Church
- (German) Kirche, derived from (Greek) Kyriake which
means “what belongs to the Lord”
- q’Hal Yahweh, “the Lord’s people”
Therefore, the Church is God’s people which belongs
to the Lord.
- (Spanish) Iglesia derived from (Latin) Ecclesia and
(Greek)Ekklesia or ek-ka-lein, “to call out”
- Ekklesia also refers to “gathered people of God”
Therefore, we understand that the Church is the people
which God called together.
 Saint Peter was the first leader of the Church. (We
belong to someone. We belong to the Lord.)
 Christians – members of the Church, “followers of
Christ”
 We were first called Christians sometime after
Pentecost in Antioch.
 Catholic – derived from (Greek) katholikos,
“universal”; first used by Saint Ignatius of Antioch
What the Church is Not
1. The Church is NOT AN IDEA, but a reality. Jesus
Christ is the historical founder and head.
2. The Church is NOT JUST THE PLACES OF
WORSHIP. We, the living and breathing people of God,
make up the Church.
3. The Church is NOT THE KINGDOM OF GOD, or
at least not yet. It is the seed, sign, and instrument of the
Kingdom of God. It is viewed as “the Kingdom in process”.
4. The Church is NOT JUST THE BISHOPS AND
THE PRIESTS, it is composed of both the clergy and the
laity.
5. The Church is NOT JUST THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH. There are other Catholic
Churches (Orthodox Churches – Eastern).
The Church and the Holy Trinity
Pope Francis: “A community that cherishes the little
details of love, whose members care for one another and
create an open and evangelizing environment, is a place
where the risen Lord is present, sanctifying it in
accordance with the Father’s plan.”
1. The Church in the Eternal Plan of the Father
- The Church was planned by the Father.
2. The Church Established by the Son
- Jesus Christ (Messiah, son of the Living God) is the
founder and the Head of the church. The history of the
Church begins with his story.
- His mission: fulfil New Covenant of forgiveness and of
eternal life (Paschal Mystery)
- Jesus -> Peter a.) Rock [Petros=rock] b.) Keys
- The Church is built on a solid foundation: Peter, the
Prince of the Apostles.
- The Pope is Peter’s successor.
- Jesus called the Church, “my sheep”.
3. The Church Guided by the Holy Spirit
- The Church is continuously made alive by the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides the Catholic community
through the sacraments.
- The Holy Spirit is the “Soul of the Church”.
The Nature of the Church
1. The Church is Human.
- We are the people of God.
- Ecclesia semper reformanda, “the Church which forever
changes”
- Makes mistakes, admits its sinfulness, asks forgiveness
2. The Church is Divine.
- This divine aspect rests on our relationship with the Holy
Trinity
- Jesus is the head of the Church.
- The Church is vivified/made alive by the Holy Spirit.
- Mission of the Church: Call us to a life of holiness
The Church: A Mysterion
The Church is both a mystery and a sacrament.
Mysterion, “secret rite or doctrine” -> mysterium and
sacramentum
MYSTERY: YET TO BE FULLY DISCOVERED
Mysterium, “secret thing”. The Church, being a mystery,
cannot be fully understood immediately. It is different from
miracles, as we are in the process of discovering aspects of
the Church we used to find unclear. The Holy Trinity is
also a mystery.
The Church as a Sacrament
Sacramentum. It emphasizes the visible sign of the hidden
reality of salvation indicated by mysterium
- Jesus is the Primordial Sacrament. He is the first and
ultimate. Saint Paul referred to Christ as “the image of
the invisible God”.
- The Church is the Fundamental Sacrament. The
Church is the most important symbol of Jesus Christ.
a.) The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ brings
Jesus to the world. He is the head of the Church.
b.) She perpetuates the words and works of Christ
thus aiding in remembering and experiencing the
Messiah.
c.) She is the sole careteaker of all the sacraments left
by Jesus to aid us in becoming holy.
- The main task of the Church is to establish God’s
kingdom by drawing all people closer to God.
- The Church is a sacrament because we are its members.
The Scriptural Images of the Church
1. People of God
- We are not individual followers, but one people. We do
not worship alone, we worship with the whole of the
Church.
- We are called to be like the one whom we belong to –
God. We must strive really hard to be like God.
2. Body of Christ
- The image of the Church identifies and connects the
Church with Jesus Christ. Christ is the Head of the Church
for without Christ the Church will not live.
- The imagery of the Body of Christ calls all members of
the Church to take note of:
a.) We must discover our place in the Church. (reflect
on talents and capacities)
b.) We must learn how to cooperate and be in
harmony with other members of the Church. (we have
different roles, all equally important)
c.) We must not forget that Christ is the head, not us.
