The Church: A Visible Sign of God's Love

1. Chapter 4 The Church: The Body of Christ

2. Where Christ Is -Roman Emperor Julian renounced the Christian faith -Julian, and other tyrants failed in their attempt to stamp out Christianity -Jesus has indeed triumphed, yet the work of proclaiming his gospel has really just begun -Main way evangelization takes place is through the Church -the living body of believers who are grafted onto Jesus as branches to a vine

3. Discussion Questions 1. What would you say to Catholics who get so made at human failings in the Church that they decide to leave the Church? 2. How do you find the Church “like a home”?

4. What is Church? -Church means “belonging to the Lord” -Jesus Christ is the head of his body, the Church, and we are its members -Church also means “those called out” Expressions of Church: -the community of Catholics who assemble to worship -the local gathering of Catholics in a particular neighborhood

5. Church as Mystery -Church is a mystery of our faith -Creation, foreshadowed the Church -God sent the Son to accomplish his plan of salvation - Jesus established the Church -Holy Spirit came on Pentecost to make the Church holy and lead its mission preaching the Good News of salvation -The Church is: -a visible society and spiritual community -society organized hierarchically and the mystical body of Christ - an earthly community blessed with heavenly riches -Images to describe Church: Bride of Christ, pilgrim, God’s building and farm, the flock of Christ, Christ’s vineyard, God’s family, and our mother

6. Discussion Questions 1. Tell two common ways you use the word “church” in conversations with peers. What does this context reveal about how you feel about the Church? 2. What does it mean to say that the Church is “a visible sign of invisible grace”? 3. Describe concrete ways the human and divine elements of the Church meet.

7. Descriptions of Church Catechism highlights four other descriptions of the Church: -Sacrament, People of God, Body of Christ and Temple of the Holy Spirit The Church is a Sacrament -Mystery and sacrament are intimately connected -Sacrament is an efficacious symbol -brings about what it points to and embodies the very reality that it represents - Jesus is the prime sacrament of God’s love -Sacrament has both visible and invisible aspects

8. Church as Sacrament -Sacrament also applies to the Church - a meeting place of heaven and earth Three Truths Revealed: 1. People from all over the world come together in the Church to be united to God. 2. Because we come together in the Catholic Church, the Church is also a sign of the unity of all mankind. 3. God uses the Church as an instrument to bring about salvation to the entire world

9. People of God Marked by several distinct characteristics: 1. It is of God, not the property of any one people 2. One becomes a member of this People, by baptism 3. This Church has Jesus Christ as its head 4. The People of God have dignity and freedom 5. The Law the People of God are obliged to follow is the new law of love 6. Its mission is to be salt of the earth and light of the world 7. Destiny of the Church is God’s kingdom which will be brought to perfection at the end of time

10. People of God We are to be ambassadors of Christ’s love Tasks and Challenges of the Church’s mission as People of God: -Community -actually live its faith, hope, and love -Service-price we pay for the space we occupy Worship - humble admission that God gives us everything - liturgy

11. Body of Christ -Church is a communion of people with God - a mystical communion - the Body of Christ -Body of Christ imagery for the Church was also used by St. Paul -Christ is the head of this body, the Church. We are its members. Baptism incorporates us into the Body of Christ

12. Temple of the Holy Spirit -Holy Spirit dwells in the Church, the Body of Christ, to give it life -Because of the Spirit’s presence, we can call the Church the Temple of the Holy Spirit -Holy Spirit works through the Church and its members to continue the work of salvation

13. Discussion Questions 1. How does a sacrament differ from a symbol? How is the Church a sacrament? 2. “The Church is of God, not the property of any one people.” How does this statement give you comfort about your participation in the Church? 3. Share one practical way you can contribute to the Church’s mission in each of the following areas - message, community, service and worship 4. What is your favorite image of the Church? Why?

