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It’s Day 110!!
We are in a new paragraph!
PARAGRAPH 2 THE CHURCH-PEOPLE OF GOD, BODY OF CHRIST, TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Today we will talk about THE CHURCH-PEOPLE OF GOD
OH MY GOODNESS!!
Paragraph 781 is from Lumen Gentium of Vatican II
Remember how we started the Catechism?
God had a plan of sheer goodness etc etc etc
God wants to have a relationship with us
The role of the Church
Paragraph 781 explains how God wants our hearts
Individually given to Him IN COMMUNION with our brothers and sisters AS A PEOPLE
The individual is massively important
The PEOPLE OF GOD is also very important
Paragraph 782 is kind of long with a bunch of bullet points
Paragraph 782 says, “It is the People of God: God is not the property of any one people. But he acquired a people for himself from those who previously were not a people…”
It’s not like God is OUR PROPERTY
From every nation, ethnicity, from all over the world
Paragraph 782 continues, “One becomes a member of this people not by a physical birth, but by being ‘born anew,’ a birth ‘of water and the spirit’...”
Not only are we made sons and daughters of God when we are brought into the Church
We are also ANOINTED
We share in Christ’s anointing
What was the anointing of Christ?
He was anointed as Priest, Prophet, and King
So this whole people is A PRIESTLY, PROPHETIC, AND ROYAL PEOPLE
We will come back to that when we talk about the sacraments and the life of the Christian in the future
So let’s say a prayer!!
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we give you praise and glory. Thank you so much. Thank you for bringing us to this day. Thank you for inviting us to share in your divine life. Thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit, that Spirit of anointing. That Spirit that anointed Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, the Priestly, Prophetic, and Kingly Spirit. We thank you so much. And we ask you please help us to live up to that. Help us to live up to this high call that you have extended to us this day, today, and every day. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen”
And there we have it!!
Paragraph 781 says, “At all times and in every race, anyone who fears God and does what is right has been acceptable to him. He has, however, willed to make men holy and save them, not as individuals without any bond or link between them, but rather to make them into a people who might acknowledge him and serve him in holiness.”
If we paid any attention to the Bible and Salvation History we realize this is how God words
God called Abraham so that He could call Abraham’s family, tribe, people, nation, and now entire world
God knows our hearts and knows us as individuals
God calls us to Him as a community
That’s why the images we use for the Church are the People of God, the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit
It’s NOT the individual of God, the finger of Christ, or the brick of the Holy Spirit
God loves us individually and brings us to Him personally but always as part of that BODY
What are some of the characteristics of the People of God?
These are worth praying about
THE PEOPLE OF GOD
God is not the property of any one people
We can’t claim ownership of God
On the other hand God has acquired a people for himself that previously were not a people
Rather than God becoming OUR possession we become HIS possession
Paragraph 782 continues, “One becomes a member of this people and not by a physical birth, but by being ‘born anew,’ a birth ‘of water and the Spirit,’ that is, by faith in Christ, and Baptism.”
We need to profess our faith in Jesus Christ
We also need Baptism
That’s what brings us into the Body of Christ
Paragraph 782 continues, “This people has for its Head Jesus the Christ (the anointed, the Messiah). Because the same anointing, the Holy Spirit, flows from the head into the body, this is ‘the messianic people.’”
This is why we are called CHRISTIANS
If Christ is the ANOINTED ONE and we are CHRISTIANS then we are also among the ANOINTED ONES
Paragraph 782 continues, “‘The status of this people is that of the dignity and freedom of the sons of God, in whose hearts the Holy Spirit dwells as in a temple.’”
It is a new reality
There is something new that happens
We will talk about this more when we talk about the Sacrament of Baptism
Those who are Baptized become CHILDREN OF GOD
They have a NEW DIGNITY and a NEW FREEDOM
WHICH IS INCREDIBLE!!
Paragraph 782 continues, “Its law is the new commandment to love as Christ loved us. This is the ‘new’ law of the Holy Spirit.”
THIS IS REMARKABLE!!
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US!!
A PRIESTLY, PROPHETIC, AND ROYAL PEOPLE
What does the ROYAL part mean?
It does not mean that we lord it over other people
Jesus made it very clear that the one who is going to REIGN over all is going to SERVE all
Paragraph 786 says, “For the Christian, ‘to reign is to serve him,’ particularly when serving ‘the poor and the suffering, in whom the Church recognizes the image of her poor and suffering founder.’”
We have this new law and commandment to love as Christ loved us
What does that mean?
Loving our neighbor
Loving the people around us
We also exercise the royal office of Jesus Christ when we serve the poor and suffering
Paragraph 782 continues, “Its mission is to be the salt of the earth and light of the world.”
Paragraph 783 says, “Jesus Christ is the one whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and established as priest, prophet, and king. The whole People of God participates in these three offices of Christ and bears the responsibilities for mission and service that flow from them.”
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!!
IT IS REMARKABLE!!
Paragraph 782 continues, “Its destiny, finally, ‘is the Kingdom of God which has been begun by God himself on earth and which must be further extended until it has been brought to perfection by him at the end of time.’”
The mission is to bring unity, hope, and salvation to the whole human race
We have to continue to do this as best as we possibly can
We are completely equipped because we have been given the Holy Spirit
We have been transformed into PRIESTLY, PROPHETIC, ROYAL persons
Fr. Mike repeats Paragraph 783
Paragraph 784 says, “‘Christ the Lord, high priest taken from among men, has made this new people ‘a kingdom of priests to God, his Father.’”
We will talk more about this when we get to the Sacraments
You have been anointed, consecrated, and share in Christ’s holy priesthood
There is ONE GREAT HIGH PRIEST
Jesus
There are ministerial priests like Fr. Mike
All the baptized faithful are KINGDOM PRIESTS
We share in the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ Himself
Paragraph 785 says, “The holy people of God shares also in Christ’s prophetic office…”
Jesus has declared the GOOD NEWS
Jesus has declared the TRUTH IN LOVE
All those who share in the prophetic office of Jesus are called to profess the truth in love
The baptized Christian not only share in Jesus’ priestly office
We also need to speak the truth in love when the truth NEEDS TO BE SPOKEN
That is our high call
Paragraph 786 says, “Finally, the People of God shares in the royal office of Christ.”
We reign when we serve
We are all called to this mission
We are called to serve
No one is excluded from this
Rather than looking around and wondering where to go in order to serve, the first place we are called to serve is IN OUR OWN BACK YARD
Everyone has someone close to them
They might not be the people we WANT to serve
BUT…
They might be the people we are CALLED to serve
Maybe we won’t be literally washing their feet or feeding them
It might mean we are the ones LISTENING to them because no one else will
We might be the ones that are taking the time for them because no one else does
We are the People of God and this is our high call
This is our responsibility
This is our mission
This is our destiny
We will keep unpacking this as we move forward
God wants every human being on this planet to know His great love
The truth is that they won’t unless you and I live this great commission we have been given
Unless we live out these three anointings that have been bestowed upon us
PRIESTLY
PROPHETIC
ROYAL
ANOINTING
We are the People of God so we get to LIVE LIKE IT
It is a high call so we need God’s Grace we just need to ask for it and be open to it
Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!
Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!
I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!\
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