want to be in order to fulfill the Lord's wishes. To do so, one might have to give up more material things to get a deeper look into what it means to truly give up everything to God.

http://www.ogvidius.com/beatitudes

I spent a day living by the fourth Beatitude, "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied," and the seventh Beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the Children of God." It was interesting, looking at the world in a new perspective, through God's eyes rather than my own. While I wasn't happier, exactly, I did feel a sense to duty to uphold God's vision of peace and love for all. I went through my day being more aware of others and how I could help them. In a way, it was easier to me, because I wasn't thinking so much about my anxieties and insecurities and more of how I can fulfill God's wishes and to achieve what I was made for in life.

http://livingwaterlutheran.us/project/helping-hands-ministry/

Blog Post #6

Based on what you know of the adult Jesus, write a description of what Jesus might have been like when he was fifteen years old. For example, how would he have related to his parents. Would he have been popular among his peers or a loner?

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Based on what I have learned about Jesus as an adult, in modern times, I would think that Jesus would be accepted by most of his peers. Jesus was a good, kind man who cared about his people a lot and would probably be very nice to them. Like in the Bible, people would gravitate towards Jesus because of his wisdom and teachings, which I do think are things he would retain from the Bible stories. At the age of thirteen he was already having discussions with priests and things like that, so I feel like Jesus' voice would be more developed at fifteen. If Jesus performed miracles, it would draw even more attention to him, and all of the ways to communicate with each other invented since Bible times would help a lot in terms of Jesus spreading God's Word. However, as made evident by his crucifixion in Bible times and the many issues with social media today, Jesus probably would not be universally accepted. There will always be people who are non-believers or refuse to see the truth of God's Word and Jesus' faith. However, I do think that Jesus would be tolerated but most and revered by his followers.

https://cloudpix.co/jesus-on-cross-on-the-cross-jesus-christ-1129281.html

Blog Response 5: ACTS Prayer

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Adoration- Adoring God

Dear God, you are so good to me and the rest of your people for awarding us the life and happiness of living within the family of church. You teach myself and other your Word and guide us through the twists and turns of life with ease. I praise you for always being there for me and being a constant in my life.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/exposure/content/photo/photo/2104254_god-in-pop-culture_7u7lnxa4g62zxr46ojwt35tqceoxpy7q62c4u66siw3t6qwph3oq_565x318.jpg

Contrition- Saying sorry for our wrongdoings

I am sorry for neglecting you and my duty to uphold your holy day at mass. I am sorry for forgetting about you and putting other things before you, like school and social events.

https://image.desiringgod.org/inject-your-prayer-list-with-life-t6rc4ijz-en/landscape/medium_inject-your-prayer-list-with-life-t6rc4ijz.jpg?1457023657

Thanksgiving- Giving Thanks

Thank you for all you have given me in this life and for all of the blessings you have provided. Thank you for the loving family, friends, and atmosphere. Thank you for allowing me to get a good education and allowing me to have the privileges that I do.

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Supplication- Telling God what we want to pray for

I would like to pray for anyone who was affected negatively by the election and currently feels like they are in danger in their own country. I would like to pray for anyone who has lost someone close to them lately.

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Blog Response 4:

Credit: http://freebiblestudiesonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/free-bible-studies-online-parables-of-jesus.jpg

What specific things did you learn from your group's parable?

I learned that our parable was about a careless sower who scattered his seeds on four different types of ground. The four different types of ground represent temptation, or Satan, distraction, neglect, and benefitting from morally good actions. The seeds represent the Word of God and the ground reacts tot he seed how one might react to God's Word. One might be really receptive, and the other could be very unforgiving in terms of absorption of knowledge. I learned that people are selective when it comes to the Word of God, and it depends on one's outlook of God to determine whether they take anything from it.

What specific things did you learn from the parables that were presented by the other groups?

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I learned that parables tell a lesson and that they all have an important message or theme running through them. I learned from the Prodigal Son group that God will always forgive someone, no matter what, as long as they ask for it. I learned from the Laborers in the Vineyard group that no matter how hard you work, you will always be welcomed into the Kingdom of God. The Rich Man and Lazarus group taught me about the danger of wealth and how it can affect our behavior negatively.

Which moral/lesson impacted you the most and why?

Credit: http://www.practicetribe.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Return_of_the_Prodigal_Son_1667-1670_Murillo-e1423348281457.jpg

For me, the Parable of the Prodigal Son has always resonated the most with me. It was always one of my favorite Bible stories when I was younger. I think it was the fact that every time I read the story, the son was always welcomed back into his father's household. I liked the idea that God would always be there for me, welcoming me with open arms back into His heart. As I got older, I began to understand more why the second brother was so upset that his father forgave the first brother. However, as I read the story more, I realized that the father forgave his son because he was truly sorry for his actions. This is like God's message because He will always forgive you if you ask for forgiveness. Admitting that you are wrong is a hard feat and when you do accomplish it, God will welcome you back into His kingdom with unparalleled love, and I think that is beautiful. 

What do you think it would be like if Jesus were in our society today?

I think that if Jesus was in our society today, there would still be a lot of people who wouldn't believe in him. There is always going to be the danger of that, of people refusing to believe in God's Word and Plan. Jesus was also viewed as a Jew by many, and since there is a lot of anti-Semetic people in this world, I think he would have been in the same, maybe more, amount of danger that he was back in Bible times. However, I feel that if Jesus were to be in our society today, when things are looking kind of bleak, he could instill some hope for a better future.

Credit:http://weknowyourdreams.com/images/jesus/jesus-02.jpg

Blog Response 3:Of the four gospels, which resonates most with me and why?

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The gospel that resonates with me the most is the Gospel of Luke. I went to a Catholic school prior to this, so I did learn about all four gospel writers before I came to Notre Dame Belmont, but when I was younger, the Gospel of Luke always interested me most.

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It was used in the bigger, fancier masses, such as Easter and Christmas. I especially liked the Christmas masses, where I could dress up and go to church with my family, and mass was like a big celebration of the birth of Jesus. Sometimes, when the the story of Jesus' birth was read, my church would reenact it. And it fascinated me: Joseph and Mary searching for a place to go in crowded villages, baby Jesus being born in a humble barn, the Angel Gabriel sent down from heaven to announce the Good News to the shepherds, and the three kings travelling to Nazareth to gift baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh-- all coupled with the writing style of Luke's Gospel.

The Gospel of Luke resonates with me the most because it brings back good memories of spending time with God and Jesus and my family. It also had the most impact on my life because the stories Luke wrote were, to me, the most memorable and easier to understand.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Gospel_of_Luke_Chapter_4-11_(Bible_Illustrations_by_Sweet_Media).jpg