Readings:
• Acts 14:21-27
• Ps 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
• Rev 21:1-5a
• Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35
Among the criticisms I once had, as an Evangelical, was that Catholics were too concerned with “The Church.” They were so focused on the Church, I thought, that they had little time or energy for Jesus.
Besides, I knew that having a saving, personal relationship with Jesus had little to do with the Church. The love of God, I believed, would only be hampered by the sort of laws and structures found within the impressive but worldly Catholic Church. Put simply, I thought that on one side was love and relationship, and on the other was law and, well, “rule-lationship.”
I eventually changed my mind for two basic reasons: my understanding of the Catholic Church was faulty, and my interpretation of what Scripture says about these issues was equally faulty. Instead of recoiling in horror, I can now appreciate the Catechism’s statement: “The Church is the goal of all things” (CCC 760).
I now see that the Church is very much about love and law, relationship and structure.
This is apparent throughout the Acts of the Apostles, including today’s reading, which describes some of the work of Paul and Barnabas in Asia Minor. Luke takes pains to point out how the early Church grew and was governed. The gospel was proclaimed, disciples were made, and then exhorted to persevere. Elders were appointed and ordained in each church. And, having returned to Antioch, the base for his missionary journeys, the Apostle to the Gentiles called together the local church to tell the Christians the news about their brothers and sisters in Christ.
In this way, Paul carried out, in basic ways, the three-fold duty of bishops, the successors of the apostles, who are to teach, govern, and sanctify.
Paul spoke of the suffering that Christians will face in entering the kingdom of God. The rule of God requires the followers of Jesus to endure the trials and difficulties, even death, just as He willingly endured shame, torture, and death on a Cross before He would be glorified by the Father. Today’s Gospel places together two words that many people think (or assume) are in direct opposition to one another: commandment and love. We live in a culture that is enamored with the notion that love is about feeling and passion—after all, you have to follow your heart!—while commandments (or laws) are considered stifling and limiting, and certainly loveless.
Jesus says otherwise: “I give you a new commandment: love one another.” This is not, of course, the type of love found in many popular songs and television programs, but a commitment to putting others first, even to the point of physical death; it is a gift from the King, and it is integral for the life of the Kingdom. Thus, the greatest commandment, Jesus said elsewhere, is to love the Lord God with our entire heart, soul, and mind, and the second commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt 22:37-40; CCC 2054-55). This love declares, “We belong to Christ, who died for the world.” And it is this love that holds together and animates the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the household of God.
In this way, we can begin to appreciate the important relationship between the Church and the Kingdom. The Church is “ultimately one, holy, catholic, and apostolic in her deepest and ultimate identity,” the Catechism teaches, “because it is in her that ‘the Kingdom of heaven,’ the ‘Reign of God,’ already exists and will be fulfilled at the end of time” (CCC 865). The Kingdom was established in the person and work of Jesus and grows throughout time.
In the end, as the Book of Revelation describes today, the Kingdom is not an earthly reign, but the final triumph of Christ over the power of sin and Satan, culminating in an eternity spent in communion with the Triune God (cf., CCC 865), free of death, sorrow, and pain.
In Christ, through the Church, all things are being made new.
(This “Opening the Word” column originally appeared in the May 6, 2007, issue of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)
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Amo La Chiesa Mia. It’s a love affair. A real life drama of life and love, of sacrifice and death. A gracious promise of unsurpassable worth.
As Olson attests it’s more than simple relationship to the beloved, it’s rule relationship. The mystical body of Christ is as evident as its members who manifest their unity with him by their love for one another. Precisely as he revealed that love to us. The new commandment, the rule that defines what that love is and does.
Amo La Chiesa Mia. It’s a love affair. A real life drama of life and love, of sacrifice and death. A gracious promise of unsurpassable worth.
As Olson attests it’s more than simple relationship to the beloved, it’s rule relationship. The mystical body of Christ is as evident as its members who manifest their unity with him by their love for one another. Precisely as he revealed that love to us. The new commandment, the rule that defines what that love is and does.
Rules were demeaned during our previous pontificate. It was argued that reasoned assessment of concrete situations mitigated fixed, intransigent rules. Love was said to transcend the rule. What was lost in this was that reason is simply a measure of revealed truths that are the rule for reason. Simply because it’s not Man that determines the meaning and exercise of charity. Rather it is God who revealed himself to us as eternal, unchanging love through his Son. That is why, unless broken by sin, the nature of love is forever.
A worthwhile commentary from Brendan Towell on Pope Leo’s doctoral thesis further addresses the true meaning of rule. “Father Prevost is unapologetic about this focus because, for him, the law is not a distraction from the spiritual life — it is one of the ways that life takes concrete form” (How Leo XIV’s Rarely-Seen Thesis Sheds Light on His Vision for the Church in NCReg).
Apparently structure is so vital that Mathias, out of a personal relationship with Jesus, accepted the short straw to take the place of…Judas.
