LESSON 11 THE CHURCH AS COMMUNITY OF DISCIPLES

DOCTRINE: DISCUSS THE SCRIPTURAL FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH AS COMMUNITY OF DISCIPLES.

 BUT ONLY GOD, WHO CREATED MAN TO HIS OWN IMAGE AND RANSOMED HIM FROM SIN,
PROVIDES A FULLY ADEQUATE ANSWER TO MAN’S BASIC QUESTIONS…REVEALED IN CHRIST
HIS SON WHO BECAME MAN. WHOEVER FOLLOWS AFTER CHRIST, THE PERFECT MAN,
BECOMES HIMSELF MORE OF A MAN. (GS 41)
 CULTURALLY, FILIPINOS SEARCH AND AFFILIATE WITH ASSOCIATIONS THAT SHARE COMMON
INTEREST. WE LOVE TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY. AS A PEOPLE WE FIND IT EASY TO RELATE.
 HOWEVER, MODERNIZATION AND OUR NEW LIVING CONDITIONS MAKE IT HARDER TO CREATE
A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
 EVEN WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA MADE ACCESSIBLE BY THE INTERNET, FRIENDSHIPS TAKE A
DIFFERENT QUALITY BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE CONNECT ONLY THROUGH VIRTUAL SPACE.
 NONETHELESS, WE ARE ALWAYS CALLED TO COMMUNE WITH OTHERS
 TO FOLLOW JESUS, WHO THROUGH HIS CROSS,
 UNITED EVERYONE TO HIMSELF AND TO THE FATHER.
 WHAT DO I HEAR?
 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
 A READINESS TO FOLLOW JESUS EVEN TO GIVING UP ONE’S LIFE FOR HIM IS THE
CONDITION FOR TRUE DISCIPLESHIP;
 THIS WILL BE REPAID BY HIM AT THE FINAL JUDGMENT.
 MATTHEW 16:24-28
 THEN JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES,”WHOEVER WISHES TO COME AFTER ME MUST DENY
HIMSELF, TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.
 FOR WHOEVER WISHES TO SAVE HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT, BUT WHOEVER LOSSES HIS LIFE FOR
MY SAKE WILL FIND IT.
 WHAT PROFIT WOULD THERE BE FOR ONE TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND FORFEIT HIS
LIFE? OR WHAT CAN ONE GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS LIFE?
 FOR THE SON OF MAN WILL COME WITH HIS ANGELS IN HIS FATHER’S GLORY, AND THEN
HE WILL REPAY EVERYONE ACCORDING TO HIS CONDUCT.
 AMEN I SAY TO YOU, THERE ARE SOME STANDING HERE WHO WILL NOT TASTE DEATH
UNTIL THEY SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN HIS KINGDOM.”
 WHAT DOES THE CHURCH TEACH?
 PCP II STRESSES HOW JESUS LIVED OUT HIS TEACHING AND CALLS EACH OF US, HIS
DISCIPLES, TO SHARE IN HIS PASCHAL MYSTERY (PCPII 55F,83-86).
 FOR ONE WHO HAS ACCEPTED THE CALL OF JESUS WILL OBTAIN THE FOLLOWING
EFFECTS OF BEING HIS DISCIPLE:
 THE CONVERSION
 WHICH JESUS WORKED IN HIS DISCIPLES HAD TWO CLEARLY MARKED EFFECTS.
 THE FIRST WAS THEIR DESIRE FOR AN EVER MORE INTENSE AND TOTAL UNION WITH
CHRIST THEIR LORD.
 ONE OF THE CONCRETE EXAMPLES TO THIS IS ST.PAUL WHEN HE SAID: “THE LIFE I NOW
LIVE IS NOT MY OWN; CHRIST IS LIVING IN ME. I STILL HAVE MY HUMAN LIFE, BUT IT IS A
LIFE OF FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR ME” (GAL
2:20).
 LET US IMITATE PAUL WHO BEARS THE CONFIDENCE THAT HE BEARS WITH HIM CHRIST
AND HIS ACT OF SERENDERING TO THE WILL OF GOD IN HIS LIFE.
