The Holy Catholic Church – Part III (CCC 748-975) the Catechism Presents Several Images to Help Us Understand the Relationship Between Christ and His Church

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The Holy Catholic Church – Part III (CCC 748-975) the Catechism Presents Several Images to Help Us Understand the Relationship Between Christ and His Church

The One Minute Catechism: We Believe in the Holy Catholic Church – Part III (CCC 748-975) The Catechism presents several images to help us understand the relationship between Christ and His Church. Christ and the Church are one being: Christ is the head and the members are the body. Christ is also the bridegroom and the Church is the bride and mother of all of God’s children. While the first image represents the unity of Christ withthe Church and the unity among its members, the second emphasizes that the Church is distinct from Christ, but related in the most intimate of relationships. We also say that the Church is the Temple of the HolySpirit because He resides in the members, and builds up the Church in love and charity through the Word of God in Scripture, the sacraments, the virtues, and charisms (special gifts the Holy Spirit bestows upon members of the Church to help build it up). In the Nicene Creed, we profess that we “believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.” We say the Church is “one” because it arises from the unity of the Holy Trinity. Christ founded the Church to re-establish the unity of all people inone body, and the Holy Spirit unites all the faithful in communion with Christ. The Church has one faith, one sacramental life, one apostolic succession, one hope, and one charity. The Catholic Church is the one and only true church of Christ in the world. It is governed by the Pope, as the successor of St. Peter, in communionwith the Bishops, as the successors to the Apostles. We can only obtain the full means of salvationthrough the Catholic Church since God entrusted all the blessings of His New Covenant tothe Catholic Church alone. This privileged role in the Body of Christ, carries both grace and responsibility,as well as the world's attention. While Protestant Churches have separated themselves from full communion with the Catholic Church, we believe that these denominations possess many elements of sanctity and truth and that their members are incorporated into Christ by Baptism. Accordingly, we recognize them as brothers and sisters and seek to restore unity with them through prayer and theological dialogue. Reflect: It is sometimes said that being anti-Catholic is the last acceptable prejudice in America. Why do you think this is? What will you do to overcome this bigotry? Pray: Eternal Father, we praise you for sending your Son to be one of us and to save us.Look upon your people with mercy, for we are divided in so many ways, and give us the Spirit of Jesus tomake us one in love. We ask this gift, loving Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen..

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