Week 21: Passages 954 - 991

Passages 954- 991



II. The Communion of the Church of Heaven and Earth
Some pilgrims are still on earth, others have died and are being purified, while others are in glory. Those in heaven intercede for us.

“Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole
Church more firmly in holiness…They do not cease to intercede with the Father
for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one
mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus…So by their fraternal concern is our
weakness greatly helped.” (CCC 956)

Just as communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ so does our communion with the saints. Our prayer is capable of helping the dead and allowing them to intercede for us.



Paragraph 6. Mary – Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church
I. Mary’s Motherhood with Regard to the Church
Mary’s role in the Church flows from her union with Christ. She was united with her son from his virginal conception to the hour of his Passion, and after his Ascension aided the beginnings of the Church with her prayers. Her Assumption is a unique participation I her son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians.
The Virgin Mary, by her obedience to the Father’s will, his Son’s redemptive work, and every prompting of the Spirit is the Church’s model of faith and charity.
Her singular obedience, faith, hope and charity makes her our mother in the order of grace.

"This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from
the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she
sustained
without wavering beneath the cross, until eternal fulfillment of
all the elect.
Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office
but by her manifold
intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal
salvation…Therefore the
Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the
titles of Advocate, Helper,
Benefactress, and Mediatrix.” (CCC
969)
“Mary’s function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this
unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power.” (CCC 970)

II. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin

“’All generations will call me blessed’: ‘The Church’s devotion to the Blessed
Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship.’” (CCC 971)
“’….This very special
devotion…differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate
Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this
adoration.’” (CCC 971)

The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayers such as the Rosary express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.
III. Mary – Eschatological Icon of the Church
In Mary we can contemplate the mystery of what the Church is on her pilgrimage of faith and what she will be at the end of the journey.

“In the meantime the Mother of Jesus, in the glory which she possesses in body
and soul in heaven, is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be
perfected in the world to come. Likewise she shines forth on earth, until
the day of the Lord shall come, a sign of certain hope and comfort to the
pilgrim people of God.” (CCC 972)

Article 10 “I Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins”
I. One Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins
Baptism is the first sacrament of forgiveness of sins. Baptism cleanses us, but we still have an inclination towards evil that we must battle. So the Church gives us another sacrament to forgive sins up to our deaths, the sacrament of Penance.
II. The Power of the Keys
Christ sent his apostles “so that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations.” (CCC 981)

“The Church has received the keys of the Kingdom of heaven so that, in her, sins
may be forgiven through Christ’s blood and the Holy Spirit’s action. In this
Church, the soul dead through sin comes back to life in order to live with
Christ, whose grace has saved us.” (CCC 981)

There is no offense too serious to be forgiven, Christ died for all men.



Article 11 “I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body”


We believe that just as Christ rose from the dead and lives forever, we will be resurrected (both our soul and mortal body) on the last day. This has been a Christian belief from the beginning.





Questions for Reflection:

• In what ways do you ask the saints to intercede for you? How can we teach our children about the saints? For a fun craft, check out the spoon saints at Cottage Blessings.

• Do you pray for the dead? It seems to me I once saw a great idea for making an All Souls Day banner with reminders to pray for deceased friends and relatives, but I can't remember where.

• Which are your favorite Marian devotions? How can we introduce these to our children? Meredith at Sweetness and Light has tons of ideas for Marian devotions for children. In our house our Rosary box has been a big hit and an aid to reflecting on the mysteries of the Rosary.

Week 20: Passages 901 - 953

Passages 901-953
These readings cover the vocation of lay people, the consecrated life, and then begins to explain the communion of saints.
The participation of lay people in Christ’s priestly office

“’Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy
Spirit, are marvelously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the
Spirit may be produced in them. For all their works, prayers, and
apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind
and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit- indeed even the hardships of
life if patiently born- all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ. In celebration of the Eucharist these may most
fittingly be offered to the Father along with the body of the Lord. And so,
worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world
itself to God, everywhere offering worship by the holiness of their lives.’”
(CCC 901)

Lay people can serve as lectors or acolytes, and if there is necessity can exercise the liturgy of the word, preside over liturgical prayers, confer Baptism, and distribute Holy Communion.
Participation in Christ’s prophetic office
Lay people fulfill their prophetic mission through evangelization, both through the witness of their lives and through direct teaching of the Gospel to others.
Participation in Christ’s kingly office
One way we can participate in Christ’s kingship is to have authority over our passions, and not let sin reign in our hearts.
Another is to cooperate with our pastors in service to the ecclesial community.

The Consecrated Life
The consecrated life is characterized by a vow of chastity, poverty, and obedience. It is a way to become more intimate with God, to dedicate oneself totally to Him.
One great tree, with many branches
There are many different religious families, all of which aid their members in progressing in holiness and benefit the Body of Christ.
The eremitic life
Hermits devote their lives to praise God through separation from the world, prayer, penance and solitude. They manifest the interior aspect of the mystery of the Church, personal intimacy with Christ.
Consecrated virgins and widows
Virgins or widows can be consecrated by the diocesan Bishop and are then betrothed mystically to Christ. They become a sign of the Church’s love for Christ and are called to prayer, penance, service, and apostolic activity.
Religious life
Religious life is distinguished from the other forms of consecrated life by its liturgical character, the public profession of the evangelical counsels (chastity, poverty, and obedience), fraternal life, and the witness given to the union of Christ with the Church.
Religious life is a gift from the Lord, and signifies the charity of God. All religious help the diocesan bishop in his pastoral duty. Historically religious families have been instrumental in spreading the faith.
Secular institutes
A secular institute is an institute of consecrated life in which the faithful living in the world share the task of evangelization and act as “leaven in the world.”
Societies in apostolic life
Alongside the different forms of consecrated life there are societies for members without religious vows to pursue the purpose of the society.
Consecration and mission: proclaiming the King who is coming

