The Four Pillars

of the Church
 First Question
• What does it mean to be a Catholic?
– We must understand what the Catholic Church is
• For 2000 years
– Doctors, saints, theologians, and above all the
Magisterium teach us about the Mystery of the
Church, intimately linked to the mystery of Christ
• Christ Pantocrator
(He Who governs
all)
• “You are the fairest
of all men and
graciousness is
poured upon your
lips.” (Ps. 45:3)
• Splendor of
humanity and the
majesty of divinity
(red and blue
garments)
• Left hand holds the
Gospel, authentic
book of truth and
happiness.
 The Four Pillars
• Profession of faith (“I believe” and “We
believe”)
• Sacramental Life
• Life in Christ (the Moral Law)
• Life of Prayer
 The 1st pillar
The Profession of Faith
• Represents revelation of Jesus to all the peoples, of
whom the Magi are the representatives

• The Gospel of Christ is the salvific message for the

whole world.
What does it mean to believe in God?
• To personally adhere to God with our whole
being.
• To obediently accept the revelation of God
about Himself and about His salvific plan.
• Perfect model of a lively faith: The Blessed
Virgin Mary
• The Church is mother and teacher in faith.
 The Principal Truths of Revelation
• God’s Name: I AM WHO AM. He is eternal,
transcendent, and full of mercy.
• God is creator of all things. Man is the summit
of the visible creation.
• Death entered the world by the sin of Adam
and Eve. All humanity is infected by the
wound of original sin.
• God elects Israel to give him due honor and to
prepare for the Messiah
 Christ Our Lord
• In the fullness of time, the Son of God
assumes a human nature from the Virgin Mary
to redeem us.
• Jesus Christ reveals the merciful face of the
Father. He is the fullness of Revelation
• “In giving us His Son, God has given us His One
Word. He has spoken to us all at once.” (St.
John of the Cross.)
 The Paschal Mystery
• The passion, death, and resurrection of our
Lord is the central mystery of our faith. By his
sacrificial death on the Cross, Christ redeems
us, reconciling us to the Father.
• In the Last Supper, Christ anticipates His
passion and institutes the Holy Eucharist.
• Christ’s resurrection proves his divinity and his
lordship over all creation and over life and
death.
 The Holy Spirit and the Church
• On Pentecost, The Holy Spirit is poured out on
the Apostles. The Church, the Bride of Christ is
manifested to all.
• The revelation of the Triune God is complete:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• The Church is the beginning and germ of the
Kingdom of heaven. She is one (origin in the one
God, one in faith, hope and charity), holy (her
founder is holy), apostolic (built on apostles’
teaching) and Catholic (embraces all men)
 Saints and Heaven
• Heaven is the vision of God face to face, where
our desire for happiness will be perfectly fulfilled
• The saints who have preceded us intercede for
us. We pray for the souls who are still being
purified.
• The Last Judgment will reveal the plenitude of
divine justice and mercy. The wicked will be
condemned, and the righteous will inherit eternal
life.
 The 2nd pillar
The Sacramental Life
• Sacrifice of Jesus is the
fount of the sacramental life
of the Church.
• From his wounded side
flowed blood and water, by
which he washed away the
sins of the world
• Mary, symbol of the Church,
collects with her left hand
the blood and water which
represent the sacraments of
the Church.
 Sacramental Economy
• Through the sacraments, the fruits of the
redemption of Christ are communicated to us.
• In the Liturgy, Christ continues our work of
redemption, through the ministry of the
Apostles, their successors and their
collaborators.
• The efficacy of the sacraments derive from
Christ himself, irrespective of the personal
holiness of the minister (ex opere operato)
• The words and liturgical actions truly realize
what they signify. E.g Baptism.
• Various Liturgical rites draw on the
unfathomable riches of the Mystery of Christ.
• Baptism: is the sacrament of faith. It is
necessary for salvation for all those to whom
the Gospel has been preached.
– Baptism creates an indelible mark in our soul of
belonging to Christ. It makes us share in the
Trinitarian life of God.
• The Eucharist is the source and summit of all
Christian life.
– It contains our entire spiritual good: Christ, our
Pasch
– The Eucharist makes present Christ’s sacrifice on
the Cross. The Eucharist and the Cross are the
same sacrifice – only the mode of offering is
different.
– It is the Paschal Banquet, since Christ by offering
us His Body and Blood unites us to Himself.
– Foretaste of heavenly glory
 The 3rd pillar

