7.4 From Desert to Garden 

Often people describe events as 'meant to be'. This suggests that whether they are happy or sad, things had to happen that way.

Catholics believe that the things that happened to Jesus on Earth, including his suffering and death were 'meant to be' because they were all part of God's plan to save humans from sin and to restore the relationship between God and humans.

This chapter explores how Jesus fulfilled the promises of the OT through his actions in the NT. Jesus's time in the desert mirrors the time the Israelites spent in the wilderness, and the events in the last week of Jesus' life reflect the sayings of the Old testament prophets. From these connections, Catholics can understand that these were not chance events_ they were part of God's plan. We will consider how Catholics remember these times in Jesus 'life in their own lives and honour the sacrifice he made through prayer, Mass and the Eucharist.

The made of temptation, suffering, death and resurrection are at the heart of the Bible, but also at the heart of Human life. Jesus' experiences can help Catholic to see that sadness and difficulty is part of a much bigger journey with God.

Sin being part of this problem, the sacrament of Reconciliation also allows Catholics the chance for their  sins to be forgiven