Raising Catholicism Above Rest Using Six First Questions (Question 1: Reality)
The Incarnation’s Increasingly Ignored Gifts to Transform Our Mortal Lives – Part 2 of 5: The Church
Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash
In the Introduction to this series, we listed the Five Increasingly Ignored Gifts for our Transformation: the Divine Law Fulfilled, the Church, the Intercessions of the Saints, the Indwelling of the Holy Trinity, and the Eucharist. These Sacramentals are made possible only because the Holy Trinity became fully human over 2,000 years ago.
The goal for each of these five Sacramentals is to transform us, not as a one-time-thing, but as a necessity for our lifetime attention, every day, never-ending.
The evidence of our experience plainly shows that when we call upon these Sacramentals, which God provides out of infinite love for us, our transformations are immensely simpler and more swift. We can see the stories unfold in our friends, family, and even novels.
The second Sacramental discussed here is the Church, whose goal is to bring people to Christ. Not only does the Church provide the organizational structure for those who administer Sacraments and lead ministries, but also the Church focuses us on the revealed Truth, using its centuries of consistent wisdom derived directly from the Holy Spirit and Scripture. The Truth of the vast omnipotence, eternalness, and perfection of the Holy Trinity can only be learned by inspired analogy, which only an inspired body of humans on earth can maintain and make available to all people of Church all ages. This is what Christ wanted for the world: “And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, as we also are one.” (John 17:22)
To preserve Christian unity, Paul writes, “That there might be no schism in the body; but the members might be mutually careful one for another.” (1 Corinthians 12:25) This agrees with Tradition to this day, as the Catechism 815 relates: “What are these bonds of unity? Above all, charity.”
This holy Gift, this Sacramental, the Church, shares the same ten characteristics with the other four Sacramentals:
1) The Incarnation of God incites and illuminates this Sacramental for us. Only the human birth, life, and death of the second person of the Trinity originates this Gift for us.
2) The Holy Trinity designed this Sacramental to guide, and be invoked in, our brief mortal lives. And it leads to the Beatific Vision afterward.
When Jesus established the Church with Peter, he said, “And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.”(Matthew 16).
3) This Sacramental is universal to all Christians. But the Catholic Church uniquely accentuates this Sacramental.
We can and should teach these Truths to all Christians, who can ultimately join the Catholic Church. All Christians, for example, can share in the Liturgy of the Word.
4) The Christian world is ignoring this Sacramental, more and more, every generation.
This is exhibited in survey data showing the significant drop-offs in realizing this Sacramental.
Catholics who say they are members of a parish:
- 1998-2001: 76%
- 2021: 58%
https://cara.georgetown.edu/frequently-requested-church-statistics/
(To understand the scale represented in these statistics, note that the population of the United States today is almost 70% more than in 1970; 1970: 200.3 million; 2021: 337.0 million.)
Catholic Baptisms of infants:
- 1969: 1.089 million
- 2014: 693,914
Catholic Marriages:
- 1969: 426,309
- 2014: 148,134
Primary school-age children in Catholic parish religious education:
- 1970: 4.2 million
- 2015: 2.6 million
Students in Catholic elementary schools:
- 1970: 3.4 million
- 2021: 1.1 million
Students in Catholic secondary schools
- 1970: 1.008 million
- 2021: 535,844
Catholics who say their religious affiliation is "strong":
- 1970: 45.8%
- 2015: 33.7%
The next group of three characteristics point to how we know these Gifts: by revelation and faith.
5) We can understand the basis of this Sacramental from Scripture and Tradition. See the end of this article for a more complete set of passages. Remember to take each passage as a starting point for the Magisterium, an entire library of concurring Truths.
6) We can recall this Sacramental, anytime, anywhere, by using Scripture we already know by heart.
- Paternoster: “As we forgive others”
- Beatitudes: “Blessed are the peacemakers; they shall be called sons of God”
7) We can invoke and build upon this Sacramental, daily, by using these two particular devotions.
- The Liturgy of the Word
This first part of daily Mass brings us all together in prayer and Scripture and petitions.
- The Divine Office, such as Morning Prayer (Lauds) or Evening Prayer (Vespers)
When we read and pray these 5-10 minute sets of Psalms, prayers, New Testament readings, and intercessions, we read and pray the exact same prayers as millions of priests and religious around the world at the same time of day.
The final group of three characteristics point to the fears that the Gifts help us overcome, and the consequences of failing to accept these Gifts and caving in to fear.
8) This Sacramental helps overcome widespread, but distracting and pointless, human fears.
