Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! The ninth article of the Apostle’s Creed is “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church.” There are thirty-five (35) In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding this article of the Creed. The following is a reflection on article 960.
One way Mother Church understands herself is as the ‘communion of saints.’ The Greek word koinonia is often translated both as ‘communion’ and ‘fellowship.’ As citizens and residents of the United States of America the word ‘union’ ought to be easily recognizable in ‘communion.’ Civilly, we think of togetherness and harmony. Workers often come together and form labor ‘unions’ as a support network. Within Christ’s Holy Church we are together with God and with all of the others who have received divine adoption.
There are holy things (sancta) which we hold in common as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. We treasure Jesus’ words, recorded in Sacred Scripture as part of the holy things which we hold in common (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16). Likewise, we hold in common the one faith handed on for all the saints as part of our inheritance from the Lord (cf. Ephesians 4:5; Jude 1:3). Sacramentals, such as Crucifixes, Rosaries, Medals, Scapulars and the like, when duly blessed and used with reverence, are also holy things which remind us of the One who alone is Holy, God, and our relationship with Him (cf. Luke 18:19; Revelation 4:8). Church buildings, shrines, sacred vessels and vestments are also ‘holy things’ which also aid the social cohesion of the mystical body of Christ which is Mother Church.
The holiest ‘thing’ we have on this Earth, however, is the Holy Eucharist. This is so, because, the Holy Eucharist is Christ Himself sacramentally, really, actually, physically present as our holy food, Whom we adore. There is an axiom which reminds us that ‘the Church makes the Eucharist and the Eucharist makes the Church.’ Mother Church, the Communion of Saints, is above all present in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the Holy Eucharist, which is a sharing and partaking in the communion of the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:16). When the faithful followers of Jesus Christ receive Him in Holy Communion, their union is at once both with Him and those other followers of His who have likewise received.
The Eucharist allows the one single body of Christ which is the Church, to be recognized because the faithful gather around the body of the Lord (cf. Matthew 24:28; Luke 17:37). The Eucharist also realizes the unity of the faithful who form the one single body of Christ, the Church.
The Catechism cites the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, 3. We should never tire of reflecting on the mysterious nature of the Church, nor should we ever relax our efforts on behalf of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth which is Mother Church, the Communion of Saints.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr