Chapter 2 Christ s Abiding Presence Chapter 1 Review: Last week we recalled God s salvation plan from Adam to Jesus. Through God s gift of Free Will Adam and Eve disobeyed God and lost God s gift of grace. God s plan for man was altered through Original Sin. In God s great mercy and Love God promised He would restore mankind to eternal life. God s Salvation Plan. God promised His people a Savior who would come to redeem the world and free Mankind from the consequences of sin. Who did the Father send? Jesus! Jesus redeemed mankind by dying for our sins on the cross. After he appeared to his Apostles he ascended into heaven, but Jesus told them He would not abandon His people. Jesus founded a Church which had authority, hierarchy, and a structure. This Church would be with us until the end of time and would be infallibly led by the Holy Spirit. Chapter 2: The Birth of the Church But the counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said. (John 14:26) We see that in this verse Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles. Recall that after Jesus death He appeared to the Apostles in the upper room. We call this occasion the PENTECOST. This is the birthday of the Church. On this day the Holy Spirit appeared to the Apostles and gave them special graces to hear and to preach the Good News (Gospel) so that the Church would spread throughout the world. The Pentecost was the final step in establishing God s Church. Recall that God had been preparing for this moment since the fall of Adam and Eve.
Some more review: There were 3 stages in the establishment of God s Church. 1) The Church was prefigured in the Old Testament. For example: Noah s Ark was a prefigurement of God s Church. How? The Ark was the means through which God saved his people in a similar way to the way God saves us in His Church through His Saving Grace. (The 7 Sacraments). 2) The Church was made present during Christ s life on Earth. The Church is the Body of Christ! 3) The Church was established and made manifest to the world on Pentecost. The beginnings of a Church can be found in the promises God made after the fall of Adam and Eve. First God saved Noah and his family and established through them a community of God s people. Some of Noah s descendants would turn against God. God then established a holy covenant with Abraham and his people. This was the beginning of the ekklesia or Church. The word is a Greek word which means assembly. This is the word used in the New Testament for Church. Today we hear the word Ecclesiastical used by the Church and it come from the Greek work ekklesia. As we look back through history we can see the early stages of the church in the OT. Again, we see that when Moses led God s people out of Egypt God reestablished His covenant once again with His people. When Moses crossed the Red Sea we see a prefigurement of the sacrament of Baptism. Water saved God s people from the Egyptians. We recall that God gave Moses the 10 commandments making God s people a true nation. This nation would begin to worship God through a formal religion with special ceremonies and certain moral codes (behavior) to follow. The Book of Leviticus contains these laws some of these laws are difficult to understand in today s world! We can see in the Laws of the Old Covenant the prefigurement of the Church today. It s important to remember that these old covenant laws were never thrown out, but they were perfected with the Church Christ established. In the Church today we have moral laws which the Church (Christ) says we must obey. Going to MASS! We see under Moses there was a hierarchal structure. Aaron and his sons were priests and all other priests would come from their descendents.
Later we see God formed His people into a kingdom, renewing His covenant through David. David was a King leading God s people. King David was God s vicar (representative) just as we have with the Pope today. The Pope is sometimes referred to as the VICAR of Christ meaning that he represents Christ on Earth. We then see God continuing to reveal Himself through the prophets. Through these prophets God prepared His people for the coming of the Savior Jesus, who would establish God s Kingdom on earth The Catholic Church! When the Son of God became man and made his dwelling among us, the Church was established here on Earth. We see that Jesus preached and laid down the foundational teachings that would be taught on Earth through His Church. First, Jesus chose twelve disciples (the Apostles) who were to be the leaders of the Church. The Apostles were from all different backgrounds (fisherman, tax collector, etc ). Jesus taught the Apostles and made clear to them His intention that they would be the carriers of His Message and the leaders of His Church. From the Apostles, Peter (like King David) was chosen to be the leader of the 12. Peter demonstrated great faith and Jesus told him that he would give him keys to the kingdom (Matt 16:18-19). Keys Authority! At the last supper Jesus prayed for unity in the Church and that they all may be one (John 17:20-21). He promised to send the Apostles the Holy Spirit to guide them and recall all that Jesus had taught them. When Jesus ascended into heaven the basic structure of the Church was established. It s very important to realize that through His death and resurrection Jesus merited for us the graces of salvation which we call the DEPOSIT OF GRACE. This grace is dispensed through Christ s Church. How? 7 Sacraments The truths our Lord revealed to the Apostles during his public life (3 years) and after the resurrection are called the DEPOSIT OF FAITH. These truths the Apostles would teach others.
