Subject: CHRISTIAN HUMANISM 401

Department: CH Department
Duration: Module 3- Week 3

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 1

Module 3:
The Catholic Church
A. The Four Marks of the Church
B. The Church as a Sacrament of Salvation

Dear Student,

Congratulations!

We are happy that you are now in module 3. In this module you are expected
to devote three (3) hours to finish all the requirements. The ultimate aim of this module
is for you to demonstrate mastery of the following learning competencies:

Doctrine
1. Identify the marks of the Church.
2. Determine how the grace of salvation is implemented through the three-fold
mission of the Church.
Moral
1. Respect the religious tradition of the Catholic Church and other churches.
2. Evaluate one’s lifestyle as a member of the Church if it conforms to the three-
fold mission of the Church.
Worship
1. Pray for the unity of the Church, as one body of Christ.
2. Pray for a specific gift of the Holy Spirit needed in responding to the three-
fold mission of the Church.

To help you accomplish the task in this course, we recommend that you follow
the Academic Learning Time we prepared for you. Please see the table below.

Academic Learning Time:

Target Date Academic Task Time Allotment

Activity 1: The Apostles’ Creed 10 minutes
WEEK 3 Read: The 4 Marks of the Church 20 minutes
Activity 2: Describe briefly the 4 marks of the 10 minutes
Church
Read: The Church as a Sacrament of Salvation 20 minutes
July 27-31, 2020 and The Three-fold mission of Christ and His
Church
Activity 3: Reflection-The Challenges and Issues 10 minutes
Read: The Short Story- The Storm… and the Rise 20 minutes
of Secularism…
Activity 4: Answer the reflection activity 10 minutes
Mini Task 2 80 minutes
Total 180 minutes

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 2

 A QUICK PRE- TEST
Let us find out how much you already know about “The Catholic Church”. Encircle the
letter of the correct answer. Should you wish to change your answer, you may do so
by marking an X on your first choice and write your new answer. You are allowed to
change your answer only once

1. The “Oneness” or unity of the Church is derived from its source, the __________.
A. One Community C. One true God
B. One Church D. One Family
2. The “Holiness” of the Church originates from __________ who is holy.
A. Peter C. God
B. Paul D. Holy Spirit
3. The word “Catholic” is derived from the Greek adjective katholikos, meaning ___________.
A. Unity C. Universal
B. One D. Salvation
4. The Church is apostolic because she is founded through ____________.
A. Pentecost C. Apostles
B. Peter D. Early Christians
5. The Roman Catholic Church asserts that ‘there should be an unbroken link between a bishop and
priest today, and the ___________.
A. Apostles C. Jews
B. Early Christians D. Cardinals
6. When Christ sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, his Apostles were inspired to shepherd his flock after
Jesus’ _________________.
A. Death C. Ascension
B. Resurrection D. Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
7. A Dogmatic Constitution of the Church that empathized “Church as the universal sacrament of
salvation”.
A. Gaudium et Spes C. Dei Verbum
B. Sacrosanctum Concilium D. Lumen Gentium
8. A messenger sent by God, a person who speaks for God. He or she witnesses to God, calls people
to conversion, and may also foretell the future.
A. Priest C. Pope
B. Prophet D. Jesus
9. This mission invites us to serve as an instrument for the achievement of unity in the world. Like
Christ who come to serve and not to be served.
A. Kingly mission C. Prophetic mission
B. Priestly mission D. Universal mission
10. It is our duty then to remind ourselves in carrying out our mission to proclaim the message not
only in words but also most importantly in our lifestyle.
A. Kingly mission C. Prophetic mission
B. Priestly mission D. Mission of the Apostles

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 3

 PRELECTIO

Student Activity 1: The Apostles’ Creed

Recite the Apostles’ Creed silently and fill in the blanks with right word or phrase.
Write your answer in the table provided.
1
I believe in 1. _______ the Father Almighty, Creator of
Heaven and earth; and in 2. ______, His only Son Our 2.
Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of
the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was 3.
crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into
Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He 4.
ascended into Heaven, and seated at the right hand of
God, the Father almighty; from there He shall come 5.
again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the
3. ______, the holy 4. ______, the 5. ______, the 6. 6.
______, the 7. ______, and 8. ______.
7.
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8.
Thus, the eight words/phrases that you wrote to
fill in the blanks are the core beliefs of the Catholics
and one of these is the Catholic Church. In this module, you will be led to discover
more about the holy Catholic Church.

