Transcript The Church - Midwest Theological Forum

The Church
Sacrament of Salvation
The Church
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
The Church as a
Communion of Saints
Chapter Objectives
The student will be able to understand:
• The Communion
of Saints
• Indulgences
• What is a saint
• The intercession
of the saints
• The Final Judgment
• The relationship
between the heavenly
and earthly liturgies
• The Particular
Judgment
• Purgatory
• Aid to the souls
in Purgatory
• Hell
• Heaven
• The Parousia
Keys to Chapter 7
• There is a real solidarity among the members of the
Pilgrim, Suffering, and Triumphant Churches.
• It is right for us on earth to venerate the saints
in Heaven and to come to the aid of the souls
in Purgatory.
• The Mass is a window into Heaven.
• The future holds death and judgment, followed by
Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory, and finally the
Resurrection from the Dead and the Final Judgment.
• We choose our eternal destiny in this life.
For Discussion:
• What is the Communion of Saints?
• How do we participate in the heavenly liturgy?
• What does the “end of time” signify
for Christians?
• What are the Particular Judgment, the Second
Coming, and the Last Judgment?
• What are Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory?
continued
For Discussion:
• Why do we pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory?
• How can a merciful God send anyone to an
eternal Hell?
• What is the meaning of koinonia or communio,
and how do these words describe the reality
of the Church?
• How can the saints intercede for us?
The Communion
of Saints
Lesson Objectives
•The Communion of Saints
•Indulgences
•What is a Saint
The Communion of Saints
Basic Questions
What is the Communion of Saints?
The Communion of Saints is the unity of all the
members of the Body of Christ on earth, in Purgatory,
and in Heaven.
The Communion of Saints
Basic Questions
What is an indulgence?
The members of the Body of Christ on earth can assist
the members in Purgatory through indulgences, that is,
remission of the temporal punishment due to sins
already forgiven.
The Communion of Saints
Basic Questions
What is a saint?
A saint is a member of the Church—the Mystical
Body of Christ—on earth, in Purgatory, or in
Heaven. The Church may officially declare a
member of the Church in Heaven to be a saint by
canonization, adding him to the calendar and
promoting his public veneration.
Focus Question
What is the first meaning of the term
Communion of Saints?
Through the Mass and especially in the reception of
the Eucharist, the members of the pilgrim Church on
earth are in communion with the Church in Heaven.
Focus Question
What is the second meaning of the phrase
Communion of Saints?
Through our union with Christ, we are brought into
communion with everyone else who is united to him,
that is, the entire Church on earth, in Purgatory,
and in Heaven.
Focus Question
How do we enter the Communion of Saints?
In Baptism, we are incorporated into the Mystical
Body of Christ, thus becoming adopted sons and
daughters of the Father and brothers and sisters
in Christ.
Focus Question
What is the relationship between “the holy
catholic Church” and “the Communion of
Saints”?
In a sense they mean the same thing.
Focus Question
In this phase of salvation history, in what
three states does the Church exist?
1. The Church Militant, which is the pilgrim Church on
earth, is comprised of Christ’s faithful here on earth.
2. The Church Suffering includes those in Purgatory who
have died in communion with God, but who have not
yet been fully purified.
3. The Church Triumphant is the heavenly Church
in glory.
Focus Question
What is the Communion of Saints?
It is the union within the Church between God and
man and among men.
Focus Question
What is the “work” of the entire Church in all
three states?
It is to continue the saving work of Jesus Christ.
Focus Question
What is the “work” of the Church Triumphant?
The blessed souls who enjoy heavenly glory intercede
for the Church on earth.
Focus Question
What is the “work” of the Church Militant?
Christians on earth remain united to Christ and
work to bring the entire world into union with him.
Focus Question
What is the “work” of the Church Suffering?
The Holy Souls in Purgatory:
1. become purified so as to be able to enter Heaven;
and
2. intercede for the Church on earth.
Guided Exercise
Break down the selection from
the Catechism of Pius X into bullet
points to show the three ways that the
Church, in its different states, is one.
Focus Question
What does the word “indulgence” mean literally?
It means a freeing from a penalty.
Focus Question
Is an indulgence the forgiveness of sin?
No. It is the remission of the temporal punishment due
to sins for which the guilt has already been forgiven.
Focus Question
What is the “source” of an indulgence?
The source of an indulgence is the treasury of the
satisfactions of Christ and the saints.
Focus Question
Who can dispense the treasury of the
satisfactions of the Church?
The Church herself can dispense them because she is
the minister of salvation.
Focus Question
What is the distinction between a partial and
plenary indulgence?
A partial indulgence removes part of the temporal
punishment due to sin. A plenary indulgence removes
all the punishment due to sin.
Focus Question
Who can gain indulgences?
The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or
apply them to the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
Focus Question
What is the basis of the efficacy of an indulgence?
An indulgence is an act of faith on the part of a member
of the Church Militant that requires an offering of some
prayer, sacrifice, or work of service in imitation of Christ
and the saints. This act builds virtue and disposes us to
receive grace. For this act, the Church rewards us from the
“treasury of merits”—the abundance of grace won for us
by Christ and by his faithful people down through the
ages.
Guided Exercise
Conduct a think/pair/share
using the following question:
How do indulgences reflect the solidarity
that exists among the members of
the Church in her three current states?
Guided Exercise
Conduct a think/pair/share
using the following question:
What would you say to someone who objects
that indulgences are corrupt because people
can use them to buy forgiveness of sins even
before they have committed them?
Focus Question
What is the literal meaning of the word saint?
It means “holy one.”
Focus Question
What is another meaning of the word saint in
the Catholic Church?
It is a title that refers to those Christian men and
women who remained faithful during their time on
earth and have reached the glory of Heaven.
Focus Question
What is the official process for declaring
someone a saint?
Canonization.
Focus Question
What does canonization establish?
The Church proclaims that the person canonized
practiced heroic virtue, lived in fidelity to God’s
grace, and is now in Heaven.
Focus Question
What is the importance of saints for the
pilgrim Church?
The Church proposes them to us as models and
intercessors, that is, as persons we can imitate and
pray to for help.
Focus Question
What is celebrated on November 1 in the liturgy
in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church?
The Solemnity of All Saints celebrates all of the
unknown saints who are now in Heaven.
Focus Question
What do all the saints, except the Blessed
Virgin Mary, have in common with us?
They were sinners just like us, who had to struggle
to overcome temptation. Like they were, we are
saints-in-the-making.
Focus Question
Why is it right for us to ask the saints in
Heaven for help?
Their work in Heaven is to intercede constantly for
the Church on earth.
Veneration of the
Saints in Heaven
Lesson Objectives
•The intercession of the saints
Veneration of the Saints in
Heaven
Basic Questions
Why do Catholics venerate the saints?
The Sacred Scriptures, the early Church, and the
Magisterium all testify that it is a good thing to venerate
the saints in Heaven and pray for their intercession.
Focus Question
What has always been the attitude of the
pilgrim Church toward the saints?
The Church has always venerated the Apostles, the
martyrs, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the angels,
and has asked for their intercession.
Focus Question
Do the saints help us by their own power?
No. They intercede for us. All benefits come from
God the Father through Jesus Christ by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
Focus Question
Where does the New Testament support the
idea that the members of the Church should
pray for one another?
One example would be St. Paul’s instruction to his
disciple, St. Timothy, that “supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men”
(1 Tm 2:1-4).
Focus Question
What is an intercessory prayer?
It is praying to God on behalf of another.
Focus Question
How did the Roman centurion offer an
example of intercessory prayer?
He asked Jesus for his servant to be healed. He
interceded for his servant.
Focus Question
If God already knows our needs and the
needs of our neighbor, why should we pray?
Intercessory prayer is a powerful way to express love
for others.
Focus Question
Who are the “saints” who can pray for us?
They are all members of the Body of Christ, both
those in Heaven and those on earth, that is, other
Christians. (This includes the souls in Purgatory.)
Focus Question
In Colossians, when St. Paul uses the word
saint, to whom does he refer?
Both the living members of the Church and those
“in light,” that is, those who are now in Heaven.
Focus Question
How do we know from Sacred Scripture that
the saints in Heaven are praying for us?
In Revelation, the angels bear the “golden bowls full
of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
Focus Question
What is one thing that the saints pray for,
according to Revelation?
They cry out to God to right the wrongs that have
been committed on earth.
Guided Exercise
Write and answer three focus questions on what
you consider the three most important points
from the sidebar on St. Therese of Lisieux.
Guided Exercise
Come up with three examples of veneration
of the saints in the early Church.
The Divine Liturgy in
Heaven and on Earth
Lesson Objectives
•The Final Judgment
•The relationship between the heavenly and
earthly liturgies
The Divine Liturgy
in Heaven and on Earth
Basic Questions
What is the Final Judgment?
At the Final Judgment, every person will be judged by
his good and evil acts and by how he has responded to
the grace Christ offered to him.
The Divine Liturgy
in Heaven and on Earth
Basic Questions
What is the relationship between the heavenly and
earthly liturgies?
The Mass is the participation in a liturgy that is
constantly taking place in Heaven with Christ as the
Eternal High Priest.
Guided Exercise
Write a paragraph summarizing the section
“The End of History: A New Heaven
and a New Earth” (p. 250)
by answering the following question:
What four things do we know about
the end of the world from Scripture?
Focus Question
On what basis will we be judged at the end of
the world?
We will be judged according to our acceptance or
refusal of the grace that Christ has offered us.
Focus Question
Should we be afraid of the Last Judgment?
For those who die in the friendship of Christ,
the Last Judgment is a promise of heavenly
reward, not a threat.
Focus Question
What is the lot of all Christians at all times of
the history of the Church?
In every age, the pilgrim Church endures trial
and persecution.
Focus Question
What is the Book of Revelation?
It is a prophetic vision of the end times.
Focus Question
What does the word “apocalypse”
mean literally?
It means “unveiling” (from the Greek apokalypsis).
Focus Question
What are the three subjects of Revelation?
1. The ongoing spiritual struggle of the pilgrim
Church against the demonic forces of Satan.
2. The solidarity and communion of saints and
angels in Heaven and on earth.
3. The intimate union shared by Christ and his
Bride, the Church, in their glorious marriage feast.
Focus Question
What is an event related in Revelation that has
already occurred?
The destruction of Jerusalem.
Focus Question
What is an event related in Revelation that will
occur in the future?
The unveiling of a new Heaven and a new earth.
Focus Question
How is Christ portrayed as both priest and
victim in Revelation?
Christ wears the robes of the High Priest, but also
appears as the Lamb, “standing, as though it had
been slain” (Rev 5:6).
Focus Question
How is Christ’s offering of himself in
Heaven different from his offering of
himself on earth?
On earth, the Son’s Sacrifice of the Cross was
bloody. In the heavenly liturgy, however, Christ’s
offering is bloodless.
Focus Question
What does the author of Hebrews tell us
Christ does in Heaven?
He “always lives to make intercession” for “those
who draw near to God through him” (Heb 7:25).
Focus Question
What is the primary focus of Revelation?
The “heavenly liturgy” offered to the Father by
Christ with the angels and saints.
Focus Question
Who else takes part in this heavenly liturgy?
The Book of Revelation shows us that all of
Heaven—angels and saints—takes part in this
liturgy, worshiping God and giving thanks for the
salvation received through Christ.
Focus Question
What are some of the elements in our own
liturgy of the Mass that we see in St. John’s
description of the heavenly liturgy?
An altar, robed priests, candles, incense, the
“Gloria,” readings from Scripture, the “Holy, Holy,
Holy,” chalices, and the “Lamb of God.”
Focus Question
What is the “marriage supper of the Lamb”
in Revelation?
It is when God comes to dwell with his people in the
New Jerusalem.
Focus Question
What is the “marriage supper of the Lamb”
on earth?
It is the Mass, where the pilgrim Church shares in
communion with Christ.
Focus Question
How does God already dwell with his people?
Through Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist.
Guided Exercise
Do a focused reading on the final four
paragraphs of this section, beginning,
“But the Mass…” (p. 253),
using the following question:
How is the Mass both a foreshadowing of and
an actual participation in the heavenly liturgy?
Last Things:
The Particular Judgment
and Purgatory
Lesson Objectives
•The Particular Judgment
•Purgatory
•Aid to the souls in Purgatory
Last Things: The Particular
Judgment and Purgatory
Basic Questions
What is the Particular Judgment?
The Particular Judgment is when each soul is judged by
Christ immediately upon death and then enters
Heaven (either directly or after purification) or Hell.
Last Things: The Particular
Judgment and Purgatory
Basic Questions
What is Purgatory?
Purgatory is a state in which the just soul undergoes a
purification that involves both joy and suffering before
entering Heaven.
Last Things: The Particular
Judgment and Purgatory
Basic Questions
Can we help the souls in Purgatory?
We can aid the souls in Purgatory through our prayers,
Masses, indulgences, alms, and sacrifices.
Guided Exercise
Conduct a think/pair/share
using the following question:
According to the paragraph beginning,
“The Particular Judgment is an act” (p. 255),
how is this act both a “judicial judgment”
and a realization?
Focus Question
Why is death the end of our opportunity to
shape our supernatural destiny?
At death the possibility of merit, demerit, or
conversion ceases.
Focus Question
What are the three alternatives the soul faces
upon judgment?
Immediate entry to Heaven, purification in
Purgatory followed by entry into Heaven, or Hell.
Focus Question
What are some Scriptural passages that support the
idea of immediate judgment?
Two are Christ’s words to the good thief, “Today you will be
with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43), and the parable of the
poor man Lazarus, in which Lazarus is in a state of
happiness and the rich man is in torment. In the first case,
the good thief would need to be judged as fit for Heaven in
order to enter it that very day. In the parable, the rich man
is punished and Lazarus rewarded, which implies judgment
has taken place.
Focus Question
According to St. John of the Cross, what
will be the ultimate criterion by which we
will be judged?
We will be judged by how much we have loved.
Guided Exercise
Perform a focused reading of the paragraph
beginning, “Therefore, in Purgatory…”
(p. 257), using the following question:
Why is sin, something which does not
particularly bother many souls before death,
suddenly become so painful in Purgatory?
Focus Question
Why does Purgatory exist?
Because the soul must be completely purified and
perfected before entering Heaven.
Focus Question
Who is in Purgatory?
The souls of those who, having died in grace, have
not fully paid the punishment for their pardoned
mortal sins or their venial sins.
Focus Question
How long will Purgatory be in existence?
It will last only until the Final Judgment.
Focus Question
Is Purgatory a place?
No. It is a state of existence. The separated souls,
being spirits, do not properly occupy space, although
in common language we refer to Purgatory as a place
for these souls.
Focus Question
What is the basis of the joy of the souls
in Purgatory?
It is the assurance that they will enter the joy
of Heaven.
Focus Question
What is the basis of the pain of Purgatory?
It is the delay in seeing God, which is caused by
their own fault.
Focus Question
How does one avoid Purgatory?
By avoiding venial sin, striving to do the will of
God, and accepting with joy the trials and sufferings
of life, which are a preparation for Heaven.
Focus Question
What are the two judgments spoken of in the
New Testament?
There are:
1. the final meeting with Christ when he comes
again, which is the Last, or General, Judgment; and
2. the retribution immediately after each person’s
death as a consequence of his or her faith and deeds,
which is the Particular Judgment.
Focus Question
What is the Particular Judgment?
It is when each person, in his immortal soul,
stands before the judgment seat of Christ and
receives his eternal reward; either to a period of
purification, or directly to his definitive state in
Heaven, or to eternal condemnation.
Focus Question
What is judged in the Particular Judgment?
