23). What is the visible effect of Christ's words and actions?
The words and actions of Jesus are expressed in the Gospels and tradition of the Church and in her sacraments (Lessons 19-22). These words and actions mold us into Christ's image.
This image is best expressed in communion. Saint John, the disciple Jesus loved, tells us that before his Passion, Jesus prayed to his Father: "May they all be one....may they be so completely one that the world will realize it was you who sent me" (John 17:21,23).
In the Church the communion or unity of Christians is achieved primarily in the Eucharist which, among the first Christians, led to communal ownership and collections organized for needy brethren.
Love for God and neighbor is the first and greatest commandment; for such love visibly expresses what God has done in us. The communion of God's love, which is the Church, is fractured by failure to love God through worship and failure to love neighbor through charity.
There is a story told of two French generals who were of equal age, equal rank, and equal years in military service. A dispute arose between them as to who should salute the other first. Eventually, the quarrel became so bitter that the matter had to be referred to the Marshal of France. His decision was immediate: "The one should salute first who is the most courteous."
The generals' preoccupation with how they could best express their rank blinded them to the most important truth of all. Their true status surpassed badges and ribbons; it even transcended their personal achievements. Their true greatness, rather, was founded on the qualities of human gracefulness and graciousness. Without such a foundation, we can say that their outward marks of rank were no more than signs of deceit.
In the last four lessons we have sketched the true nature of the Church by considering (at this stage, very briefly) the signs of the Church's greatness. Her tradition goes back to Christ so that her words and actions, contained in her Scriptures and her sacraments, are the words and actions of Christ himself. Every time the Scripture is read and every time a sacrament is celebrated it is Jesus who speaks and who acts. The Church is grace-full: she is "full of grace." Her life is the life of God himself. This is the foundation of the Church's true status.
And every action of every member of the Church at every moment must express her status. Every word must be a "graceful" word. Preoccupation with outward signs and external splendor will always lead us to forget this truth, so that our words and actions will be reduced not to signs of graciousness but to signs of deceit.
In short, in every conflict within the Church, or even between the Church and those outside her immediate fold, the more "graceful" is always the winner! For the true life of the Church is never better expressed than when her members allow the love of God within them to build a "communion of saints." This is why Saint Ignatius in the year AD 106 referred to the Church as "an assembly of love."
As we develop our understanding of the Church in this Catechism it is vital to keep this truth in the mind and heart. The Christian's task is to make visible by word and action what is invisible - the love of God which is within.
This does not mean that the truth is ever sacrificed. Often, as in the example of Saint Ignatius who was put to death at the teeth of lions, the truth will require the sacrifice of one's life. But, ultimately, there is no truth of dogma more important than the truth that Christ died to give life to all people. And so every word and action of the Christian must reflect the gracefulness ‹the courtesy‹ of Christ.
24 How is the Church structured and who are her members?
To enable all members of the Church to reach full communion with Christ, the Church has a variety of ministries‹ the episcopacy, the priesthood, and the deaconate. Bishops - with the help of priests and deacons - preside as teachers of doctrine, priests of sacred worship, and officers of good order.
Jesus formed the apostles after the manner of a college or a fixed group. As he appointed Peter to be first among the apostles, so his successor (the Bishop of Rome) is first among the bishops. This apostolic body continues without a break in the order of bishops. The bishops assembled under one visible head, the Pope, express the unity of Christ's flock.
Those communities which have become "separated from full communion with the Catholic Church but whose members believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are brought into a certain, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church" (Ecumenism, #3).
The Church also recognizes that people can reach salvation "who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ, yet sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, try by their actions to do his will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience" (The Church, # 16). Such people are not visibly united with Christ's Church, but they enjoy in some degree the invisible life of the Church, the grace of the Holy Spirit.
We have seen that the Church is a "communion of love." This is not a vague and hazy definition. It expresses the essential nature of the Church. Now we emphasize an equally important truth: the Church is a communion governed by clergy who have a variety of ministries, each subject to the one above it.
This structure is far more than a practical way of preventing chaos. It is of divine institution and is Christ's way of making the love of God (which would otherwise be hidden) visible to the world.
Many people today feel that they can do better without "organized" religion. They feel that they can approach God more effectively without the institutional Church. The truth, however, is that no person can ever approach God. It is God who does the approaching in his Son, Jesus Christ. He comes quietly to us today, as he did in Palestine, in human form. He comes in a way that we can see Him in His Church.
In short, we enter the invisible "communion of love" by entering into the visible "structured communion." The Church in her fullness is most surely found where there is a bishop in union with the Supreme Pontiff.
It should not really surprise us that Christ turns to people of flesh and blood to guide his Church. After all, he founded a visible Church so that down the centuries men and women could share in the joys of those who came into contact with the Word made flesh.
