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LESSON - RELIGION 10 - Nature & Origin of The Church
LESSON - RELIGION 10 - Nature & Origin of The Church
LESSON - RELIGION 10 - Nature & Origin of The Church
HUMAN EXPERIENCE
*The spirit of community prevails when there is belongingness and solidarity among people and where gratitude and
respect are present.
“When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” [b]
9
(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions ? 10 He who [c]
descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So
Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people
for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the
knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
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Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every
wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking
the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is,
Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds
itself up in love, as each part does its work.
-The Church, willed and designed by God also manifest innate harmony
-St.Paul’s letter to the Ephesians : he admonishes the followers of Christ to be “one body and one spirit”
*The followers of Christ have one LORD, one FAITH, one BAPTISM
*The diversity of gifts and ministries in the Church is for one single purpose, that is to build up the Body of Christ.
Church
= Qahal (Old Testament)
=Ekklesia (New Testament)
*means the people of God called together; an assembly convoked by God
INSIGHTS:
1. It is God himself who calls the people together in order to form them into one body.
*It is God who calls us all together in Christ through the unifying gifts of the Holy Spirit.
2. There is not just union but communion that exist in the Church.
*The origin of this communion is God’s own Trinitarian communion
(of the Son with the Father in the gift of the Holy Spirit- CFC 1363)
*In the Church, there is that personal communion that binds us together with the Lord and with one another.
*This makes the Church a community of believers drawn together by God in Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy
Spirit.
NATURE OF THE CHURCH
Example: Baptism – the sensible sign is water (not only symbolize cleansing but brings about the cleansing of
original and personal sins)
*The Church is a sacrament because she is the visible sign/ instrument of our union with God and of the unity of
mankind
*HOW DOES THE CHURCH FACILITATE OUR UNION WITH ONE ANOTHER?
-our union with God is the foundation of our union with one another
-this union of mankind began when God called men and women from every nation in an assembly where no race ,
culture and status prevail but the love of God.
-The Church strives to lead its members to the realization of their unity with God and with one another.
ACTIVITY:
Make a composition writing entitled: “ I AM A SACRAMENT OF GOD’S LOVE” ( 300- 500 WORDS)
*Holy Spirit constantly renews and guides the Church until its fullness in the Kingdom of God.
-The Church needs to be constantly sanctified through the Holy Spirit
*When Christ ascended to heaven, he promised to send the Holy Spirit, the Helper, who shall be the Church’s
companion in all the tasks she has been given to do (PENTECOST EVENT)
*The Holy Spirit bestows the Church with charismatic gifts which enable the members of the Church to serve one
another according to the gifts given to them.
VOCABULARY:
Charism – special grace or gift of the Holy spirit given for building up the Christian community
Charismatic gifts – St.Paul lists 9 graces – wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, mighty deeds, prophecy, discernment,
varieties of tongue , interpretation of tongues
- St. Thomas Aquinas – group these as knowledge, speech and miracles.