Christian Faith Education 1033 (Catholic Foundation of Mission)

MIDTERM MODULE 1: ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCH’S LIFE

Topic: One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Discern the meaning of the official titles of the Church as One, Holy, Apostolic, and Catholic;
2. Elucidate the differences and fundamental goals of each office in the three-fold ministry of
Christ;
3. Determine the different tasks of the Laity in performing their role as Priest, Prophet and King.

LEARNING CONTENT:

Introduction:
"This is the sole Church of Christ, which in the
Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and
apostolic." These four characteristics, inseparably linked
with each other indicate essential features of the Church and
her mission. The Church does not possess them of herself; it
is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, makes his Church one,
holy, catholic and apostolic, and it is he who calls her to
realize each of these qualities.

Only faith can recognize that the Church possesses these

properties from her divine source. But their historical
manifestations are signs that also speak clearly too human
reason. As the First Vatican Council noted. the "Church
herself, with her marvelous propagation, eminent holiness and inexhaustible
fruitfulness in everything good, her catholic unity and invincible stability, is a great and
perpetual motive of credibility and an irrefutable witness of her divine mission."

LESSON PROPER

A. OFFICIAL TITLE OF THE CHURCH:

ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC AND
APOSTOLIC

THE CHURCH IS ONE

"The sacred mystery of the Church's unity" (UR 2)

The Church is one because of her source: "the highest exemplar and source of this mystery is the unity in the
Trinity of Persons, of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit." The Church is one because of her
founder: for "the Word made flesh, the prince of peace, reconciled all men to God by the cross, restoring the
unity of all in one people and one body." The Church is one because of her "soul": "It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling
in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the entire Church, who brings about that wonderful
communion of the faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle of the Church's
unity." Unity is of the essence of the Church:

What an astonishing mystery! There is one Father of the universe, one Logos of the universe, and also one
Holy Spirit, everywhere one and the same; there is also one virgin become mother, and I should like to call her
"Church."

From the beginning, this one Church has been marked by a great diversity which comes from both the variety
of God's gifts and the diversity of those who receive them. Within the unity of the People of God, a multiplicity
of peoples and cultures is gathered together. Among the Church's members, there are different gifts, offices,
conditions and ways of life. "Holding a rightful place in the communion of the Church there are also particular
Churches that retain their own traditions." The great richness of such diversity is not opposed to the Church's
unity. Yet sin and the burden of its consequences constantly threaten the gift of unity. And so the Apostle has
to exhort Christians to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
THE CHURCH IS HOLY

"The Church is held, as a matter of faith, to be unfailingly holy. This is because Christ, the Son of God, who
with the Father and the Spirit is hailed as 'alone holy,' loved the Church as his Bride, giving himself up for her
so as to sanctify her; he joined her to himself as his body and endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit for
the glory of God." The Church, then, is "the holy People of God," and her members are called "saints."
United with Christ, the Church is sanctified by him; through him and with him she becomes sanctifying. "All the
activities of the Church are directed, as toward their end, to the sanctification of men in Christ and the
glorification of God." It is in the Church that "the fullness of the means of salvation" has been deposited. It is in
her that "by the grace of God we 816 acquire holiness." "The Church on earth is endowed already with a
sanctity that is real though imperfect." In her members, perfect holiness is something yet to be acquired: 670
"Strengthened by so many and such great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state
though each in his own way are called by 2013 the Lord to that perfection of sanctity by which the Father
himself is perfect."

Charity is the soul of the holiness to which all are called: it "governs, shapes, and perfects all
the means of sanctification."

If the Church was a body composed of different members, it couldn't lack the noblest of all; it must have a
Heart, and a Heart BURNING WITH LOVE. And I realized that this love alone was the true motive force which
enabled the other members of the Church to act; if it ceased to function, the Apostles would forget to preach
the gospel, the Martyrs would refuse to shed their blood. LOVE, IN FACT, IS THE VOCATION WHICH
INCLUDES ALL OTHERS; IT'S A UNIVERSE OF ITS OWN, COMPRISING ALL TIME AND SPACE -IT'S
ETERNAL!

