Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
FUNDAMENTAL THEOLOGY
CENTER FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION(CREED)
OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS(ORA)
PRAYER BEFORE STUDY
By St. Thomas Aquinas
Our Father…
St. Thomas Aquinas (Pray for us.)
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:
NATURE & MISSION
In this module, the students will be able to
demonstrate understanding of the nature and mission of the
Church, the Communion of Saints, and the role of Mary as
Mother of the Church;
analyze the scriptural images and marks of the Church in
relation to its status quo;
appreciatethe inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the journey of
the Church; and
design a simple system in the Church where the members can
participate actively regardless of their ministry.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:
NATURE & MISSION
CHURCH
Jesus replied: “I for
my part declare to
you: you are “Rock”
[Peter], and on this
rock I will build my
Church and the jaws
of death shall not
prevail against it.”
(Mt. 16:18)
You are fellow citizens of the saints and
members of the household of God. You form a
building which rises on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, which Christ Jesus
himself as the capstone…. In him you are being
built into this temple, to become a dwelling
place for God in the Spirit. (Eph 2:19-22)
I. NATURE OF THE
CHURCH
NATURE OF THE CHURCH
“gahal”
CHURCH
“ekklesia”
The Church:
originates according to the Father’s eternal plan, from the side of the
Crucified Christ, and is animated by and united by the coming of the Holy
Spirit;
structured as a community of love modelled on the Trinity’s loving union of
Father, Son, and Spirit;
missioned (sent) by the Father following the joint Mission of Son and Spirit;
destined as a pilgrim people to journey toward perfect communion with the
Trinity in heaven.
Do Catholics as Church members experience the Trinity?
“Kingdom of God”
C
H
“People of God”
U
R “Body of Christ”
C
H “Temple of the Holy Spirit
What is meant by the Church as “Kingdom of God”?
God saves us not merely as individuals, but by calling us into a single people,
united in faith, whose:
1. Head is Christ the Lord;
2. unifying soul is the indwelling Spirit;
3. members are those who believe in Christ and are reborn through water
and the Spirit in Baptism;
4. structure is the Christ-instituted hierarchy of apostles and their successors,
the Bishops, with the Roman Pontiff as head;
5. law is Christ’s new commandment of Love;
6. mission is loving service of neighbor, and
7. final destiny is sharing in the perfect community of Love, of Father, Risen
Incarnate Son, and Spirit.
How is the Church the “Body of Christ”?
ONE
CATHOLIC
A. THE CHURCH AS ONE
SOURCE
ONE GIFT
LIFE
A. THE CHURCH AS ONE
Ministry “service”
ORDAINED MINISTRY
LAY APOSTOLATE
THE RELIGIOUS
ORDAINED MINISTRY
Communion of;
in holy things
B. MARY: DAUGHTER, MOTHER AND MODEL OF THE
CHURCH
MARY
Daughter of the Church
MARY IS:
the first to be evangelized and redeemed
Matching Type
Assign to each group one specific Scriptural Image of the Church, and
one Mark of the Church.
o In 3 to 4 sentences, each group should describe a specific activity or
advocacy of the Church (of their local parish, or of their church group
like youth ministry, or choir, or acolytes) that reflects that specific
Scriptural Image assigned to them.
o In another paragraph of 2 to 3 sentences, each group will explain “how”
that advocacy can promote the Mark of the Church (assigned to them)
as both gift and task.
o Each group will present their output AFTER FIVE MINUTES.
INTEGRATION
The doctrine of the Church as the People of God has a
profound effect on Catholic Morality. For if it is true
that God’s very life and grace are shared with us as
members of the Church, then the social dimension of
all authentic morality becomes even more sharply
evident. More concretely, this doctrine of the Church
underlines the Christian community’s necessary role in
the ongoing formation of Christian conscience,
especially through the moral guidance and
enlightenment offered by the Church’s Magisterium to
the People of God in regard to difficult moral
problems.
Moreover, viewing the Church as the “foundational
sacrament” grounds the whole sacramental order and
fosters a renewed appreciation of Worship…. The
liturgical renewal owes much to this new dynamic view
of the Church. But the most fruitful change wrought by
this new ecclesiology is the stress on the spiritual
vocation of all members of the Church. All are called
to life of authentic prayer and holiness, marked by a
genuine personal intimacy with the Lord. This life is
developed in the subsequent chapters on the
sacramental life of the Church.
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY
CHURCH MINISTRIES
Design a simple system in the Church (in your parish) where the
members can participate actively in the life of the Church (or
Parish) regardless of their ministry. In each ministry, include a
short description of tasks that contribute to the life of the Church.
See the sample church ministries. They can also put sub-
ministries to cater to the different members of the Church.
Consider also the Parish Pastoral Council and other religious
groups in a parish. Each group will present their output.
EXAMPLE
Parish
Priest
Youth Senior
Catechesis Worship
Ministries Citizens
HOMEWORK
Collage Making
Hail Mary…
St. Dominic (pray for us)