Bible texts and Exegesis

• Ephesians 4: 1-6 “I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in the manner
worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with
patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity
of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were
also called to one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one
God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all”
Exegesis:
The unity of the new humanity created in Christ is exemplified by the Church’s
unity, fostered by the virtues that make life in common a reality: humility, gentleness,
patience, and forbearance. The inspiration of the passage is Col 3:12-15. One body:
The mention of being called in one body in Col 3:15 leads to a seven-part statement
of the pervasiveness of the unity that must characterize Christian life. One Lord: Cf.
1Cor 8:6. This is particularly important because of the Gentile background of the
readers and because of the author’s stress on the subjection of all the heavenly
powers to Christ. One faith, one baptism: Unity in faith may be regarded in this letter
as unity of belief. It denotes the teachings to which all members of the Church
subscribe. As institutional Christianity emerges in the postapostolic Church, faith
becomes the acceptance of the authoritative apostolic tradition, which can be
distinguished from false doctrine.

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 4

HUMAN EXPERIENCE

A few months ago, on successive evenings, I was out with two friends. During
the course of our conversations, they both asked if I was working on any writing
projects. “Yes,” I replied, “I’m working on a book about the marks of the church.” Polite
nods followed but they didn’t appear to have any idea as to the nature of the project.
In an attempt to give my friends an understanding of the book I was working on, I
offered them the word “one”. On both occasions it was met with a long, confused
pause. Then I said “holy”. Looking at them I could tell that they were trying to make
the connection between the phrases “the marks of the church” and the words “one”
and “holy.” To no avail. By “catholic” it clicked though. They were able to finish it out
and end with “apostolic.” More than likely we’ve all said them (or grew up saying them)
– “one, holy catholic and apostolic.”

They are the traditional and classical marks of the church. After a lifetime of
repetition, though, these words, and with it the whole of the Nicene Creed, have lost
some of their meaning for many people in the church. Perhaps we’ve fallen victim to
the importance of valuing memorization over lived faith. Maybe familiarity has bred
contempt, or, at least, indifference. Whatever the case, the marks’ present “sleep-
inducing” quality is unfortunate. There is so much potential for the marks to challenge
and form the church … With this present state in mind, it is high time to retrieve the
significance of the traditional marks of the church. – Michael Daley,2006

EXPERIENCE

The Nicene Creed was written centuries

ago to help Christians remember the important
beliefs of the faith. In it, we identify the four marks
of the Church. These marks are not
characteristics that the Church creates. They are
qualities that Jesus Christ shares with his Church
through the Holy Spirit.

As Catholics, we recite in our creed: “I

believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic
Church.” The early church identified four ‘marks’
of the church when it declared the church to be
‘one, holy, catholic and apostolic’, as outlined in
the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (381). The
full confession of ‘one, holy, catholic and
apostolic’ emerged from the Council of Nicaea in
325 CE and was further developed before it
became part of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan
Creed in 381 and then approved at Chalcedon
(451). Although the marks were not concretely

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 5

defined within the creed or necessarily empirically evidenced by the known church at
the time, these four terms were offered as a consistent unit and as statements of faith
declaring that the church was indeed ‘one, holy, catholic, apostolic’. Concisely put,
the church is one because God is one (John 17; Eph 4:1–6); it is holy because God
is holy and sanctifies it by the divine Word (Eph 5:26–27); it is catholic because
through God the offer of forgiveness is extended as an all embracing and universal
gift in which none are excluded (Matt 28:19, 1 Tim 2:4); and it is apostolic because
it is God’s Word (through the apostles) that has created, sent and is now sustaining
its life (Eph 2:20).

I. The Four Marks of the Church

A. Church as One

The “oneness” or unity of the Church

is derived from its source, the true one God.
From its source, the Church originated from the
“oneness” or unity of the Holy Trinity: the
Father, the Son and the Spirit. The Christian
Church was instituted by Jesus Christ, one
Lord and only begotten Son of God, as her
founder and made united “into one body and
one Spirit.”
The Roman Catholic position has been
‘institutional’ in that it ties unity to fellowship with
the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). More fully, as
Lumen Gentium highlights, the church is both a
‘visible society’ and a ‘spiritual community’ in
which one becomes ‘united with Christ’ through
being ‘fully incorporated into the society of the
church’.

Threats against Church unity

1. Heresy – obstinate denial or doubt of truths of Catholic faith

2. Apostasy – total rejection of Catholic faith
3. Schism – withdrawal from communion with the Church

B. Church as Holy

The holiness of the Church originates from God who is holy and who calls on
the Church to follow and embody the same holiness in her ongoing life. The Church
is held to be unfailingly holy because Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father
and the Spirit is hailed “alone holy,” giving himself up for her so as to sanctify her.

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 6

 The Roman Catholic position stated unequivocally is that ‘the Church … is
believed to be indefectibly holy’. Regarding its members, the document Lumen
Gentium adds:
The followers of Christ are called by God, not because of their works,
but according to His own purpose and grace. They are justified in the Lord
Jesus, because in the baptism of faith they truly become sons of God and
sharers in the divine nature. In this way they are really made holy. Then too,
by God’s gift, they must hold on to and complete in their lives this holiness they
have received.

The Church then calls all to holiness through the way of love and charity.

C. Church as Catholic

Etymologically, the word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective

katholikos, meaning general, total, or universal. The word Catholic applies to the
Church in two different ways. First, the Church is world-wide, sent to all peoples.
Beyond the institution, in Roman Catholic understanding, a church is understood to
be ‘catholic’ because ‘Christ is present in her’ and because ‘she has been sent out
on a mission to the whole of the human race’; a task in which each particular church
participates as ‘legitimately organized local groups of the faithful’. The mission of the
Church is universal because the Church has been sent to proclaim Christ to the entire
human race. Second, the Church announces the whole, true faith. Church is catholic
because all baptized people are part of the Church and the Church possesses all
means of salvation.

The catholicity of the Church; therefore, consists in a notion of entirety, based

on identity and resulting in universality. From this it is clear that unity and catholicity
go together; if the Church is one, it must be universal; if it is universal it must be one.
Unity and catholicity are interwoven dimensions of one and the same church.

After all, catholicity is expressed as a ‘dynamic of love … reaching out to all

and excluding none’.

D. Church as Apostolic

The Church is apostolic because she is founded on the apostles. (CCC 209)
Tracing her tradition directly from the apostles, the Church is considered apostolic.
The church is essentially apostolic when it remains in visible continuity with its own
origins. It is a continuity that includes certain institutional elements (apostolicity in
doctrine, sacraments, and ministry), but is not under obligation to adhere to ‘archaic
forms’; rather, to be truly apostolic means ‘to be faithful to the apostolic teaching, as
set forth in the apostolic writings.’

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 7

 The apostles were chosen and sent on a mission by Christ himself. They also
took care to appoint successors (the bishops) to continue their mission in the present
time. The Roman Catholic Church asserts that ‘there should be an unbroken link
between a bishop and priest today, and the first apostles. With the Holy Spirit, the
Church keeps and hands on the teaching she has heard from the apostles.

Conclusion

Apostolicity could be linked to holiness so that a message of continual renewal

could be preached to the church and its surrounding communities. Holiness informs
catholicity in regard to living as a people who are set apart for God and his purposes
in the midst of a broader community. Conversely catholicity informs holiness,
reminding God’s holy community that it exists and must commune within a broader
community. As previously noted, apostolicity and unity linked together speak of the
one message of the one church. Unity, catholicity and apostolicity in mutually
illuminating and critiquing relationship challenge and inform processes by which the
one church is to reach out to the whole world with its gospel message. Holding the
four marks together in creative tension and balance allows the marks to be mutually
illuminating and critiquing, while highlighting the inherent necessity for the church to
seek to fulfil the four marks and encouraging the church to operate as one, holy,
catholic and apostolic. Treatment of the marks in such a way allows for an expression
of the marks to be realized in the here and now as a visible reality, even as it points to
the eschaton, where the fullness of the marks will be realized.

The classical marks of the church have served the church throughout history
as defining and demarcating markers while at the same time they have safeguarded
the church’s orthodoxy. They carry the history of already having been utilized by the
church during times of tension and transition to combat heresy, to demarcate the
church in the midst of plurality, to challenge the church in regard to her mission, and
to bear witness to God’s authorship and ownership of the church. ‘However loudly a
Church might proclaim itself one, holy, catholic and apostolic’, if the signs ‘exist
in such a way that they are no longer seen to be convincing from outside … or
inside … they have lost their illuminating power’.

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 8

 Student Activity 2: Describe briefly the Four Marks of the Church

Four Marks of the Description

Church

ONE

HOLY

CATHOLIC

APOSTOLIC

Challenges and Issues

1. The Church and churches

If we try to walk around the city, we find so many churches. We have

the St. Augustine Cathedral of the Catholic Church. We also find the churches
of the other Christian denominations. How can the church claim to be ‘one’,
when the empirical evidence of multiple denominations would suggest
otherwise? Christ founded only One Church. How come we have so many
Christian denominations? It is because so many people claimed to be Christ
and founded their own churches. Try to check yours, is it founded by Christ or
anyone else?

2. The Church is HOLY yet IMPERFECT

The Church is both divine and human institution. As human institution,

it is run and administered by people: pope, bishops or priests. We cannot deny
that there are issues on money, sexual abuses, corruption and other
immoralities. They happen in the Church. Though they deformed the faces of
the Church, they do not make the Church unholy. The holiness of the Church

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 9

 does not come from its leaders nor from its members, but from God who is the
source of all holiness.

REFLECTION

1. Can the classical marks of the church have a continuing and

contemporary relevance for the church in the twenty-first century?

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2. What other visible marks that you think found in your Church?

RUBRIC FOR REFLECTION

Criteria 5 4 3 2 SCORE
1. Organization Thoughts are very Thoughts are very Thoughts are Thoughts are
organized with well- organized with organized but organized but
constructed well- constructed paragraphs are not paragraphs are not
paragraphs, use of paragraphs, and well constructed, and well constructed, and
subheadings, and information is information is factual information is
information is factual and and correct. suspect to being
factual and correct. correct. correct and factual.
2. Mechanics No grammatical, Almost no A few grammatical, Many grammatical
spelling or grammatical, spelling or spelling or
punctuation errors. spelling or punctuation errors. punctuation errors.
punctuation
errors.

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 10

3. Quality of Ideas clearly relates Ideas clearly Ideas clearly relates Ideas has little to do
ideas to the main topic. It relates to the main to the main topic. No with the main topic.
includes several topic. It provides details and/or given.
supporting details 1-2 supporting
and/or examples. details and/or
examples.
Total Score:

II. The Church as a Sacrament of Salvation

1. Have you experienced

God’s love in your life?

2. Can you recall an

instance in your life where
you felt God’s love?

God’s love is manifested in the saving acts and words of Jesus which are
recorded in the Bible. The sacraments are signs of Christ’s loving presence in our
midst. Through the sacraments, we are given the opportunity to have a closer
relationship with God and with the members of the Christian community we belong to.

Biblical Texts
A. Church as Sacrament

• John 17:18- "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you".
• Romans 1:16- "The gospel . . . is the power of God that brings salvation . . .
first to the Jew, then to the Gentile".

• 2 Corinthians 4:15- "Grace that is reaching more and more people".

• 2 Corinthians 10:16- "So that we can preach the gospel to the regions
beyond you".