The very last instruction that Jesus gave the Apostles was this: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold I am with you until the close of the age. (Matt 28:19-20). 10 days after Pentecost as promised by Jesus the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles to guide them and the Church Jesus established. Now some non-catholics (protestants) claim that Jesus did not establish a single visible Church, but rather an invisible church. This is not true. In Acts 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. We see that 3000 people (through baptism) were added. Added to what? The Church! How can someone be added to something that is invisible? They can t! The Church is Visible! Chapter 3: The Nature of the Church So, we have seen how the church is a society that was carefully formed by God. Members of this Church consist of those who are baptized and profess the faith as handed down from the Christ through his Apostles. Recall, that it is the sacrament of baptism which make one a Christian. It s important to know that even non- Catholics who are baptized properly (in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) are members of the Catholic Church although they are not in full communion with it. In order to understand the Church we really need to examine three significant points. 1. The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ 2. The Marks of the Church 3. The reasons why Jesus established a Church.
Images of the Church in the New Testament Many images used in the New Testament help us to understand the Church. Jesus spoke many times of His Kingdom which would be established on Earth and completed in Heaven. The Parable of the Mustard Seed shows us how the Church will grow and flourish on Earth and how the wicked and the just will live together in the world but will separated at the end of time. The Image of the Sheepfold shows us how the faithful here on earth will be led by shepherds here on Earth, but most importantly by Christ himself. Jesus also used other images such as the vineyard, a building, and His bride to represent the Church. It is very obvious from the imagery we find in scripture that Jesus established a visible Church! The Church as the Mystical Body of Christ This is a complicated sounding principal but it s really rather simple. Jesus is one with His Church and His Church has many parts including us. So whatever you do affects Jesus and all of us. Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. (Matt 25:40) We serve Christ by serving others! We also see how Jesus sends His disciples to preach in His name and Jesus says he who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me. (Lk 10:16) Jesus identifies Himself with His followers. After Pentecost we see that Saul (Paul) was persecuting Christians. One day he was knocked down and heard a voice from Heaven say Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Jesus then said I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Jesus identifies Himself as being one with His Church members. After Saul (Paul) converts and becomes a Christian he writes about this relationship often and we can see this in the Bible (Corinthians). We can look at this with our bodies in mind. If I cut my hand it affects the rest of my body. My brain senses the pain. If the hand gets infected it may have to be cut off or it could destroy the whole body. Sometimes it s necessary to remove one member of the Church to protect others this way the Church stays healthy.
We can also see how our body has many parts and they all must function properly or the whole. The church is the same way. It has many parts and they all must function together. There are many individuals in the Church and they serve in different special ways. All these people are united and serve under Christ. The head of this Body is Christ and it is Christ who unites His Body to us. One person of importance is the Pope. The Pope is the VISIBLE HEAD of the Church. The Pope along with the Bishops teach, sanctify, and rule in the name of Christ. Remember that this structure is how Jesus set things up! Lay people (us) also have a special place in the Body of Christ. We support the Church, we feed the poor, help the sick, and we help spread the word of God. All living creatures need nourishment to grow. The Body of Christ must be nourished by God s grace and we are spiritual feed by the Sacraments. Lastly, calling the Church a body is not just a figure of speech. The Church is truly the Mystical Body of Christ. Unlike human organizations/bodies the aim of the Church is salvation Heaven! Marks of the Church Can anyone tell me what the marks of the Church are? We say them at every Mass! In the Nicene Creed. I believe in One, Holy, and Apostolic Church. One One Unity. Unity is found in three areas: Unity of Belief, Unity of Worship/Liturgy, and Unity of Church Government. Unity of Belief: This means that the Church teaches the same doctrines through the world and throughout time. These doctrines do not change! The doctrines include Church doctrine and moral doctrines. For example when we say the creed we are stating what the Catholic Church believes everywhere.
