Week 2 Ecclesiology and Social Teachings of the Church Page 1 of 8

First Quarter

ILK – TOPIC 2 Images of the Church

In the Sacred Scripture there are images which bring out various complementary
aspects of the mystery of the Church. These images manifest basic human values and
religious meanings that are relevant to our own Filipino culture and spirituality.

HUMAN EXPERIENCE

A Splendid Work of Art

Michelangelo's painting found at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the
world's greatest masterpieces. The ceiling is about 40 meters (131 feet) long by 13 meters
(43 feet) wide. Michelangelo painted well over 5,000 square feet of frescoes.

What do these frescoes depict? The main panels down the center depict scenes
from the Book of Genesis, from the Creation, to The Fall, to shortly after Noah's deluge.
Adjacent to each of these scenes, on either side, are immense portals of prophets and
sybils who foretold the coming of the Messiah. Along the bottom of these run spandrels
and lunettes containing the ancestors of Jesus and stories of tragedy in the smaller
figures are painted cherubs.

All told, there are more than 300 painted figures on the ceiling. What added to
the difficulty in accomplishing the task is the fact that the ceiling itself has a wealth of
architectural members and moldings and Michelangelo used these to demarcate
separate compositions. The paintings are more than images; they depict the story of
God's love for His people.
www.arthistory.about.com

"I am with you always." Mt. 28:20

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ACTIVITIES

A. Answer the following questions.

1. What is a masterpiece?
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2. How do you think are artists able to come up with masterpieces?

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3. What scenes are depicted in the paintings of Michelangelo?

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4. Do you think Michelangelo's paintings have fully captured the greatness of God's
love? Why yes? Why no?
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Images are powerful means of providing insights into realities.

Our image helps people know and understand us.
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READING THE MESSAGE

A comparison with the body will help us understand and appreciate what the
Church is.

One Body, Many Parts

"As the Witt is one, having many members, and all the members, while being
many, form one body, so it is with Christ. All of us, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free
men, have been baptized in one Spirit to form one body and all of us have been given
to drink from the one Spirit. The body has not just one member but many.

Now you are Christ's body and each of you individually is a member of it."

1 Cor. 12:12-14; 27

LEARNING THE MESSAGE

All about Images

As human persons, our nature requires that for us to be able to understand an

idea or concept, it must first be expressed concretely. Thus, for us to know and
appreciate what love, truth, justice, or faith is, it must be expressed either in words or
actions or both.

The same is true with the Church the Church is a reality that can only be fully
understood and appreciated if we will use images to describe it. There are various
images used to describe the Church and each of these gives us a wonderful view of
the nature of the Church. But before we go to the discussion of the images of the
Church, let us first examine two important characteristics of images.

In the book, "Theology for Teachers" by Ian Knox, "image" is described as an

analogy or a comparison. Thus, an image makes use of comparisons in order to present
to us a particular point of view as a vantage point from which a reality can be
examined. For example, the image of a lamb is used to present to us a particular
characteristic of Jesus, a way by which we could look at Him, that is, Jesus is meek and
spotless like a lamb. An image, however, is limited. It presents to us only an aspect of a
reality. This is because an image cannot completely capture the varied characteristics
of a reality. The image of a lamb, for example, cannot adequately capture all the
characteristics of Jesus; thus other images are used to describe Him — Shepherd, the
Way, the Vine, Bread of Life, etc.

In using images to describe the Church, the two aforementioned characteristics

of image must always be borne in mind. Also, we have to remember two important
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aspects of the nature of the Church for us to be able to relate the images with it, that is
the Church is both human and divine.

Images make use of comparison to help us understand

and appreciate better the nature of the Church.

The Church, Body of Christ

One of the most vivid images used in the New Testament to describe the Church
is the body. St Paul makes use of this image twice— in his Letters to the Romans and to
the Corinthians. In using the image of the body to describe the Church. St. Paul
emphasizes two important aspects of the Church's reality: diversity and unity.

