I am vine - you
are branches
Jesus and the
Church
Years ago – It was
said that we live in post-Christian era
No longer - Jesus
seems very popular
Now – it is the post-Church
era
We have believers
but not belongers
People want a king
without a kingdom
Shepherd without
sheep
A father with us
as an only child
Jesus but not his
church
Remember St.
Paul knocked to the ground
Saul
Saul, why are you persecuting me? Jesus & church are one
Mt 25
- When I was hungry, you gave me food , thirsty, gave me
drink
As Joan of Arc
said about Jesus and the Church - They are simply one thing.
Priest once said:
Theist is someone
who believes in God
Christian is a theist who believes Jesus is the Son of God
Catholic is a Christian who believes Jesus is alive in the Church.
Ekklesia - called out from
Who calls - in USA we join - someone calls us - Christ
Called out from - what - world (from sin, corruption,
evil)
This is why we pull aside each week to attend Mass.
Called into - life of Christ - God’s way of being to
make saints!!!
Challenge - church is filled with sinners.
Can be difficult at times to love the church
I want a perfect church - if I don’t find it, sit down with cup of
coffee and NY Times and make my own church, in my own image. Sorry to say that’s why so many Protestant
churches – don’t like it: break off and start your own!!!
Church must be divine - how could the Church have ever survived?
Card Dolan recalls a time he was visiting a couple at home Bill
& Lena
Lena had rheumatoid arthritis and became very crippled
Bill would bathe her, dress her, feed her,
“She is more beautiful to me today than on the day I married her.”
And this is love
Church is the bride of Christ, radient in beauty
Other times, crippled, weak, helpless can love her no
less
Jesus appeared and showed the apostles his wounds - so,
too, the church is wounded
Chrism Mass Quoted Carlo Carretto:
“How much I must criticize you, my church, and yet
how much I love you. You have made me suffer and yet I owe more to you than
anyone else. You have given me much scandal, and yet you have made me
understand holiness. Never in this world have I seen anything more compromised,
more false, and yet have I never touched anything more pure,, more generous,
more beautiful. Countless times I have felt like slamming the door of my soul
in your face, and yet every night I have prayed that I may die in your sure
arms. No, I cannot be free of you for I am one with you. Then, too, where would
I go? To build another church? But I could not build one without the same
defects because they happen to be mine. It would then be my church, not yours.
No, I’m old enough to know better.