An example distraction here is the fear of not satisfying anyone-and-everyone’s unspoken and unknown wants. This is a form of scrupulosity in which we feel called to please all others, but suffer anxiety in our likely failure, such as because we don’t know whether or not we succeed. This distraction is mitigated by the existence of the Church. Scripture teaches us to limit our scope, as the very words of Christ guide us; that is, to foster and preserve unity, it’s possible to initially focus on striving for only four principles (a Gospel starting point is shown in parentheses):
(a) Christian peace and forgiveness (Luke 17:4)
(b) speaking well of others (Matthew 5:15)
(d) performing works of charity for common and known needs (Matthew 25:40)
(c) evangelizing and teaching unity (Matthew 28:20)
The people in the body of Christ require these to retain the unity of Church, which holds the keys to God’s revealed Truth.
9) That fear or distraction often heavily associates with a particular modern temptation, which we often use to sinfully defeat that fear.
To overcome this hopeless fear of not pleasing anyone-and-everyone’s unspoken wants, we can employ the temptation to go the other way: to entirely ignore the needs of others. One only does this by artificially raising oneself over others. The Christian is tempted to hold a self-deluding secret wisdom that others do not deserve nor can share in.
10) That sinful alternative illustrates a battle between a unique theology of Catholic Christianity versus a heresy held by other “religions.”
This error and heresy invoked in this example is Gnosticism. “Gnosis” means knowledge; in this ancient and up-to-date heresy, the heretic holds a secret knowledge on how to attain purity of spirit (no body), or how to understand a dualistic world in a battle of good vs. evil. In most cases, the spirit is good and the body evil. A Christian can practice a form of this heresy by elevating oneself above others and totally ignoring all others’ needs. Christianity is not a secret society open to only a few. Catholic means “universal,” available to all who learn and accept the complete, common, and accessible Truth of the Church. Indeed, our Christian mission is to spread this word to as many as possible, not rope off a privileged top-secret association. As Christ implores us, “You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house.” (Matthew 5:14-15). Also, the Catholic understands that since the Holy Trinity is perfection and eternal and omnipotent, we cannot possibly know It with the certitude of a Gnostic.
But this hoarding knowledge in order to elevate ourselves over others, to thus preempt the ignoring of others altogether and eliminate the fear of not meeting others’ needs, is unnecessary. Knowing that the Church exists in order to administer Sacraments for us and to enable us to know God, and that our mission is to uphold that Church with peace and service, is all we need.
To summarize this Sacramental and its importance to each of our transformations, I’ll use the explanation given in my novel, Virtual Eternity: An Epic 90s-Retro Florida Techno Pro-Life Love Story and Conversion Journey, as conveyed by Dante, the main character’s guide when he reaches heaven:
“Humans are tortured by many distractions, such as the fear of failing to please others enough, of failing to gain a false honor in the non-existent or fleeting predilections of others; it is the unending concern about failing to please others’ unspoken and hidden wishes. The sin of pride causes these fears.
“Or do I seek to please men? If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10) 1
“And the devil and its world entice you all on how to overcome these many fears, such as using the false skills of lording over others with elitist knowledge of mesmerizing heresies and fictions, so you all can pretend to avoid such sinful and distracting distresses.
“You do not need these sinful lies. Instead, know the unified body of individuals encompassing Christ. Understand His revelations against division and discord among you, concurrent with its saints and brilliant souls over centuries.
“That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee. (John 17:21) 1
“This is the Body of Christ, built and sustained through God’s grace, and of which you individually are a member. The Body of Christ is a framework for agreement on Truth, an active means to maintain millennia of wisdom, which, being divinely inspired, is impervious to bias and error. This knowledge is universal, simple, for all, not an elite.
“God is one and Christ one and His Church one and the faith one and the people one joined together by the tie of concord into a solid unity of body. (St. Cyprian) 2
“Thus, the Holy Trinity desires you to love others in this Body, the Church, as if you were confronting your own body: to make peace with others and forgive them, to speak well of others, to meet others’ known and basic needs, and to encourage others to have unified faith and keep God’s commandments.
“That is why the peacemakers are blessed, and they will be called children of God.
“As we forgive those who trespass against us: The Holy Trinity forms created beings into one unity of individuals that discern and communicate Its revelation and sacraments directly; this is only possible when these individuals enact peace with, and forgive, one another.”
Scripture and Tradition
One Church
The Holy Bible 1
John 17
[19] And for them do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. [20] And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me; [21] That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. [22] And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, as we also are one: [23] I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me.
Matthew 16
[16] Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. [17] And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. [18] And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [19] And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
1 Corinthians 12
[12] For as the body is one, and hath many members; and all the members of the body, whereas they are many, yet are one body, so also is Christ. [13] For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free; and in one Spirit we have all been made to drink. [14] For the body also is not one member, but many…[22] Yea, much more those that seem to be the feebler members of the body, are more necessary. [23] And such as we think to be the less honourable members of the body, about these we put more abundant honour; and those that are our uncomely parts, have more abundant comeliness. [24] But our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, giving to that which wanted the more abundant honour, [25] That there might be no schism in the body; but the members might be mutually careful one for another. [26] And if one member suffer any thing, all the members suffer with it; or if one member glory, all the members rejoice with it. [27] Now you are the body of Christ, and members of member.