The Particular Judgment judges the state of a
person’s soul.
Focus Question
How can we help the souls in Purgatory?
The souls in Purgatory are helped both by the
prayers and suffrages of the pilgrim Church as well
as by the prayers of the Virgin and the saints.
Extension:
A suffrage is a short intercessory prayer.
Focus Question
What is the best way of helping souls
in Purgatory?
The sacrifice of the Mass.
Focus Question
What is special about All Soul’s Day?
On All Soul’s Day, all the priests of the Church
offer Mass for the souls in Purgatory.
Focus Question
What are other ways to help the Holy Souls
in Purgatory?
The application of indulgences for the dead, giving
alms in their memory, or offering up sacrifices and
penance on their behalf can benefit the Holy Souls.
Guided Exercise
Complete a paragraph shrink on the
passage from Pope Benedict XVI beginning,
“The encounter with him…” (p. 256),
in order to see how there is nothing cruel
or vindictive about the “fire” of Purgatory.
Focus Question
What does the Old Testament teach us
about Purgatory?
In the Second Book of Maccabees, Judas Maccabeus
took up a collection among his solders to have a
sacrifice made to atone for the dead soldiers whom, he
discovered, had committed idolatry. The passage
concludes that, “It is a holy and wholesome thought to
pray for the dead” (2 Mc 12:46, Douay-Rheims).
Focus Question
How is Purgatory reflected in the practice of
the Jews of Christ’s time and today?
The Jews in Christ’s time prayed for the dead, and
today this traditional Jewish practice is continued in
the praying of the Kaddish, prayers to reduce the
time spent in Gehenna for those who have died.
Focus Question
What is the logic behind belief in the existence
of Purgatory?
If those who have died are in Heaven, they do not
need prayers. If they are in Hell, prayers will not do
them any good. So there must be a place where our
prayers do some good, hence Purgatory.
Focus Question
How does St. Paul support the idea
of Purgatory?
St. Paul taught that a Christian who sins “will
suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only
as through fire” (1 Cor 3:15).
Focus Question
Who were some early Church Fathers who
wrote about Purgatory?
Tertullian and St. Cyprian wrote about Purgatory.
Focus Question
Which Church councils confirmed the
Church’s teaching on Purgatory?
The Second Ecumenical Council of Lyons in 1274
and later the Ecumenical Councils of Florence
(1439) and Trent (1563) confirmed the existence
of Purgatory.
Focus Question
Why is praying for the dead an obligation
of justice?
Some souls may be detained in Purgatory partly
through our fault, because of our sins of commission
or omission.
Focus Question
Why are prayers for the dead a work of piety?
Piety is the fulfillment of obligation toward family
members. We should pray for those in our own
natural and supernatural families.
Focus Question
Why is prayer for the dead a work of mercy?
The souls in Purgatory cannot do anything for
themselves; therefore, we show mercy to them by
asking that their time be shortened.
Focus Question
Why is prayer for the dead an act of charity?
It is charity because we have to wish for the good
of others.
Last Things: Heaven,
Hell, and the Parousia
Lesson Objectives
•Heaven
•Hell
•The Parousia
Last Things:
Heaven, Hell, and the Parousia
Basic Questions
What is Hell?
Hell is the state of self-chosen eternal separation from
God, who is the only source of life and happiness.
Last Things:
Heaven, Hell, and the Parousia
Basic Questions
What is Heaven?
Heaven is the state of complete happiness with the rest
of the blessed souls in enjoying the vision of God.
Last Things:
Heaven, Hell, and the Parousia
Basic Questions
What is the Parousia?
The Parousia is the Second Coming of Christ and the
Final Judgment at the end of time.
Guided Exercise
Discuss the following questions:
Does God’s goodness preclude the existence of Hell?
Can God save someone who refuses to be saved?
Is it possible that someone would freely choose Hell,
including freely staying there?
Focus Question
What is the result of dying in a state of mortal
sin without repentance?
It is remaining separated from God forever because
of our free choice.
