CATHOLICISM

Grade 8

Lesson 1: The Holy Bible

Under this lesson, you will be studying about the Gospel of Luke.
For this lesson, you will be needing:
• Your Holy Bible (Catholic version)
• A highlighter

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1.1 Author of the Gospel of Luke

St. Luke is the author of two books written in the bible – The Gospel of Luke and
the Acts of the Apostles.

Task:
Write down the page number in your bible which for the following:
1. Gospel of Luke -
2. Acts of the Apostles –

But what do we know about St. Luke’s different professions?

• We know from the bible, that St. Luke was known to be a physician (See
Colossians 4:14).
• He is also and author because of his writings
• He is also considered a painter because of his Spiritual painting of the
Blessed Mother Mary
• St. Luke is considered to be a historian because of the writings of his
Gospel. He is a historian because the writing style in the Gospel of Luke has
a strong structure and is written in order. From his writings, we know that
he has taken the information from eyewitnesses or from previous writings
about Jesus.

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In summary, St Luke had 4 different talents:

Writer Artist

Physician Historian

TASK:
What is your talent? Do you have more than 1? How do you use your talent to
glorify God?
e.g. You may have the talent of singing, and you glorify God by singing in the
choir!
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So, the above explains the talents of St. Luke and his capabilities. But who was St.
Luke? Well, he was a gentile. In fact, he was the only gentile to write a full Gospel.
Because of this, throughout the Gospel of Luke, you will notice his writing style
pays very close attention to the favor of the gentiles.
For example, read the following stories:
1. Lk 17: 11 - Jesus heals 10 lepers, but only the Samaritan thanks Jesus.
2. Lk 10: 25 – The parable of the Good Samaritan
A Samaritan was a group of people from another religion who were hated by the
Jewish people.
We are also Christian gentiles, and this is why the Gospel of Luke is so important
to us. St. Luke’s writings help us understand the way Jesus would want us to live.

THINKING – HEART CAPS (5min):

Praveen has always been different from everyone else – he laughs too loudly,
answers all the questions in class, eats by himself, wears glasses and he
dresses differently. Praveen does not play sports like the other boys do, but he
loves to play the piano.
You’ve been with Praveen since you both were in Grade 2, but as you both
grew older, you both liked different things. He likes to eat indoors, you like to
eat outdoors; he doesn’t like dogs, but you like dogs. Before you realized it, you
stopped spending time with Praveen. Soon, Praveen was sitting in class all by
himself, the other children would copy his homework, and would always make
him go first for everything!
Praveen didn’t mind though, because it was better to be needed by others
rather than being alone. So he kept smiling, kept helping others, and kept
being all alone.
Now you’re in Grade 8 with Praveen, and you can see the other boys making
fun of him because they’re bigger and stronger than Praveen. They make fun

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of his clothes and make fun of his laugh. They laugh at his glasses and at his
high marks. You watch your “friends” do this to Praveen – Praveen, who was
your friend a long time back. What do YOU do?
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1.2 Background of the Gospel of Luke

Take a good look at the pictures below:

On each picture, you will see the name of the relevant Gospel. Each of the four
Gospels have their own symbol and the symbol of the Gospel of Luke is an Ox. The

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reason why there is a symbol for each Gospel is to display the “stand-out”
characteristic from the whole Gospel.
The reason why St. Luke’s Gospel is that of an Ox, is because an Ox is known for
its strength, reliability and because of his “service” to mankind. This is similar to
how Jesus “served” mankind by sacrificing his life for us on the cross. You will see
an on- going theme of a “sacrificial figure” in the Gospel of Luke and these figures
are represented together through the Ox.
And examples of the sacrificial figures in the Gospel are:
1. Mother Mary saying “yes” to God’s plan and sacrificing so much to bring
Jesus to the world.
2. Jesus sacrificing himself on the cross for us
3. Zachariah offering sacrifices at the temple.

History of the Gospel of Luke:

• The Gospel was written between the years 80 – 85 A.D.
• It was written for a person known as “Theophilus” who could have been St.
Luke’s benefactor
• As we know through the symbol of the Ox, the theme of this Gospel is the
theme of “sacrifice”.
• Therefore, the purpose of this Gospel is to show that God sent his only son
Jesus Christ to save not only the Jews but the souls of the whole world.