“In the Church, which is like the sacrament- the sign and instrument- of God’s
own life, the consecrated life is seen as a special sign of the mystery of
redemption. To follow and imitate Christ more nearly and to manifest more
clearly his self-emptying is to be more deeply present to one’s contemporaries,
in the heart of Christ. For those who are on this ‘narrower’ path
encourage their brethren by their example, and bear striking witness ‘that the
world cannot be transfigured and offered to God without the spirit of the
Beatitudes.’” (CCC 932)

Paragraph 5. The Communion of Saints
The Church is the communion of Saints, all the faithful form one body and there is a communion of goods.
Communion in Spiritual Goods

• Communion in faith – faith is enriched by being shared
• Communion of the sacraments – the sacraments are sacred links uniting the faithful to one another, and binding them to Jesus Christ. The term communion can be applied to all of them in particular the Eucharist.
• Communion of the charisms – the Holy Spirit gives special graces to the faithful for the good of the church.
• “They had everything in common” – Everything a Christian has is a possessed by all, a Christian is a steward of the Lord’s gifts and should help the needy.
• Communion in charity – Every act of charity profits all, and every sin harms all.

Questions for Reflection:

• In these reading we read about the mission of the lay faithful. In what ways do you participate in Christ’s priestly, prophetic, and kingly office (CCC 901-913)?
• CCC 953 discusses communion in charity. Do you think of your sin as affecting the entire body of Christ?

Week 19: Passages 863- 900

I’m back! I am going to tell you why I haven’t been blogging, but I have to whisper as there are certain relatives who haven’t been filled in yet. So gather in…
{My husband and I are blessed to be expecting a new little baby due in March! We are so excited, but I have been very sick and tired with morning sickness that lasts all day. It is getting better now though, so I hope to be able to keep up with blogging again.}
I also want to encourage anyone who has fallen away from doing the readings, to just jump back in where we are! Think about it, even if you don’t get through the whole Catechism, any reading is going to beneficial, and it makes it more fun if I have company!

This week we read passages 863-900.

The Church is Apostolic
The Church remains true to the faith of her origins, handed down from Peter and the Apostles and it is her mission to go out into the world. All Christians share in this mission. The fruitfulness of this apostolate depends on a deep union with Christ.
The Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic because it is in her that the kingdom of heaven already exists and will be fulfilled at the end of time.

“The kingdom has come in the person of Christ and grows mysteriously in the
hearts of those incorporated into him, until its full eschatological
manifestation. Then all those he has redeemed and made ‘holy and blameless
before him in love,’ will be gathered together as one People of God, the ‘Bride
of the Lamb,’ ‘the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,
having the glory of God.’ For ‘the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and
o them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.’” (CCC 865)

Paragraph 4. Christ’s Faithful – Hierarchy, Laity, Consecrated Life
The Christian faithful all participate in the building up of the body of Christ. There are differences between members, but they all share one unified mission. The apostles and their successors are entrusted with teaching, sanctifying and governing in Christ’s name. The laity have their own assignment, they are made to share in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly office of Christ. In addition some from both groups are consecrated to God in their own special manner.
I. The Hierarchical Constitution of the Church
Why the ecclesial ministry?
No one can believe in the Gospel without first hearing it. No one can bestow grace unto himself. Thus Christ authorized his ministers to act in persona Christi Capitis. The ministry by which God’s grace is given is called a “sacrament”. The ecclesial ministry has several characteristics: a character of service, a collegial character, and a personal character.
The Episcopal college and its head, the Pope
When Christ instituted the Twelve, he set Peter apart and gave him the keys of his Church. The Pope and the Bishops are the successors of the apostles.

“The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, ‘is the perpetual and visible
source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company
of the faithful.’” (CCC 882)

The teaching office
The Bishops, with priests as co-workers, have as their first task to preach the Gospel to all men. In order to preserve the purity of the faith Christ granted the Magisterium the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals.
The sanctifying office
The Bishop is the steward of grace, particularly in the Eucharist which he offers personally or through his co-worker priests. The Eucharist is the center of life of the particular church. The bishop and priests sanctify the church through their prayer, work and example.
The governing office
The Bishops govern the particular Churches assigned to them by counsels, exhortations, and example, but above all the authority of sacred power. Bishops should follow the model of the Good Shepherd, and their authority must be in communion with the Pope.
II. The Lay Faithful
The vocation of lay people

“’By reason of their special vocation it belongs to the laity to seek the
kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to
God’s will…It pertains to them in a special way to illuminate and order all
temporal things with which they are closely associated that these may always be
effected and grow according to Christ and may be to the glory of the Creator and
Redeemer.’” (CCC 898)

Lay Christians are particularly responsible for permeating social, political, and economic spheres with the demands of Christian doctrine and life.
Lay Christians have the right and duty to spread the divine message of salvation. They are essential to the ecclesial community, without them the apostolate of the pastors would not be effective.

Question for reflection:
How can we live out this charge from CCC 898 to “illuminate and order all temporal things with which [we] are closely associated that these may always be effected and grow according to Christ and may be to the glory of the Creator and Redeemer”?

Week 18: Passages 823 - 862

Anyone still out there? I'll be back soon! I hope :) And I'll fill in on what's been up around here, keeping me from the keyboard...