Marie Frances B.

Sayson
CREED A

ARTICLE 9

1. What is the catholic church?

- Catholics believe that the Church was founded by Jesus Christ as part of the Father’s
plan for the salvation of the world. Christ’s proclamation and inauguration of the
kingdom of God led to the gathering of disciples. His death, resurrection and sending of
the Holy Spirit established the church, with which he promised to remain until the end
of time (Matt. 28:20). Jesus entrusted to this community the mission of preaching the
gospel and of “making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). Paul describes the Church as a body.
Bodies have many members, or many different parts, that make up the whole (1
Corinthians 12:14-18). Without the blood, the veins can’t function. Without the veins,
the heart cannot function. Without the heart, the body as a whole cannot survive. The
Church works in a similar way as it is composed of many members, all of whom fulfill
their different roles (Corinthians 12:28-30). The Pope is the visible head, the bishops and
the priests are ministers, the consecrated and religious men and women serve the
Church and the laity fulfill their own mission while pursuing temporal affairs.  The
Church is described as having four essential features: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. 

THE CHURCH IS DESCRIBED AS HAVING FOUR ESSENTIAL FEATURES: ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, AND
APOSTOLIC.

One
- The Church is one because her founder is Christ himself: “There is one body and one Spirit, just
as you were called to the one hope 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” (Ephesians 4:5). In
Christ, we are united by the bonds of unity: our profession of one faith, our common celebration
of worship, and apostolic succession.
Holy
- Because Christ alone is all-holy, and Christ is the head of the Church, the Church is therefore also
holy. The Second Vatican Council document Lumen Gentium explains this idea well: “The Church
on earth is endowed already with a sanctity that is real though imperfect”. The Church here on
earth is pilgrimaging toward heaven, where she will be made perfect. Therefore, while the
Church possesses sanctity here on earth, for she has Christ as her head, she is still on a journey
toward perfect sanctity, which will be found in Heaven.
Catholic
- The word “catholic” means “universal”. The Church is universal in two ways. First, Christ is her
head, such that his presence also indicates the presence of the Church. Second, the Church is
universal in that she is meant to preach the Gospel to all nations: “Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Christ gave the universal command that all the members of his Body
 are meant to spread his Gospel throughout the world. Through her internal and external works,
the Church reveals to the world the Gospel of Christ, which means that the Church reveals the
new law of love.

Apostolic
- The Church is apostolic because of the apostles. We can say she is apostolic in three ways: she
remains built on the foundation of the apostles through apostolic succession; through the Holy
Spirit, she continues to pass on the faith; and she continue to be sanctified through the
successors to the apostles, namely, the priests, the college of bishops, and the Pope as her
head. 

2. How we should understand the church?

- It is the body of Christ, doing the will of its Head Jesus Christ and enduring joyfully the
consequences of taking up the cross to identify with the perfect will of God in a world
that is completely opposed.
3. How is the church related to the Trinity?
- A Trinitarian understanding of God has important implications for the entire range of
beliefs, but its connection to the doctrine of the church is particularly significant. In fact,
the Trinity and the church are intimately connected. It was the experience of God within
the community of faith that gave rise to the Trinitarian understanding of God. And a
Trinitarian understanding of God illuminates the origin and the nature of the church, as
well as having important implications for the practical life of the Christian community.
4. Why is the church today called "sacrament"?
- It unites inseparably the visible and invisible dimensions of the Church. “Sacrament” by
definition is a visible sign making present an invisible reality. So the Church is a visible,
hierarchically structured society making present a spiritual community. 
5. Enumerate and explain the scriptural images of the church.
Vine and the Branches
- Jesus's Role: vine
Church's Role: branches
Explain: If the Vine grows the branches as God creates us, then together they bear fruit
which is the good that comes from the vine and branches
Leaven
- Jesus's Role: bread
Church's Role: yeast
Explain: Inside the bread is the yeast where we are
Example: With the Church being the yeast, we are spreading God's word through the
bread.
Mary
- Define: BEST IMAGE OF THE CHURCH
Explain: became mother of the church at Second Vatican Council. Mary was the first
 disciple of Jesus; she was close to Jesus and always did what God wanted.
Example: shows humility, obedience, love, compassion
Temple
- Jesus's Role: cornerstone
Church's Role: living stones that build it
Explain: The cornerstone and the living blocks that build it, make up the Temple.
Example: we dwell in the temple that we make up.
Bride of Christ
- Jesus's Role: Groom
Mary's Role: Bride of Christ
Explain: jesus loves Mary like a bride and groom show their love.
Example: Christ loved Her so much, he died for her
Body of Christ
- Jesus's Role: Head
Church's Role: Mystical Body
Explain: The Head cannot function without the Mystical Body; they need one another
Example: this shows that we are a close-knit community.
The Sheepfold
- Jesus's Role: the Shepard
Church's Role: sheep
Explain: The Good Shepard's love is strong and he would sacrifice his life for us
Example: When Jesus lay on the cross for us and died.

Jesus's Role: Gate

Church's Role: sheep
Explain: Jesus is the gate to Heaven, we must go through the gate (Jesus) to go to the
Kingdom
Example: when we die, we ho through Jesus before we go to Heaven.

6. What is the mission Christ entrusted to the church?

- Jesus Christ gave His Church—this body of spiritually transformed believers—a
responsibility to carry out. The Church's mission is to preach the gospel of the Kingdom
of God and make disciples throughout the world, teaching them exactly what Jesus
taught.
7. How is the Virgin Mary "model" of the church?
- Christ is described as the Head of the Church and followers are described as the Body of
the Church. As Mary is the Mother of Christ, and Christ is head of the Church, then Mary
is the Mother of the Church. Mary is also seen as the model of the Church. In all of her
actions she exemplifies the mission of the Church. She agreed to God’s will to give birth
to Jesus and supported and displayed her faith in her son throughout his ministry. She
was with him at every stage of his work on Earth and fully supported and followed his
teachings.