Ascend: The Catholic Faith for a New Generation Book

Introduction: Love, Grace, and Peace to You xi

How to Use This Book xii

1 God Speaks to a Longing in the Human Heart: Knowledge of God and Revelation 1

Profile: Abraham 2

Backstory: A Look at the Major World Religions 3

In the Media: Extraterrestrial Life 4

2 From Age to Age God Gathers a People to Himself: The Hebrew Testament (Old Testament) 7

Backstory: What Is the Bible? 9

In the Media: Evolution 10

Profile: Hosea 11

3 Revelation Is Alive and Working in Our Own Lives: Scripture and Tradition 13

Backstory: How the Canon of Scripture Came About 15

In the Media: Bible Translations 16

Profile: Moses 17

4 God Believes in Us Before We Believe in Him: Faith 19

Profile: Paul 20

Backstory: A Christian Manifesto 21

In the Media: Atheism 22

5 God Is Love: God the Father 25

Backstory: Experiencing the Trinity in Our Lives 26

Profile: Josephine Bakhita 27

In the Media: Spiritual but Not Religious 28

6 Jesus Changes the World: The Son of God 31

Profile: The Samaritan Woman 32

Backstory: All You Need Is Love 33

In the Media: The Da Vinci Code 34

7 The Breath of God Gives Life: The Holy Spirit 37

In the Media: Speaking in Tongues 38

Backstory: How You Can Be a Wise Person 39

Profile: Stephen 40

8 The Kingdom of God Is Here and Now: Teachings and Ministry of Jesus 43

In the Media: An Eye for an Eye 45

Backstory: The Upside-Down World of the Beatitudes 46

Profile: Peter 47

9 God Always Wins: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus 49

Backstory: Is Death Beautiful? 50

In the Media:Anti-Semitism 51

Profile: Mary Magdalene 52

10 We Don't Choose God; God Chooses Us: Grace, Free Will, and Sin 55

Backstory: The Struggle between Good and Evil 57

In the Media: Punishment on Earth 58

Profile: Dietrich Bonhoeffer 59

11 How We Show Respect to God: The Great Commandment and the Ten Commandments 1-3 61

In the Media: American Exceptionalism 63

Backstory: Afraid of God? 65

Profile: The Roman Martyrs 65

12 How We Act justly toward Others: The Great Commandment and the Ten Commandments 4-10 67

Profile: Thomas More 69

Backstory: God's Justice System 70

In the Media: The Death Penalty 71

13 We Are Made for Glory: Heaven and Hell 73

Profile: Joseph Bernardin 75

Backstory: How to Be Happy 75

In the Media: Ghosts and Mediums 76

14 God Invites Us to Conversation: Prayer 79

Profile: Teresa of Avila 81

Backstory: The Lord's Prayer 82

In the Media: The Prosperity Gospel 83

15 Following in the Footsteps of Jesus: Discipleship 85

Backstory: Service Is Standard Procedure, Not an Option 87

Profile: Francis & Clare of Assisi 88

In the Media: The Environment and Animal Rights 89

16 We Are the Body of Christ: The Church 91

In the Media: Christian Nation 93

Backstory: Christianity Is Wounded and Divided 94

Profile: John XXIII 96

17 We Are Each Called to Serve: Church Ministries and Roles 99

Backstory: The Good News 102

In the Media: Clerical Abuse 104

Profile: Teresa of Kolkata 105

18 The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor: Social Justice 107

In the Media: War and Peace 109

Bacbtory: The Prophets and Their Message to Us 110

Profile: Bartolome de las Casas 111

19 We Have Died to Sin and Risen to a New Life: The Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist 113

Backstory: We Are Saved as a Community 116

In the Media: Baptism by Immersion 117

Profile: Matteo Ricci 118

20 God Calls Each of Us to Our Own Way of Life: The Sacraments of Vocation: Marriage and Holy Orders 121

Profile: Ignatius of Loyola 123

Backstory: Vocation Is about Relationships 124

In the Media: Celibacy 125

21 God Heals Us: The Sacraments of Healing: Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick 127

Profile: The Trappists of Tibhirine 129

Backstory: Does Suffering Have Meaning? 130

In the Media: Faith Healers 131

22 Our Celebration Knows No End: The Liturgy 133

Backstory: We Love to Celebrate and We Celebrate to Love 136

In the Media: Christmas Consumerism 137

Profile: Miguel Pro 138

23 We Stand on the Shoulders of Those Who Came Before Us: The Saints 141

Backstory: You Are Made to Be Holy 143

In the Media: Angels 144

Profile: Dorothy Day 145

24 She Pondered These Things in Her Heart: Mary 147

Profile: Joseph 149

Backstory: Our Spirits Rejoice in God Our Savior 150

In the Media: Apparitions of Mary 151

25 We Pass on a Gift of Great Price to Our Children: Raising Children in the Faith 153

Backstory: Should You Have Children? 155

In the Media: Annulments 156

Profile: Takashi Nagai 157

26 You Are the Light of the World: Current Issues 159

Backstory: Morality Is about Right and Wrong 162

In the Media: Islam 163

Profile: The Jesuits of the Guar am 164

27 We Open Ourselves to the Modern World: The Second Vatican Council 167

Backstory: Counter-Reformation: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 169

In the Media: Schism 170

Profile: John Henry Newman 171

28 We Look Forward to the End of Time: The Second Coming 173

Backstory: Trust God 174

In the Media: The Rapture and Armageddon 175

Profile: Mychal Judge 176

Choose the Red Pill: The Dismissal 179

Profile: Black Elk 181

"Be Still" 185

Learn More 187

Profile: Thomas Merton 189

What Do You Really Think? Discussion Questions 197

Profile: Catherine of Siena 202

A Vocabulary of Faith: Glossary 207

Profile: Théresè of Lisieux 217

Sources 224

Image Credits 225

Acknowledgments 228