All the characters of the Gospel play a huge role in delivering the message of
God’s love. For example, through Mother Mary’s obedience to God’s plan, we
have now received eternal life; through the ministry of John the Baptist and the
message of Baptism, we carry now similarly receive the Sacrament of Baptism just
as Jesus was baptized and through this sacrament we are reborn as children of
God.

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The content of the Gospel of Luke as we mentioned before are taken mostly from
eyewitnesses of those who were present in Jesus’ life;
• About 65% of the content is taken from the Gospel of Mark
• 20% is similar to the content mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew
The second point suggests that because of the similar content, St’s. Matthew and
Luke would have used the same/ similar source(s) for their writing.

Q. WHAT EXAMPLES ARE MENTIONED IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

WHICH SHOW THAT JESUS CAME TO SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD?
• The genealogy of Jesus (Gospel of Matthew vs Gospel of Luke)
– the genealogy in Luke is different than the genealogy
mentioned in Matthew.
• Simeon’s Antiphon
• Mother Mary’s Song during her visit to Elizabeth
• Simon the Pharisee
Write down the Chapter, and verse for each of the above examples:
1.
2.
3.
4.

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1.3 Other names for the Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Prayer
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is depicted as a praying Messiah. The Gospel not only
portrays several parables which teaches about prayer but Jesus is seen praying in
the Gospel of Luke more than all the other three Gospels combined.
In this Gospel, St. Luke shows Jesus praying in almost every instance in his life:
When he is filled with joy
When he is in agony
He prays with others around him
He prays alone at night.
He prays on a high mountain in a sacred place (in the olden days, a Mountain
represented the meeting point between God and man; you were the closest to
God if you were on a mountain symbolically).
He prays on levelled ground (normal ground) where ordinary life events take
place.

Here are some examples in the Gospel of Luke:

• Jesus prays at his Baptism
• Jesus prays in a lonely place
• Jesus prays before choosing the apostles
• Jesus prays for Peter
• Jesus prays for the people who put him to death

Give a few of your own examples of Prayer in the Gospel of Luke:

1.
2.
3.

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Gospel of the Gentiles

We’ve discussed about how this Gospel is meant for a gentile audience and how
St. Luke himself was known to be a Gentile. But what reference is there in the
Gospel of Luke that shows us that Luke’s Gospel was meant for a gentile people?
Take a look at the genealogy of Jesus. Compare the genealogy between Matthew
and Luke:
In the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, Luke traces Jesus’ genealogy but it starts
with “Adam”, the “father” of human race, but in Matthew’s Gospel, the
genealogy starts with “Abraham”, also known as the Father of the Jewish people.
Because St. Luke himself is a gentile, we too are closest to his Gospel. As non-
Jews, we can relate to his writing more, in comparison to the other Gospels.
Example of Gentile writing:
• Angel of God’s declaration (Luke 2:10)
• Simeon’s prayer
• The story of the Good Samaritan
• Jesus heals ten lepers but only the Samaritan thanks him (Lk 17: 11)

Gospel of Mercy

Throughout the Gospel of Luke, you see a common theme. That theme is Mercy –
you can see Jesus’ Mercy throughout the Gospel and parables with the theme of
mercy as well. Some examples include:
• The prodigal Son (Lk 15: 11)
• The Good Samaritan (Lk 10: 29)
Reflective task – Write down your own explanation on Mercy, and give the last
example that you can remember where you were merciful towards another:
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Gospel of the Holy Spirit

St. Luke ensures to include the Holy Spirit in most of his writing:
Luke 1:15 -
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Luke 1: 41 -
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Luke 1: 67 -
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Luke 4:18-
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Luke 5:17--
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In Luke 11: 13, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as a gift given by God the Father.
You must understand the role of the Holy Spirit and why the Holy Spirit is the
third person in the trinity. In the examples above, you can see how the Holy Spirit
provides completion, comprehension and wisdom, you can see how the Holy
Spirit is portrayed as the Presence of God and God’s work; how the Holy Spirit

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acts as a force or a power of sorts; and how many events have been initiated by
the Holy Spirit.
Luke’s writing has a significant focus on the Holy Spirit, but we especially see the
workings of the Holy Spirit in the most important periods of Jesus’s life:
A. Jesus’ birth Luke 1:35
B. Luke 3:21-22
C. Luke 4:1-2
D. Luke 4:18
Because of the repetition and emphasis on the Holy Spirit, the Gospel of Luke is
also known as the Gospel of the Holy Spirit.
Reflective Question
Q: Take 5 minutes to write down an example on how the Holy Spirit works. You
can give a fictional example, or a real - life example.
A: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Gospel of Women

The reason why the Gospel of Luke is also known as the Gospel of women
because it has a greater number of important bible passages which involve
women.
How many women are there in your family? What roles do they play? Here’s
mine:
I have 2 women in my family – my mother and my sister. When I was younger, my
mother cooked, cleaned, worked as a teacher and was also a housewife to raise
my sister and I. My sister was and is my role model, she always protected me,
advised me and continues to raise me even though we’ve grown up.

