ABRIDGED CHRISTIAN CATECHISM
OUTLINE. This
catechism is about God,1
in Whom belief among humans including the great scientists is universal, and
about human beings, individuals living in a community, whom God created2 in His love, grace and
image as the Bible, the word of God, writes and like a mirror reveals God, the
eternal invisible Spirit, to humankind and humankind3 to itself. The
first man and woman, husband and wife, Adam and Eve, at the instigation of a
fallen angel, the devil, Satan, rebelled against God’s will and sinned,
bringing into world history and culture evil, suffering and death: pride,
greed, hatred and violence between individuals, linguistic, religious, ethnic
and national groups, demagoguery, killing of Natives and slave trade in the
Americas, social-economic abuses of workers, women and children, deadly Marxist
atheism, Fascism-Nazism, killing of Jews and Slavs in Europe, world wars, the
A-bomb in Hiroshima, perverse abortions and sexual practices, terrorism, etc. At the same time, world history including
5,000 years of civilization, also produced much good: religious temples and
scriptures, saints, philosophers, libraries, schools, hospitals, the Red Cross,
philanthropy, the Holy Alliance of 1815, fruits of art, music, science and technology,
etc. But despite its vast knowledge, good intentions and deeds, the human race
could not free itself from the evil consequences and stain of sin. However, the God-man Jesus Christ, born of
Mary in Bethlehem, by His death on the cross and resurrection repaired Adam’s
sin, regained God’s grace4
giving every person a chance to live a righteous life which leads to peace,
happiness, fulfilment and eventually heaven.
God’s will expressed in the law of the 2 Commandments of love of God and
neighbor and in the 10 Commandments5
is the basis of all ethics, morality, human rights and freedoms, good
political-State laws and good personal relationships with God, within the
family and the society. This requires
faith in God, dealing justly and charitably with people, helping them
spiritually and materially, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you”, as well as repenting of sin and evil when necessary. Prayer is communication, being connected with
God, acknowledging Him, thanking Him and asking Him for our needs. Christ established His Church to teach His
gospel and administer His Sacraments,6 which are also channels of communion with God.
They help us on the journey through this short and fragile life, lasting up to
70 years or so, 700 million breaths, and through death to eternal life with God
in the kingdom of heaven.7
THE CREED. I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and of all things visible and
invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; light of
light, true God of true God, begotten not made, one in being with the Father,
through Whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down
from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was
made man. He was crucified for us under
Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried. The third day He rose according to the
Scriptures, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father, and
He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom
shall have no end. And in the Holy
Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together
with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, and spoke through the
prophets. And in one
holy catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of
sins, and I await the resurrection of the dead, and the life in the world to
come. Amen.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS. (1)
I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before Me. (2/1)
You shall not make unto you any graven thing to adore it. (3/2)
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. (4/3)
Remember the Sabbath day [Sunday] to keep it holy. (5/4)
Honor your father and your mother. (6/5) You shall not kill. (7/6)
You shall not commit adultery. (8/7) You shall not steal. (9/8) You shall not bear false witness
against your neighbor. (10/9) You shall not covet your
neighbor’s wife [or husband]. (10) You shall not covet your neighbor’s
goods.
PRINCIPAL PRAYERS. (A)
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING. Blessed be God. Thanks be to
God. Glory and praise to Jesus Christ. (B) THE LORD’S PRAYER. Our Father Who
art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is
the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen. (C)
PRAYERS OF REPENTANCE. O God, be
merciful to me a sinner. Remember me, O
Lord, in Thy kingdom. Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. Holy
Mary, pray for us sinners.
REFERENCES. 1
There is only one God, but three Divine Persons: the Father and the Son and the
Holy Spirit. 2 God created all things, He
upholds everything in existence and by His Providence He cares for all. 3
A human being, man or woman, has an immortal soul and a mortal physical
body. 4 God’s grace is necessary for salvation and is given in
Christ through faith, the observance of the Commandments, good works, fasting,
prayer and the Sacraments. 5
Twin numbers indicate Orthodox-Protestant[less Lutheran] and Catholic-Lutheran
numerations. 6 Baptism with water, in the name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit, is the first Christian Sacrament. There are 7
Sacraments -Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Confession, Holy Orders,
Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick- in the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, but
fewer in the Protestant Churches. This variation dominates the divisive
differences among the Christian Churches which ecumenism attempts to reconcile.
7 God is an all-knowing,
just, good and merciful judge Who rewards good with eternal life, and condemns
evil with eternal punishment unless a person repents, is sorry, for his/her
sins. † See also: www.bible.com John 1, 3:16, 6:51, 17:20, 20:21;
Luke 6:17-31, 22:19; James 2:14; Isaiah 1:16-17; 1 Corinthians 13; Proverbs
24:16; Jonah 3, 4; Ephesians 4:4; Matthew 6, 7, 16:18, 19:16, 25:31, 28:19; Dictionary of the Bible, The Interpreter’s
One-Volume Commentary on the Bible, creationscience.com gospelcomics.com
creeds.net The Oxford Dictionary
of the Christian Church, ccc-cce.ca ncccusa.org usccb.org
ctbi.org.uk ncca.org.au wcc-coe.org
mospat.ru vatican.va
consult a chaplain/minister/priest or visit a church – over 100,000 Christian
-Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant- churches in Canada, the U.S., U.K. and
Australia, where services are held every Sunday.
Adapted from
the Basic Christian Catechism by
Slavic Christian Society, Mississauga, 6.4.2005.
Internet: http://slavxrist.org