PART I

THE CHURCH AND SALVATION

Article 33: The Fullness of Truth and Salvation

Article 34: Salvation Outside the Church

Article 35: Who Needs Organized Religion? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNRFumI2ch0 In Christ Alone Song

“Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, Vatican Council II teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it

or to remain in it.” CCC846

“The Church's Magisterium, faithful to divine revelation, reasserts that Jesus Christ is the mediator and the universal redeemer: “The Word of God, through whom all things were made, was made flesh, so that as perfect man he could save all men and sum up all things in himself. The Lord...is he whom the Father raised from the dead, exalted and placed at his right hand, constituting him judge of the living and the dead”.34 This salvific mediation implies also the unicity of the redemptive sacrifice of Christ, eternal high priest (cf. Heb 6:20; 9:11; 10:12-14).” Dominus Jesus, August 6, 2000 Congregation for the Faith

https://youtu.be/Hm_j7kzcpjk Barron- Why Catholic

THE FULLNESS OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST [33]

the fullness of Revelation which is transmitted through the Scriptures and Tradition the fullness of the Sacraments the fullness of the ordained ministry Apostolic Authority (unbroken line)

The Catholic Church alone has retained the fullness of these means of salvation:

“This is the one Church of Christ which in the Creed is professed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic, which our Savior, after His Resurrection, commissioned Peter to shepherd (John 21:17), and him and the other apostles to extend and direct with authority (see Matthew 28:18-19), which He erected for all ages as ‘the pillar and mainstay of the truth’ (1 Timothy 3:15). This Church, constituted andorganized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure. These elements, as gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, are forces impelling toward catholic unity.” --Lumen Gentium, 34, Vatican II

Church as Sacrament: visible sign of God’s invisible grace. Sacramentum/Mysterium

Both terms from Greet mysterion. Now sacramentum refers to visible sign; mysterium refers to hidden reality

Christ the Sacrament of God, Redeemer of All

Church Sacrament of Christ

Believers

Thus the Church is the means of salvation------andBaptism opens the door; we respond

(34)

If this is true that the church is the mediator of Christ in the world and that there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church.........then what of all others outside of this Church? Other Christians/Jews/Muslims etc.

God wills that ALL be saved. God can and does extend salvation outside of the

Catholic Church as God is not bound..........even by the church. However, even in these cases of gratuitious grace, ALL SAVATION HOWEVER IS THOUGH JESUS CHRIST whether acknowledged or not.

“This affirmation (no salvation outside the Church) is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience—those too may achieve eternal salvation.” (CCC 847)

Vatican II document Gaudium Et Spes teaches similarly on the possibility of salvation:

“All this holds true not only for Christians, but for all men of good will in whose hearts grace works in an unseen way. For, since Christ died for all men, and since the ultimate vocation of man is in fact one, and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every man the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery.” (22)

(35)WHY ORGANIZE ALL THIS? WHAT’S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT “GATHERING/COMMUNITY” ? One way to understand—why do we celebrate at all? Why parties? Why graduation celebrations? Why even go on a date? Why do people gather together for a funeral? Camp fires? Teams?

a) We are social beings; in our DNA; image/likeness of God as Trinity in fact those who have no felt need for others are not considered to have some deep issues that need to be addressed

b) biblical roots: creation/convenants/promises/fulfillment

c) creed: “it is for us and for our salvation” Nicene Creed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqYUtube Why I Hate Religion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLta2b9zQ64 Bishop Barron Replies

GETTING IN TOUCH……..LITURGICAL YEAR (36)

ONE MYSTERY CELEBRATED--

PASCHAL MYSTERY

THE WORK OF SALVATION ACCOMPLISHED B JESUS CHRIST

MAINLY THROUGH HIS PASSION, DEATH, RESURRECTION

(LITURGY)

AS IT IS EXPERIENCED IN THE HEART/LIFE OF THE CHURCH

LITURGICAL YEAR IS THE WAY WE CLEBRATE/EXPERIENCE THIS MYSTERION

LITURGICAL YEAR: The annual cycle of religious feasts and seasons that forms the context for the Church’s worship, we remember and celebrate (and make present) God the Father’s plan as it is revealed through the life of his Son, Jesus Christ…..

YEARLY: THE SEASONSBeginning with the Easter Triduum as its source of light, the new age of the Resurrection fills the whole liturgical year with its brilliance. Gradually, on either side of this source, the year is transfigured by the liturgy. It really is a “year of the Lord’s favor.” The economy of salvation is at work within the framework of time, but since its fulfillment in the Passover of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the culmination of history is anticipated “as a foretaste,” and the kingdom of God enters into our time.