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Now it’s your turn:
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What is your opinion of a woman today? What is her role? Brainstorm your
answers in this circle:

Being a woman should not stop you from reaching out to uncommon ground to
serve your Heavenly Father. Apart from teaching, you can be leaders in your
youth group, you can lead younger children to God; you can read readings during
mass; you can provide assembly ideas; act; sing; dance; you can work the laptops
and TVs in church; sing in the choir. What you cannot do is doing nothing.
But what if you’re a boy?
Then you support the women around you. You give your sisters who are your
classmates encouragement, you teach them when they are confused, you share
your duties with them, you treat them with respect. What you cannot do is make
fun of them, criticize them, bully them, laugh at them when they try something
new and make mistakes.

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But what if there are boys or classmates out there who do not support you, who
do not share their duties with you? You keep serving your God, you keep trying
hard and he will protect you, he will guide you.
Luke in his Gospel explains the emotions of the women in the Gospel. For
example, in chapters 1 and 2, St. Luke details the emotions of Mother Mary and
Elizabeth. St. Luke also speaks greatly about women in his Gospel:
• 2: 36 – 38
• 7: 11 – 15
• 7: 36 – 50
• 10: 38 – 42
• 13: 10 – 17
One of the most powerful examples is the sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet,
she does this to thank Jesus for his compassion (7:36). From the writings of St.
Luke in his Gospel, we can see that women are called to love and serve God as
much as men are. God has included a special ministry to his daughters.

THINKING – HEART CAPS (5min):

Kushan is a student of Sunday School Grade 8, and Shilini is his classmate.

Shilini is a new student and the teacher asked her to participate in the Media
Unit. Because Shilini is new, she is very nervous about joining a new group. If
you were Kushan, how would you make Shilini feel comfortable? Discuss your
answer as a group, and be very creative in your answer:
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Gospel of Poor

Just like the other names for the Gospel of Luke, the reason why it is also known
as the Gospel of the Poor is because of the references mentioned in the bible
about how God is pleased by the poor people.
According to your textbook, these references are:

A. The announcement of Jesus’ birth to the poor shepherds (Luke 2:10)

B. The beatitude (Luke 6: 20)
But what does St. Luke mean by the “poor”? Write down the possible meanings
for the word “poor”:

Good job on finding the other meanings!

When you compare the Gospel of Luke with the other Gospels like the Gospel of
John, you will notice that St. Luke actually refers to the poor literally, he does not
refer to the poor symbolically, as the other gospels do.

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Gospel of the Marginalized

The last name which the Gospel of Luke is also known as is the “Gospel of the
Marginalized”. One of the main reasons is because there is stronger emphasis/
concentration given to the “marginalized” in the Gospel of Luke.
Let’s break down the meaning of marginalized so that we can understand its
meaning in more detail. When you google the meaning of “marginalized”, you get
the following definition:

(of a person, group, or concept) treated as insignificant or peripheral.

So what does marginalized mean in the context of St. Luke?

Well, its meaning is quite similar to google but it’s so much more deeper.
Marginalized refers to a group of people or individuals who are casted away from
society or people who are treated as unimportant by society.
The Gospel of Luke places more emphasis on the outcasts, more than any other
Gospel. Luke especially gives priority to Gentiles, lepers, the poor, and women.
There are so many examples in the Holy Gospel of Luke where topics of Gentiles,
lepers, the poor and women are written about, and these are some examples:

1. Luke 19: 1 – 10: Zacchaeus the tax collector

2. Luke 14: 13: Jesus instructs whom to invite to a dinner
3. Luke 5: 12: Jesus cleanses a leper

There are always going to be outcasts around you, and when you meet and
converse with outcasts, remember this Gospel so that you will remember what
Jesus did and therefore act as he did.