Unity of Worship: There is one Sacrifice and One mass in which all members are united. We have the same sacraments. All these things point to unity! Rituals can differ but we all believe the same things. Unity of Church Government: Our Church government is one of unity. The Church worldwide is governed exactly the same. We have one Pope. Each Diocese has one Bishop. Catholics submit to one divine authority. Christ promised in John 10:16 that there would be one flock and one Sheppard. Not many flocks and many Sheppard s all believing different and confusing doctrines Protestantism. Holy Holy The Church is Holy in her origin (Jesus) and purpose (Sanctification). The Church has all the means at her disposal to make her members Holy The Holy Spirit, the Sacraments, Marty, and the Saints. This does not mean that all of her members are Holy, but they can and should be! We are all called to live Holy lives by imitating Jesus. Catholic Catholic Universal The Church is called universal because she possesses the fullness of Christ s truth and revelation. The Church is present at all times and in all places. Her members are universal and everyone is included. Apostolic Apostolic The Church originated from the Apostles whom Jesus chose. The Catholic Church can trace its authority back to the apostles. No other church can do this! The Church professes the same teaching which the apostles taught. Nothing has changed! The Church contains the DEPOSIT OF FAITH.
Why the Church Why did Christ establish His Church? The start with Jesus was only on earth for a very short time. In order to save all men Jesus established a Church to continue His work. By His death Jesus merited sufficient grace to save all men. Jesus entrusted Peter and his apostles the means to carry out the work of salvation. The Sacraments! The Apostles and their successors were given Authority to teach and the power to dispense God s grace through the sacraments. The Church is safeguarded from teaching error because it is infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit. Salvation only comes through the Catholic Church which is the Mystical Body of Christ. Class Question: Can Non-Catholic be saved? Activity Book Questions (Chapter 1 (pg 3) question cont.): 1) That Jesus actually founded a visible Church and that this Church would have a structure and the authority to teach the truth. This Church would be guided by the Holy Spirit and that the Gates of hell will not prevail against it. 2) That Peter would be the visible leader (Pope) of this Church and that he would have authority over it. 3) So that they would understand Jesus plan of authority and structure and that they would look to Peter to guide them. 4) If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. The Church will decide on matters of faith and morals. 5) No! It has members in heaven as well. Mary, the Saints, and the Angels. 6) Yes. Since it was created by Jesus and guided by the Holy Spirit it is divine.
Activity Book Questions Chapter 2 - Page 5: 1) Jesus promised that he would always be with the Apostles. 2) The Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus. 3) The Holy Spirit descendant upon the Apostles. 4) The Grace to preach and to spread the word of God. 5) No, God s plan of salvation started with Adam. 6) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Activity Book Questions Chapter 3 - Pages 10-11: What are the 4 Marks of the Church: Where are they found? The Nicene Creed One: Unity of Belief, Unity of Worship/Liturgy, and Unity of Church Government Holy: The Church is Holy in her origin (Jesus) and purpose (Sanctification). Catholic: The Church is called Catholic or universal because she possesses the fullness of Christ s truth and revelation. The Church is present at all times and in all places. Apostolic: The Church originated from the Apostles whom Jesus chose. The Catholic Church can trace its authority back to the apostles. No other church can do this! The Church professes the same teaching which the apostles taught.
Apologetics Lesson: Review What is apologetics? It is making a defense for something. In our case we would be defending and explaining our Catholic beliefs to those who would question it or who do not understand it properly. Objection: I believe that certain doctrines can change and that different churches can teach different things as long as they stick to the essentials taught in the Bible. My pastor is a man of God and the Holy Spirit speaks through him. Reply: Please provide me with a list of essentials doctrines found in the Bible and a verse which states that doctrines can change. There is no list of essentials doctrines listed in the Bible. In fact the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is not even defined in scripture. It was defined by the Catholic Church! Lastly, it s clear from scripture that truth cannot change. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. (Eph 4:4-7) One, one, one, one, one, one, one...7 times in one verse! This verse screams of unity! I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. (1Cor 1:10) No dissensions! Unity! I m sure your pastor loves God, but can he trace his authority back to the Apostles who were given authority by Jesus. Is his authority real? It s clear from scripture that authority is handed down from the apostles who received it from Jesus. As a Catholic I can trace the authority my Church has back to Jesus. History will show that the Catholic Church can do this. For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord has given for your up building and not for your destruction, I shall not be put to shame. (2Cor 10:8)