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 11

B. The Three-fold Mission of Christ and His Church
Prophetic mission
• Matthew 24:14- “The gospel will be preached in the whole world”.

• Mark 13:10- "The gospel must first be preached to all nations".

Kingly mission
• 1 Peter 4:10-11- "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as
good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks
oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God
supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

• Galatians 5:13- “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do
not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in
love”.

Priestly mission
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16- “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.
• Colossians 4:2- “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful”.

Human Experience

The Storm: A Story of Sacrifice and Salvation

After a few of the usual Sunday

morning hymns, the church's priest slowly
stood up, walked over to the pulpit and,
before he gave his sermon for, briefly
introduced a guest Minister who was in the
service that day. In the introduction, the
priest told the congregation that the guest
Minister was one of his dearest childhood
friends and that he wanted him to have a
few moments to greet the church and
share whatever he felt would be
appropriate for the service. With that, the
elderly gentleman stepped up to the pulpit
and began to speak.

"A father, and his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific coast,"
he began... "when a fast storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. The
waves were so high, even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not
keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 12

 The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers
who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in
his story. The aged minister continued with his story...

"Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most painful decision of his
life: to which boy would he throw the end of the life line? He had only seconds to make
the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew that his
son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of
waves.

As the father yelled out 'I Love You, Son!' he threw out the life line to his son's
friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat his son
had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black night. His body was never
recovered," the old man said sadly.

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously
waiting for the next words to come out of the old Minister's mouth.

"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus
and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without
Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend. How great is the love
of God that he should do the same for us? Our Heavenly Father sacrificed His only
begotten Son so that we could be saved. I urge you to accept His offer to rescue you
and take hold of the life line He is throwing out to you in this service."

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled
the church. The priest again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon
with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. But, within
moments after the service ended, the two boys were at the old man's side.

"That was a nice story," politely stated one of the boys, "but, I don't think it was
very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other would
become a Christian."

"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn
Bible. As a big smile broadened his narrow face, he looked up again at the boys and
said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But, I'm here today to tell you this story gives me
a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His only Son for me. You
see... I was that father, and your priest is my son's friend."
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CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 13

 Student Activity 3: Reflection

1. What can you say about the story?

2. What do you think is the message of God in the story?

3. In what way God’s redemption works in the story?

Church Teaching

Church as Sacrament of Salvation

When Christ sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, his Apostles were inspired to
shepherd his flock after His Ascension into heaven. "As the Father has sent me, even
so I send you" (John 17:18, 20:21). The Church itself is a sacrament instituted by
Christ to give grace. Jesus as the head, gave us his Body the Church to continue the
works he performed during his earthly life. This works is the “Grace” given to us that
will help us lead a good life in this world and help save us for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thus, He wanted the Church to consistently work for this grace so that salvation will
be possible to all men.

However, some people still find such explanation difficult to understand. Thus,
images of the Church have been used throughout the centuries to better illustrate her
nature and mission. With this, let us briefly include the Vatican II in its document

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 14

Lumen Gentium when it says, “The Church, in Christ, is the nature of sacrament- a
sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God and of unity among all men.”

Note:
Lumen gentium ("Light of the Nations")- Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, of the
Second Vatican Council. Its purpose is declared to be twofold: to explain the Church's nature
as "a sign and instrument of communion with God and of unity among all men," and to clarify
the Church's universal mission as the sacrament of human salvation. A unique feature of the
constitution is the Explanatory Note, added to the conciliar document by order of Pope Paul
VI, clarifying the meaning of episcopal collegiality, that the community of bishops have no
authority without dependence on and communion with the Bishop of Rome (November 21,
1964).

Moreover, Lumen Gentium rightly calls the Church “The Universal Sacrament
of Salvation” since Christ, who “is continually active in the world,” leads all people to
the Church so that He may “join them more closely to Himself.” Through the Holy Spirit,
Christ’s mission of salvation “continues in the Church in which, through our faith, we
learn the meaning of our earthly life, while we bring to term, with hope of future good,
the task allotted to us in the world by the Father, and so work out our salvation.”
Therefore, in understanding the Church as sacrament readily presents the Church’s
mission.

