1. The Catholic Church – Chapter 1
Major Concepts
Why study history at all
Why study Church History
Six Ways of Seeing the Church

2. Why study history at all?
Help us understand who we are and where we came from
Help us avoid re-making mistakes of the past
Make intelligent decisions for our individual future, the future of our Church, our society and our species
Studying multiple histories helps us put each item of history in context

3. Types of Histories Oral Written by the winners
Composite of written and oral (ex Genesis)

4. Why study Church history
Christianity is based on the life of a historical person “Jesus bar Joseph” or “Jesus of Nazareth”
The history of the church records how Christians have lived out the Gospel message over the centuries
Knowing Church history helps us to know Jesus through the history of His church
To distinguish the essential from the inessential in Catholic Christian practice

5. History’s impact on recent Church changes
Discovery that Mass was originally meant to be understandable lead to changing Mass to local language in 1960s
Discovery in the 1960s that the church originally allowed married deacons lead church to extend the scope of who could be a deacon from just men on the road to the priesthood to allow married men who are willing to undergo the preparation

6. Our Church
…. is a product of Jesus’ message as played out in the history of our Church throughout its time since Jesus life on earth

7. Historical Change: A Case in Point
What is a “Vatican Council”?
Were the 1960s a turbulent period in world history?
Vatican Council II – 1960s
Helped which segment of the world?
Might have offended what segments of the world?

8. 6 Ways of Seeing the Church
Body of Christ – emphasizes people’s relationship to one another as members of an interdependent, caring family
Institution – refers to the formal organization, rules, and structures that ensure the church’s carrying out of its mission
Sacrament – a visible, physical sign of God’s love in the world

9. 6 Ways of Seeing the Church continued
Herald – proclaims the Good News “to the ends of the earth”
Servant – points to the example Jesus offered, serving God by serving all of humankind
Community of Disciples – gives witness to Jesus by taking on his vision, standards, and way of life

10. The Church is a Mystery It cannot be completely known or analyized
We learn about and appreciate both the church and its history using those siz models
Each model is a dimension of the Church and its role in this world and the next
Individually each model highlights a particular dimension or role of the church
Together the models give us a fairly good idea of the church’s overall structure and workings

11. Complete the following statements
Today, I can be the mouth of Christ by
I can be the hands of Christ by . . .
I .can be the eyes of Christ when I . . .
I can be the ears of Christ when I . . .

12. An Analogy to the 6 Models of the Church
DNA

13. Understanding the Church as the Body of Christ
As St. Paul says, the body is the sum of its parts
Pick any object and after you identify and define each component you will have defnied the object as a whole
Every object is made of of parts which exemplify diversity
The Church is a variety of members, languages, national customs, races, saints, etc.

14. Understanding the Herald of the Word
Words are the ultimate in human power – words control how we think because we think in words
As Herald, the church proclaims the word of God
There are a multiplicity of ways that God’s word can be heralded

15. The Meaning of Servant
Refers to the work the church does for the welfare of others – not a degrading or subservient role
Jesus came “not to be served but to serve”
Jesus “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant”
“As servants of God, live as free people”
“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ…”
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ …”
Jesus washes the apostles’ feet, acts as a servant

16. The Church as Institution
The Pope as the Bishop of Rome
The Body of Bishops
Various Vatican organizations, Congregations
Each diocese is a sort of mini-Vatican organization
Each parish is a sub-set of the diocese it’s located in
Each levels does the functions most organizations due: place people in positions, allocate funds, collect donations, decide what efforts to suport and to what extent, etc.

17. The Church as Sacrament
The Church is in and of itself a Sacrament – a rite in which God is uniquely active

18. The Church as the Community of Disciples
The church is the sum of its people, the followers of Jesus
We are a community which shares certain common beliefs, traditions and practices that define us as “Catholic”

19. The Mission of the Church
Jesus has just risen from the tomb. Although you and all the other Christians are overjoyed, you now have to decide what to do. The events of the last week seems to have erased any plans you may have made over the last three year. The following pages list 6 possible initial steps the Apostles might have taken. Think about each one and how the Church might have evolved differently from then to now depending on which step was taken first.

20. Option #1
Proclaim on the streets and in the synagogues that Jesus is the Christ; encourage others to repent, believe in Him, and be baptized.

21. Option #2
Go to those who are afflicted or poor and comfort and care for them.

22. Option #3
Organize people who share your belief in Jesus into communities to consider action.

23. Option #4
Go to an isolated place to pray and to sort out the meaning of the last two years.

24. Option #5
Record immediately as much detail about the life of Jesus and his followers as you can.

25. Option #6
Organize classes to teach about the lessons you have learned from Jesus.

26. And on to Chapter 2:
“A Church of Converts: Widening the Circle of Jesus Followers”