I was raised Evangelical Protestant in a Conference Baptist Church, and we DID have “structure”. There was the “Baptist General Conference,” which oversaw ALL the churches in the conference and made sure that the teachings were in line with Scripture and policies of the Conference. In the local churches, the Senior Pastor was “in charge”, but there was usually an associate pastor who helped with the administration of the church (and was available to preach if the pastor was out of town or sick), a Youth Pastor, and Music Pastor. The church didn’t have elders, but the Deacon Board consisted of 12 mature (but no ancient) men who were each responsible for overseeing a different aspect of the church; e.g., Sunday school, Children’s ministries, the building and grounds, the finances, the music ministries, The Youht Group, etc.). These men were voted on after being vetted and recommended by the pastors. We also had deaconesses who were appointed to help with women’s and children’s ministries. There was a Sunday School Superintendent who was in charge of selecting the curricula for the Sunday School, which was divided by age groups, with electives available for the adults. Eventually, a pastor was hired to minister to the Senior Citizens and nursing home residents. All of the music was organized by a Music Committee, who selected choir directors for the various choirs (age groups), accompanists (organ and piano!!!!), and gave their stamp of approval to various programs like the Christmas pageant, the Youth Group musicals, the Children’s Choir presentations, etc.
Of course, some of this probably happened because of the Swedish “organizational” mindset–“a place for everything and everything in it’s place!” But I’m pretty certain it was the policy of the Baptist General Conference for all churches. It certainly was effective in preventing heretical teachings, ferreting out abuses, checking and double-checking finances, making decisions about conflicts, etc.–when there is only one person in charge, it’s easy for heresies, abuses, financial mismanagement, etc. to occur and stay hidden until they have destroyed trust and often even end up with church closure.
I have a major problem with the “non-denominational churches” today–it seems like they come and go, and often Christians wander from church to church (the “church hop!”) seeking a “place where they can be fed”. And these days, often their choice is based on the music, which is provided by a Praise and Worship band that often packs up and heads for another “church” that offers them a better “gig” and pay. Sigh.
The church I grew up in is still there, but it merged with two other Protestant churches after the General Baptist Conference was discontinued (closed it doors), and all three churches seem to be thriving and growing. I don’t really like the P and W music, but a lot of the friends I grew up with in my church are still there and still strong in their faith.
Thank you, Carl.
Certainly appreciated your declaration and reminder that the Church is the “ Mystical Body of Christ…the household of God.”
By contrast, I believe that a sidewalk survey asking passersby what the Catholic Church is, a typical response would be the Pope (especially so, at the present time), that stuff in Rome or perhaps a local and known Catholic Church.
Such a typical response would not be totally off the mark. Every organization needs some kind of hierarchical structure to function properly. And Christ Jesus certainly created a hierarchical structure in His Church with Peter as its leader. But it was, of course, a different kind of leadership (“last of all, servant of all”).
Also, while I’m certainly am not a Scripture or Church history scholar, I note that at the first Church Council in Jerusalem, while Peter was clearly a major participant there, he wasn’t the leader of that Council. James was. And while he was later at Antioch, he wasn’t the spiritual leader of the Church there. Paul was and unhesitatingly criticized Peter for his failings there.
Also in the important Church Councils in the early centuries of the Church, I have read that in several of those Councils, the Pope wasn’t even present (though he may have sent delegates).
And then there are the times in history when the institutional Church wasn’t completely manifesting holiness and fidelity, such as when St Athanasius was fighting against
most of the hierarchy which had embraced Arianism (thus, “Athanasius contra mundum”).
And, as I recall from Sandra Miesel’s writings, there was the horrible state of the Papacy in the 11th and 12th centuries. Further, the 16th century Vatican was, I read, selling bishoprics to the highest bidder, who then financed his bid by selling indulgences, leading to the Protestant Reformation.
Lastly, in more modern times, there has been the terrible global sexual abuse scandal tolerated and covered up by the Lavender Mafia in the Vatican and much of the hierarchy (sone of whom were even participants in the scandal—think McCarrick).
So how does one square these two perspectives: the Church truly as the Mystical Body of Christ and institutional Church with its (necessary) hierarchical structure and proclamation of the True Magisterium in the face of continuing heresies?
My simple and perhaps simplistic resolution: at most times throughout history, the Mystical Body of Christ has been led, inspired, taught and humbly served by the Papacy and Institutional Church; at other times it has not. I hope and pray (and believe based on what I have so learned) that Pope Leo XIV’s tenure will be one of the former historical periods.
Tom,
Remember Jesus chose his twelve apostles and one of them Judas was a traitor. There were bad popes, anti popes, just as there are bad bishops and priest today. God gave us all free will and He allows us even popes, bishops, and priest to sin and commit evil. But the church has survived for two thousand years because it was, is, and always will be The One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church and as Jesus told us ” I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. Mt.16:18
Samuel, Very helpful reminder. Sincere thanks.