 THE SECOND WAS THEIR DESIRE TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS TO OTHERS.
 THEIR FAITH AND LOVE FOR JESUS MOTIVATED THEM TO GO AND PROCLAIM THE GOOD
TO OTHERS.
 THEY CAN’T YET ARTICULATE THE EXPRESSIONS OF SALVATION TO THE WHOLE HUMAN
RACE.
  THERE IS THIS ULTIMATE DESIRE AS A RESULT OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
AFTER HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS.
 NEVERTHELESS, THEIR FAITH IN HIM IS NOT LEFT IN THE TOMB BUT RATHER IS BREATHED
LIFE TO OTHERS THAT MAY HAVE LIFE FOR FOR EVER THROUGH THEIR FAITH IN THE
RESURRECTED CHRIST.
 “THIS IS THE CHRIST WE PROCLAIM WHILE WE ADMONISH ALL MEN AND TEACH THEM IN
FULL MEASURE OF WISDOM, HOPING TO MAKE EVERY MAN COMPLETE IN CHRIST.
 FOR THIS I WORK AND STRUGGLE, IMPELLED BY THAT ENERGY OF HIS WHICH IS SO
POWERFUL A FORCE WITHIN ME” (COL 1:28-29)
 OUR FAITH IN CHRIST MUST TRANSCEND AND BE MANIFESTED IN EVERY WAY ESPECIALLY
BY SHOWING CONCERN AND CARE TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO ARE
ABANDONED, OPPRESSED, REJECTED, AND DISCRIMINATED.
 CHRIST SHOWS US IN THE SCRIPTURES HIS GREAT SENSITIVITY TO THE NEEDS OF THE
POOR.
 HE IS A GOD WHO LISTENS AND ANSWERS TO PRAYERS.
 OUR CATHOLIC FAITH TEACHES US THAT LOVING OTHERS IS GROUNDED IN THE
COMMANDS AND EXAMPLES OF JESUS CHRIST.
 “THE FIRST TRUTH IS SURELY THE FACT THAT “OTHERS”, LIKE ONESELF, ARE CREATED IN
THE IMAGE AND LIKE NESS OF GOD” (CFC 966).
 IT OUGHT TO BE INGRAINED IN OUR MIND AND HEART THAT REGARDLESS OF
IMPERFECTIONS THE INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE REGARDED WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY
BECAUSE WE ARE ALL CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.
 IT IS THE MOST VALUABLE TRUTH THAT A PERSON HAS AND NOTHING CAN REMOVE IT
FROM HIM OR HER.
 “SECONDLY, CHRIST DIED FOR ALL AND WISHES TO DWELL WITHIN ALL THROUGH HIS HOLY
SPIRIT, THE SPIRIT OF LOVE” (CFC 966).
 EACH OF US IS CREATED ,REDEEMED, AND SANCTIFIED BY THE TRIUNE GOD WHO IS EVER-
PRESENT ALL THROUGH THE ECONOMY OF OUR SALVATION.
 THIRDLY, THE MISSION OF SON AND SPIRIT, SENT BY THE FATHER, REVEAL IN THE
SHARPEST WAY POSSIBLE, THE FATHER’S GREAT LOVE FOR EACH AND EVERYONE” (CFC
967).
 LIKE OUR EARTHLY FATHERS ,OUR GOD IS A SELF-GIVING FATHER WHO NEVER DENIES US
OF HIS INEFFABLE LOVE. SUCH LOVE WAS SO ASTOUNDING THAT HE EVEN GAVE US HIS
ONLY SON TO SUFFER AND DIE ON THE CROSS FOR THE SALVATION OF MANKIND.
 “FOURTHLY, THE FATHER’S TOTALLY GRATUITOUS LOVE NOT ONLY FURTHER DIGNIFIES ALL
“OTHERS,” BUT ALSO TOUCHES EACH OF US PERSONALLY, SO WE ARE CALLED TO IMITATE
THIS LOVE.”
 IT IS ALSO OUR CALL AS CHRISTIANS TO LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY LIKE OUR FATHER.
