Understand The Life Of The Church As Communion Religion Essay

The intent of this essay is to give an overview of the Catholic Church learning on the topic of Eucharistic and propose some ends for an oecumenic advancement. In order to understand the life of the Church as Communion, we must get down to believe of the Church as a community of trusters with a shared intent. We must make a image of the early Church as a new motion of people dedicated to a mission unfastened to others, instead than as an Institution with an sole rank.

The word Church has its beginnings in the Grecian word ekklesia and the Hebrew word kahal. Together, they convey a assemblage of people who portion a common and particular individuality. In Acts of the Apostles and the letters of Paul it is used to depict a local assemblage of trusters. In Paul ‘s missive to the Ephesians, Church besides comes to intend a community of adherents who, whilst local, are portion of a broad household: a world-wide Church ( McBrien 1994: 579-580 ) .

The typical characteristics of these earliest Christian communities were that they were initiated through a common baptism, they met together to pray and interrupt staff of life ( Eucharist. The early Church communities relied on the instruction of the apostles, and others were attracted to fall in them ( Acts: 2.38-47: 4.32-37 ) .[ 1 ]

In his book ‘Models of the Church ‘ Avery Dulles describes the early Church as communities of people who demonstrated great attention and love for each other ( 1987: 212 ) . It is in garnering together as a community to pray and hear the Word of God, that the word Communion can foremost be applied. Sacramental manduction means integrity, through baptism, as adherents, or followings of Christ in observing sacrament together. Therefore, the breakage of staff of life in the Eucharist is the sacramental look of our Communion, with each other and with God. In “ The Church as Communion and Mission ” , Morris Pelzel writes: “ … the Holy sacrament… at one time symbolises and creates the Communion of God the Father, through Christ, in the Spirit, with us ” ( 2002: 67-68 ) .

As a effect we can understand Communion to intend the integrity between trusters, as expressed in all facets of Church life, and the integrity of that Church with the Triune God ( Pelzel 2002: 3 ) .

The bishops of England, Scotland, Wales, North Ireland and the Republic of Ireland issued a statement on the Eucharist entitled One Bread, One Body ( Catholic Media Office 1998: 5 ) . The papers summarized the Catholic Church ‘s instruction on the Eucharist and gave guidelines and principle for the people of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The papers was for preserving and intensifying the integrity of the one organic structure of Christ, his Church, a integrity in love and in truth, in sanctity and in mission.

It is from our apprehension of the integrity of the Three that we derive our perfect illustration of Communion and integrity. That is, in the Three we see the integrity of relationship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit absolutely expressed. All of humanity is invited by God to portion in this Divine Life, and it is the Mission of the Church to widen this invitation, this call to Communion with God, to the universe. In this manner the Church participates in the go oning activity of the Trinity ( Knights & A ; Murray 2002: 87 ) .

In Lumen Gentium the Church is describe as a “ sacrament – a mark and instrument… of Communion with God and of the integrity of the full human race ” ( LG 1. ) and to portion in His ain Godhead life ( LG2 ) ; and how the Holy Spirit abides in the Church to consecrate it continually, in order that we might be “ a people made one by the integrity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ” ( LG4 ) , and refers to the Church as ‘Mystery ‘ ( Flannery 1996: 1 – 4 ) .

This can be understood as being really like the description of the Church as ‘Sacrament ‘ , in that both pertain to that which is Godhead, transcendent and salvific, but is besides revealed in some seeable manner. Yet we need faith to understand the significance of both Sacrament and Mystery. Vatican II describes the Church itself as portion of God ‘s manner of pass oning with us. The Church is described as: “ … a mark and instrument and adumbrate brotherhood with God… “ ( LG1 ) and that the Church is: “ … the Kingdom of Christ already present in enigma “ ( LG3 )

All Christians, and non merely those in the Roman Catholic Church, are called to be a sacrament of Communion in the universe. Even within the Catholic Church there are divisions and hostilities

Decision:

The stairss frontward in Eucharistic sharing are to turn to some ecclesiology of the Church so that the staff of life of life could be shared amongst each other. Once Christians embark on to presume of the Church as one but divided, we will get down to see that in the one and divided Church we must come to Christ for the integrity we seek. Unity is non achieved by human attempt ; it is given by God ‘s grace. Our undertaking is to have and accept it. And the Eucharist is the sacrament of Christian integrity. As the Eucharistic is celebrated, the church becomes the organic structure of Christ. Paul writes that “ Because there is one staff of life, we who are many are one organic structure, for we all partake of the one staff of life. ” ( 1 Cor. 11:17 ) Therefore, the Eucharist brings about the church ‘s integrity.

We are the Body of Christ. In the Spirit, we were all baptized into one organic structure. Let us so prosecute all that makes for the peace and builds up our common life.

I believe it is clip we begin to look upon this other facet of the Eucharist and its compelling jussive mood to travel frontward. The Roman Catholic Church needs to travel beyond current statute law to what it is being called and challenged to make. Eucharist means integrity and has mostly been underestimated or either overlooked by the Catholic Church. I believe the manner in front will affect a greater usage of Eucharistic sharing to travel the churches toward greater integrity as the Eucharist is the cardinal Christian sacrament.

There are dissension on the value and nature of the Eucharist ( Lord ‘s Supper ) . The positions range from those who do non detect the regulation at all to those who consider it as an indispensable portion of Christian worship, those who consider it as a symbolic mark of retrieving Chris ‘s decease to those who maintain that Christ is bodily present under the elements of staff of life and vino. ( Schrotenboer 1992: 9 – 10 )

Through baptism, Christians are brought into brotherhood with Christ, with each other and the Church, our common baptism, which unites us to Christ in religion, is therefore our bond of integrity. We are one people and as such should portion in one staff of life and one organic structure by making off churchmanship that divides us.