The Spirit & The Bride

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The creeds profess Christian belief in the Holy Spirit, but many do not understand who the Holy Spirit is and his importance in God's plan of salvation and in their lives.  In this first of two podcast episodes on the Holy Spirit, Dr. Schreck explores images of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and how a fuller revelation of the Spirit is given by Jesus and in New Testament writings.  The divinity of the Holy Spirit is confirmed by the First Council of Constantinople in 381, as expressed in the Nicene Creed.

Jesus' Ascension, Glorification with the Father, and His Return

After his Resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples until he was taken up to heaven—the Ascension—where he, as the Apostles' Creed professes, "sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty" and "from thence he will come to judge the living and the dead."
Dr. Alan Schreck reflects on the meaning of these events and mysteries of our Christian faith. 
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The Reason for Jesus' Death, and the Meaning of His Resurrection

Dr. Alan Schreck begins by summarizing why it was necessary for Jesus to undergo his passion and death.
He explains the meaning and centrality of "the Resurrection of Jesus...the crowning truth of our faith..." (Compendium, 126); "...the fulcrum on which all of Christian faith turns..." (Bishop Robert Barron, What Christians Believe, p.71).
 
Listen to more The Spirit and The Bride episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.
 

How Jesus' Death Saves Us, His Burial, and "Descent into Hell"

How does the death of one person more than 2,000 years ago atone for sins the whole human race and reconcile us with God?
Dr. Alan Schreck explains four ways Catholic theology has sought to understand this mystery of Christ's saving work, as well as the burial of Jesus and what he accomplished when he "descended into hell."
 
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The Paschal Mystery of Jesus: From Palm Sunday to the Garden of Gethsemane

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The Paschal Mystery of Jesus… stands at the center of the Christian faith because God’s saving plan was accomplished once for all by the redemptive death of his Son Jesus Christ” (112).
Dr. Alan Schreck describes the first stages of this event, from the beginning of Holy Week to Jesus’ Agony in the Garden on Holy Thursday.
 
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Jesus' Revelation of God and Call to Discipleship

What does God “look like”?
Jesus says simply: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father… I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (Jn. 14: 9–10).
Jesus is one with the Father (Jn. 10:30), and he is also the way to the Father. That way is discipleship. Dr. Alan Schreck discusses what it means to be a disciple of Jesus: its necessity, its joy, and the sacrifice and suffering—the cross—it requires.
 
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Jesus' Public Ministry Begins: The Kingdom of God Proclaimed

Jesus' "hidden life" ends and his public ministry begins with his baptism in the Jordan River by John. Jesus' proclamation that "the kingdom (or reign) of God is at hand" is the key to his mission and ministry.
But what is this kingdom, and how does Jesus bring it about?
 
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What the Gospels Say About Jesus' Identity and His Infancy

As author C. S. Lewis noted, Jesus as he’s revealed in the Gospels is either God, a lunatic, or a liar.
Jesus differs from all other religious founders in that he is God Incarnate, revealing God as love and reconciling the human race with God by his passion and death. Dr. Alan Schreck talks about the Gospels’ narrative of Jesus’ life, starting with his infancy and “hidden life” in Nazareth.
 
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Jesus as One Divine Person in Two Natures: His Knowledge, Will, and Sacred Heart

The Council of Chalcedon clarified that Jesus was one person in two natures, divine and human.
Dr. Alan Schreck explores this mystery and how it relates to Jesus’ knowledge and his will. He also reflects on Jesus’ Sacred Heart as a reflection and expression of God’s love.
 
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The Mysteries of Christ's Life: The Incarnation

Some recognize Jesus as a great teacher but don’t accept the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ mighty works or miracles.
Dr. Alan Schreck explains how all the central Christian beliefs about Jesus are miraculous, and their purpose is to reveal God and bring about the redemption of the human race and communion with God. The first miracle or mystery of Christ’s life is the Incarnation—Jesus as one divine person in two natures: fully God and fully human.
 
Listen to more The Spirit and The Bride episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.