3. Temple of the Holy Spirit
- The Holy Spirit gives the Church and her member the
life and vigor they need to resists temptations.
The Models of the Church
January 20 to February 17 1991 -> call of the Second
Vatican Council: Second Plenary Council of the PH
1. Church of the Poor
- The Church wants to follow Christ in living a life of
spiritual poverty.
- Anawims, poor and oppressed of Israel
- The call of the Church is to cling to God with all our
heart and being.
- We need to have a special love for the poor. It is a
response to Vatican II’s call for renewal, but also to God’s
call to look after the needy.
2. Community of Families, Ohana
- The Church is a household or family of God. We believe
that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit relate to each
other with perfect harmony, unity, and love.
- Each family is a “domestic church”. Faith starts within
the family.
- It is the responsibility of parents to instill faith in the
hearts of their children.
- A school of deeper humanity
3. Community in Mission
- The Filipino Church has a special missionary
characteristic for being the “key of evangelization” in Asia.
The Marks of the Church
1. One
- Pertains to Unity
a.) The Church originated from the will of the Holy
Trinity.
b.) We are baptized into faith in one Lord, belonging
to one flock.
c.) We are led by only one Pope.
d.) We recognize one creed, one set of sacraments,
and one set of moral teachings.
- Inculturation, “unity in diversity”
- Division is hard to address. This is why the Church
pushes ecumenical dialogues.
- Ecumenism, from oikoumene, “inhabited world”
- The Church also reaches out to non-Christians like
Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. This is called inter-
religious dialogue.
- Saint Paul VI is called the “Pope of Ecumenism”.
2. Holy
- Pope Francis: Holiness is the most attractive face of the
Church.
- hagios, equivalent for holy
- agios o Theos, agios ischyros, agios athanatos,
“holy God, holy mighty one, holy immortal one”
- Mary stands out in holiness. Mary is the exemplar of the
Church.
- The Church prays that:
a.) She would remain a caring and loving mother.
b.) She would remain faithful to Christ.
c.) She would remain holy and guard that holiness that
comes from the grace of God.
d.) She would someday enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
3. Catholic
a.) The missionary mandate of the Church is
universal.
b.) The Church continues to teach all what Christ
taught and offers her members with complete access
to full faith relationship with Christ through every
kind of grace.
c.) The Church respects the cultural differences of
local Churches but maintains the unity of all her
members over the world.
4. Apostolic
- Apostolos, “somebody sent”; Apostles are Jesus’ close
friends
- The Church is apostolic because:
a.) She derives her origin from the apostles. Purgatory – a temporary state of cleansing experienced by
b.) She perpetuates the teachings of the apostles. human beings who die in preparation for their entrance to
c.) She is being led up to now by the successors of the heaven
apostles- the Pope, the bishops, and the priests. - This suffering is caused by waiting, and not punishment.
4.) Hell: Eternal Punishment
We are called to be like Christ. - It is a choice.
- The main vocation of the Church is to continue the - Jews: Gehenna, place of the damned
mission of Jesus of establishing the Kingdom of God. The
Church also promotes physical well-being, protects the “Particular Judgment” - where you are placed.
rights of human persons and exhorts social and political “General Judgment” - the last judgment of the living and
justice. the dead
1.) Prophetic - We believe that Jesus would return and judge the living
- The prophets were the mouth-pieces of God. Becoming and the dead. This is called Parousia.
a prophet means sharing the Word of God to other On general judgment, both the human body and the
people, especially to those who have not yet heard of the immortal soul will experience either eternal happiness or
Gospel. eternal punishment.
- Pope, bishops, priests, and deacons are mainly tasked -> Beatific Vision: Seeing God face-to-face
for this ministry: to teach and live the word of God.
- To be a prophet: Read the bible. Believe and study what
you have read. Share what you believe. Like what you
share.
2.) Priestly
- Prayers manifest our faith in God and our perseverance
in life.
- The main duty of the priest is to offer prayers and
sacrifices to God in behalf of the people.
- We can stand before God in behalf of others.
3.) Kingly
- A true mature man is he who goes out of himself and
thinks of the welfare of others.
- There are corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

God calls the Church to eternal happiness.

- Our vocation is sainthood.
1.) Militant Church
- living members of the Church
- we are called to sainthood
The Catholic Church describes heaven as:
a.) the perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity
b.) the communion of life and love with the Trinity,
with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed
c.) the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest
human longings
d.) state of supreme, definitive happiness
2.) Triumphant Church
- members who are now in Heaven
3.) Suffering Church
- members who are now in purgatory