Session #4

Lecture Text

The Christian people are wont to forget about the role of the Holy Spirit. We like to group what is human separately "here" from the divine "there". On the contrary, Augustine says, "God is more inner than our inmost being". Although, to us both corrupt and finite creatures, we can only seem to assume God is utterly other, totally without us, that we often forget the God that resides in us, if not also in some way before, then certainly after baptism and confirmation. However, God is already at work in us, and given what we know Jesus accomplished, we know beyond doubt this work is salvation. In many ways, the Holy Spirit completes and/or carries on what Jesus accomplished in His life death, and resurrection by animating, sanctifying, and building the Church. The Church refers to those Baptized in faith and is sometimes given different names from pastoral life (sheepfold, flock, sheep), from agriculture (field, olive grove, vineyard), from construction (dwelling place, stone, temple), and from family life (spouse, mother, family). The Church or people or Children of God originates only in God's eternal plan from the beginning into eternity. Within what is visible there is a divine spiritual reality to the Church. We are not saved in isolation as though the Christian program is something only between an individual and God but with others. In the Gospels, Christ informs us that we cannot accomplish our own salvation without willing that of even our worst enemies (Matthew 6:14–15, Matthew 18:21-35, Colossians 3:13). The People of God "has for its origin God the Father; for its head Jesus Christ; for its hallmark the dignity and freedom of the sons of God; for its law the new commandment of love; for its mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world; and for its destiny, the Kingdom of God, already begun on earth."(Compendium 154) The Church was directly and indirectly commanded to work for the salvation of all and was given powers to do so. Within the context of this effort and the commands Christ gave, the Apostles made the Church institutional by appointing successors in their office down to the present day. Over time there came different expressions of the Church's life, priests and deacons who share in the mission of the local bishop, the laity, and then a special expression of ecclesial life called consecrated life. Through the centuries this idea has been developed within the proper interpretation of Scripture and helped the Church to grow. Largely the lay faithful can be seen as the undercover agents of Christ's mission blending in with cultural norms where possible and interacting directly in business, communities, etc. Historically the office of the Pope, originating with Peter, has been misunderstood until Vatican II, and at least it seems like we now understand it. As I wrote about in my post named "The Church Hierarchy", it seems to me that the Marxism, and ultimately selfish distrust of power coming from our corruption, of our culture's perspective obscures the Church. When it is not considered a tyrant to personal freedom and an oppressive patriarch, modern politics interpret the dialogical nature of the Church as something only Human and political. However, these perspectives are contrary to the God of love being manifest in the Church and guiding her that the Gates of Hell will not prevail against her. The Church rather is a human organism that supports itself in all sorts of ways, the Clergy instruct and with God provide the sacraments, the faithful bring this light into the world and return with frequency, and the consecrated uphold this effort in various ways whether through the ministry the laity is generally unable to directly provide or through prayer and guidance. The Church does not end on earth but is complete into eternity and thus all the baptized find themselves a part of Christ's body over which death has no power. Saints in their particular way intercede for us in heaven and thus participate in the earthly family and the militant (those on earth) participate in the heavenly. Every Baptized is considered a member of the Church and even non-Christian are considered children of God insofar as they are made in God's image. Aspects of other religion that are true bear proportionately, the light of Christ who is Christ Himself.

Paragraph Sets Covered

PART ONE - THE PROFESSION OF FAITH

SECTION TWO: THE PROFESSION OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

  CHAPTER THREE: I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

    ARTICLE 8: "I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT"

          V. The Spirit and the Church in the Last Days

             IN BRIEF

    ARTICLE 9: "I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH"

      Paragraph 1. The Church in God's Plan

          I. Names and Images of the Church

         II. The Church's Origin, Foundation, and Mission

        III. The Mystery of the Church

             IN BRIEF

      Paragraph 2. The Church - People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit

          I. The Church - People of God

         II. The Church - Body of Christ

        III. The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit

             IN BRIEF

      Paragraph 3. The Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic

          I. The Church Is One

         II. The Church Is Holy

        III. The Church Is Catholic

         IV. The Church Is Apostolic

             IN BRIEF

      Paragraph 4. Christ's Faithful - Hierarchy, Laity, Consecrated Life

          I. The Hierarchical Constitution of the Church

         II. The Lay Faithful

        III. The Consecrated Life

             IN BRIEF

      Paragraph 5. The Communion of Saints

          I. Communion in Spiritual Goods

         II. The Communion of the Church of Heaven and Earth

             IN BRIEF

      Paragraph 6. Mary - Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church

          I. Mary's Motherhood with Regard to the Church

Compendium of the Catholic Church Reading

Questions 142-196

Questions answered by the Catechism and Compendium.

1. What is the work of the Spirit in Mary?

2. What is the relationship between the Spirit and Christ Jesus in his earthly mission?

3. What happened at Pentecost?

4. What does the Spirit do in the Church?

5. How do Christ and his Spirit act in the hearts of the faithful?

6. What does the word Church mean?

7. Are there other names and images with which the Bible speaks about the Church?

8. What is the origin and the fulfillment of the Church?

9. What is the mission of the Church?

10. In what way is the Church a mystery?

11. What does it mean to say that the Church is the universal sacrament of salvation?

12. Why is the Church the ‘people of God’?

13. In what way does the people of God share in the three functions of Christ as Priest, Prophet and King?

14. In what way is the Church the body of Christ?

15. Who is the Head of this body?

16. Why is the Church called the “Bride of Christ”?

17. Why is the Church called the temple of the Holy Spirit?

18. What are charisms?

19. Why is the Church one?

20. Where does the one Church of Christ subsist?

21. How are non-Catholic Christians to be considered?

22. How does one commit oneself to work for the unity of Christians?

23. In what way is the Church holy?

24. Why is the Church called “Catholic”?

25. Is the particular Church catholic?

26. Who belongs to the Catholic Church?

27. What is the relationship of the Catholic Church with the Jewish people?

28. What is the bond that exists between the Catholic Church and non-Christian religions?

29. What is the meaning of the affirmation “Outside the Church there is no salvation”?

30. Why must the Church proclaim the Gospel to the whole world?

31. In what sense is the Church missionary?

32. Why is the Church apostolic?

33. In what does the mission of the Apostles consist?

34. What is apostolic succession?

35. Who are the faithful?

36. How are the people of God formed?

37. Why did Christ institute an ecclesiastical hierarchy?

38. How is the collegial dimension of Church ministry carried out?

39. Why does ecclesial ministry also have a personal character?

40. What is the mission of the Pope?

41. What is the competence of the college of bishops?

42. How do the bishops carry out their mission of teaching?

43. When is the infallibility of the Magisterium exercised?

44. How do Bishops exercise their ministry of sanctification?

45. How do the Bishops exercise their function of governing?

46. What is the vocation of the lay faithful?

47. How do the lay faithful participate in the priestly office of Christ?

48. How does the laity participate in the prophetic office?

49. How do they participate in the kingly office?

50. What is the consecrated life?

51. What can the consecrated life give to the mission of the Church?

52. What is the meaning of the “communion of saints”?

53. What else does “the communion of saints” mean?

54. In what sense is the Blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of the Church?