1

1.The Greek word for Church is ekklesia, which means “those who are called forth”. All of
us who are baptized and have belief in God are called forth by the Lord. Together we are
the Church. We are the body, with many and different parts. As St Paul says, Christ is the
head. (748-757)

Kyriake, means, belonging to the Lord, who through baptism, belonging to the body of Christ.

The intimate communion of life with Jesus that is shared personally by all baptized is described
in the scripture by a wealth of image. The Church being, the people of God, bride of Christ,
mother. Never the Church a mere institution, we may be upset by the mistakes and defects of the
members, in the church, but we can never distance ourselves from her, and does not forsake her,
despite all the sins of her members. The Church is the presence of God in us.

1.1 God wills the Church, because he wants to redeem us, not individually but together. He
wants all mankind his people. (758-781, 802-804).

No one gets to heaven alone. God himself is not a-social being, not solitary, self-sufficient. The
Triune God in himself is social, a communion, and an eternal exchange of love. Patterned after
God, in the same way man is designed for relationship, exchange, sharing, We are responsible
for one another.

1.2 People of God. The founder of this people of God is God the Father, the leader is Jesus
Christ, the source of strength is the Holy Spirit. The entry way is thru baptism, also known to be
children of God. Its law is love, if the people of God remains faithful to God, and seeks frist the
kingdom of God it changes the world. (781- 786)

1.3 The Church as the Body of Christ, Bride of Christ, temple of the Holy Spirit.

If the people of God image underline the Church intimate connection with Israel and with God’s
call to a covenant relationship, the Body of Christ image underlines, the Church intimate
connection with Jesus and with Gods call to a communal relationship, one with another Christ.

1.4. Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Church is the place in the world where the HS, is completely
present. (797-801,809) The people of Israel, worshipped God in the Temple of Jerusalem, this
temple no longer exists, it has been replaced by the Church, which is not limited to a particular
place. As Jesus said “where two or three gathered, in my name, three I am in their midst” what
makes her alive is the spirit of Christ, He lives in the Word of sacred Scriptures and He is present
in the sacred signs.

1.5 Bride of Christ. Jesus Christ loves the Church as bridegroom loves his bride. He binds
himself forever and gives his life for her. Anyone who has even been in love has some idea of
what love is. Jesus knows it and calls himself a bridegroom who lovingly and longingly courts
his bride and desires to celebrate the feast of love with her, Jesus is the bridegroom and we are
his Bride, the Church
 2

2. TASK AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH

The Church’s tasks is to make the kingdom of God which has already begun with Jesus,
germinate and grow in all nations (763- 769, 774-776, 780)

In the scriptures wherever Jesus went, he would always, let other felt heaven, it was when the
kingdom of God was inaugurated, kingdom of peace, justice and love. The Church serves this
purpose, she is not the end in herself, she must carry one what Jesus has started. She must
continue what Jesus has started; she hands on Jesus’ words, that are why the Church, for all her
weakness, is a formidable bit of heaven on earth.

2.1 Her mission is not only as an institution. She is more than that. The church is a
mystery, meaning simultaneously human and divine. (770-773, 779)

true love does not blind a person, but rather makes him see. With regard to the church, viewed
from outside, it can be a historical institution, with historical achievements, with mistakes and
even crime- church of sinners. But if we are going to look deep within, from the inside-, Christ
became so involved with us sinners, that he never abandons his church, even if we were to betray
him daily and repeatedly. This is a kind of inseparable union of the human and the divine, the sin
and grace is what this mystery of the church is all about, seen with the eyes of faith- Church is
therefore indestructibly holy. That is part of the creed, what we believe in.

3 I BELIEVE IN ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

3.1 just as there is only one Christ, there can be only one Body, only one Bride of Christ, and
therefore one Church of Jesus Christ. He is the head, the church is the Body, together they form
the whole Christ. Jesus built his Church on the foundations of the apostles.

3.2 Why is the Church holy? The Church is holy not because all her members are supposedly
holy, but rather because God is Holy and God who is holy is at work in the Church. All the
members of the Church are sanctified by baptism (823-829)

Whenever we allow ourselves to be touched by the Triune God, we grow in love and become
holy. The saints are lovers, they became saint not because they died for the faith, but because of
love, they were able to give their lives for God and faith.

Holiness, is the most essential attribute of God. Jesus comes into the world as the holy one of
God, in him we can see, what holiness is, to love unconditionally and mercifully, in a helping
and healing way, up to the perfection in the cross and resurrection.

3.3. The Church is catholic, Greek kat’holon, means related to the whole. The church is catholic
because Christ called her to profess the whole faith, to preserve all the sacraments, to administer
them and to proclaim the Good news to all, Jesus sent her to all nations.

3.4. The Church is apostolic, because she was founded by the apostles, holds fast to their
traditions and is governed by their successors.