May His Mission Come to Fulfillment in Each of Us.
God our Father, your Son accepted the mission you gave him and fulfilled it to the end. It has cost him everything he had and was, but it also gave him everything: the lasting glory of the resurrection and the gift of life for all of us. We thank you for the supreme revelation of your love in his death. We ask you in his name to be drawn to him and to be pulled our of our selfishness. Give us faith in the fruitfulness of his way of life. Teach us to live love but as a genuine, costly deed. Thus may his mission come to fulfillment in each of us, today and every day, for ever and ever. Amen.
Peter G. van Breemen, S.J.,
Protect and Renew Our Vocation
We thank you, Father, that you have spoken to us the Word of eternal life and have given your Son as our brother. He speaks your love to us, giving it flesh and blood in his own life and in ours. We who call ourselves Christians are sent to continue the life of Christ in our lives. This is not a time to be shallow or half-hearted, for the world needs men and women who can honestly speak your name and witness to your Son. We ask you then, Father, protect and renew our vocation so that we be faithful to the name we bear and be appealing witnesses to your kingdom today and every day, for ever and ever. Amen.
Peter G. van Breemen, S.J.,
What is the Church - a Building or what?
MARKS:
One: SOURCE; FAITH
Holy: UNITED WITH CHRIST
Catholic: UNIVERSAL
Apostolic: TEACHING; SUCCESSION
PARTS:
Militant: Us striving for the ultimate goal.
Suffering: The souls of Purgatory being purified.
Triumphant: All the Saints and souls in Heaven.
An Institution – Started by Jesus Himself who promised us He will be with us till the end of time.
An Organization - A purveyor of religious services with a Hierarchy.
A Mystical Communion. - A called body of people with a mission
A Sacrament. – We celebrate and are part of HIM who instituted the Church through the giving of Himself.
A Herald. - Its mission is to sow the seed of unity, hope, and salvation for the whole human race.
A Servant. – HE wanted to give us an example at the Last Supper.
The People of God. - "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." "born of water and the Spirit,"
The Body of Christ. - One Body, Christ is the Head and we the limbs, The Church is the Bride of Christ.
The Temple of the Holy Spirit. - This People has for its Head Jesus the Christ (the anointed, the Messiah). Through the anointing, the Holy Spirit with His Grace, flows from the head into the body,
The Kingdom of God. - Its destiny, finally, "is the Kingdom of God which has been begun by God himself on earth and which must be further extended until it has been brought to perfection by Him at the end of time."
Hierarchy (We usually go through this handout together + discussion)
CHRIST
Pope: Head, Successor of Peter, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ on Earth. Shepherd, Servant.
Holy See (Roman Curia): Supreme body of government of the Catholic Church operating from the Vatican City State, a sovereign territory. It is a sovereign juridical entity under international law.
Latin / Eastern Churches: Latin Rite once synonymous with the Western Church, now a term for the Church in communion with the Pope. “Western Church" is distinct from the "Eastern Catholic ChurcheS", with liturgies developing differently over the ages.
Diocese / Eparchy: Particular Jurisdictions of Latin / Eastern Church under a Bishop / Eparch
Bishops: Archbishop, Diocesan, Metropolitan, Coadjutor, Emeritus, Auxiliary.
Who chooses a Bishop: The pope, with the help of each nation's Nuncio and Bishops. Particular case in China.
Papal Legate: Representative of Pope to Foreign nations, or some part of the Catholic Church on matters of Catholic Faith and settlement of ecclesiastical matters.
Apostolic Nuncio strengthens relations between the Holy See and the Church in a particular country and acts as diplomat of the Holy See to that government.
CCCB: Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
College of Bishops: Successors of the Apostles, together exercising power over the Universal Church in an Ecumenical Council (such as Vatican II). However, even ecumenical councils must be recognized and agreed to by the Pope to be valid.
College of Cardinals: Appointed by the Pope, who chooses bishops from the Roman Curia or from important archdioceses throughout the world. They advise the pope, those under the age of 80 at the death of a pope electing his successor from amongst themselves.
Patriarch: Heads autonomous particular Eastern Church, and having a particular Rite or Liturgy: Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria (Coptic Catholic Church); Syrian Catholic Patriarch of Antioch (Syrian Catholic Church); Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch (Melkite Greek Catholic Church); Maronite Patriarch of Antioch (Maronite Church); Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylonia (Chaldean Catholic Church); Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia (Armenian Catholic Church)
Abbott: A title given to the superior of a community of twelve or more monks. The name is derived from ‘Abba’ meaning Father.
Priest: Diocesan, Pastor, Chaplain, Monsignor, Missionary
Deacon: Transitional: to be ordained Priest in the near future.
Permanent: Usually married already, will not become Priest.
Religious: Not part of the ordained hierarchy, these are called to live a life consecrated to God professing charity, chastity, poverty and obedience under permanent vows as their state of life. Nuns (virgins who dedicate their lives to God), Hermits, Monks, Brothers and Friars. These faithful live in community with each other according to the rules established for the community and approved by Rome.
Laity: The lay faithful are those baptized faithful not called by God to ordained ministry within the Church. The laity, being immersed in the world, are called in a special way to bring Christ to the world.