During the first 30 years of His life, Jesus lived a life of labour, prayer, and service – there are two lessons we can learn from this. First, the value of a human life comes from God, not from other humans. Second, those working in ministry must be formed in silence and prayer. Catechesis is formed by doctrine, moral education, and worship of God. For doctrine, Jesus taught us the greatest mystery of all – that of the Holy Trinity and that salvation lies in the Catholic Church. For moral education, Jesus gave us the Eight Beatitudes to teach us sacrificial love and guide us to the Kingdom of Heaven. In worship of God, Jesus taught us the Lord’s Prayer, established the Seven Sacraments, and taught us to pray with confidence. Jesus used parables to teach us; these are of three types: (1) those about the Kingdom of God, (2) those about the mercy of God, (3) those about charity. Apart from words, Jesus also used miracles to prove the truth of His teachings – He exorcised demons 7 times, defied nature 10 times, healed the sick 15 times, and raised the dead 3 times. He also predicted His Passion and Resurrection, and predicted the fates of His disciples and Jerusalem.
Spiritual Talk – Fr Ho talks about the first thirty years of Jesus’ life