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We have to be careful, however, of identifying “outcasts” in the world today. In
most of the examples in the Gospel of Luke, we see Luke also stressing on the
importance of “repentance”.
Luke’s Gospel has constant instances where Jesus calls out for these “outcasts” to
repent because there are 2 types of outcasts:
1. Outcasts/ Marginalized due to no fault of their own
2. Outcasts/ Marginalized due to consequences of their own decisions and
way of life.

The Marginalized in Luke’s Gospel covers mainly the first type, and Jesus reminds
us how to be welcoming, kind and loving. There are mentions of the 2nd type of
outcasts as well in the Gospel of Luke and Jesus never hesitates to correct this
type by showing love and being welcoming but also by reminding these outcasts
to repent of their ways so that they will no longer become outcasts not only in
society but in the eyes of God.

THINKING – HEART CAPS (5min):

COVID-19 tragically took the lives of many people, and it continues to do so.
This virus has caused us to keep away from family and our loved ones. The
way we act now is very similar to how lepers acted long time ago. They were
shut out from society and lived in dark places alone and did not have anyone to
depend on for food or drink.
Your closest friend Sarah was recently tested positive for COVID-19 and she
had to be isolated alone. When you get to know that she is positive, what do
you do:
A. Pray and ask God to heal her
B. Tell all the people you know that she has been infected and gossip about
it
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 C. Video call/ call her and check on her
D. Send her food and medicine
E. Other
If you choose “E (other)”, explain your answer below:
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1.4 The Message of the Gospel of Luke

The bible is your book of answers in life. Each reading has a message that will help
you answer questions about your life and purpose on earth and so much more.
Similarly, the Gospel of Luke has many messages to offer, the main ones are as
follows:
A. Joy and Praise
B. Using wealth responsibly
C. Sacrifices
In this chapter, we will be learning these messages in detail.

Joy and Praise

Through the different passages in the Gospel of Luke, we see many instances
where God is being praised, some of these examples are very similar as the ones
in our lessons before:
• The Magnificat
• Song of Zachariah
• Hymn of the Angels “Glory to God in the highest…”
• Hymn of Simeon
You can see that these praises are sung whenever they are in awe, or filled with
God’s love and amazement.
As a teenager, you must not forget to remember God in everything that you do,
nor must you be ashamed to declare his name and give him praise when you have
the opportunity.

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Reflective Question
Q: What are some ways which you can praise God? We spoke about using our
talents to Praise God before, but what are other ways and where can you
Praise God?
A: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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The best example for this is to take celebrities, sportsman, Olympians, doctors,
nurses, and other people of power. There are so many Catholics and Christians in
the world who have been given opportunities to praise God but they don’t, and
there are so many Catholics and Christians in the world who have been given
opportunities to praise God and they do!.
Some ways which I have seen these types of people praising God are:
• Doctors saying “It was a miracle”
• Cricketers making the sign of the Cross before bowling/ entering the field
• Actor – Matthew McConaughey Oscar Acceptance speech:
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, to the Academy for this -- all 6000
members. Thank you, to the other nominees. All of these performances were
impeccable in my opinion. I didn't see a false note anywhere. I want to thank Jean-
Marc Vallee, our Director. I want to thank Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner -- who I
worked with daily. There's a few things -- about three things, to my count, that I
need each day. One of them is something to look up to; another is something to look
forward to; and another is someone to chase. Now, first off I want to thank God
because that's who I look up. He's graced my life with opportunities that I know are
not of my hand or any other human hand. He has shown me that it's a scientific fact
that gratitude reciprocates. In the words of the late Charlie Laughton who said,
"When you got God, you got a friend, and that friend is you."

Learn to say “Praise God” in your everyday life. It pleases God that you remember
he is all powerful, all knowing and is in full control of everything.

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Using wealth responsibly
Luke is very particular about how the poor are treated in his Gospel. Previously,
we discussed about the other meanings of poor apart from not having money.
We also discussed how St. Luke focuses more on the literal meaning of the word
“poor” rather than the symbolic meanings of the word “poor”. In the Gospel of
Luke, there is special focus on poor people who are less fortunate in wealth and
riches such as money.
Therefore, the message of his Gospel is to make sure that as Christians and
followers of Christ, that we use whatever wealth we have in a responsible way. St.
Luke includes different parables, preaches, and real-life instances to explain this
message.
As students, you have to memorize such examples. Some of the examples are;
1. St. John the Baptist explaining the importance of sharing
Write down the chapter and verse of this:
2. The risk of selfishness and greed for wealth
Write down the chapter and verse of this:
3. The rich man and Lazarus
Write down the chapter and verse of this:

The message of using wealth responsibly is spread all over the Gospel of Luke. By
skim reading the Gospel yourself, find other examples where you can find this
message. Write down a summary of the bible passage in your own words and the
chapter and verse.