THE CHURCH IS CATHOLIC

What does "catholic" mean?

The word "catholic" means "universal," in the sense of "according to the totality" or "in keeping with the whole."
The Church is catholic in a double sense:

First, the Church is catholic because Christ is present in her. "Where there is Christ Jesus, there is the Catholic
Church." In her subsists the fullness of Christ's body united with its head; this implies that she receives from
him "the fullness of the means of salvation" which he has willed: correct and complete confession of faith, full
sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic succession. The Church was, in this fundamental sense,
catholic on the day of Pentecost30⁹ and will always be so until the day of the Parousia.

Secondly, the Church is catholic because she has been sent out by Christ on a mission to the whole of the
human race: All men are called to belong to the new People of God. This People, therefore, while remaining
one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in order that the design of God's
will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one in the beginning and has decreed that all his children who
were scattered should be finally gathered together as one.... The character of universality which adorns the
People of God is a gift from the Lord himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks
for the return of all humanity and all its goods, under Christ the Head in the unity of his Spirit,

THE CHURCH IS APOSTOLIC

The Church is apostolic because she is founded on the apostles, in three ways:

She was and remains built on "the foundation of the Apostles," the witnesses chosen and
sent on mission by Christ himself,
 With the help of the Spirit dwelling in her, the Church keeps and hands on the teaching,
the "good deposit," the salutary words she has heard from the apostles;

She continues to be taught, sanctified and guided by the apostles until Christ's return, through
their successors in pastoral office: the college of bishops, "assisted by priests, in union with the
successor of Peter, the Church's supreme pastor"

A. THE THREE-FOLD MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST

The Israelites anointed their priests and

kings with oil. They spoke of their prophets
as being anointed with the spirit. Jesus,
known as the Christ, the anointed one, fills
all three roles. According to Luke, at the
outset of His public ministry, Jesus read the
scrolls of the prophet Isaiah and claimed that
the words referred to Him: Luke 4:18 (The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he
has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the
poor).

By our Baptism we are grafted onto and into

Jesus Christ, and are made partakers in the
divine nature. By virtue of our baptism, all
members of the faithful share in the triple
mission of Christ: priest, prophet, and king. The Code of Canon Law and other documents of the Church
describe these roles as the Mission of Sanctifying (Sacraments), the Mission of Teaching, and the Mission of
Ruling. These offices are part and parcel of the ordained ministry: sacraments, preaching and governance.
But lay people too – as taught by the Second Vatican Council in “Lumen Gentium” 31 and later codified in the
Code of Canon Law – also participate in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly mission of Christ. They do so in
various ways.

Priests, Prophets and Kings

According to Lumen Gentium, the Church, in its two-fold ministry toward its own members and toward those
outside, shares in Jesus’ threefold office of Priest, Prophet and King, that is, it participates in Jesus’ ministry to
sanctify, to teach and to govern (see 10-13). While bishops, priests and deacons exercise, within the Church,
the ministries of sanctifying, teaching and governing through the power and authority bestowed upon them at
their sacramental ordination, all Catholic lay men and women also share in this three-fold ministry of Christ.
Catholic lay men and women, by their baptismal and conformational character, are empowered, in Christ
through the Holy Spirit, to be priests, prophets and kings and so come to share in the Church’s ministry of
sanctification, teaching and governing.

Lumen Gentium states that, in collaboration with their bishops and clergy, “the faithful who by Baptism are
incorporated into Christ, are placed in the People of God, and in their own way share the priestly, prophetic
and kingly office of Christ, and to the best of their ability carry on the mission of the whole Christian people in
the Church and in the world”.