First, diversity. The nature of the Church as Body of Christ manifests itself when we
compare this image to the natural human body. Just as in the body there are eyes, ears,
and feet and other bodily parts which serve different functions, in the Church there are
different roles to play. Some are apostles, some prophets, others teachers and still the
others miracle workers. The greatest gift however, is the capacity for divine love. This
variety in gifts, roles, and functions, accounts for the beautiful diversity that exists in the
Church. It, at the time, stresses the importance of each member of the Church since
each has an important role to play in building up the Church. The diversity also helps us
to realize the value of each member of the Church.

Besides emphasizing the uniqueness of each member of the Church, the image
of the body also stresses the unity that should characterize the Church. What accounts
for the unity in the Church? First, each member, by himself or herself, cannot build the
Church for each must depend on the other. Each of us may have different callings—
some may have been called to be teachers, others engineers, priests, police officers,
etc. Yet each of us has a basic calling, one that unites all our different efforts— that of
spreading the Gospel and building up the Church, the Body of Christ.

Second, just as the human body with its different parts is animated by one soul,
which is the so-called "principle of life" or "that which gives life", there is also one
animator, one Spirit that breathes life into the Church — the Holy Spirit. "There is only
one Spirit who, according to his own richness and the needs of the ministries, gives his
different gifts for the welfare of the Church" (LG 5). It is also the same Spirit that produces
and stimulates love among the faithful. This love causes an interior bond among all the
members such that when one member suffers, all suffer with him, and if one member
is honored, all the members together rejoice" (1 Cor 12:26).

Third, the Church is united by one head — Christ. Christ as head of the Church
calls each member to an intimate union with Him and with one another and even
provides the means by which they would achieve this communion the Eucharist.

The Church as Body of Christ helps us appreciate two important aspects of the
nature of the Church- unity and diversity.
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Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is the major theme of Christ's own teaching in the Synoptic
Gospels. As a biblical image, the Kingdom of God is the Good News preached to the
poor, the gift of God our "Abba" who is sensitive to the needs and sufferings of every
human being. Christ inaugurated His Church by preaching the coming of the Kingdom
(LG 5). His parables about the Kingdom of God contain many specific images, a
treasure hidden in a field, the leaven raising the dough, the tiny mustard seed growing
into a tall tree, and a fish net catching the good and the bad.

From the parables used by Jesus in describing the Kingdom of God, we can get
two important notions about the Church. First, we get the notion that the Church is not
simply identified with the Kingdom of God. The Church is that small seed that will blossom
into the Kingdom of God. The Church is not the Kingdom of God, but it is the start, the
beginning of the kingdom. Second, the Church, represents the Kingdom-in-process. And
like the Kingdom, "it stands between the already and the not yet, constantly striving to
prepare the way for, and witness to the kingdom in glory" (CPC 1379).

The Church is the seed, the beginning of God's Kingdom on earth.

It represents the coming of the Kingdom, the Kingdom in process.

People of God

This image has its background in the Old Testament covenant between Yahweh
and Israel. God, by establishing a covenant with Israel, elected the Israelites as His
people, His very own, the one to whom He promised His love and fidelity. As God's
people, Israel is to be faithful to Yahweh and must abide by the terms of the covenant
expressed in the Ten Commandments. But Israel was unfaithful to the covenant so God
promised His people that He will establish a new and lasting covenant through His Son,
Jesus Christ.

In establishing this new and perfect covenant, Christ formed a small community
made of Jews and Gentiles which would be one, not according to the flesh, but in the
Spirit, and this race would be the New People of God. This New People of God, the
Church, possesses several characteristics. First, the head of this people is Christ, the one
who called and formed them into a community. Second, their being in a community
does not rob them of their unique identity. Each member of this people of God is
endowed with dignity and freedom as sons and daughters of God. Third, the members
of this people are called to faithfully observe Christ's New Commandment of Love and
to spread God's Kingdom. Finally, the members of this new people of God, those who
believe in Christ, who are reborn through the Word of the living God and of water and
Spirit in Baptism, are destined for eternal life with God in His Kingdom.