The Three-fold mission of Christ and His Church

Accordingly, salvation is not something private or individualistic. It is not even

an accumulation of our merits and good deeds at the end of our earthly life. It is always
lived, actualized and received in relation with others, with the community. With this,
the ultimate goal of Christ then in
founding the Church is to
propagate His mission, to
continue His work of redemption
for all time, and to implement this
GRACE of SALVATION to all
mankind through the THREE-
FOLD MISSION.

In order to understand the

concept of prophet, king, and
priest, one must first come to
understand what we mean by
these terms. These three terms: prophet, king, and priest, have come to symbolize
the three-fold mission and office of Christ Jesus and His Church. This three-fold
office is commonly called by its Latin name (in plural form), munera. However,

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 15

a munus is not merely an office, but signifies a mission, what one has been sent to do.
Hence, when we talk about a person being a priest, prophet, and king, we do not
merely imply that he holds these offices, but that he is sent to publicly manifest the
powers of these offices. As “being” precedes “doing,” these offices are received, so
that they may be executed in our lives.

a. Prophetic Mission

A prophet is a messenger sent by God, a person who speaks for God. He or

she witnesses to God, calls people to conversion, and may also foretell the future.
Prophets often are killed for their message.
Jesus fits this
description. He is none other
than the Word of God in the
flesh. He called the world to
turn from sin and return to the
Father and was put to death
for it. In Scripture Jesus is
presented as a prophet.
Crowds identified him as
“Jesus the prophet” (Matthew
21:11). He spoke of himself as
a prophet: “No prophet is
accepted in his own native
place” (Luke 4:24). He foretold
his passion and resurrection.

Therefore, in this prophetic mission, it is our task to proclaim the gospel and
make the memory of Jesus alive in words and signs so that the power of the Gospel
may shine out in daily family and social life. It is our task to remind the people of His
continuous presence in the world. And it is our task to profess its hope in the unique
and creative manifestation of Christ in the future.

b. Kingly Mission

A king is a person who has

supreme authority over a territory. When
the Jewish people were ruled by kings,
they became a nation. They longed for a
Messiah who would again make them
great.
Jesus is spoken of as a king in the
Gospels. Gabriel announced to Mary that
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CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 16

the Lord God would give her son the throne of David his father, and he would rule over
the house of Jacob forever. Magi looked for a newborn king of the Jews. When Jesus
last entered Jerusalem, crowds hailed him as a king. He was arrested for making
himself king, and the soldiers mocked him as one. When Pilate asked if he were king
of the Jews, Jesus replied, “You say so,” and he clarified, “My kingdom does not
belong to this world” (John 18:36). The charge written against Jesus was “Jesus the
Nazorean, the King of the Jews.” Jesus announced the kingdom of God. His mission
was to have God reign in the hearts of all and to have peace and justice in the world.
Jesus exercised his royal office by serving.

Thus, kingly mission invites us to serve as an instrument for the achievement

of unity in the world. Like Christ who come to serve and not to be served. Always
remember that a community servant, serves people to develop their full potentials for
God’s kingdom.

c. Priestly Mission

A priest is a mediator, or bridge, between God and human beings. He offers

sacrifice to God on behalf of all. Once a year on the Day of Atonement the Jewish high
priest went into the Holy of Holies in the Temple. There he offered sacrifice to God to
make up for his sins and the sins of the people.
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews
compared Jesus to Melchizedek, a
mysterious, superior priest in the Old
Testament who blessed Abraham. Jesus
is the greatest high priest. Because he is
both divine and human, Jesus is the
perfect mediator. He is not only the perfect
priest, holy and sinless, but the perfect
sacrifice. The sacrifice of Jesus need
never be made again. Jesus “entered
once for all into the sanctuary, not with the
blood of goats and calves but with his own
blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). Jesus continues his ro le
as priest. “He is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he
lives forever to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

With priestly mission, it is our duty then to remind ourselves in carrying out our
mission to proclaim the message not only in words but also most importantly in our
lifestyle. We need to constantly offer spiritual worship through celebrating the Holy
Eucharist for the glory of God and salvation of men. We must be a living sign and a
point of unity and sacrifice especially for the lost, the least, and the last.

