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And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your

altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the

wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12  After the earthquake came a fire, but

the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and

went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. - 1 Kings 19:10-13Is God mysterious in this passage? How so?

What things in this passage are visible? What are invisible?

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A prayer for study:Loving Father, I stand before You in the midst

of confusion and complexities of life. My future sometimes seems distant and unknown. Give me, O Lord, the vision to see the path You set

before me. Grant me the courage to follow Your way, that through the gifts and talents You have given me, I may bring Your life and Your

love to others.  Amen

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Objectives for today:-Explore the meaning of the sacraments as constituted by Jesus -Explore the relationship of Jesus and the Church-Understand the Church as a mystery and a visible sign of an instituted reality.

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What do you think of when you hear “the church”?

What about the church as a sacrament?

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Is the Church…1. Mystery?

2. Visible Sign of the Invisible? 3. Efficacious?

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It is Christ who acts through the sacraments (and the Church) and the church reflects the

saving love of Christ.

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2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who

were talking with Jesus.Mark 9:2-8

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The Church And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am

the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the

presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in

the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12  After the earthquake

came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his

cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

- 1 Kings 19:10-13

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The Church as a visible sign1. Oneness2. Holiness

3. Catholicity4. Apostolicity

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"What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church." "To this Spirit of Christ, as an invisible principle, is to be ascribed the fact that all the parts of the body are joined one with the other and with their exalted head; for the whole Spirit of Christ

is in the head, the whole Spirit is in the body, and the whole Spirit is in each of the members." The Holy Spirit

makes the Church "the temple of the living God”CCC 797

So how exactly then is the Church an efficacious sign?

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The Mission of the Church; the Body of Christ

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the

living God.”17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this

was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will

build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever

you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his

disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Matthew 16:13-20

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15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love

me?”Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were

younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”19 Jesus said

this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

John 21:15-19

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The Mission of the Church; the Body of Christ

 Because the Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is Christ who, as the head of the Body, pours out

the Spirit among his members to nourish, heal, and organize them in their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear witness, and associate them to his self-offering to the Father

and to his intercession for the whole world. Through the Church's sacraments, Christ

communicates his Holy and sanctifying Spirit to the members of his Body.

CCC 729

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12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is

with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is

not made up of one part but of many.1 Corinthians 12:12-13

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Communion with Christ and the Church.

The Lord's missionary mandate is ultimately grounded in the eternal love of the Most Holy Trinity: "The Church on earth is by her nature missionary since, according to the plan of the

Father, she has as her origin the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit." The ultimate purpose

of mission is none other than to make men share in the communion between the Father

and the Son in their Spirit of love.CCC 850

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25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal

concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is

honored, every part rejoices with it.1 Corinthians 12:25-26

How does this verse then apply to when we see suffering on the other side of the world?

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Social Justice &

Solidarity“Our prayer for them is capable not only of

helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.”

CCC 958

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Social Justice &

Solidarity“Our prayer for them is capable not only of

helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.”

CCC 958If you have come here to help me, you are

wasting your time.But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.

-Lilla Watson

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The Communion of Saints

-Communion in the Faith-Communion of the Sacraments-Communion of Charisms-Communion of Goods-Communion in Charity

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For Review:1. What are the four types of communion to

which the image of the Body of Christ refers?

2. How do we form community with other Catholics?

3. How does human solidarity relate to the Church’s mission

4. What are two meanings of the communion of saints?

5. What does the Catechism mean when it says that the Church’s is a communion in spiritual goods – in the faith, sacraments,

charism, goods and charity.