The series Stepping Stones to the Fullness of Christ with host and author, Patti Brunner, asks the question, “What is the Church?” This episode includes a very special word from the Lord! This series was first taught to parents of sacramental prep students at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The title was inspired by a vision the Lord gave Patti Brunner. Jesus appeared and took her hand and showed which rocks to use as stepping stones to continue her journey. Truth of the Spirit now shares the Stepping Stones with you!
For links to watch or listen or to read the script of this episode please continue reading.
What is the Church? During our short time together we will not be able to discuss or learn everything about our faith and what the Church is, but we will take some of the steps of understanding as we cross the stepping stones Jesus has laid out for us. We will check some references in the Catholic Catechism to see what the Catholic Church teaches about this topic and also some verses of Sacred Scripture—including what Jesus has said in the Gospel. I invite you then to keep listening because today I will also share what Jesus just told me what the Church is! You won’t want to miss that!
Welcome to Truth of the Spirit and Stepping Stones to the Fullness of Christ[i]. I’m Patti Brunner. This is the second of a series, an opportunity to discover the truth as we journey toward Christ. This week’s topic, “What is the Church?” also raises the question, “Does Jesus love all denominations?”
What comes to mind when you hear the word “the Church”? How you would define or describe “the Church”. Do you think of the building where you attend Mass and receive the Eucharist and other sacraments? Or do you think of the authority who tells you what you can or can’t do or what you should or shouldn’t do? Do you think of the succession of the popes through the years since Peter was given the keys by Jesus? Do you think of the birthday of the Church at Pentecost? Do you think only of the Catholic Church or do you think of all the neighborhood Protestant churches or maybe those who have creative names like “Hope”, “Victory”, “The River”, or “Words of Wisdom”? What is the Church?
We can find a theological answer to our question if we use the catechism as resource to define “Church”. Listen carefully to see if your answer is the same as what the Catholic Church teaches in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Paragraph # 805 says “The Church is the Body of Christ.” How many of you chose that answer? The Catechism says, “The Church is the Body of Christ. Through the Spirit and his action in the sacraments, above all the Eucharist, Christ, who once was dead and is now risen, establishes the community of believers as his own Body.” The Church is a community of believers established as the Body of Christ!
Paragraph # 807 tells us, “The Church is this Body of which Christ is the head: she lives from him, in him, and for him; he lives with her and in her.” This reminds me a little of the story of creation in Chapter 2 of Genesis where the Lord God built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man, and the two of them become one flesh.
Paragraph # 808 tells us “The Church is the Bride of Christ.” That matches up! “The Church is the Bride of Christ: he loved her and handed himself over for her. He has purified her by his blood and made her the fruitful mother of all God’s children”.
Paragraph # 809 teaches, “The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit.” When we talk about temples we think of structures or buildings. In the Gospel of Luke Chapter 2, the infant Jesus was presented in the Temple; the twelve year old Jesus was found by Mary and Joseph teaching in the Temple. The Temple in Jerusalem was a place to come and give worship to God. But the Catechism gives us a deeper thought. “The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the soul, as it were, of the Mystical Body, the source of its life, of its unity in diversity, and of the riches of its gifts and charisms.” Let me repeat that. “The Spirit is the soul, as it were, of the Mystical Body, the source of its life, of its unity in diversity, and of the riches of its gifts and charisms.”
‘Diversity’ is a buzz word in today’s culture that tends to press the definition to speak of gender beyond the truth of nature. The Catechism speaks truth about diversity as it talks about unity in the Mystical Body. In Paragraph #806 it says, “In the unity of this Body, there is a diversity of members and functions. All members are linked to one another, especially to those who are suffering, to the poor and persecuted.”