"A visible Church," writes J. P. Kenny, S.J., "requires a visible head ... a stand-in. a vicar ... a doctrinal spokesman to gather together, represent, sanction and nourish the thinking of the Christian community." When the world turns to the successor of Peter, it can be sure of turning to the recognizable source of Christ's healing power.
For many people today, the Catholic Church stands or falls on the papacy. They point to the scandals of the past and suggest the Church is lacking today in constructive leadership. And here, of course, we are on serious ground. But it must be remembered that "by divine appointment" the Church is a Church of sinners and not saints.
The title "Vicar of Christ" means that the Pope is the spiritual father of all people. We believe, of course, that it is the Spirit and not the institution who is the Giver of life. But the frail figure of the Pope reminds us that Christ left the Spirit of Unity to a very weak Peter and even weaker apostles.
Now test your understanding of this lesson. Now test your understanding of this lesson. Take the self-correcting quiz #24 .
25 Is the Church an infallible sign of the presence of Christ?
The Church is an infallible sign of the presence of Christ, for the Church is given life by the same Holy Spirit who gave life to Jesus Christ. Jesus promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit who "will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you" (John 14:26). The whole People of God cannot err in belief when from bishops to the last lay person they show universal agreement in matters of faith and morals.
When, therefore, the Bishop of Rome speaks ex cathedra as shepherd and teacher of all the faithful, he enjoys the infallibility promised by Christ to his Church. The whole Episcopate also enjoys this infallibility when it exercises with him the supreme magisterium (teaching authority). Ex cathedra means from the chair; this is the symbol of authority situated in the cathedral and from which the bishop preaches, teaches, and presides at the liturgy.
The truth that the Pope teaches infallibly when he defines "a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church" was always accepted by the Church but was explicitly defined by the First Vatican Council (1870)
In recent years there has been a growing awareness, both within the Church and society, of the importance of the "group." People seem to feel more than ever before the need to come together to share the interest and effort to further some political, spiritual, or cultural cause. Prayer groups, for example, can be found in many parishes throughout the world.
It isn't hard to find reasons why people feel so attracted to smaller groups. Perhaps one main reason is that in a large and impersonal society they help us to under stand more easily both ourselves and our relationship to other people.
One way of looking at the Church is to view her as a large impersonal group in which it is impossible to know everyone. But this is not strictly true. In reality, the Catholic Church is made up of a whole series of smaller groups which we call "local churches" or dioceses. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council put it this way: "In and from such individual churches there comes into being the one and only Catholic Church. For this reason each individual bishop represents his own church, but all of them joined together in union with the Pope represent the entire Church joined together in the bond of peace, love, and unity" (The Church, # 23).
But the bishop cannot undertake his task alone. And so he will normally establish smaller groupings of the faithful, which we call parishes, under the guidance of the priest who takes the place of the bishop. These small groups are very important. In a certain way they represent the visible Church as it is established throughout the world . It is in the small, lively parish group that Catholics come to understand the meaning and mystery of the doctrine of infallibility. For it is here they share with their brothers and sisters in the Lord the same belief, hope, and love. God alone is completely infallible. But in the experience of true Christian living we come to understand that the body of the faithful as a whole, anointed as they are by the Holy Spirit (see 1 John 2:20), cannot err in matters of belief. And this is because God has given us in the Spirit a share in his own infallibility.
If we examine in any given parish the young married couples, the single, the old, it is not hard to imagine the Church as a band of pilgrims on their way through life under the leadership of Christ. Surely, then, there can be only one answer to the question: Can she err from the true path?
We have been promised that as long as we are sensitive to the Spirit within us our following of Christ will not fail, will be infallible. And the promise that we shall not lose the way includes the promise that our leaders, the Pope and the bishops, will not fail in leading us.
Now test your understanding of this lesson. Take the self-correcting quiz #25 .
26 What are the marks of the Church of Christ?
The Church is one. That is, she is made one with the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (see Lesson 18).
The Church is holy. That is, her words and actions (Scripture, tradition, the sacraments) infallibly lead men and women to the Father (see Lessons 19-22).
The Church is catholic. That is, she leads all people in every age into the communion of the life Of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (see Lesson 23).
The Church is apostolic. That is, the life of the Church enjoys unbroken succession with the structured communion instituted by Christ and established by the apostles (see Lessons 24 and 25).
It is sometimes suggested that one can equally well worship in the privacy of one's home as in church; the implication being that attending Sunday Mass is unnecessary.
Illness or some other obstacle does, of course, prevent many from attending their church. Their prayer can certainly be as effective (sometimes more so) as the prayer of those who attend Sunday Mass. But the truth is that although one can worship God effectively in one's own home, very few people actually do. In other words, there are people who worship God without sharing visibly in the life of the Church; but they are very few.