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 17

 Through this diversity of our tasks as prophetic, kingly, and priestly people, with
our various gifts, serve as means to reach out to others, to help them, to inspire them
and o be one with them in our road to the mutual pursuit for goodness, holiness, and
eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion

The Church as a sacrament perpetuates Christ’s saving mission in the world.

Like the seven liturgical sacraments, the Church is both a sign and an instrument of
God’s grace. As sign the Church points the faithful, by her very constitution, toward
communion with God and neighbor in this life and eternal union forever in the next. As
instrument the Church makes communion with God possible by means of the gifts
given to her by Christ: her doctrine, laws, and sacraments. The Church, then, is the
sacrament of Christ: she makes His work of salvation visible and accessible to human
beings.

Further, the Church functions analogously to the seven liturgical sacraments:

she leads us to a share in God’s life and union with Christ. But the Church is not
properly the “eighth” sacrament; rather theologians have called the Church the
“fundamental” or “root” sacrament because the seven liturgical sacraments receive
their power through the Church, which, rooted in the mystery of God, receives power
from Christ. Each liturgical sacrament brings about a specific grace proper to its
physical sign; the Church is the sign of Christ’s enduring presence in the world. In the
words of theologian Scott Hahn, the Church is more than an institution that exists for
the sake of performing sacraments; she is herself a sacramental institution that does
what she is.

Thus, the Second Unit of this course will thoroughly discuss and explain each
sacraments of the Church and its functions and effect for those people who continually
work for the salvation of souls.

Challenges and Issues

With the rise of secularism and atheism in modern society, there are persons
who look at the Catholic Church with suspicion, doubt, and even rejection. At times,
they simply reduce the Church to a mere human institution governed by conservative
leaders and unfairly equate it as simply a moralist institution that condemns artificial
contraception and preaches the commandments but lacks practice due to the
scandals that few members of the clergy were into.

Moreover, the unlimited information in the internet, from the ordinary to spiritual,
make the young people easy victims of consumerism and hedonism, eventually
putting the Church in the bad light as it firmly calls the young to a life of virtue and
altruism. Certainly, the young people have the tendency to dismiss the Church as
strict, authoritarian, and nagging institution.

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 18

 However, such notions about the Church are realities that she has to put so
much concerned about amidst the condemnations and rejections in this world. Hence,
the need to constantly offer the gift of the person Jesus Christ to the young and to all
in order for them to receive the true meaning and happiness in life and ultimately, the
promise of eternal life with God.

Student Activity 4: With these misconceptions, how does the Catholic Church
understand itself and its relationship with the world? How does the Church
contextualize herself in God’s plan of salvation and at the same time, responsive to
the signs of the times?

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 19

 Activity 5: Mini Task 2
Reaction Paper

What is a reaction paper? Reaction or response

papers are designed so that you will consider
carefully what you think or feel about something
you've read.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Read the three reading materials

a. FB post on marrying young
b. Mr Gokongwei’s view on marriage
c. 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 (a favorite reading
during weddings)

2. While reading think about the following

questions:
a. How do you feel about what you are
reading?
b. With what do you agree or disagree?
c. Can you identify with the situation?

3. Pre-writing for Your Reaction Paper

Keeping your responses to these questions in mind, complete as many statements as
possible about what you read.
1. I think that 11. Because
2. I see that 12. In addition
3. I feel that 13. However
4. It seems that 14. Consequently
5. In my opinion 15. Finally
6. For example 16. In conclusion
10. Moreover

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 20

 The above statements become your rough draft. Now it needs to be organized.
Your paper should have:

a. An introduction (no more than two paragraphs),

b. A body,
c. A conclusion.