Paragraph # 814 reminds us, “From the beginning, this one Church has been marked by a great diversity which comes from both the variety of God’s gifts and the diversity of those who receive them. Within the unity of the People of God, a multiplicity of peoples and cultures is gathered together. Among the Church’s members, there are different gifts, offices, conditions, and ways of life.” … “The great richness of such diversity is not opposed to the Church’s unity. Yet sin and the burden of its consequences constantly threaten the gift of unity. And so the Apostle has to exhort Christians to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” 264 Ephesians 4:3
As I said at the beginning, this week’s topic, “What is the Church?” also raises the question, “Does Jesus love all denominations?” We can again turn to the Catechism for the theological answer. “Theology” means the “study of God”. You can look in the back of the Catechism and find the citations of the various writings of the Church, handed down through the generations including saints who have spent their lives in the study of God during the last 2000 years and share with us the truth.
Just as Genesis teaches us about the unity in the creation of mankind it also shares that sin and evil encourages disunity. Catechism Paragraph # 817 addresses the wounds to unity. “In this one and only Church of God from its very beginnings there arose certain rifts, which the Apostle strongly censures as damnable.” The Church has had to address heresy and repair rifts with truth. From time to time our God has raised reformers to repair the Church when it had leaders who were sinful or were straying from the truth. The Catechism admits, “Serious dissensions appeared and large communities became separated from full communion with the Catholic Church – for which, often enough, men of both sides were to blame.”
Paragraph # 818 clarifies “However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers… All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church”
Paragraph #820 continues“Christ bestowed unity on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time.” Christ always gives his Church the gift of unity, but the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her. This is why Jesus himself prayed at the hour of his Passion, and does not cease praying to his Father, for the unity of his disciples: [John 17″21; cf. Heb. 7:25] “That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us…so that the world may know that you have sent me.” The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit.” 810 “The universal Church is seen to be a people brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
The key point of unity is given in Catechism Paragraph # 813. “The Church is one because of her source: “the highest exemplar and source of this mystery is the unity, in the Trinity of Persons, of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit.” 259 The Church is one because of her founder: for “the Word made flesh, the prince of peace, reconciled all men to God by the cross, . . . restoring the unity of all in one people and one body.” 260 The Church is one because of her “soul”: “It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the entire Church, who brings about that wonderful communion of the faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle of the Church’s unity.” 261 Unity is of the essence of the Church.”
Okay, let’s remember those key points of the Catechism: “The Church is the Body of Christ”, “The Church is the Bride of Christ”, “The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit”, and “Unity is of the essence of the Church”.
Now let’s take the bible and see how Sacred Scripture guides us in the question. Which ones should we check out? Let’s look in the New Testament. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have direct words from Jesus. The Acts of the Apostles tell us about the early Church. Other books of the New Testament are letters written to encourage the early Church.
Jesus prayed for the creation of the Church in John Chapter 17: 20-21 “That they all be one”.
In Mark Chapter 1:16-20 Jesus set up the foundations for the Church when He called the apostles.
In the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 28:20 Jesus told the apostles, “Go make disciples, teaching. I am with you always.”
In Luke Chapter 10:17-20 Jesus commissioned the 72 disciples to go out to minister to the people and share the Good News.
Before the ascension, Jesus in Luke Chapter 22:28-30 conferred His Kingdom to the Church through the Eucharist.
In the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 16:18 Jesus transferred power to his representative on earth as He said, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”
Remember Catechism #809 tells us ““The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the soul, as it were, of the Mystical Body, the source of its life, of its unity in diversity, and of the riches of its gifts and charisms.” The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2:1-4 shares the experience of the Holy Spirit coming upon the Church after the Ascension. The first Pentecost is the birthday of the Church.
The Acts of the Apostles shares a multitude of experiences of the early Church. After initial turmoil and persecution Acts of the Apostle Chapter 9:31 tells us that in peace the church grew. In Chapter 11:26 the Church community is called ‘Christians’ for the first time. In Chapter 12:5 we hear of prayer by the Church. In Chapter 15:30 the Church is gathered together to hear the letter from the Jerusalem Council. This was the first council called by Peter and the Church leaders. The latest one called is Vatican II. And there have been several in between where truth has been affirmed and proclaimed clearly for the current generations. The Church is called to be ever vigilant of division. Acts Chapter 20:28 speaks to the leaders,“Be shepherds of the Church Christ purchased, be on guard of division.”