14. Membership and Ministries Members of the Catholic Church are: 1. Baptized Christians who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior -Who accept the entire system and means of salvation Christ left the Church -Who devote themselves to continue Christ’s work of salvation according to their situation in life 2. Catholics minister God in the Church in different ways. -Each person is called into the three categories of membership - hierarchy, laity, or consecrated life 3. Baptism into the Church makes each Catholic a child of God with equal dignity

15. Membership and Ministries Priest -a mediator between God and people -offer sacrifice to God -helps people on the path to holiness -By virtue of Baptism, each of us is called to holiness - some men have a Christ-given vocation -Laymen and women can also serve God’s people in certain ministries -Jesus established a ministerial or hierarchical priesthood

16. Membership and Ministries Prophet -Each member of the Church is called to be a prophet - one who proclaims the gospel in both word and deed -Pope, bishops, and priests have been given a special prophetic role -They exercise their role in the following ways: -Magisterial Teaching -Ecumenical Councils -Infallibility-Papal Infallibility

17. Membership and Ministries King -Jesus is called Christ, the King, reminding us he is the source of all authority -Sole purpose for the Church’s ruling office is to help people grow in faith and holiness -Canon Law -Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the model of the kingly role taken on by Church leaders -Lay people also share in Christ’s kingly ministry

18. Discussion Questions 1. How do you show care for other people? Name three concrete ways. 2. What is your attitude toward personal suffering? How willing are you to offer sufferings for Christ? 3. In your opinion, what should be the criteria for parents wanting to have their infants baptized? 4. How comfortable would you be sharing your faith in words to a group of peers? Your family? People you just met? Explain.

19. Marks of the Church -Four characteristics to help us understand what the Church is - one, holy, catholic, apostolic ONE -Church is one because of its founder and source, Jesus Christ, and its soul, The Holy Spirit -Love is the spiritual reality that unites the Church’s members Visible Bonds of Unity in the Church: -Profession of one faith, Divine worship celebrated in common, Succession of the Bishops

20. Marks of the Church -Four characteristics to help us understand what the Church is - one, holy, catholic, apostolic Holy -Jesus and God have sent the Holy Spirit to sanctify the Church, unite it’s members to the Triune God who alone is HOLY What we need to become holy: -Scriptural word of God -Church’s liturgy -Correct and complete confession of faith - full sacramental life -Ordained ministry -Apostolic Succession -Many different ways of praying

21. Marks of the Church -Four characteristics to help us understand what the Church is - one, holy, catholic, apostolic Catholic -Means “general” or “universal” -applied to the Church by St. Ignatius of Antioch Church is Catholic is four ways: -Christ’s presence gives the Church the fullness of the means of salvation -Church follows Jesus’ command to go out and preach to all people always -Teaches everything that Christ taught -Each local diocese is also catholic because its union with the Pope

22. Marks of the Church -Four characteristics to help us understand what the Church is - one, holy, catholic, apostolic Apostolic -Church is apostolic because it continues the faith of the apostles Remains apostolic in three ways: -It is the Church that Christ founded on the apostles -With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the church continues to hand on the teaching of the apostles without changing anything essential -The Church continues to be taught, made holy, sanctified, and led by the college of bishops

23. Marks of the Church Apostolic -Church is apostolic because it continues the faith of the apostles Remains apostolic in three ways: -It is the Church that Christ founded on the apostles -With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the church continues to hand on the teaching of the apostles without changing anything essential -The Church continues to be taught, made holy, sanctified, and led by the college of bishops -An apostle is an “ambassador” or one who is sent -All members of Christ’s body share in the apostolate of preaching Christ’s Gospel

24. Ecumenism -True Church of Jesus Christ subsists in the Catholic Church -Because of human sin, the Church historically has not always shown one, holy, catholic and apostolic -We affirm that the Catholic Church possesses all the means of santification, but there are also many means of holiness that can be found outside the Catholic Church. These include: -Scripture, the written word of God -the life of grace -faith, hope, charity and other gifts of the Holy Spirit

25. Discussion Questions 1. How is your local parish “diverse within its unity”? 2. Who is your favorite saint? How does he or she model holiness to you? 3. What can you do to welcome someone different than you into your friendship group or parish youth group? 4. How do you understand the apostles to be the foundation of the Church through the ages?

26. Role of Ecumenism Ecumenism - movement that works to restore the unity of Christ’s Church -Holy Spirit is working among Christians today helping them to achieve a closer unity to our Lord Church and Non-Catholic Christians Protestant and Orthodox faith communities have a certain and imperfect union with the Catholic Church -Faith in the Blessed Trinity -Acceptance of the Bible -Prayer and Grace -Theological Virtues of faith, hope and love -Gifts of the Holy Spirit -Sacrament of Baptism -Commitment to God’s kingdom and desire to live mortal life

27. Ecumenism -Jesus Christ invites everyone to belong to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church -Even baptized Catholics are not guaranteed salvation -Church finds much to admire in other religions, finding in them elements of holiness and truth -Church accepts whatever is true and holy in each person -Church respects non-believers since they too are made in God’s image and likeness