The Mystical Body of Christ

[Michael_Suppa]

I would consider myself a nondenominational christian/nonpracticing Catholic. As a writer, I have been studying the lives of Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, William Percy who all joined the Catholic Church as adults. Included in my studies is the life of Flannery O’Connor. Through my readings I’ve come across a reference to the Churches ancient image of Community: the Jews as the Chosen, the Protestants the Elect, and the Catholics the Mystical Body of Christ. Would anyone care to comment on this or the writers themselves.

 

[Wesley7]

I never did understand exactly what -they- meant by joining a Catholic Church (becoming Catholic) and the idea of being in full communion and (completing the RCIA course) having a canonical status and all that.

 

[Wesley7]

The mystical body of Christ can be made up of individuals in the Church community.

 

[Wesley7]

The Mystical Body of Christ can be made up of individuals who comprise of groups and communities.

 

[Bill_Pick]

I may be going out on a limb here but I was thinking The Mystical Body of Christ was all baptsedpeole if Christ, the jews because Christ was a Jew(chosen ) Nevere heard any thing about the protestants. wait I think I may have heard about people coming unto the Church fron RCIA that may be the protestants===if I,m wrong this will be the first time in 50 years,so my wife said.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

I would consider myself a nondenominational christian/nonpracticing Catholic. As a writer, I have been studying the lives of Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, William Percy who all joined the Catholic Church as adults. Included in my studies is the life of Flannery O’Connor. Through my readings I’ve come across a reference to the Churches ancient image of Community: the Jews as the Chosen, the Protestants the Elect, and the Catholics the Mystical Body of Christ. Would anyone care to comment on this or the writers themselves.

Wow, just writing on the Catholic understanding of the Mystical body of Christ would take volumes here. What you touched here is what Catholics call the “Divine Ecomony”, suffice it to say what leads from this plan of God comes to us through the Covenant relationship with God it begins with the Hebrew to Jewish to Catholic Oral and written Traditions. Protestantism breaks off from the covenant relationship in the mystical body of Christ.

Let me explain; From the divine ecomony we enter into “Revelation” The Catholic church refers to the term “mystagogy” or mysteries. Your authors have experienced the “parousia” or true presence of God through the sacramental ecomony of God. Meaning God incarnate revealed himself in the Old covenant by his word, in the person of Jesus Christ the Word of God becomes flesh. This mystery through the sacraments is what makes the Word of God present in the parousia. When one comes to the understanding how God makes himself present to his people through his body and blood covenant will bring any man or woman to his knees.

The finger of God has touched your authors from his “True presence” in the New Covenant relationship with the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.

Protestantism claims to be an elect and rightly so, but they have no valid “parousia” the true presence God in their midst. An inspiration of the Holy Spirit brings joy and hope, but what makes the living temple “holy” is when God is truly present body, blood, soul and divinity in the Sacraments of Jesus Christ.

 

[Joe_Brown]

freewebs.com/legionofpeace/biblecheatsheet.htm

 

[Michael_Suppa]

Thank you for your reply. Are you qouting this scripture in reference to the Mystical Body of Christ?

Please elaborate.

 

[jpk1313]

the church is the body of christ, look at christ crucified and you will see the two pards of this the horozontal which is the earthly church Bishop,priest,deacon,religous bros/sis and laity. and the vertical church made up of those in purgatory and heaven but also linked to the earthly church via the communal soul we all share the holy spirit. through the spirit we are one body with many members. the body is spritual in nature we are all of one soul the sprirt of christ.

 

[JonNC]

Protestantism claims to be an elect and rightly so, but they have no valid “parousia” the true presence God in their midst. An inspiration of the Holy Spirit brings joy and hope, but what makes the living temple “holy” is when God is truly present body, blood, soul and divinity in the Sacraments of Jesus Christ.

