By RAYMOND DE SOUZA, KM
Part 2
Jesus promulgated the Church on the day of Pentecost. It was the Church’s formal birthday. I remember my smile when, on Pentecost Day, a priest in New Zealand said to the people, “Happy Birthday!” The people were a bit puzzled and did not know what to think, and then the priest explained that on Pentecost Day we celebrate the birthday of the Church, when the Holy Spirit descended onto Mary and the apostles.
Yes, this is the Church of Christ, with Mary and the apostles! God chose her to be the Mediatrix to give Christ to the world, and the Mediatrix to receive the Holy Spirit to the apostles and the Church.
Having established the Church in His Blood, Jesus fortified it on the day of Pentecost with special power from on high. He made known and promulgated His Church by means of the visible descent of the Holy Spirit.
Some people think that the Pope in Rome is the Head of the Church. They are mistaken. The Pope is only the visible head of the Church, because “Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body,” as St. Paul says (Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18).
The Pope is the vicar, or the representative, the delegate, the ambassador, the chancellor, or the chief of staff, whatever you like, but the proper way to describe his mission is the chief steward, to use the Old Testament language.
Like Joseph in Egypt: Joseph ran the business of the nation, but he was not the pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Likewise, in His Church, Christ is the Head, the King, and the Pope is the “Joseph,” the governor.
Fact is, folks, the Son of God did become man so that men might become sons of God. Christ and the Church form head and body, because they are of the one nature. By grace, we have been made “partakers of the divine nature” on Earth (2 Peter 1:4) and in Heaven we shall be so by glory.
We often tend to forget this amazing privilege that has been given to us: We no longer live of ourselves, but Christ lives in us. We not only imitate His virtues and follow His teaching, but we live by the very same grace that sanctified His humanity, and so reproduce the power of His Passion and Death and Resurrection.
Every time we receive the Holy Eucharist, we can say, I live, no, not I, but Christ lives in me. We become tabernacles of the divine Presence in us! That is why we must spend time doing a proper thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion. Otherwise we may throw away the divine gift, and this bears serious consequences, to put it mildly.
The life of Christ in the Church is shown by her manifold orders and institutions, such as contemplating on the mountain, preaching to the people, healing the sick, bringing sinners to repentance, showing compassion, feeding the hungry, and doing good to all. During her earthly pilgrimage, she resembles Christ too in His suffering rejection, persecution, insults, and tribulations.
Here are a couple of important distinctions that must be made: We distinguish: 1) the physical Body of Christ, which He had on Earth and is now glorious in Heaven; 2) the Eucharistic Body of Christ, which is the same Body but in sacramental form; and 3) the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church.
Let us make an effort to remember these distinctions!
Here is something that lukewarm and superficial Catholics never think of: The Church of Christ is Christ on Earth! Just think of it: St. Paul calls the Church simply by the name of “Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12) following herein the example of His Master who, when Saul was persecuting the Church, cried out to him from Heaven, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4; 22:7; 26:14). It is indeed Christ who acts through the Church.
It is Christ who baptizes, teaches, decrees, governs, and appoints. It is He who sanctifies, saves, absolves, binds, and offers sacrifice to His Father. The ordained priest or bishop acts in persona Christi.
The Church is also Christ’s Bride: The Lord Jesus referred to Himself as “the Bridegroom” (Mark 2:19-20). Each soul personally, and the Church collectively, is espoused to Jesus Christ. So St. Paul could say, “I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one Husband” (2 Cor. 11:2). The Church is Christ’s bride, a virgin bride made fruitful, a mother of many children. He loves her as His own Body (Eph. 5:28-9; Rev. 21:2, 9; 22:17).
We must pray to God to give us the understanding and love of this marvelous reality, as far as our puny minds can take it!
Now it is time to delve into another sublime reality: The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church! Yes, the Paraclete promised by Jesus and sent by the Father is the invisible principle of the union of all the parts of the Body with one another and with their exalted Head. He dwells in the Head, the Body, and in all the members. Let us remember, that as we live in a state of grace, with no mortal sin on our consciences, we are Temples of the Holy Spirit!
But the Church of Christ is richer in many ways: His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the Mother of God and the Mother of the Members of Christ. By her charity, she has joined in bringing about the birth of believers in Christ.
Our Blessed Lady was made fruitful by the Word implanted within her, and she likewise continues to prepare the way for Christ into souls that they may be reborn as members of the Church and children of God.
Unity is a distinctive mark of the Church of Christ. The various churches that emerged from Lutheranism have nothing to do with the original, unique, beautiful Church founded by Him.
But there is more: The Church of Christ is one in government, faith, and worship. She is holy in her Founder, Jesus Christ, the God-Man; in her doctrine, and in the holy lives of so many of her members. The Church is Catholic because her mission is universal, and she possesses the fullness of teaching and means of salvation.
The Church is apostolic in her foundation upon the apostles, in her teaching received from the apostles, and in her Holy Orders and pastoral office handed on by the apostles to the bishops.
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(Raymond de Souza, KM, is available to speak at Catholic events anywhere in the free world in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Please email SacredHeartMedia@Outlook.com or visit www.RaymonddeSouza.com or phone 507-450-4196 in the United States.)
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