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Sacrifices

In your own words, write down what the word “sacrifice” means to you:
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Next, think about common sacrifices you make every day, or you see others make
every day. Now write these every day sacrifices down:
SACRIFICES YOU MAKE EVERY DAY SACRIFICES YOU SEE OTHER PEOPLE
MAKE EVERY DAY.

So why is sacrifice such a big deal in Christianity? And Catholic faith specifically?
This is so well explained in the Gospel of Luke. Sacrifice as we know is also a
theme expressed by the symbol of the Ox which is the symbol for the Gospel of
Luke. When we go for mass, we are reminded about the greatest sacrifice of
mankind. What is this sacrifice? And at which point in mass are we reminded of
this sacrifice?
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By being able to sacrifice for others without a care for your own satisfaction, you
showcase one of the most powerful forms of love. This love is not selfish,
perverted, or based on a relationship. This love truly comes from your heart.
This is the pure love that God expects from each of us, and in the end when we
portray this kind of love, we start to become more attached to Jesus and his way
of life. We slowly become a different person, and sacrifices start to become more
natural to you.
Sacrifice is born out of love, and it therefore strengthens the relationship you
have with God.
Every day when your mother wakes up, cleans, cooks, works, and when your
father is sick but still goes for work, takes you out for practices or classes – this is
a SACRIFICE. But no one talks about this sacrifice because it’s so normal.
DO NOT LIMIT YOUR SACRIFICES TO THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW AND LOVE. GO
BEYOND THAT, SACRIFICE YOUR HAPPINESS FOR THE SAFETY OF SOMEONE ELSE;
SACRIFICE YOUR MEAL FOR SOMEONE WHO IS LESS FORTUNATE THAN YOU ARE.
If you don’t feel your sacrifice is hard for you, then you’re not doing it right.
It’s not about giving an extra gaming console, or eyeliner, or book. It’s not about
giving used clothes, or used toys. It’s about giving what you have- the only one
you have. The last one you have left. Because when you do this, you truly give out
of love.
List the sacrifices mentioned in the Gospel of Luke:
1.
2.
3.

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1.5 Outline of the Gospel of Luke

Just like any other book, the Gospel of Luke has a plan and outline. Because of this
outline, we can easily locate a specific part of the Gospel as long as we
understand how the Gospel is constructed or written.
To do this we have to divide the Gospel into parts.

PREFACE

JESUS’
INFANCY

JESUS’
MINSITRY

JESUS
PASSION

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Categorically, there are 4 main divisions in the Gospel of Luke as shown in the
above chart:
1. Preface
2. Infancy Narrative
3. Ministry
4. Suffering

You will learn more details about each section under the Gospel of Luke. By
writing in a chronological pattern, it’s much easier to memorize the events and
find out a certain passage that you’d like to read in the Gospel of Luke.

Preface

The preface of the Gospel of Luke is the first chapter and first four verses.

“Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been
fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning
were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I too decided, after investigating everything
carefully from the very first,[a] to write an orderly account for you, most excellent
Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have
been instructed.”

• From the very beginning of this preface, we understand what the purpose is of writing this
Gospel
• It confirms that his Gospel was not the first but is a collection of writings and testimonials from
people “of the word”. For example, books such as the Gospel of Mark
• He emphasizes that this is a narrative which tells the life of Jesus in order of events
• Lastly, he addresses Theophilus as “most excellent” which shows that Theophilus might have
been someone of high status. The name Theophilus itself means “God-loving” in Greek.

Through the preface, we gain an understanding of the purpose of the book; whom it was written for.
From the beginning St. Luke tells the reader that he wants to write an orderly record of events and that
what is recorded in the bible is not what he witnessed himself but is a record from testimonials and
eyewitnesses.

The final purpose of the preface is to assure the readers about the truth of events which take place in
his book.

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As any good writer would do, St. Luke gives a very brief preface but explains with so much meaning on
what this Gospel holds.

