The Nature of the Church
(Module 2, Lesson 2)
The Church as Mystery (Sacrament/Images/Marks)
1. The “Church as mystery” means that “she is a reality imbued with the hidden
presence of God.” (Pope Paul VI)
2. The mystery of the Church is based on her intrinsic relation with the Blessed
Trinity: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Catechism for the Filipino Catholics
1070)
3. Because of the Church’s relationship to the Blessed Trinity, St. Peter describes
the Church as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people God
claims for his own. (1 Pet. 2:9-10)
4. Since the Church is related to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we can say the
Blessed Trinity is not only the origin of the Church but the VERY LIFE of the
Church.
5. The Church is God’s way of gathering all people into Himself, making them His
Own, forming them as one Community, and bringing them into his Kingdom.
6. The Church is also called “Sacrament”!
7. In the church’s definition, “Sacrament is a visible sign that makes an invisible
divine reality present and active.”
8. The Church is a visible sign of unity of all humankind and God. (LG 1)
9. The Church is the visible, historical and tangible form of the presence and the
redeeming activity of the Risen Christ. (CFC 1081)
10. Through the Church’s life and mission God’s plan of salvation is being carried
out. (CFC 1081)
11. The implication of these is this: by virtue of our Baptism:
a. we are the Church, called to be visible signs of the invisible presence of God
in the world and in human history.
b. We are salt of the earth; light of the world. (Mt 5:13)
c. As salt, we are called to give certain flavor, to give life to the world…
d. As light, we are called to draw others to the source of light and life, Jesus
Christ, through our words and deeds.
e. We are to witness Christ’s love by loving our enemies and praying for our
persecutors (this will prove that we are daughters and sons of the heavenly
Father).
12. Lumen Gentium also explains that the proper way to describe the Church is
by the use of Biblical Images. According to the Catechism, there are more than
80 comparisons depicting the Church. Few of
these are:
A. The Body of Christ
B. The Bride of Christ
C. The Temple of the Holy Spirit
D. The Flock of Christ
13. The Church as the “Body of Christ”. This refers to the inseparable union that
comes about between Jesus Christ and Christians. The union is so strong that it
joins him and us like the head and members of a human body and makes us one.
(CCC 787-795) (YC 126)
14. The Church is the “Bride of Christ”. This is a Biblical image which tells of Jesus
Christ’s love for the Church as a bridegroom loves his bride. He binds himself to
her forever and gives his life for her. This means Christ’s love is free, total, faithful
and true. (CCC 796) (YC127)
15. The Church is the Temple of the “Holy Spirit”. As Christ is the Head of the
Church, so is the Holy Spirit its soul. Hence, the Church is the place in the world
where the Holy Spirit is completely present. Jesus Christ said, “Where two or
three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” (Mt 18:20) What
makes the Church alive is the Spirit of Christ. Christ lives in the word of the
Sacred Scripture, in the sacred signs of the 7 Sacraments; He loves in the hearts
of the believers and speaks in their prayers. He leads them and bestows
Charisms on them. (CCC 797-801, 809) (YC 128)
16. The Church is the “The Flock of Christ”. Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd lays
down His life for His sheep. In Jn. 21, He advised St. Peter, to tend the sheep and
feed the lambs. He tends and feeds the sheep by His very own Spirit. He cares for
the welfare of the Church. And to the lost sheep He looks for them, never
condemns and brings them back to himself. (CFC 1373)
17. The Church has Four Distinctive Marks:
ONE
HOLY
CATHOLIC
APOSTOLIC
18. The Church as “ONE” means that despite the numerous Christian sects and
Churches, the Church is essentially ONE in its:
a. SOURCE: the Blessed Trinity
b. FOUNDER: Jesus Christ
c. LIFE: in the confession of Faith, sacramental worship, loving service of
one another, and loving obedience to the Vicar of Christ on earth, the Holy
Father, the Pope.
19. The Church is “HOLY” as it came from Christ. As being empowered by the
Spirit, the Church sanctifies her members by her preaching, loving service,
sacramental life, and charismatic gifts.
20. The Church as “CATHOLIC” means she is universal, all embracing, as she is
sent by Jesus Christ to baptize and to teach God’s love to all the peoples and
nations. (Mt 28)
21. The Church as “APOSTOLIC” means that Christ built her upon “the
foundations of the apostles” (Mt 16) and their witness of Christ is being carried
on through the apostolic succession of Bishops.
The People of God
*Priestly People
By reason of our Baptism, strengthened by Confirmation and nourished by the
Holy Eucharist, we Christians offer spiritual worship for the glory of God and the
salvation of men. (LG 34)
This means we are a people who pray to God and who pray for one another.