YOU KNOW IT’S BAD NEWSWHEN THEY CALL FOR TWO PRIESTS!

WEEKLY: SUNDAY, THE ORIGINAL FEAST DAY

By a tradition handed down from the apostles which took its origin from the very day of Christ’s Resurrection, the Church celebrates the Paschal mystery every seventh day, which day is appropriately called the Lord’s Day or Sunday. The day of Christ’s Resurrection is both the first day of the week, the memorial of the first day of creation, and the “eight day”, on which Christ after his “rest” on the great Sabbath inaugurates the “day the Lord has made,” the “day that knows no evening”. The Lord’s Supper is its center, for there the whole community of the faithful encounters the risen Lord who invites them to his banquet.

SANCTORAL CYCLE: THE SAINTS

In celebrating this annual cycle of the mysteries of Christ, Holy Church honors the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with a special love. She is inseparably lined with the saving work of her Son. In her the Church admires and exalts the most excellent fruit of redemption and joy full contemplates, as in a faultless image, that which she herself desires and hopes wholly to be.

When the Church keeps the memorials of martyrs and other saints during the annual cycle, she proclaims the Paschal mystery in those “who have suffered and have been gloried with Christ. She proposes them to the faithful as examples who draw all men and women to the Father through Christ, and through their merits she begs for God’s favors.

The Islamic State’s beheading of 20 Coptic Christians

DAILY: LITURGY OF THE HOURS

The mystery of Christ, his Incarnation and Passover, which we celebrate in the Eucharist especially at the Sunday assembly, permeates and transfigures the time of each day, through the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, “the divine office.” This celebration, faithful to the apostolic exhortations to “pray constantly,” is “so devised that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praise of God. In this public prayer of the Church, the faithful (clergy, religious and lay people) exercise the royal priesthood of the baptized. Celebrated in the form approved by the Church, the Liturgy of the Hours is truly the voice of the Bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom. It is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses to the Father.

Office of Readings (Matins)Morning Prayer (Lauds)

Daytime Prayer (Prime, Tierce, None)

Evening Prayer (Vespers)Night Prayer (Compline)

FOR HIS GREAT LOVE IS WITHOUT END!

THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD

PART 2

Article 36: Engaging the World

Article 37: Engaging Modern Culture

Article 38: The Church and Evangelization

(36)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfpdpvZPwrgUtube, Bishop Barron on Evangelization.

Elements of Evangelization from Redemptoris Missio: Boldness and Respect Technological Developments Commitment to Personal Holiness Reaching Out to People of All Ages

VATICAN II AND ENGAGING THE WORLD

A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT (37)

GADIUM ET SPES , VATICAN II

1. “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of

the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. For theirs is a community composed of men. United in Christ, they are led by the Holy Spirit in their journey to the Kingdom of their Father and they have welcomed the news of salvation which is meant for every man. That is why this community realizes that it is truly linked with mankind and its history by the deepest of bonds.

2. Hence this Second Vatican Council, having probed more profoundly into the mystery of the Church, now addresses itself without hesitation, not only to the children of the Church and to all who invoke the name of Christ, but to the whole of humanity. For the council yearns to explain to everyone how it conceives of the presence and activity of the Church in the world of today.

4. To carry out such a task, the Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. Thus, in language intelligible to each generation, she can respond to the perennial questions which men ask about this present life and the life to come, and about the relationship of the one to the other. We must therefore recognize and understand the world in which we live, its explanations, its longings, and its often dramatic characteristics. Some of the main features of the modern world can be sketched as follows.”

Pope St. John XXIII

Tiara (3 crowns) meaning the Pope is: a) ruler of princes and kings,b) possesses supreme spiritual power, and c) vicar of Christ on earth.

Our Modern Culture……gospel forces us to confront the Culture of Death and always stand for the dignity of life. So, then, what areas should the Church be involved in and offering her guidance:

 “The Catholic Church  proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is  the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of  all the principles of our social teaching. In our society, human life is under  direct attack from abortion and euthanasia. The value of human life is being  threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death  penalty. The intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks is always wrong. Catholic teaching also calls on us to work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.” (U.S. Bishops)

INCULTURATION AND EVANGELIZATION (38)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b3YU9GQtXQ

Utube video on Matteo Ricci

THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CHURCH(39-43)

LEADERSHIPBISHOPSPRIESTS

DEACONS

CHRISTCHURCH

PEOPLE OF GOD

POPECARDINALS (honorary title)

ARCHBISHOPSBISHOPSDEACONS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvCEbICUXMk Rap

The Pope, Visible Head of the Church

http://bustedhalo.com/video/you-dont-know-jack-about-pope-francis

Elected Bishop of Rome by the Cardinals As such, he is direct successor of St. Peter Vicar of Christ on earth Pastor of the Universal Church

Head of the College of Bishops

The Roman Curia (civil service) aids the Pope in governing

BISHOP

To Teach. A bishop is the principal teacher in his diocese and has a responsibility to preach the Word of God to his people. He must ensure that those delegated to teach in his name, namely priests, teachers, catechists and others, teach the truth.