Romans 12
[4] For as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office: [5] So we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Ephesians 4
[2] With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charity. [3] Careful to keep The Spirit in the bond of peace. [4] One body and one Spirit; as you are called in one hope of your when we call. [5] One Lord, one faith, one baptism.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566) 3
The Creed, Article IX: The Parts of the Church
The Church militant is the society of all the faithful still dwelling on earth. It is called militant, because it wages eternal war with those implacable enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil.
The Creed, Article IX: The Members of the Church Militant
The good are those who are linked together not only by the profession of the same faith, and the participation of the same Sacraments, but also by the spirit of grace and the bond of charity. Of these St. Paul says: The Lord knoweth who are his. Who they are that compose this class we also may remotely conjecture, but we can by no means pronounce with certainty.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1995) 4
813 "It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the entire Church, who brings about that wonderful communion of the faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle of the Church's unity." [Unitatis redintegratio] Unity is of the essence of the Church: What an astonishing mystery! There is one Father of the universe, one Logos of the universe, and also one Holy Spirit, everywhere one and the same; there is also one virgin become mother, and I should like to call her "Church." [St. Clement of Alexandria]
814 Yet sin and the burden of its consequences constantly threaten the gift of unity. And so the Apostle has to exhort Christians to "maintain The Spirit in the bond of peace." [Eph 4:3]
815 What are these bonds of unity? Above all, charity "binds everything together in perfect harmony." [Col 3:14] But The pilgrim Church is also assured by visible bonds of communion: profession of one faith received from the Apostles; common celebration of divine worship, especially of the sacraments; apostolic succession through the sacrament of Holy Orders, maintaining the fraternal concord of God's family.
816 "The sole Church of Christ [is that] which our Savior, after his Resurrection, entrusted to Peter's pastoral care, commissioning him and the other apostles to extend and rule it… This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him." [Lumen Gentia]
St. Cyprian 2
God is one and Christ one and His Church one and the faith one and the people one joined together by the tie of concord into a solid unity of body. The unity cannot be torn asunder, nor can the one body be separated by a division of its structure, nor torn into bits by the wrenching asunder of its entrails by laceration. Whatever departs from the parent-stem will not be able to breathe and live apart; it loses the substance of health.
(a) Make peace and forgive
The Holy Bible 1
Matthew 5
[21] You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. [22] But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. [23] If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath any thing against thee; [24] Leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother: and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift. [25] Be at agreement with thy adversary betimes, whilst thou art in the way with him: lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
[38] You have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. [39] But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other: [40] And if a man will contend with thee in judgment, and take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him. [41] And whosoever will force thee one mile, go with him other two… [43] You have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy. [44] But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: [45] That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust. [46] For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? Do not even the publicans this? [47] And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more? Do not also the heathens this?
Matthew 6
[14] For if you will forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offences. [15] But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences.
Luke 17
[3] Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother sin against thee, reprove him: and if he do penance, forgive him. [4] And if he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day be converted unto thee, saying, I repent; forgive him.
Hebrews 12
[14] Follow peace with all men, and holiness: without which no man shall see God. [15] Looking diligently, lest any man be wanting to the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up do hinder, and by it many be defiled.
Colossians 3
[13] Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. [14] But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection: [15] And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be ye thankful.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566) 3
The Decalogue: Love of Neighbour Inculcated
The mandatory part of this Commandment, as Christ our Lord enjoins, requires that we have peace with all men.
The Decalogue: Sinful Anger Is Also Forbidden by The Fifth Commandment
…God and His laws permit us to be angry when we chastise the faults of those who are subject to us. For the anger of a Christian should spring from the Holy Spirit and not from carnal impulse, seeing that we should be temples of the Holy Ghost, in which Jesus Christ may dwell.
The Decalogue: Forgiveness of Injuries Commanded
But the most important duty of all, and that which is the fullest expression of charity, and to the practice of which we should most habituate ourselves, is to pardon and forgive from the heart the injuries which we may have received from others. The Sacred Scriptures, as we have already observed, frequently admonish and exhort us to a full compliance with this duty. Not only do they pronounce blessed those who do this, but they also declare that God grants pardon to those who really fulfill this duty, while He refuses pardon to those who neglect it, or refuse to obey it.
The Lord’s Prayer: Forgive us our Debts - Reasons for Forgiveness
But since, on account of the corruption of nature, there is nothing to which man brings himself more reluctantly than to the pardon of injuries, let pastors exert all the powers and resources of their minds to change and bend the dispositions of the faithful to this mildness and mercy so necessary to a Christian. Let them dwell on those passages of Scripture in which we hear God commanding to pardon enemies.