Focus Question
What are some images that Christ used to
describe Hell?
Christ spoke often of Hell as “fire” and “darkness”
where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth,”
as condemned souls are tormented “where their worm
does not die.”
Focus Question
What is the chief punishment of Hell
according to the Catechism, no. 1035?
The chief punishment of Hell is eternal separation
from God, in whom alone man can possess the life
and happiness for which he was created and for
which he longs.
Focus Question
What is Heaven?
It is the state of everlasting life in which we see
God, become like him in glory, and enjoy
eternal happiness.
Focus Question
Are there different degrees of happiness
in Heaven?
Yes. The souls in Heaven enjoy various degrees of
happiness according to their degree of love and
friendship with God during their earthly life.
However, each person receives the full measure of
happiness he can possess.
continued
Focus Question
Are there different degrees of happiness in
Heaven?
Extension:
An analogy to explain this paradox is containers filled with
water. Many containers can be filled to the brim, but because
they can be different sizes, one may contain more water than
another. In the same way, people in Heaven can be completely
happy, but some can be happier than others because their
capacity is greater since they loved more while on earth.
Focus Question
What are some of the images of Heaven
found in Scripture?
Life, light, peace, wedding feast, wine of the kingdom,
the Father’s house, the heavenly Jerusalem, and
paradise are all scriptural images of Heaven.
Focus Question
Can we grasp what Heaven is like now?
No. “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart
of man conceived, what God has prepared for those
who love him” (1 Cor 2:9).
Focus Question
Of what does the happiness of
Heaven consist?
The essential happiness of Heaven consists of the
immediate vision of God, the full and perfect
satisfaction of every desire, and in the happy society
of all the blessed.
Focus Question
Why will we find happiness in each other
in Heaven?
We will love one another as ourselves and so we
will rejoice in the good that each possesses. As the
pleasure and enjoyment of one increases, so will it
increase for all.
Focus Question
How does the happiness of Heaven increase?
The joy and happiness of Heaven increases as other
souls enter, as loved ones still on earth progress in
their spiritual lives, and as one’s apostolic efforts and
sufferings endured in the service of God bear fruit
on earth with the passage of time.
Focus Question
What is the relationship between earthly and
heavenly happiness?
Because of the intimate communion with God, the
saints on earth are overflowing with all that can
truly be enjoyed or even desired in this life. This is a
foretaste of Heaven.
Focus Question
What is the Parousia?
It is the Second Coming of Christ, at which time he
will appear in power and majesty as judge and
establish his Kingdom in all its fullness.
Focus Question
What does parousia mean, literally?
It comes from Greek, meaning “apparition” or
“presence.”
Focus Question
What will happen at the General, or
Universal, Judgment?
Christ will judge every human being personally
and publicly.
Focus Question
What are some of the things we will learn at
the Final Judgment?
We will understand the ultimate meaning of the
whole work of creation and of the entire economy
of salvation as well as the marvelous ways by which
God’s Providence led everything toward its final end.
continued
Focus Question
What are some of the things we will learn at
the Final Judgment?
The Last Judgment will reveal that God’s justice
triumph over all the injustices committed by his
creatures and that God’s love is stronger than death.
We will learn why God sometimes allows the good to
suffer and the wicked to prosper, and we will see all
the good and bad effects of human actions.
Focus Question
What will happen to us at the Last Judgment?
Our souls will be reunited to our now immortal
bodies. The good will go to Heaven and the wicked
to Hell.
Focus Question
When will the Last Judgment occur?
Only God knows the day and the hour.
Focus Question
What will happen to the universe after the
Last Judgment?
The universe itself will be renewed as all things are
perfectly recreated in Christ.
Focus Question
Of which three archangels do we know the
names from Scripture?
Only three angels are named in Sacred Scripture:
Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
Focus Question
Why is St. Michael portrayed as a great warrior?
In the Book of Revelation, St. Michael leads the
holy angels in battle against Satan and his demons.
Focus Question
Why should we be devoted to St. Michael?
He is invoked to protect the Church against the Devil.