LESSON 6: THE CHURCH MOVES OUT TO THE WHOLE WORLD

Bukidnon Association of Catholic Schools (BUACS), Inc.

Diocese of Malaybalay

LOYOLA HIGH SCHOOL To be compiled

Don Carlos, Bukidnon

GRADE 12 - THE CHURCH

First Sem – 2nd Quarter – Week 8-9
S.Y. 2021-2022

Lesson 8-9
THE CHURCH MOVES OUT TO THE WHOLE WORLD
I. GOD’S MESSAGE
16 Theeleven disciples went to the hill in Galilee where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they
saw him, they worshiped him, even though some of them doubted. 18 Jesus drew near and said to
them, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, then, to all peoples
everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with
you always, to the end of the age.”
-Matthew 28:16-20
II. EXPOSITION
We read the Gospel according to Matthew (28:16-20) about the Great Commissioning of the Apostles. It
contains a general command to go forth and make disciples of all nations. A definite command was given to them to
proclaim the universal will of God to save all peoples and nations. They were to gather all into one community, united
in one faith in Christ.

Verse 16 With the early death of Judas, there were only eleven of the disciples left. They were called by Jesus
to go to the mountain which perhaps had the same significance as that of the mountain where the temptation (Mt 4:
8), the great Sermon (Mt 5: 1), and the transfiguration took place, that is, a place of special revelation, even a special
encounter with God.

Verse 17 The faith of some disciples in the resurrection of Jesus was tainted with doubt. But at the sight of
Jesus, they fell on their knees in worship.

Verse 18-20 The farewell words of Jesus may be divided into three parts which referred respectively to the
past, present, and future task of the Church.

Verse 18 Full authority was bestowed on Jesus – the authority at the origin of the founding of the Church.

Verse 19 This stressed the universal character of the apostolic mission. The work of the apostles was to teach
and baptize in the name of God so that all peoples and nations might be made one in his name.

Verse 20 The object of the teaching was “all that I have commanded you.” What was commanded was a way
of life centered in Christ. The final word was an assurance of the living presence of Christ in the Church. Jesus had
c0mmitted himself totally to the Church.

CHURCH TEACHINGS
Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church (Ad Gentes, 5)
The mission of the Church is fulfilled by that activity which makes her fully present to all men and
nations. She undertakes this activity in obedience to Christ’s command and in response to the grace and
love of the Holy Spirit. Thus, by the example of her life and preaching, by the sacraments and other means
of grace, she can lead them to the faith, the freedom, and peace of Christ. Thus, there lies open before
them a free and trustworthy road to full participation in the mystery of Christ.
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The mission is continuing one. In the course of history, it unfolds the mission of Christ himself, who
was sent to preach the gospel to the poor. Hence, prompted by the Holy Spirit, the Church must walk the
same road which Christ walked: a road to poverty, obedience, service, and self-sacrifice.
The Church makes Christ present in the world for to her was entrusted the task of continuing the
mission that the Father had given him.
After his resurrection, he sent his apostles throughout the whole world just as he had been sent by
the Father. He commanded them to make disciples of all nations.
Jesus founded the Church as a sign of salvation to all. His command to preach the gospel to the world
is based on the divine universal plan of salvation. This command is fulfilled by the by the Church by the
example of her life and preaching, be her sacraments,
https://bit.ly/37yoR6F and other means of salvation by which Christ’s saving
love is made a reality to all men and nations. The Church
as the sign of Christ in the world is called to live as Christ
did – a life of poverty, obedience, and service.

The Mission Outreach of the Church

The middle of the fifteenth century was the
beginning of the great geographical discoveries which
opened the Church to a new worldwide mission and a
complete realization of its role as an institution of
redemption and continued incarnation of Christ in the
world. The gospel was brought to America and Asia.
The greatest part of the early mission in Latin America was carried out by the mendicant orders (who
begged alms to support themselves), particularly the Franciscans and the Dominicans. They were joined by
the Jesuits later. The Jesuits were the pioneers in establishment schools and mission churches. The
missionaries were men of remarkable religious piety and great zeal who planted the seeds of faith in the
hearts of the new converts.
The greatest missionary in Asia was Francis Xavier (1506 – 1552). He was known as the
Apostle of the East. He preached the Gospel in India, Malacca, and the Moluccas, then, finally
in Japan. His dream of bringing the Christianity to China was aborted by his untimely death just
outside its gate.
The man who was to open the great mission land in China was a https://bit.ly/3hjhSmk
Jesuit missionary named Matteo Ricci. He learned the Chinese language, religions,
philosophies, and customs. He was one among the people, adopting their ways, and
preaching the faith in the spirit and language of their culture. At the time of his death, there
were about two thousand Christians in China.
https://bit.ly/3dWdKGS
The great missionary expansion of the 16th and 17th
centuries was followed by the age of spiritual decline when the work of
the great pioneers, like Xavier, Ricci, and others in Asia, was almost
completely destroyed. Future missionary work had to be built on the
ruins of a glorious missionary past.
The spiritual revival of the Catholic Church during the nineteenth
century rekindled the missionary spirit and zeal, and ushered in a whole
new period of mission. Pope Gregory XVI (1831 – 1846) was considered to
be the spirit of this new missionary epoch of great importance. Here was
the remarkable revival of religious orders of men and women, a great
many of them dedicated to missionary work. They include the
https://bit.ly/2YvUvxe
rejuvenated orders, such as the Jesuits, Franciscans, and Dominicans.
Numerous Protestant missionary societies also emerged. The missionary
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work of both of the Catholic and Protestant churches opened a new epoch in Christian history when
Christianity went out of the world: China, Japan, Korea, India, Africa, etc.

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