FOUR-MARKS.pdf

Nicene Creed In the Nicene Creed, we profess, “I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.” These are the four marks of the Church. They are inseparable and intrinsically linked to one another. Christ Marked the Church These characteri...

Nicene Creed In the Nicene Creed, we profess, “I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.” These are the four marks of the Church. They are inseparable and intrinsically linked to one another. Christ Marked the Church These characteristics reflect the Church’s essential features and mission. Through the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Church fulfills these marks. © flickr.com One How is the Church One? united in charity one in the profession of faith one in the common celebration of worship and Sacraments one in the Apostolic Succession One The Church is One because of... its source, the Holy Trinity, a perfect unity of three Divine Persons its founder, Jesus Christ, who came to reconcile all mankind its “soul,” the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the souls of the faithful, unites all the faithful into one communion of believers, and guides the Church One There is “one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all” (Ephesians 4:4–6). “Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” (1 Corinthians 10:17). Jesus had promised at the outset that “there will be one flock, one shepherd” (John 10:16). Holy The Church is Holy because, although Church members sin, the Church as the Body of Christ is sinless. Image in public domain Holy We profess that the Church is holy because the Holy Spirit lives in her. She is the ‘’ holy people of God’ ’and its members are ‘’ saints’’ ( meaning, ‘’ holy ones’’) Though the Church is holy, we the members of the Church, are both holy and sinful. Image in public domain We are always in need of conversion. Holiness is something we must achieve, with God’s help and grace. the Church has always had a models of holiness. Holy What the saints teach us is just what Jesus taught: that the way to holiness is to love God above all and to love our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. Image in public domain Holy “Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25–27). Image in public domain Holy From the beginning, the Church has been endowed with the sacramental means to help make holy the sinners who are found in the Church. The Church has been given the Sacraments © Gene Plaisted along with the Word precisely in order to be able to make sinners holy. Holy Each of us as a member of the Church has been called to holiness. By God’s grace we strive for holiness, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Image in public domain  HOLY Each of us as a member of the Church has been called to holiness. By God’s grace we strive for holiness through the power of the Holy Spirit.  CATHOLIC When we say Church is Catholic, we are saying two things: The Church possesses the fullness of Christ and has received from him the fullness of the means of salvation. The Church has been sent a mission by Christ to all people in the world to gather all into the People of God Catholic The Holy Spirit came down upon the Church at Pentecost at a time when ‘’there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem (Acts 2:5) It was them the Holy Spirit temporarily enabled the Apostles to speak in the languages of all these various nations – a powerful sign that the Church was destined for all people everywhere Catholic The Church is Catholic because it exists for all people and is the means of salvation for all people  Truths to Remember: The Church is ONE The profession of one faith and creed The common celebration of divine worship, especially the sacraments The loving service of the people of God The apostolic succession through the ordained ministry The Church is HOLY We are called to have an intimate relationship with God We share in the life of Christ through the sacraments The Holy Spirit empower us to be fruitful branches in Christ The Church is CATHOLIC The church is universal, all embracing, complete, inclusive and non-discriminating It is spread throughout the world It possesses all saving truths It is sent to all peoples It can heal all kinds of sickness It possesses all kinds of virtues and spiritual gifts. The church is APOSTOLIC It is founded on the apostles It continues to be instructed, sanctified and guided by the apostles through their successors The church keeps and passes on the teachings she has received fro the apostles  REMEMBER: We need to avoid the spiritual sickness of a church that is wrapped up in its own world: when a church becomes like this, it grows sick. POPE FRANCIS SCAFFOLD 3: Essay Writing ( SHORT BOND PAPER) When it comes to dedication and active participation in the Church, the life of St. Teresa of Calcutta is particularly important for us. “What will you do in your own parish/Church to honour your pledge, as St. Teresa of Calcutta did throughout her lifetime?”