At-Home Lesson#3
Part 1. God's Master Plan: LOVE
Topic 3: Thy Kingdom Come [1]
Behind DOCAT
Mankind was designed with a longing for the perfect and the eternal. As Ecclesiastes says, “[God] has put eternity into man’s mind” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We are created for Heaven, but we are living on a very imperfect earth. Even people who have no faith in God or no expectation of an afterlife recognize that the world in which we live is not perfect and desire to make it better. Since we were designed this way, it makes sense that we would be dissatisfied with the broken state of the world and want to fix it.
By working for a more just and loving society, we are working to bring this world into conformity with the Kingdom of God. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was like a mustard seed—something tiny that grows into something huge (cf. Matthew 13:31-32). The Church is Christ’s kingly reign on earth, changing this world broken by sin and death into the fullness of the Kingdom of God. And while we hope to achieve a revolution of love in our world today, this process is truly a journey into eternity because the full transformation will be realized only in Heaven.
Read DOCAT
Read the content under DOCAT# 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 (numbers in blue circle) from DOCAT p.24~p.27. [2]
What Does DOCAT Say?
According to DOCAT#15, what is the only way we can succeed in living a life of love?
What is at the core of every human sin?
Why does the Church exist?
Answer the above questions [Click Here]
What Does the Bible Say?
Read John 15:13. According to John 15:13, what is the greatest love a person can have? How do you think you can live this out in your own life?
Read Acts 2:44-45. How did inner conversion affect the outward actions of the early Christians in Jerusalem?
Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-31. In 1 Corinthians 12, St. Paul talks about the Church as the Body of Christ. What does 1 Corinthians 12:26 tell us about our relationship and responsibility to other members of the Church?
Answer the above questions [Click Here]
DO Reflect
Sometimes when we are working very hard on something important, we can become so wrapped up in the task at hand that we lose sight of the bigger picture. We need to be aware of this temptation when we are striving for a better world here on earth. Working for justice and peace is an incredibly important job, but it is not the final goal. Everything we do here on earth should be driven by our hope of eternal life. St. Augustine put this in terms of an earthly city and a heavenly city. While we rightly strive to improve the earthly city—our human society—to the best of our abilities, we remember that it will ultimately pass away while the perfect heavenly city endures. If we lose sight of our end goal—Heaven—we will fail to make real progress in love and justice on earth. The Church keeps us focused on the big picture while also providing the means to do the necessary work here on earth.
Why is our hope for eternal life significant to the way we work to make a better world here?
Through the sacraments, God gives us the strength to improve the earthly city. What are some ways that you can put into practice the love you receive in the sacraments?
Answer the above reflection questions [Click Here]
DO Chat
What does it mean that love is not just a feeling but also a virtue? How is this similar to or different from the way the world commonly looks at love?
We cannot change the world without experiencing change (conversion) in our own hearts. How can we work on changing ourselves to get ready to change the world?
How does the Church help us develop in God’s love?
Answer the above questions [Click Here]
DO Challenge
Remember:
At your Baptism, you became a member of the Body of Christ, the Church. Make a plan for celebrating the anniversary of your Baptism and mark the date on the calendar so you remember.
Pray:
The next time you go to Mass and receive the Eucharist, ask our Lord how he wants his love to transform your actions in the coming week.
References / Citations
[1] DOCAT Study Guide. San Francisco, Calif: Ignatius Press, 2016.
[2] DOCAT: What to do? The Social Teaching of the Catholic Church. San Francisco, Calif: Ignatius Press, 2016.
[3] BibleGateway (online bible). https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Good-News-Translation-GNT-Bible/