All of us, even those who are handicapped, sick, elderly, or even physically dead, are all living members of
Christ’s Body, the Church, and so we all have the privilege and even the duty to exercise the ministries that
Christ has shared with us and is actually depending upon us to carry out. Moreover, while many more lay men
and women are active in the Church today than were prior to the Second Vatican Council, many of us do not
fully realize the sacramental foundation of the ecclesial activity, nor do we fully appreciate the sacramental
authority and power that we possess by sharing in Jesus’ and the Church’s ministry of sanctification, teaching
and governance. All that lay men and women say and do as members of Christ’s Body, the Church, they do so
as sharers in Christ’s threefold ministry, and therefore they are speaking and acting under the guidance and
inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

But how do lay men and women exercise, in Christ, their ministries of priest, prophet and king? In what ways
do they practically share in Jesus’ and the Church’s ministries of sanctifying, teaching and governing?
Sharing in Jesus’ Priestly Ministry

A priest is a mediator, or bridge, between God and human beings. He offers sacrifice to God on behalf of all.
Once a year on the Day of Atonement the Jewish high priest went into the Holy of Holies in the Temple. There
he offered sacrifice to God to make up for his sins and the sins of the people. The writer of the Letter to the
Hebrews compared Jesus to Melchizedek, a mysterious, superior priest in the Old Testament who blessed
Abraham. Jesus is the greatest high priest. Because he is both divine and human, Jesus is the perfect
mediator. He is not only the perfect priest, holy and sinless, but the perfect sacrifice.

Christ, as the Great High Priest, offered Himself in love as an all-holy sacrifice to the Father. In so doing He
conquered sin and in rising He vanquished death and sanctifies all those who believe with the resurrected life
of the Holy Spirit. All of us who now participate in the priesthood of Christ are empowered to share, each in
accordance with our own sacramental ability, in His ministry of sanctification.

Lay men and women bring Christ’s and the Church’s sanctifying ministry to areas that are uniquely
suitable and proper to them. Lumen Gentium states that, because lay men and women share in Christ’s
“priestly office”, they are, “dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvelously
called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit may be produced in them. For all their works,
prayers, apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are
accomplished in the Spirit -- indeed even the hardships of life if patiently borne -- all these become spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”.

Their priestly role (to sanctify) is normally carried out through their generous spirit of sacrifice in their
daily work and in their family; but in a ritual way lay people also participate and cooperate in the Sacramental
(priestly/sanctifying) mission of the Church as acolytes, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion,
and such.

For us who are not ordained priests, we have the so called common priesthood of the faithful. We share
in the priestly ministry of Christ by actively participating in the celebration of the Sacraments especially the
Holy Eucharist. This is how we do our part in sanctifying (making holy) ourselves, others and our whole world.

Sharing in Jesus’ Prophetic Ministry

A prophet is a messenger sent by God, a person who speaks on behalf of God. He or she witnesses God, calls
people to conversion, and may also forecast a future event by reading the signs of the times.

Jesus fits this description. He is none other than the Word of God in the flesh. He called the world to turn from
sin and return to the Father and was put to death for it. In Scripture Jesus is presented as a prophet. Crowds
identified him as “Jesus the prophet” (Matthew 21:11). He spoke of himself as a prophet: “No prophet is
accepted in his own native place” (Luke 4:24). He foretold his passion and resurrection.

Closely aligned to the office of the priest is the office of the prophet. It is, for example, within the Eucharistic
celebration that bishops and priests are anointed to proclaim the prophetic word of God. As Lumen Gentium
states: Christ is the great prophet who proclaimed the kingdom of the Father both by testimony of His life and
by the power of His word. Until the full manifestation of His glory, He fulfills this prophetic office, not only by the
hierarchy who teach in His name and by His power, but also by the laity. He accordingly both establishes them
as witnesses and provides them with the appreciation of the faith (sensus fidei) and the grace of the word so
that the power of the Gospel may shine out in daily family and social life…. Let them not hide this their hope
then, in the depths of their hearts, but rather express it through the structure of their secular lives in continual
conversion and in the wrestling “against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of iniquity
(Ephesians 6:12)”. (35)

Their prophetic role (to teach) is normally carried out in the workplace, in their community, and in the
family by their example and by their friendly and mind-expanding conversations with all they meet. In a more
organized and institutional way, lay people carry out their prophetic dimension by teaching, evangelizing and
catechizing.