 “FINALLY, WE ARE TO LOVE OTHERS BECAUSE IT IS COMMANDED BY CHRIST OUR LORD
“FROM WHOM ALL GOOD THINGS COME” (CFC967).
 OUR LOVING OUGHT TO BE A DIRECT RESULT OF OUR REALIZATION THAT GOD LOVES US
FIRST.
 THIS LOVE OUGHT TO BE FOUND IN OUR ASSOCIATION WITH OTHERS, PARTICULARLY IN
OUR FAMILIES.
 CHRIST SAYS, “IF ANYONE SAYS, ‘I LOVE GOD’ BUT HATES HIS BROTHER, HE IS A LIAR; FOR
WHOEVER DOES NOT LOVE A BROTHER WHOM HE HAS SEEN CANNOT LOVE GOD WHOM
HE HAS NOT SEEN” (1JN. 4:20).
 WAYS AND MEANS OF LOVING OTHERS AS CHRIST’S DISCIPLES
 IT HAS TO BE MADE CLEAR FIRST THAT LOVE IS TO BE SHOWN IN DEEDS, NOT JUST IN
WORDS.
 AS ST. JOHN WRITE IN HIS LETTERS: CHILDREN LET US LOVE NOT IN WORD OR SPEECH BUT
IN DEED AND TRUTH (1 JOHN 3:18).
 WE CANNOT JUST DISCUSS LOVE TOWARDS OTHERS; WE NEED TO TRANSLATE THOSE
WORDS INTO LOVING ACTIONS SO THAT IT BECOMES GENUINE TO OTHERS.
 “OUR CHRISTIAN MORAL TRADITION HAS PRESENTED AT LEAST TWO WAYS OF
EXERCISING NEIGHBOURLY LOVE:
 THE FIRST IS THE TRADITIONAL CORPORAL AND SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY AND THE
SECOND IS THE MORE GENERAL TREATMENT OF MORAL VIRTUES” (CFC 970).
 CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY
 THE CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY ARE DRWAN FROM ST. MATHHEW’S
ACCOUNT OF THE LAST JUDGMENT (CF.MT. 25:35F; 42F).
 SOME WAYS IN DOING CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY MAY INCLUDE
 FEEDING THE HUNGRY,
 GIVING DRINK TO THE THIRSTY,
 CLOTHING THE NAKED,
 SHELTER THE HOMELESS,
 VISITING THOSE IN PRISON,
 VISITING THE SICK, AND
 BURYING THE DEAD (CF. 1 COR 34:16).
 THE BASIC SOURCE OF THESE MERCIFUL ACTS IS NOT OUR OWN GOOD
INTENTIONS OR ENERGIES, BUT RATHER GOD’S GRACE.
 BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, BECAUSE OF THE GREAT LOVE HE HAD
FOR US, EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN TRANSGRESSIONS, BROUGHT US
TO LIFE WITH CHRIST (BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED) “ (EPH 2:4-5).
 MERCIFUL GRACE ITSELF IS DOUBLY PERTINENT TO ALL OF US:
 IT MANIFESTS BOTH OUR COMMON SOLIDARITY IN SIN, AND OUR
CONSEQUENT COMMON NEED FOR HEALING AND REDEMPTION (CFC 971)
 SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY
 THESE MAY CONSIST OF
 INSTRUCTING THE IGNORANT,
 ADMONISHING THE SINNER,
 COUNSELLING THE DOUBTFUL,
 COMFORTING THE SORROWFUL,
 BEARING WRONGS PATIENTLY,
 FORGIVING ALL INJURIES, AND
 PRAYING FOR THE LIVING AND THE DEAD.
 THE SRIPTURAL BASIS FOR THESE WORKS IS VARIED.
 THOSE WORKS DEALING WITH INSTRUCTION AND CORRECTION ARE
GROUNDED IN CHRIST’S OWN TEACHING FRATERNAL CORRECTION (CF.MT.
18:15-18)
 WHAT CAN I SAY AND DO?
 HOW WILL YOU LIVE OUT YOUR MISSION AS A DISCIPLE IN THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS?