Advent marks the beginning of the Christian year and is the four weeks before Christmas starting on November 30th or the nearest Sunday. The word Advent comes from the Latin word 'adventus' meaning 'arrival' or 'coming' and refers to Christians waiting for and preparing for the arrival of Jesus. During Advent, Christians use an Advent crown with candles representing hope, peace, love, and joy to count down to Christmas and remember figures like the patriarchs, prophets, John the Baptist, and Mary as they awaited the birth of Jesus.
The document provides a brief history and overview of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines. It details how Catholicism was introduced to the Philippines in 1521 with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan. It established the first mass on Limasawa Island and saw over 800 Cebuanos baptized. While Magellan was later killed, Catholicism continued to spread. Today, the Philippines is the third largest Catholic nation, with beliefs including the Trinity and seven sacraments. Major Catholic festivals celebrate saints across the country. The church is organized with the Pope at its head and local dioceses overseen by bishops.
The document discusses what the Church is. It states that the Church is the mystical body of Christ, established by God on earth to gather humanity to divine life in heaven. It notes that God desires all the faithful to be united to him and one another in the mystical body. The Church is the instrument for the salvation of all. It also discusses the four marks of the Church - that it is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Jesus Christ founded the Church and gave authority to the apostles and St. Peter to govern it.
This document provides an overview of the major world religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. For each religion, it lists the place of origin, founder, time of origin, core beliefs, holy text(s), clergy, and common religious practices. The religions originated in locations like the Levant, Arabian Peninsula, India, and China, and were founded by figures like Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, and Lao Tzu over the past few thousand years. They involve practices such as prayer, meditation, worship, and following moral or spiritual teachings.
This document provides a timeline of major events in the early church, middle ages, reformation period, and modern church alongside corresponding events in society and empires. Some key religious events include Pentecost, the Councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon, the beginning of basilica worship, the Eastern Schism, the Crusades, the Reformation led by Luther and Calvin, Vatican I, and Vatican II. Major social developments featured include the fall of Rome, the rise of feudalism, the Renaissance, the voyages of discovery, the world wars, and the computer/space ages.
The liturgical calendar follows the life of Jesus and is divided into seasons including Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time. Each season focuses on different aspects of Jesus' life and ministry and is represented by a specific liturgical color. The seasons culminate in the Easter Triduum celebrating Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection through events like Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil.
The document discusses world religions, defining religion as dealing with peoples' relationship to the unseen world of spirits and gods. It outlines criteria for understanding religions, including myths, rituals, proposals for salvation, and beliefs about life after death. Several theories on the origins of religion are presented, including animism, nature worship, original monotheism, magic, and the projection of human needs. Finally, four types of religions are defined based on their geographic origins and core beliefs.
Hinduism is one of the world's oldest religions originating in India with no single founder. It is a diverse set of beliefs and traditions with approximately 1 billion adherents worldwide, most living in India. Core Hindu beliefs include reincarnation, dharma, and karma. Hindus worship many gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and their avatars. The religion does not have one holy book or prophet but texts like the Bhagavad Gita are important. The caste system and concepts of moksha and samsara are also significant aspects of Hinduism.