Gabriel of 12,
Greetings!
I would like for you to elaborate, if you will, on your statement which I’ve bolded, in light of the following:

CCC #819

819 "Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth"273 are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements."274 Christ’s Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him,275 and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity."276

Cardinal Ratzinger

I count among the most important results of the ecumenical dialogues the insight that the issue of the eucharist cannot be narrowed to the problem of ‘validity.’ Even a theology oriented to the concept of succession, such as that which holds in the Catholic and in the Orthodox church, need not in any way deny the salvation-granting presence of the Lord in a Lutheran [evangelische] Lord’s Supper

Both seem to imply the “true presence of God in our midst”. While it is true we do not not need each other’s validation as having His presence, it certainly can lead to a greater fondness between our communions if we do.
Thanks,
Jon

 

[LondonIrish]

Both seem to imply the “true presence of God in our midst”. While it is true we do not not need each other’s validation as having His presence, it certainly can lead to a greater fondness between our communions if we do.
Thanks,
Jon

Hello Jon

I attend St. Anne’s Lutheran Church in London occasionally. Jesus said where two or three are gathered in His Name, He is also there. Who am I to doubt His Word? My Lutheran friends I worship with believe Jesus to be truely present in their Holy Communion celebration. Who am I to doubt this or doubt Jesus’ saving Presence. My Lutheran friends are blessed and sanctified through their Liturgy, and I am blessed to have them as friends. I am equally blessed to have many friends of different faiths. Although the differences are great in places, I know we have much more in common that unites us in our Christian life than divides us.

 

[PJM]

=Michael Suppa- I would consider myself a nondenominational christian/nonpracticing Catholic. As a writer, I have been studying the lives of Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, William Percy who all joined the Catholic Church as adults. Included in my studies is the life of Flannery O’Connor. Through my readings I’ve come across a reference to the Churches ancient image of Community: the Jews as the Chosen, the Protestants the Elect, and the Catholics the Mystical Body of Christ. Would anyone care to comment on this or the writers themselves.

***Hi Michael,

This is taken from the catholic Encypodeia. Its concise and informative.***

*Mystical Body of the Church

The analogy borne by any society of men to an organism is sufficiently manifest. In every society the constituent individuals are united, as are also the members of a body, to effect a common end; while the parts they severally play correspond to the functions of the bodily organs. They form a moral unity. This, of course, is true of the Church, but the Church has also a unity of a higher order; it is not merely a moral but a mystical body. This truth, that the Church is the mystical body of Christ, all its members being guided and directed by Christ the head, is set forth by St. Paul in various passages, more especially in Ephesians 4:4-13 (cf. John 15:5-8). The doctrine may be summarized as follows:

The members of the Church are bound together by a supernatural life communicated to them by Christ through the sacraments (John 15:5). Christ is the centre and source of life to Whom all are united, and Who endows each one with gifts fitting him for his position in the body (John 15:7-12). These graces, through which each is equipped for his work, form it into an organized whole, whose parts are knit together as though by a system of ligaments and joints (John 15:16; Colossians 2:19).

Through them, too, the Church has its growth and increase, growing in extension as it spreads through the world, and intensively as the individual Christian develops in himself the likeness of Christ (John 15:13-15)
.
In virtue of this union the Church is the fulness or complement (pleroma) of Christ (Ephesians 1:23). It forms one whole with Him; and the Apostle even speaks of the Church as “Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12).

***In addition to this I would add a few Bible verses:

Mt. 16:15-19 and Eph. 4;4-8***

Mt. 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock * I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Eph. 4: 1-8 “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body [WHICH MEANS ONE CHURCH] and one Spirit [One God], just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, [Jesus] one faith [One Body of beliefs], one baptism {by water in the Trinity], one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

***The Mystical Body might be considered like a twine that is part of thich rope. By itself it is but a shadow of what it is in community, under Gods direction and the Holy Spirits guidance.

Michael. If you can find a copy of Fulton Sheens “Life of Christ” it is a very worthy read. I would also strongly suggest reading John Paul II. I truly think he will become a acknowledged Saint. His writtings are full of Wisdom and love.

Good luck my friend, we look forward to your return home***

I’ll add you to my prayers list.

Pat*

 

[JonNC]

Hello Jon

I attend St. Anne’s Lutheran Church in London occasionally. Jesus said where two or three are gathered in His Name, He is also there. Who am I to doubt His Word? My Lutheran friends I worship with believe Jesus to be truely present in their Holy Communion celebration. Who am I to doubt this or doubt Jesus’ saving Presence. My Lutheran friends are blessed and sanctified through their Liturgy, and I am blessed to have them as friends. I am equally blessed to have many friends of different faiths. Although the differences are great in places, I know we have much more in common that unites us in our Christian life than divides us.

LondonIrish,
I hold the same sentiments for my Catholic siblings in Christ, as well as others. Your post here made my day, well, second to this morning’s Eucharist.

Thanks,
Jon