Now compare the first 4 verses of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. In your own words, explain how
the Gospel of Mark and Matthew starts and how it’s different from the Gospel of Luke:

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW GOSPEL OF MARK

Infancy Narratives

It is important to memorize what comes under the infancy narratives:

1. The Birth of Jesus 2: 1 -20

2. Presentation of Jesus in the temple 2:22 - 38
3. Jesus’ childhood 2: 39-40
4. Finding of Jesus in the temple 2: 41 - 52

You have to remember the order as well because St. Luke gives us an orderly structure in his Gospel to
better understand the full story of Jesus’ life.

Only 2 authors refer to the childhood of Jesus in their Gospels – St. Matthew and St. Luke.

GENERAL QUESTION

3 of the above 4 events are mentioned in a particular mystery of the Holy Rosary. What is the name of
this Holy Mystery and which days do you pray this mystery on?

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Jesus’ Ministry

The ministry of Jesus is further divided into different parts so that it’s easier to memorize:

1. Preparation
2. Jesus Ministry in Galilee
3. Galilee to Jerusalem
4. Jesus’ Ministry in Jerusalem

1. Preparation of Jesus for his Ministry

The chapters and verses for this section are Luke 3: 1 – 4: 13.

The main person involved in the “preparation” was John the Baptist. This does not mean the
preparation of Jesus alone but the preparation of the people to await the coming of Jesus. The Gospel of
Luke gives a small section to St. John the Baptist because of the important role he played in Jesus’
Ministry – his role was to prepare the crowds of Jesus’ coming through his preaching and baptism.

2. Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

The chapters and verses for this section are Luke 4: 14 – 9: 59

Jesus’ public ministry starts in Galilee and St. Luke recounts a number of teachings of Jesus along with
miracles which were performed.

3. Galilee to Jerusalem
The chapters and verses for this section are Luke 9: 51 – 19: 27

After Jesus finished his work in Galilee, he went on to Jerusalem.

By reading a little bit of these chapters and verses, write down what you can
learn from this section of the Gospel of Luke:
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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 4. Jesus Ministry in Jerusalem
The chapters and verses for this section are Luke 19: 28 – 21:38.

We have to further break down the chapters and verses to highlight the important events that took
place under this category:

A. Luke 19: 28 – 44 – Palm Sunday (historically)

B. Luke 19: 45 – 48 – Jesus cleans the temple
C. Luke 20: 1 – 21: 37 - Other important teachings and explanations from Jesus.

Jesus’ Passion

The chapters and verses for this section are Luke 22: 1 – 24: 53.

One of the most important chapters in the Gospel of Luke is this section. It gives details about the
Paschal Mystery.

To understand this, you have to first understand the Paschal Mystery:

Events of the Paschal Mystery

The Paschal Mystery is closely linked to ideas about redemption and salvation. It refers to four ideas
about the process that Jesus went through to save humanity from sin. These are his life, death and
resurrection, and finally his ascension.

1. Life - Jesus was the Son of God, who was born to the Virgin Mary and lived his life in
human form.
2. Death - Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion and died on the cross in order to save
humans from their sins.
3. Resurrection - Jesus was raised from the dead and came back to life three days after his
crucifixion.
4. Ascension - Jesus rose up to Heaven after having been resurrected.

Redemptive efficacy
Redemption means being saved. Efficacy is to do with how effective something is in achieving a certain
outcome. Therefore, redemptive efficacy is a Catholic idea that suggests the best and most effective way
for humanity to be saved from sin was through Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.
It is through this process that Catholics can be forgiven and reach Heaven. These events are
remembered during the season of Lent and at Easter.

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How does the Gospel of Luke explain this?

In the Gospel of Luke, the point is made that even Jesus’ disciples, who were his closest followers,
doubted he could have risen from the dead. The act of resurrection defies human understanding of how
the natural world works. This is where the idea of ‘mystery’ in the Paschal Mystery comes from.

Luke describes the reactions of the disciples to seeing the resurrected Jesus:

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He [Jesus] said to them ‘Why are you
troubled, and why do doubts rise in your mind? Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself. Luke 24: 36-38

They found it difficult to make a leap of faith and believe that he had come back to life.

Why is this important to know as a Catholic?

The Paschal Mystery teaches Catholics that living, dying and rising are a part of their experience as
Christians. It reminds Catholics that there may be times when they struggle and are in pain but that, if
they follow Jesus’ teachings and have faith, they will reach Heaven.

Paschal Mystery content taken from GCSE

Edexcel Syllabus

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