Krystal Faith B. Macoto

Ms. Stephanie Anne Puen

Th 121

21 September, 2013

Musings of a Catholic on her Church

The word “Church” originates from the Greek term “ekklesia” which is formed by the words

“ek” meaning “out” and “kaleo” meaning call; basically, the term “ekklesia” means “to call out”

or “an assembly”. The Church, in the most general sense, “is an assembly of a society founded

and established by Jesus to receive, preserve, and propagate His doctrines and ordinances”. The

Church is made up of the members of the Catholic faith with each of them having their own

various levels of faith and function within the community. The Church is One (Romans 12:5),

Holy (Ephisians 5:25-27), Catholic (Matthew 28:19-20), and Apostolic (Ephesians 2:19-20, Acts

1:15-26), all these characteristics are unique to the Catholic faith.The Church is not only a

building or a place of worship in which people gather to worship the Lord, but it is also the

people who have their own roles and responsibilities in aiding the understanding of the Catholic

faith. According to Anscar Chupungco in the four chapter, entitled “In the Holy Church”, in his

book “What Then is Liturgy: Musings and Memoirs” on the role and ministry of the Church: “For

Christ continues His priestly work through the agency of His Church, which is unceasingly

engaged in praising the Lord and interceding for the salvation of the whole word. The Church

does this not only by celebrating the Eucharist, but also in other ways, especially by praying the

divine office.”

The Church is needed in a Catholic’s life because it aids the anamnesis which would help a

Catholic enter into the Paschal Mystery. It is important for a Catholic to remember the deeds

and sacrifice of the Lord, Jesus Christ in order to have a better grasp and understanding of their

faith. The Church not only aids a Catholic in knowing Jesus more along with the rest of the Holy

Trinity, but it also aids in helping one recognize and acknowledge the fact that one is a sinner

who needs redemption and the fact that one is blessed for one is graced by the Lord through his

life, death, and resurrection. The Church not only focuses on all the miracles performed by Jesus

and all the aspects that made Him divine, but it also focuses on how human Jesus really was and

it was through His humanity that we are saved for it is through being human that aids us to

touch upon the divine. The Church also helps us understand the messages of the scriptures for

the Church does not exist apart from the bible, nor does the bible exist apart from the Church.

As an active member of the Catholic Church, I believe that I have a good grasp of my faith. I

feel the need to propagate my faith in order to help others recognize and understand how blessed

they are to be a member of my faith. I am an active minister because I have encountered so many

people who do not understand the importance of the Eucharist or who passively attend mass due to

them feeling obligated and often times I am disheartened because it seems that there are many

members of the Church but few are actively doing their roles to help their fellow brothers and

sisters. I have noticed that not many Catholics, especially in my generation, realize the significance of

their Church, nor do they feel the resonating love the Church propagates. I believe that as a member

of the Church it is important that I help others feel the presence of the Lord in their life. I know that

there are many who are sceptics of their own faith for they have not been taught the rationale of

our faith, nor have they experienced the grace found in their Faith.

Another integral aspect that most people fail to notice about their faith is that their faith

should not be taken literally. There is no face value in the Roman Catholic Faith. I think that a good

aid in understanding the Catholic faith would be using Paul Ricoeur’s Hermeneutic of Suspicion in

theological discourse because it teaches one to be suspicious of false interpretation and to be

suspicious of suspicion. The Church is continuously undergoing theological discourse to help its

members understand their faith. Personally, I believe that faith should be grounded on the fact that

despite everything being revealed to us, not everything has been fully realized and it is our active

participation and involvement in the Church that can ultimately help strengthen one’s faith.

Sources:

"What, Then, Is Liturgy?:." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2013.