Sharing in the Jesus’ Governance or Kingly Ministry

A king is a person who has supreme authority over a territory. When the Jewish people were ruled by kings,
they became a nation. They longed for a Messiah who would again make them great. Jesus is spoken of as a
king in the Gospels. Gabriel announced to Mary that the Lord God would give her son the throne of David his
father, and he would rule over the house of Jacob forever. Magi looked for a newborn king of the Jews. When
Jesus last entered Jerusalem, crowds hailed him as a king. He was arrested for making himself king, and the
soldiers mocked him as one. When Pilate asked if he were king of the Jews, Jesus replied, “You say so,” and
he clarified, “My kingdom does not belong to this world” (John 18:36). The charge written against Jesus was
“Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.” Jesus announced the kingdom of God. His mission was to have
God reign in the hearts of all and to have peace and justice in the world. Jesus exercised his royal office by
serving.
• We are meant to reign with Jesus over the power of sin in our lives.
• Christians are meant to govern themselves and reign with Christ over sin in their lives through ongoing
conversion.
• Christians are also to exercise their kingly mission by following the example of Jesus as the servant
King who came to serve others.

Learning Task:

PROJECT READS-S
Groupings (5 STUDENTS PER GROUP)
Student: Ma’am, pwede po 6?
Sir Will: Hindi po.
Student: Sir, pwede po 4 lang? Kulang kasi kami.
Sir Will: Sige po basta wag lang lalagpas sa 5 members. Okay?

Instructions: Search for one research article in your group that has something to do in your future
profession. Find it in any scholarly journal through Search - Consensus: AI Search Engine for Research
Example:
CIVIL ENGINEERING – Articles or thesis about buildings.
GEODETIC ENGINEERING – Research on land measurement and mapping Basta po related sa
NURSING - Articles about health care services and facilities, and on future profession ninyo.
medical treatment of patients.
 Document No.: FM-OAD-010
OFFICE OF THE ACADEMIC DEAN
Revision No.: 00
Effectivity Date: November 3, 2020
PROJECT READS REPORT TEMPLATE
Page No. : 1 of 1

SCHOOL/ DEPARTMENT

SCHOOL YEAR: ☒ First Semester ☐ Second Semester ☐ Short term

NAME OF TITLE SOURCE/JOURNAL/ SCHEDULE Name/Signature of

ABSTRACT/DESCRIPTION
STUDENTS REFERENCES OF SHARING Teacher
REFERENCES

Books:
Catechism of the Catholic Church: Revised in accordance with the official Latin text promulgated by Pope John
Paul II. (2006). Ottawa: Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Catechism of the Catholic Church. (1994). London, England: Geoffrey Chapman.

Vries, H. D. (1925). The Lord's anointed prophet, priest and king: A series of devotional studies on the
redemptive work of Christ. London: Marshall Bros.

Online:

Jesus: Prophet, Priest, and King. (2020, April 28). Retrieved October 06, 2020, from
https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/scripture-and-tradition/jesus-and-the-new-testament/who-do-
you-say-that-i-am-names-for-jesus/jesus-prophet-priest-and-king/

McBrien, R. (2011, July 25). Vatican II themes: The people of God. Retrieved October 06, 2020, from
https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/essays-theology/vatican-ii-themes-people-god

Hoffman, R. (2011, November 22). Priest, prophet, king - CNA Columns: Answering the Tough Questions.
Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/column/priest-prophet-king-1803