Life in Christ
• Mary is the Panaghia (the All
Holy One), the masterpiece of
the Holy Spirit.
• She is surrounded by festive
angels, and above her head is
the dove, symbol of the splendor
of charity of the Holy Spirit
• St. John, contemplating the
Immaculate Conception,
represents the faithful who see
in Mary the perfect model of
Christian holiness.
• By her intercession, Mary draws
upon the church abundance of
graces – symbolized by the
blooming flowers.
El Greco, Museo de Santa Cruz,
Toledo.
 Dignity of the human person
• Man is created in the image and likeness of
God, gifted with an immortal soul with
intellect and free-will.
• Our Vocation to beatitude: The whole human
person – body and soul is destined for eternal
beatitude.
• Man attains beatitude by the grace of Christ,
who makes us participate in the divine life.
• Freedom: Due to original sin, our freedom is
weakened. The Holy Spirit gives us the grace
to attain spiritual liberty.
• Passions: In themselves, passions are neither
good nor evil, but only when they contribute
to a good or evil action.
• Formation of a good conscience: By education,
by assimilation of the Word of God, prayer,
receiving advice of prudent persons, gifts of
the Holy Spirit, practice of virtues, etc.
 SIN
• Sin is a thought, word or deed contrary to eternal
law. t is an offense against God.
• Christ in his Passion reveals the full gravity of sin.
• Mortal sin needs three conditions: grave matter,
full knowledge, and deliberate consent.
• Mortal sin destroys charity, privates sanctifying
grace, and if unrepented leads to eternal
condemnation in hell.
• Ordinary means of remission of mortal sin is
through baptism or confession.
• Venial sins do not destroy charity and grace,
but weaken them.
• Structures of sin: Social situations or
institutions that are contrary to the divine law.
They are expressions and effects of personal
sins.
• When structures of sin exist, there is urgent
need for call to conversion.
 Law and Grace
• The New Law: It is the law proclaimed by
Christ. Plenitude and fulfillment of revealed
divine law.
• Precepts of the New Law: Love of God, and
love of neighbor.
• “The New Law is principally the grace of the
Holy Spirit, which is given to those who believe
in Christ.” (St. Thomas Aquinas)
• Sermon on Mount: Principal expression of the
New Law. Portrays the face of Christ.
• Grace and Freedom: Grace precedes, prepares
and evokes the free response of man. It invites
man to cooperation with itself.
• Mount represents privileged place of encounter with God
• Christ on the rock – His cathedra
• Finger pointed to heaven – divine origin of his words
• Roll in left hand – indicates plenitude of his doctrine
• Apostles (except one) form a crown – fidelity to Christ in
transmitting his mystery in the Church
 The Ten Commandments
• “Teacher, what good must I do to inherit
eternal life?” Keep the commandments and
Follow Me.
• Contemplate fullness of the Law in the person
of the Divine Master.
 4th Pillar