The life of the Christian must be seen to be believed. And this is equally true of the Church as a whole. Where the life of the Church cannot be seen there is nothing to excite belief. This is the importance of the visible marks of the Church outlined in the illustrations which summarize our Catechism in the past eight lessons. They are the marks that can be seen as signs of the Church's life.
Our proud profession of belief every Sunday in the Creed in "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church" brings home to us her essential nature. She is not always larger than other religious communities; her ceremonial is not always more magnificent; she is not always the most politically astute among Churches. But such visible signs of power are unimportant. The Church's visible power is displayed by these four characteristic marks.
We have been emphasizing in this Catechism that the Church, which is the Body of Christ, infallibly leads us to the intimate friendship of the Father. However, it is also important to remember that the Church does fail. And she fails insofar as her members conceal her marks from the sight of other people.
The unity of the Church has been fractured by division between large communities. Her holiness has been spoiled by the sin of individuals. Her catholicity (or universality) has been hindered by failure to spread God's Word beyond a world of selfishness. Her apostolicity has been hindered by a concern, sometimes amounting to an obsession, with what is basically trivial and has little to do with the tradition of the apostolic Church.
As Christians, then, there can be no doubt where our priorities lie. We are to work for the unity of all Christians; we are to take God's Word to all people and every nation, beginning in our own homes. As Louis Evely reminds us: "The Church is 'a light for revelation to the Gentiles,' not a bedside lamp for Christians." Smug self-satisfaction in one's possession of the true Church is the greatest possible betrayal of the truth. For it prevents the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church from revealing herself in her true character.
Now test your understanding of this lesson. Take the self-correcting quiz #26 .
27 How do we enter into the communion of the Church?
We enter into the communion of the Church by baptism. In the adult this requires repentance. As he began to preach, Jesus taught: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand" (Matthew 4:17). Repentance means "change of heart." This change of heart perhaps best explained in Jesus' words: "I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3).
The sign of this repentance is Baptism. Peter began his first sermon with the words: "You must repent . . . and every one of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
The usual sign of repentance is "Baptism of water." The early Church quickly recognized, however, "Baptism of blood." This martyrdom for their faith was a sign which many catechumens, preparing for Baptism, were called upon to make in the fierce persecution against the Church.
The dramatic conversion of Saint Paul (see Acts 9) to the Christian faith was without question one of the great turning points of history. The "light from heaven," the "voice speaking in Hebrew," Paul blindness which lasted three days were the signs which accompanied the event; and the world has not been the same since.
Many of us wish that our own conversion had reflected something of that drama. Like Paul, we didn't know what was happening to us. But that was because we were only babes in arms at the time the Church welcomed us into her fold. Most of us were baptized as infants, when we were still incapable of giving ourselves either to God or to our fellow human beings.
Saint Paul well expresses our frustration. He quotes "words of the Lord" which were not recorded in the written Gospels and were evidently passed down by word of mouth. He recalls the words of the Lord Jesus who said, "There is more happiness in giving than in receiving" (Acts 20:35). The trouble is that at the time of our entry into the Church we were incapable of giving anything. The priest and our parents and godparents, who represented the whole society of saints and believers, gave their assent on our behalf. Giving was the Church's role. Our part in the ceremony was to receive.
The fact is that although it may be more blessed to give than to receive, it is equally true that it is often a lot easier! Those who have spent weeks in a sickbed receiving care and attention from those around them, incapable of giving anything in return, will recognize this truth.
Our entry into the communion of the Church begins, then, at the moment of recognition that we need God. That is the moment when we realize that we cannot give God anything but, rather, that God has given himself to us. Our role is to receive him.
In the eyes of others. that moment is rarely world- shattering. But for the person the change is dramatic, for it means a complete change of heart. For some. as for Saint Paul. the change comes suddenly. But for others, such as Saint Augustine, it is a more gradual and painful process, typified in his youthful prayer: "Lord, give me chastity. but not yet."
One of the greatest "converts" of recent years, Monsignor Ronald Knox, whose name was given to his translation of the Bible, illustrated the "change of heart" required by the Lord. When asked if the Church of Rome came up to his expectations he admitted that she did not. "But," he went on, "thank God she didn't. Because I was expecting the wrong things. The Church is better than my expectations. because she put my ideas right about what I ought to expect."
"Unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven . "
Now test your understanding of this lesson.
Take the self-correcting quiz #27
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Book Shelf
(from your parish library!)
Thor
by Donald Thorman
262.001 | Bro Frontiers for the Church Today
by Robert McAfee Brown
262.00| Dull Models of the Church
By Avery Dulles
261 | Sheed Is it the Same Church?
Frank Sheed
262.52 | O'Brien Catching Up With the Church
by John O'Brien
262.52 | Peters The Constitution on the Church "Lumen Gentium"
(Vatican II document)
262.52 | Grail This is the Church
(popularized Vatican II document)
262.72 | Adam The Spirit of Catholicism
by Karl Adam
11/01/04