In a papal ecclesial letter, 1 Peter Chapter 2:9, St. Peter reveals that the members of the Church are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s own people.
The various letters of St. Paul share some direct teaching of the Gospel and also, through the inspired wisdom of God, share the theological truth of Christ and instructions. Paul writes to the Colossians in Chapter 1:18 that Jesus is the head of the body, the Church. In 1 Corinthians Chapter 12:13 Paul writes, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.” Speaking of the diversity in the unity of the Church Paul then says, 1 Cor 12:27-28 “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has designated in the Church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues.”
St. Paul addresses the divisions that began to arise in the Church especially in Corinth in his letter 1 Corinthians Chapter 1: “10 I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose. 11 For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you. 12 I mean that each of you is saying, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Kephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” In Chapter 3 Paul addresses them about spiritual divisions. 1 Cor 3:1 “1 Brothers, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.”
As a meditation you might consider: “Does Jesus love all denominations?” with the question, “Does Jesus love all sinners?” Think about “What does unity mean?” How are we “one Church”? Paul writes in Ephesians Chapter 4 “4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.” A lot of times when I am discussing other Christian denominations I call them, “My separated brothers and sisters in Christ.” All baptized Christians are Children of God. We all are on a journey to the fullness of faith. Pray like Jesus did for Christian unity among Christians and all mankind “that we all be one.”
Now that we have covered the Catechism and Scripture in the question “What is the Church?” I want to share what the Lord said to me[ii] this week about the Church. I remind you that these words are in the category of personal, private revelation and so I invite you to listen with a discerning heart and mind.
The Lord said to me,
“The Church is My Body—in heaven and on earth. Each member is important to Me. In each time on earth their importance is not visible to all but the Church realizes this truth whether it is recognized or not by the “world”. All works together for good. The Church leaders who minister to the members are given a task to imitate the leadership of Jesus. Forming units, formation and reaching out to the needy are a part of that but the key element is they foster each to become a brother or sister of Christ and a Child of God who realizes what that means.
The Lord said to me,
“The birth of the Church is celebrated as the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Truly, this is the ‘life force’ of the Church. The Most Holy Spirit draws all Christians to join the One Body.”
The Lord said to me,
“The splintering of the members of my Body was an act of freewill and rebellion. From the beginning the rebellion of man separated man from God’s fullness; when the Lord says, “Depart from Me you never knew Me” – “Depart from Me I never knew You” it is because the rebellion became rejection of God by man—man’s choice. The role of the Church is to share the Gospel—to allow the opportunity “to know God”.”
The Lord said to me,
“Woe to the man who leads the children away from Me. Woe to the man who destroys the hearts of the children that they harden and cannot know Me. Blessed is the Church who leads the broken-hearted to Me and who forgives the hard-hearted bringing them to know Me and so sets them free from their stony hearts. This is Church!”
The Lord said to me,
“The Church is also my worshippers: Coming together to praise, to pray, to receive, as a community welcomes my presence among them.
“The babies are the Church as their Baptism transforms them to glory. The mature and wise are the Church as their collective knowledge of Me is shared with others. And the saints in heaven are the Church as they await the fullness of the final fulfillment of the Church—for all to be my Body, glorified for all eternity. When the priests say, “This is My Body” it is that moment. All the Church is within the Eucharist. The Church is the Host for the world to see.”
When the Lord told me that “The Church is the Host for the world to see” it blew me away! Thanks for letting me share that word with you. Our next Stepping Stone episode will be about Reconciliation. You have been listening to Truth of the Spirit and “What is the Church?” I’m Patti Brunner. We invite you to subscribe and come back next time, because there is more. With the Holy Spirit there’s always more! Amen.
[i] Stepping Stones to the Fullness of Faith by Patti Brunner published by Cornelius House, 1999 Revised 2013. LESSON 2 Stepping Stones Leaders Guide.
[ii] Of the Lord Journal 10/4/2021