To Govern. This refers to meeting the needs of the local community (material, social, personal and spiritual) as well as ensuring that church laws are observed. He is ultimately responsible for training and supplying priests for parishes, for the finances of the diocese and for all church property. A bishop has the power to make church laws, be a judge in church matters and to enforce observance of these laws. These laws generally relate to worship, preaching, administration of the sacraments, safeguarding the faith and morals of the faithful and religious instruction.

To Sanctify. A bishop is responsible for ensuring that the sacraments are administered and has the special authority to ordain priests and to confirm. It is usually the case, then, for a bishop to ordain the priests who are to serve in his diocese and to travel around the diocese and administer the Sacrament of Confirmation. He must also ensure that Mass is celebrated in the diocese every Sunday and on major feast days.

PRIESTS

The Role of Priests in the Catholic Church

In the Catholic Church, a parish priest (also known as a pastor) is a priest appointed by the bishop to represent him to the local parish, which is a collection of neighborhoods in one small region of a county within a given state. A given city may support a number of parishes, depending on the Catholic population.

The pastor is helped by a parochial vicar (formerly known as a curate or an assistant pastor) and/or a permanent deacon, religious sister, or lay parishioners — all known as pastoral associates. The parish council and finance committee, which are made up of lay parishioners for the most part, advise and counsel the pastor but don’t have administrative or executive authority.

Distinguishing types of priests

Catholic priests are either diocesan priests who belong to the diocese they’re located in or religious order priests, whose affiliation is with a particular religious order. The typical parish priest is usually a diocesan priest. He makes a promise of obedience to the local bishop and a promise of celibacy.

Religious priests are known as order priests after the religious order they belong to, such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, Jesuits, Benedictines, and Augustinians and Basilians.

A parish priest celebrates daily Mass, hears confessions every week, gives marriage counseling, provides prenuptial counseling, gives spiritual direction, anoints and visits shut-ins and the sick in hospitals and nursing homes, teaches catechism (a book that contains the doctrines of Catholicism) to children and adults, baptizes, witnesses marriages, performs funerals and burials, attends numerous parish and diocesan meetings, prays privately every day, does spiritual and theological reading, and finds time to relax now and then with family and friends. And once a year, he’s expected to make a five-day retreat in addition to doing his regular spiritual direction and daily prayer. Yeah, busy job.

The parish church is where the priest does his job and where the parishioners attend Mass Saturday evening or Sunday morning. The parish church is also where most Catholics get baptized, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, are confirmed, get married, and are buried from.

The Role of Deacons in the Catholic Church

Catholics recognize two types of deacons: 1) Permanent deacons are men ordained to an office in the Catholic Church who normally have no intention or desire of becoming priests. He can be single or married. If the latter, he must be married before being ordained a deacon. If his wife dies before him, he may be ordained a priest if the bishop permits and approves.

Permanent deacons, especially those who are married, have secular jobs to support their families and also help the local pastor by visiting the sick, teaching the faith, counseling couples and individuals, working on parish committees and councils, and giving advice to the pastor.

2) Transitional deacons are seminarians, students in the last phase of training for the Catholic priesthood. After being a deacon for a year, they’re ordained a priest by the bishop.

Deacons can baptize, witness marriages, perform funeral and burial services outside of Mass, distribute Holy Communion, preach the homily (which is the sermon given after the Gospel at Mass), and are obligated to pray the Divine Office (Breviary) each day. (The Divine Office, Breviary, or Liturgy of the Hours are all the same thing. These are the 150 Psalms and Scriptural readings from the Old and New Testament that every deacon, priest, and bishop must pray every day and a few times during each day.) This way, in addition to the biblical readings at daily Mass, the cleric is also exposed to more Sacred Scripture each day of his life.

As outlined in text, three areas of service for deacons: in the service of the liturgy; in the service of the Word; and in the service of charity.

Review the history of the Diaconate in text……….

Deacons, priests, and bishops are considered clerics, members of the clergy, in the Catholic Church.

Fr. Bill Without His Morning “Red Bull”!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLUYo-Nc4zg