We, as the new People of God share in the Priestly, Prophetic, and Kingly
functions of Christ. As a priestly people, we offer spiritual worship for the glory of God
and the salvation of humankind. As a kingly people, we witness to Christ through our
loving service for others and as a prophetic people we help spread the good news of
salvation by words and deeds.
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The Church as the People of God is prefigured in the covenant

between God and Israel and fulfilled in the new
and perfect covenant established by Christ.

Temple of the Holy Spirit

The Church is called the temple of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit resides
in the body which is the Church, gives life to, unifies, and moves this body (LG 7). He also
builds up the Church in charity, by the Word of God, the sacrament, the virtues and
charisms.

The Holy Spirit is at work in the Church at several instances. In Baptism, the Holy
Spirit builds up the Church by adding to it new members. In Confirmation, the Eucharist,
Penance, and Anointing of the Sick, the Holy Spirit causes the growth and healing of the
Church by giving its members courage and by forging reconciliation among them and
between them and Christ. In Marriage, the Holy Spirit empowers married couples to
establish a Christian family, the so-called domestic Church and in the sacrament of Holy
Orders, the Holy Spirit empowers the priest to continue the work of the apostles in
spreading the faith.

The Holy Spirit also infuses virtues into the members of the Church, causing them
to act according to the will of Christ. Finally, the Holy Spirit bestows on each member
of the Church special graces or charisms by which each is empowered to take on the
mission of proclaiming the good news of salvation according to his or her particular
vocation in life.

The Holy Spirit makes the Church the Temple of the living God.
He is the principle of every vital and truly saving action of the Church.

THE CHURCH SAYS...

In Scripture, we find a host of interrelated images and figures through which

Revelation speaks of the inexhaustible mystery of the Church. The images taken from
Old Testament are variations on a profound theme: the People of God. In the New
Testament, all these images found a new center because Christ has become the Head
of the people, which henceforth is His Body.

CCC 753

If by its nature the Church is mystery and sacrament, we come to better

understand it more through prayerful reflection on key biblical images than by some
abstract definition.
CFC 1373
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DOING THE MESSAGE

Each image of the Church presented in this lesson presents challenges that, we
the new people of God should respond to. Are you ready to face and take on these
challenges? Assess your readiness by answering the questions below.

A. As a member of the Church, the Body of Christ, do you...

 develop your talents and use them to help the people around you?
 recognize and affirm the talents of others?
 foster unity at home, in school, in your community?
 look beyond differences and try to reach out to others in understanding and
love?
 eagerly and consistently accomplish the responsibilities given to you?
 pray to Christ for strength and guidance?
 seek communion with others and with Christ by frequenting the Holy Eucharist?
 allow the Spirit of God to work in and through you so that you could help build
up the Church?

B. As a member of the Church, the People of God, do you...

 willingly and eagerly obey God's commands?
 reach out to others in friendship and love?
 do what you ought to do and not what you want to do?
 spread Christ's love by words and deeds?
 attentively listen to the Word of God as it is proclaimed in the Holy Mass?

C. As a member of the Church, the temple of the Holy Spirit, do you...

 faithfully live out your baptismal vows?
 show courage in the face of temptation?
 humbly admit your sins before God, ask forgiveness from Him and resolve not to
sin again?
 joyfully perform your duties as a son or daughter?

If you answered "yes" to most of the questions, then you indeed are doing your
share in building up the Church.
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Worksheet
Images of the Church

Name: __________________________________________________ Date: ____________________

Course: _________________________________________________ Rating: ___________________

Look for a copy of the Documents of Vatican II then find the document entitled
"The Church" (Lumen Gentium). The following images of the Church are presented in
this document. Explain the reason why these images are used to describe the Church.

1. Sheepfold
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2. Cultivated field
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3. Building of God
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4. That Jerusalem which is above and our mother

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As a member of the Church, the People of God, cite concrete ways by which you will
actively live out your calling as priest, prophet, and king.

A. Priest
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B. Prophet
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C. King
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