The Church
• “those who have been called together”
The Church
• A mystery – human and divine
The Church
• The community of those being redeemed
• Church history = salvation history
“The church is not a hotel for the righteous,
but a hospital for sinners” – Peter Kreeft
The Church
Three States of the Church – Communion of
Saints
• Militant/Pilgrim
• Suffering/Purified
• Triumphant/Glorious
The Church
• To be „church‟ is nothing other than making
Paradise present in the midst of a broken
world
“…in one, holy, catholic and
apostolic church”
The four “marks of the Church” that
endure
One
The Church is one, because her Lord
is One
One
• In Faith
“The church of the living God, the pillar
and bulwark of truth.” - 1 Tim. 3:15
One
• In Sacraments and Worship
One
• In Governance
One
• In charity
– “See how they love one another!”
Holy
• …the Church is holy, because her Lord is
Holy
“Be holy because I, the Lord your God,
am holy.”
Leviticus 19:2
Holy
• The Church exists to birth saints
“Canonization is the
Church recognizing herself
in history”
– Pope John Paul II
Holy
Set apart for the service of God:
transform the world!
Catholic
• the Church is Catholic, because
she is the Body of Him who enjoys
the fullness of Truth and Life
Catholic
• Embraces all peoples, cultures, languages
• Diversity of charisms working in symphony
– Apostles: hierarchy
– Laity: all the baptized, faithful of Christ
– Religious: those consecrated to God by the
evangelical counsels
Catholic
• Sharing in Christ‟s three-fold office of
priest-prophet-Shepherd
– Priests who lead the world in worship
– Prophets who speak and do the Truth in love
– Shepherds who use power for service
Roman Catholic
• The place of Rome in universalizing
Christianity:
– Bishop of the planet
Catholic
• “Where the bishop is present, there
let the people gather, just as where
Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic
church.”
– Ignatius of Antioch, 108 A.D.
Apostolic
• …the Church is apostolic because
her mission in and to the world is a
continuation of the work of the first
Apostles, itself a holy charge of her
Redeemer who alone can
guarantee its success.
Apostolic
• Authority
– “HE WHO HEARS YOU, HEARS ME”
Luke 10:16
– The Magisterium: WWJD in living color
Apostolic
• Apostolic succession
– “For this reason, I remind you to stir into
flame the gift of God bestowed when my
hands were laid on you” - 2 Tim 1:6
Apostolic
• The charism of Truth: the infallible God has
joined himself to fallible humanity
Apostolic Rock
“And I also say
to you that you are
Peter, and on this
rock I will build my
church, and the gates
of Hades shall not
prevail against it.”
(Matthew 16:18)
Hearing the Church
“I believe and profess all that the
holy Catholic Church believes,
teaches, and proclaims to be
revealed by God.”
Faith and Reason
Being the Church
• Incarnating the Church: becoming a living
sign
The Church is…
• The community of disciples of Jesus Christ
• The Mystical Body of Christ
• The Bride of Christ
• The Temple of God
• The Light of Christ
• Mother and Teacher of the faithful
The Church is…
• The community of divine and human
communion
• The Sacrament of the unity
• The community of charity
• The beacon of hope
The Church is…
• US, joined to Christ
Gift & Mystery
“How much I must criticize you, my Church, and yet
how much I must love you.
You have made me suffer more than anyone and yet
I owe more to you than anyone else.
I should like to see you destroyed and yet I need
your presence.
You have given much scandal and yet you alone
have made me understand what is holiness.
Gift and Mystery
Never in this world have I seen anything more
compromised, more false, yet never have I
touched anything more pure, more generous
or more beautiful!
Gift and Mystery
Countless times I have felt like slamming the
door in your face, and yet every night, I
have prayed that I might die in your loving
arms.
No, I cannot be free of you, for I am one with
you, even if not completely you.
Then too, where would I go? To build another
church?
Gift and Mystery
But I could not build one without the same
defects.
And again, if I were to build another church, it
would be my church and not Christ's
Church.
No, I am old enough,
I know better”