(b) Speak well of others
The Holy Bible 1
Matthew 18
[15] But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother. [16] And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. [17] And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.
Ephesians 4
[29] Let no evil speech proceed from your mouth; but that which is good, to the edification of faith, that it may administer grace to the hearers. [30] And grieve not the holy Spirit of God: whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness, and anger, and indignation, and clamour, and blasphemy, be put away from you, with all malice.
1 Peter 2
[1] Wherefore laying away all malice, and all guile, and dissimulations, and envies, and all detractions.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566) 3
The Decalogue: Patience, Beneficence and Mildness Commanded
Finally, if we consider the law of charity, which is kind, we shall be convinced that to practice the good offices of mildness, clemency, and other kindred virtues, is a duty prescribed by that law.
(c) Help meet known and basic needs
The Holy Bible 1
Matthew 5
[42] Give to him that asketh of thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away.
Matthew 25
[37] Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink? [38] And when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and covered thee? [39] Or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee? [40] And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.
Luke 6
[35] But love ye your enemies: do good, and lend, hoping for nothing thereby: and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the sons of the Highest; for he is kind to the unthankful, and to the evil.
Romans 15
[1] Now we that are stronger, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. [2] Let every one of you please his neighbour unto good, to edification.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566) 3
The Decalogue: Inducements to Practice Almsgiving
The pastor, therefore, should encourage the faithful to be willing and anxious to assist those who have to depend on charity, and should make them realize the great necessity of giving alms and of being really and practically liberal to the poor, by reminding them that on the last day God will condemn and consign to eternal fires those who have omitted and neglected the duty of almsgiving, while on the contrary He will praise and introduce into His heavenly country those who have exercised mercy towards the poor.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1995) 4
2444 "The Church's love for the poor . . . is a part of her constant tradition." This love is inspired by the Gospel of the Beatitudes, of the poverty of Jesus, and of his concern for the poor. Love for the poor is even one of the motives for the duty of working so as to "be able to give to those in need." It extends not only to material poverty but also to the many forms of cultural and religious poverty.
2447 The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God
(d) Encourage unified faith
The Holy Bible 1
Matthew 28
[19] Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.
Matthew 5
[13] You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men. [14] You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. [15] Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. [16] So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
1 Thessalonians 5
[11] For which cause comfort one another; and edify one another, as you also do. [12] And we beseech you, brethren, to know them who labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you: [13] That you esteem them more abundantly in charity, for their work's sake. Have peace with them.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566) 3
The Decalogue: Public Profession of Faith
In the first place, God's name is honored when we publicly and confidently confess Him to be our Lord and our God; and when we acknowledge and also proclaim Christ to be the author of our salvation.
The Creed, Article I: Faith Requires Open Profession
The pastor should also teach that he who says, I believe, besides declaring the inward assent of the mind, which is an internal act of faith, should also openly profess and with alacrity acknowledge and proclaim what he inwardly and in his heart believes. For the faithful should be animated by the same spirit that spoke by the lips of the Prophet when he said: I believe; and therefore did I speak, and should follow the example of the Apostles who replied to the princes of the people: We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. They should be encouraged by these noble words of St. Paul: I am not ashamed of the gospel.
References
1. The Holy Bible, Douay-Rheims Version, 2009, Saint Benedict Press [Original published 1582-1609]
2. St. Cyprian of Carthage, On the Unity of the Church, (Roy J, Trans.), 1956, p. 118, [Online] Available from: https://ia800205.us.archive.org/30/items/TheUnityOfTheChurchByStCyprianOfCarthage/Cyprian_The_Unity_Of_The_Church.pdf
3. The Catechism of the Council of Trent, (J.A McHugh, O.P., and C.J. Callan, Trans.), 1923, Middletown, DE [Original 1566]
4. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1995, Doubleday
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About the Author
Christopher Rogers is the author of the just-released novel Virtual Eternity: An Epic 90s-Retro Florida Techno Pro-life Love Story and Conversion Journey, which dramatizes a story about the Catholic conversion of two twenty-somethings in the 90s, interleaving a story about love, hookups, corporate and social culture in the 90s, technical intrigue, and a journey to the Holy Trinity. The novel is available here, at the Catholic Corner, which is on Mike Church's Crusade Channel website or any other major online bookseller.
Christopher is married and has helped raise a family of three children, while also working as a human factors engineer and project manager in the fields of healthcare, intelligence, military, aerospace, and manufacturing. He has master’s degrees in Humanities (Houston-Clear Lake) and Industrial Engineering (Auburn). Christopher belongs to the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order. He is also the author of the novel Dumb College.
