The Church

1
The Church

• Our Moral Guide
• Part 1 Chapter 3

2
Learning Outcomes

• Students will
• Understand the communion of saints and the Body
  of Christ as applied to the Church
• Learn that the Churchs role is to assist us in
  our moral lives
• Recognize the various ways that the Church serves
  as moral guide

3
Prelection

• I believe in the holy Catholic Church, the
  communion of saints
• What is the church?
• What is the communion of saints?

4
Prelection (cont.)Agree or Disagree

• The Church
• Provides the most direct link to Jesus
• Is the primary instrument through which God works
  in the world
• Is the community in which I primarily live out my
  moral life
• Encourages me to take personal responsibility for
  my moral life

• I consider myself to be a true representation of
  the Church at work in the world today.
• When I think about the Church, I picture the
  pope, bishops, priests, and nuns.

5
Image of the Church

• Draw a symbolic image of the Church and its
  relationship to the moral life

St. Paul Human body as an Image of the Church
6
Tree as Image of the Church
Leaves individual Christians
Branches various small communities
Trunk institution provides stability holds
things together
Root Christ provides nourishment
7
Small Group Exercise

• Why did you select the image that you did?
• Where were you in this image inside or outside,
  active or passive, in communion or in conflict?
• Based on your image, what role are you assigning
  the Church in your moral life?

8
Holy Women and Men
How was Max Kolbe a moral example?
How does Elizabeth offer inspiration
for channeling our enthusiasm and compassion?
9
Gadium et spesOur Inescapable Duty

• Be neighbor to every person no matter who he/she
  is
• An aged person
• A foreign worker
• A refugee
• An illegitimate child
• Starving human beings
• Come to the aid in a positive way

10
Communion of Saints

• Refers to all people past and present who are
  united in Christ through baptism.
• Includes those in heaven
• Includes those on earth
• Includes those going through the process of
  purgation

• You belong the communion of saints.

Canonized and un-canonized saints are moral role
models examples
11
Communion of SaintsPersonal Reflection

• Do I want to belong?
• What is the image of a saint presented in Chapter
  3?
• Which story or information best clarifies what
  the communion of saints means?
• Do you regard yourself as a saint? Why or why
  not?
• Is being a saint a major goal in your life? Why
  or why not?
• What type of saints do we need today?

12
Think/Pair/Share

• If you were to die at a young age, what tribute
  would your friends, family and acquaintances make
  about you?

Case Study 3-A and 3-B
13
Church is the Body of Christ

• 1 Corinthians 1212-21
• The Church as Community of Support
• The Church is the People of God

The Church is not they but we
Ecclesia gathered together
14
Didache

• Even as this broken bread was scattered over the
  hills, and was gathered together and became one,
  so let Thy Church be gathered together from the
  ends of the earth to form one body

EXPLAIN
15
Moral Guides

• Scripture
• Documents of Vatican II
• Papal Encyclicals
• Catechism
• Pastoral Letters
• Statements of Vatican Commissions

16
Levels of Teaching

• Doctrine official teaching of the Church
• Dogma infallible teaching of the Churchr
• Discipline e.g. liturgical law, fasting, etc.
• Magisterium the official teaching body of the
  Church
• Official teachings from the councils (Pope
  bishops)
• Extraordinary teachings ex cathedra (Pope alone)
• Immaculate Conception of Mary
• Assumption of Mary

17
Personal Reflection

• How can you apply the information in this chapter
  to your own life?

18
Summary

• We are not alone in our moral decisions
• The Church as a community offer us
• Support
• Guidance
• Direction
• In the teachings of Jesus
• In the heroic example of the saints
• In the present example of current Church members
• In the many official teachings of the Church