*Kingly People
By virtue of our Baptism, we share in the power of Christ the king who came “to
serve and give his life as a ransom for the many” (Mt 20:28).
This means we are a people who serve with all that we have, all that we are, and
all that we will be.
*Prophetic People
By virtue of our Baptism, we give witness to Christ by our understanding of the
faith (sensus fidei) and the grace of speech (cf. Acts 2:17f), “so that the power of
the Gospel may shine out in daily family and social life”. (LG 35).
This means we are a people who live according to the Truth, defend the Truth,
and stand for the Truth. The Truth which is not just a word but a person, Jesus
Christ.
The Hierarchical Structure of the Church
“Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them the authority to expel
unclean spirits and to cure sickness and disease of every kind…” (Mt. 10:1ff)
The Apostles were careful to designate individuals to succeed them in their
office so that the mission entrusted to them might be continued after their
deaths (Acts 20:28, LG 20).
These individual leaders were responsible for the pastoral care of the local
Church communities. They carried on the apostolic role of Leadership among the
disciples of Jesus Christ.
This leadership and authority in the service of the Christian community is
passed on (this is the meaning of tradition), communicated through, by the laying
on of hands in the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
The structure of the Church and its hierarchy has undergone many changes
through the ages,… but remain the same in essence. It is leadership for service,
ordered to the building up of the Body of Christ on earth.
The Church’s well-organized structure is demanded by her essential marks of
unity (one), universality (catholic), an apostolic Church, a Church whose present
leaders carry on the mission of Jesus in continuity with the apostles and in the
name of Jesus Christ.
The Church continues to exist by the will of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit in the
Mystical Body of Christ, as well as in the visible institution.
The Church has the power to teach, to govern and exact obedience from its
members, also power to sanctify, i.e. to bring the faithful to salvation and to God’s
kingdom.
The Church has statutes for governing all its activities and structure; it
necessitates human leaders and structures.
These structures provide a sense of corporate identity such that the believers
know what to believe (doctrine), how to live with others (moral), and how to
worship God (worship).
Levels of hierarchy
---- Bishops (the episcopates): The Bishops – successors of the apostles (LG 18)
are the local shepherd of the Church “until the end of the world” (Mt. 28:18).
The Bishop of Rome is the Pope, the Vicar of Christ, the successor of Peter. The
manner of choosing a pope is called “Conclave”.
With the bishop of Rome as the head, the bishops form a stable group known as
the College of Bishops. As such, they have responsibility for the apostolic
mission of the universal Church. (LG 20, 23).
---- Priests (presbyterate or priesthood or sacerdotal): whether diocesan or
religious, share and exercise with the bishop the priesthood of Christ. Hence they
are the representatives of the bishops.
---- Deacons (diaconate): in communion with the bishops and the priests, serve
the people of God in the service of the liturgy, preaching the Word of God and
performing works of charity (LG 29, CFC 1569).
The specific duties the deacons perform vary from “administering baptism,
distributing the Eucharist, blessing marriages, bringing Viaticum to the dying,
administering sacramentals, and officiating at funerals and burial services” (LG
29).
The ordained ministers are human persons like us. They need the Laity’s
participation in the ministries of the Church to fulfill their vocation to serve the
People of God, the Church.
The Laity (or the Lay Faithful)
The baptized (but not-ordained) members of the Church.
We too are “…sent to engage in society so that the Kingdom of God can grow
among men”. (YC 139)
This Mission is conferred on all the faithful by the sacraments of Baptism,
Confirmation and for many of the lay faithful, by the Sacrament of Holy
Matrimony.
The married couples’ mission is to train the family in holiness.
“Families are the first place in which we are formed as persons and, at the same
time, the ‘bricks’ for building up society.” - Pope Francis
The Service of the laity is in the service of others, and are according to the
threefold mission of the Church: priest, prophet and king.
Serving as “priest” in the Liturgical Celebrations like Holy Eucharist.
So that in our service at the Holy Eucharist, the people may come to pray, to
communicate to God in the most meaningful way.
The sharing in Christ’s prophetic role. So that in our service of the Truth, people
may come to know the Truth and be at the side of the Truth.
Serve the poor like Jesus, the King, who served.
So that in our service of people, they may come to experience God’s love,
compassion and care.
PCP II described the laity’s field of mission as “…the vast and complex world of
education, politics, society, and economics, culture, sciences, arts, international
life and media.”
Therefore, the Church needs - all the lay faithful, rich and poor.
- individual and collective individuals.
- farmers, fishermen, workers, mass media practitioners.
- educators and lawyers, civil servants.
- medical and nursing services.
- professionals in various strata of society
The Church expects that wherever we are, we are called to do our mission TO
LOVE!
