lesson 6 the church's communion is for misssion

8/3/2019 Lesson 6 the Church's Communion is for Misssion

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Lesson 6: The ChurchsLesson 6: The ChurchsCommunion is for MissionCommunion is for Mission


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O ne People of GodO ne People of GodText in ContextText in Context

y Book of Isaiah God desires that thewhole human race may become one

People of Gody G ospel of Mark the universal missionof the Church in the world: Christcommand to evangelize the whole world

y Letter to the Ephesians same in theBook of Isaiah; universal mission includesthe whole of Gods creation: renewal of the whole creation


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1. Churchs Communion is for Mission1. Churchs Communion is for Mission

y Jesus did notonly gather Hisdisciplesaround Himbut He sentthem out

together on amission tomake disciplesof all nation .


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Churchs Communion is for MissionChurchs Communion is for Mission

y C ommunion prepares for mission andmission aims at strengthening communion

y C ommunion represents both thesource and fruit of mission:

Communion gives rise to missionMission is accomplished in communion

y Mission is the greatest and holiest dutyof the Church


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Churchs Communion is for MissionChurchs Communion is for Missiony Mission is the fundamental commitment

of the whole People of Gody C hurchs Mission: to accomplish Gods

plan for creation salvation of the wholeworld

y Begins with the great command:Go and make disciples of all nations Mt 28:19

- A ll are called to the universal mission of the Church


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Evangelization: The Main and ForemostEvangelization: The Main and ForemostMission of the Church in the WorldMission of the Church in the World

y This mission of announcing the Good Newsof Gods Kingdom is called Evangelization the main and foremost mission of theChurch in the world; the overall activity of the Church in bringing the Good News of the Kingdom of God into the wholehumanity

Evangelizing is the grace and vocation proper to theChurch, her deepest identity. She exists in order to

evangelize (Evangelii Nuntianti, 14)y Evangelization carries out the Churchs duty

to proclaim the Redeemer, Jesus Christ, thecenter of the universe and of history(Redemptoris Hominis) by word, deeds andwitness .


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Evangelization: The Main and ForemostEvangelization: The Main and ForemostMission of the Church in the WorldMission of the Church in the World

y Vatican II stressed the primacy of proclamation of Jesus C hrist in allevangelizing work .

Evangelization b rings the light of the Gospel toplaces it has not reached, and re -enkindling itin places it may be extinguished or forgotten .

Evangelization encompasses the renewal of

society in all strata through the interplay of theGospel truths and humans concrete total life .The Church is an evangelizer, but she beginsby being evangelized herself .


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3 . The Essential Elements of Evangelization3 . The Essential Elements of Evangelization

y These elements are related to Churchslife and mission:a. Witness of Christian livingb. Gospel proclamation and teachingc. Sacramentsd. Love of neighbor


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The Essential Elements of EvangelizationThe Essential Elements of Evangelization

a. Witness of C hristian living the firstform and most potent means of renewedevangelization

Two ways:1 ) by living according to the Gospel2 ) by giving testimony to our experience of Gods grace

y The life witnessing Christian and his/her good workshave great power to draw all the faithful to God (CCC,2044 )


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b . Preaching or G ospel Proclamation the permanent priority of missionFaith comes from what is heard and what is heard comesb y the preaching of Christ. Faith, then, comes from hearing. Romans 10:14

y Preaching the verbal proclamation of amessage which is always indispensable in thetask of evangelization

y The su bj ect of proclamation is C hrist ; through Himwe receive new life the Good News

y The aim of proclamation is conversion .


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c. Sacraments of Initiation andC atechesisy Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism,

Confirmation and Eucharist Initiate the

candidate into the faith and Christian life; thebaptized are incorporated into the Christiancommunity

y C atechesis education in the faith within the

Christian community; aims to encourage a living,explicit and fruitful profession of faithy Catechesis is a fundamental element of Christian

initiation and is closely connected w/ thesacrament of initiation, especially with Baptism


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d. Love of neigh b or finds variousexpression in the forms of services tocommunity

y Preaching must be complimented byactivities that will liberate people beingevangelized from all forms of oppression

that defiles human dignity and activitiestoward the integral human development .


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a. Witness of Christian livingb. Gospel proclamation and teachingc. Sacramentsd. Love of neighbor

These various elements show howevangelization is both in word and in deed . They showed a clear example of following

Jesus, the supreme evangelizer .


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4 . The Goal of Evangelization4 . The Goal of Evangelizationy Primary goal of evangelization is

initiation into the faithy U ltimate goal is the establishment of

Gods Kingdom in its fullness, namelyGods rule in the hearts and minds of ourpeople

y Evangelization seeks to transform themind and heart of each individual, makingthem into the likeness of Christ and tobring humanity and all creation intocommunion with God .


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4 . The Goal of Evangelization4 . The Goal of Evangelizationy The mission of the Church is focused on

the Kingdom of God . The Churchsmission is designed for the transformation

of the whole creation .y K ingdom of G od the redemptive

presence of God actualized through thepower of Gods renewing, reconciling,healing and liberating spirit . It happenswhenever and wherever the will of God isfulfilled


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6 . Jesus: The Norm and Model6 . Jesus: The Norm and Modelof All Evangelizationof All Evangelization

y The Gospel story of Jesusmeeting with the Samaritanwoman a model of

evangelizationMission is a dialogue and toevangelize is to enter into adialogue

Jesus made use of enculturation


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Mission demands the

testimony of fraternal love Jesus made the womanaware become of hervalue and dignityMission is a process thatwill lead to conversionThe most enriching effect of mission is theencounter with and the following of JesusT o evangelize is to share the experience of JesusChristbecause the Gospel is leaven for liberationand for the transformation of society


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Jesus Mission: A Service of Total Lib eration Jesus Mission: A Service of Total Lib eration

y Total li b eration is liberation from allforms of human miseries that dehumanizepeople:

Spiritual miseries come from all forms of sin causing spiritual blindness in people andenslaving the spiritMaterial miseries come from all forms of poverty and human oppression


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y The Gospel story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish shows the meaning of total liberation

Spiritual liberation should go hand in handwith material liberationEducation in the faith and service for humanliberation should not be separated


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7. Churchs Mission: As7. Churchs Mission: AsParticipation in Christs MissionParticipation in Christs MissionThe mission of the Church is the verymission of Jesus . This is the reason for theChurchs existence: to proclaim the Good

News of the Kingdom of God.The mission of the Church in the world is tocontinue Christs saving action over thewhole of creation through active

participation in the three-fold ministry of Christ: priestly, prophetic and kingly.


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8 . The Levels of Realization of the Churchs8 . The Levels of Realization of the ChurchsCommunion & Mission in the Local ChurchCommunion & Mission in the Local Church

- The communities of communion and missionare realized at present on the followingdifferent levels of ecclesial realities :

a. universal Church a community of local churches; the universal communionof local or individual churches

b. local Church the Church in a particular place

y The universal Church shows that though thereare many local churches, there is only one Bodyof Christ.


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y There are various l eve l s of being a l oca l Church :diocese a communion of parish communities underthe bishops jurisdictionparish a communion of basic ecclesial communitiesand a division of the diocese; it is made up of a smallChristian communities headed by a parish priestb asic ecclesial communities (BE C s) a divisionof the parish; the communion of domestic Churches,the familiessmall ecclesial communities (SE C s) refer toboth the transparochial or associational communities/ functional / ministerial / religious organizations andChurch ministriesfamily - the domestic Church, the Church in thehome; the irreplaceable force in communion andmission

lesson 6 the church's communion is for misssion

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