Christian Prayer
• Jesus is constantly in prayer.
• He prays to His Father with a singular filial devotion
that surprises his disciples.
• Jesus continues his prayer today in the Church
through the liturgy. When the Church prays, it is the
Son who raises his hands imploring the Father.
• Jesus in Gesthamane, will take the chalice of his
bitter passion from the hand of the angel.
 God as end of Prayer
• One Who is all important in Prayer: God. His
Glory, His Will, His Kingdom, His Providence.
• For some, end of life is riches, pleasure, honor
etc. But for the Christian, intimacy with the
living God is the foundation of life.
• In prayer, our soul is united with the Triune
God. We acknowledge Him as our gracious
Creator, our loving Redeemer, and as the
ineffable Sanctifier
 Prayer gives answer to the
fundamental questions
• What is the meaning of life? Where do I come
from? Where do I go to?
• In prayer, we personally and intimately
experience the answer to these questions.
And the answer is always the same: The
Ineffable God.
• In prayer, the revealed history of salvation
penetrates us, and we learn to shape our lives
accordingly.
 In Prayer . . .
• We touch the very mystery of God
• We receive the grace and strength to bear the
troubles in this valley of tears.
• We are united with the saints and angels, and
with the men of all time in their needs and
sufferings
• We receive light to understand more the
divine mysteries
 What is Prayer?
• It is supernatural conversation with God.
– Not visions and voices (These are more of
obstacles rather than aids)
– We mean: Animated by supernatural faith, hope
and charity, the soul listens to God speaking to it-
as if connaturally-in its very depths.
– In prayer, we either contemplate divine mysteries
or converse about natural things with a
supernatural vision.
 How should we pray?
• With a humble and trusting heart
– Acknowledge our creatureliness, and the majesty
of God.
– Know our sinfulness, and the tender Mercy of
God.
– With filial confidence in the goodness of God
• With a recollected spirit.
– Let distractions be quietly left behind.
– Let fall off all masks and dissimulations.
• Prayer of Mary
The prayer of Mary is characterized by her faith and
the generous offering of her whole being
She prays to Jesus, her Son, for the needs of all men.
In the Gospel, we have the example of the
intercession of Mary at the wedding of Cana
The Gospel also hands down to us the Magnificat,
the joyful thanksgiving of a heart which
contemplates the great works of God for us.
 The Fabric of Prayer
• Fashioned according to the liturgical cycle
• Holy Mass
– The Prayer Par Excellence. The sacrifice of Christ is
re-presented.
– We are caught up in the blazing love of the Son of
God for His Father and for all men
– Practical importance of good preparation for
Mass, genuine sacred music and art.
• Liturgy of the Hours
– Precious life breath that rhythmizes and
consecrates the priest’s whole day.

• Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

– A personal time for meditation and contemplation
– Meditation is the intellect working to understand
the divine truths
– Contemplation is the gift of God where the soul is
interiorly illuminated and united to God. Need for
purification to enter into contemplative prayer.
• Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
• Family Prayer
–The Christian family is the first place of
education in prayer
–The Church recommends particularly
the daily family prayer
–Because it is the first testimony of the
life of prayer in the Church
• The Most Holy Rosary
– The family prayer par excellence.
– We praise and honor Mary as we enter into the
mysteries of Our Lord.
• Lectio Divina
– Prayerful reading of Sacred Scripture.
– Holy Spirit illuminates the mind to delight in the
mystery of Christ.
• Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady
– To unwind for a few minutes the day’s activities
– “Come and see.” Know the power of these visits
by experience.
 The Summary of the Gospel – The
Lord’s Prayer
• Our Father Who Art in Heaven
– With Filial trust. The Son of God has made us children
of God. Heaven denoted God’s majesty.
• Hallowed be thy name
– May his Name be sanctified by all peoples and in our
own lips.
• Thy Kingdom come
– We look for the return of Christ Our King
• Thy Will be done on earth as in heaven
• May our will be united with God’s will to save all men.
• Gives us this day our daily bread
– Humbly ask for our earthly nourishment and for the
Bread of Life – the Word of God and the Eucharist.
• Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
– We beg for God’s mercy. We forgive after Christ’s
example.
• Lead us not into temptation
– Spirit of discernment, grace of vigilance and final
perseverance
• Deliver us from all evil
– The we may be delivered from Satan, through the
power of the Christ the Victor.
• Amen.
– So be it.
 Conclusion
• Jesus Christ – the center and fullness of
revelation.
• He institutes the sacraments to communicate
his divine life and his grace.
• He sends the Holy Spirit from the Father so
that we might live lives worthy of our calling.
• He prays for us as our priest, prays in us as our
Head, and is prayed to us as our God. To Him
be glory for ever. Amen