I. Introduction
• Sentence 1 should include pertinent information such as author, title, title, and
place.
• Sentence 2, 3, and 4 should give a summary or overview.
• Sentence 5 should be your thesis (i.e., you agree, disagree, identify with, or
evaluate) NOTE: A thesis statement is an assertion, not a statement of fact. A
thesis should take a stand, contain one main point, and be sufficiently specific and
narrow.

Guide Question: What is your stand on love and marriage?

II. Body
The body should contain paragraphs that provide support for your thesis. Each paragraph
should contain one idea. The topic sentence of each paragraph should support the
thesis. The final sentence of each paragraph should lead into the next paragraph.

III. Conclusion
The conclusion can be:
• A restatement of what you said in your paper,
• A comment that focuses your overall reaction, or
• A prediction of the effects about your topic.
Note: your conclusion should include no new information.

FORMAT:
A. 1- 2 pages D. Spacing: 1.15
B. Font size: 12 E. Justify
C. Font style: Arial or Tahoma
Adapted from: http://web.mnstate.edu/robertsb/313/Reaction%20paper%201.pdf
RUBRIC FOR MINI TASK 2
Criteria SCORE
1. Organization & Is paper organized according to directions? - Does paper include intro/body/conclusion?
- Is there a clear-cut thesis? - Are ideas presented in an orderly sequence? - Does the /15
Structure conclusion adequately draw the paper to a close? - Does the length and formatting of
the paper meet the requirements?
2. Content & Are the ideas explored adequately within the limits of the assignment and as explained
in the thesis? - Are the major points stated clearly and are they well supported? - Does
Development the paper contain excessive summarizing? - Are the arguments convincing? - Does the
/70
paper demonstrate an understanding of the text? - Is the paper’s language accurate,
succinct, and effective in making ideas and evidence clear? - Are there any quotations?
Is there proper citation of the author's ideas when referenced? - Does the paper
demonstrate original thought concerning the major points of the text?
3. Mechanics Does the paper demonstrate control over essential elements of grammar? - Are
sentences clear and varied in structure? - Does the paper avoid major grammatical /15
errors? - Does the paper avoid spelling errors? - Does the paper follow standard,
academic, formal English style?
Total Score: /100

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 21

 Let us end this module with a prayer. In the space below write a prayer
with any of the two following intentions:
1. for the unity of the Church, as one body of Christ.
2. for a specific gift of the Holy Spirit needed in responding to the three-fold
mission of the Church.

RUBRIC FOR OBJECTIVE ELABORATION AND ESSAY

Criteria 5 4 3 2 SCORE
1. Claims • Shows a thorough • Shows a clear • Presents a • Develops a faulty
understanding of the understanding of the general analysis or
question and addresses question and addresses understanding of evaluation
all aspects of the all aspects of the the question. • Lacks analysis or
question. question. • Addresses most evaluation of the
• Shows an ability to • Includes relevant facts, aspects of the issues and
analyze, evaluate and examples. and details question in a events beyond
reflect on the topic but may not support all limited way. stating vague
given. aspects of the task and/or
• Richly supports essay evenly. inaccurate facts.
with relevant facts,
examples, and details.
2. No grammatical, spelling Almost no grammatical, A few grammatical, Many grammatical
Mechanics or punctuation errors. spelling or punctuation spelling or spelling or
errors. punctuation errors. punctuation errors.
3. Quality Ideas clearly relates to the Ideas clearly relates to the Ideas clearly relates Ideas has little to
of ideas main topic. It includes main topic. It provides 1-2 to the main topic. No do with the main
several supporting details supporting details and/or details and/or given. topic.
and/or examples. examples.
Total Score:

CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 22

 EVALUATION

Name: Date:

Section: Score:

I. Objective Elaboration

1. Explain the following concepts:

1.1 Church as Sacrament

1.2 Lumen Gentium

II. Essay

Among the threefold mission of the Church, which mission/s that you think need
to rediscover and apply in order for you to respond to contemporary challenges and
needs? Justify your answer.

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CH401- CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS 23