The Names and Images of the Church

1. The Names and Images of the Church The Church Chapter 2 –Part 2 Mr. Perrotti

2. NAMES AND IMAGES OF THE CHURCH • The Mystical Body of Christ • The Bride of Christ • The Family of God • The People of God • The Kingdom of God • Sheepfold, the Flock • Branches of the Vine • Temple or Building

3. What do the Name and Images have in Common • They all refer to a visible or Human Element. • They The also refer to an invisible or Dive Element. • The Bride of Christ on Human level describes a marriage between a husband and wife. The head of the household being the man • On a Divine Level - The Bride of Christ refers to Christ being the Head of his Body, which is the Church.

4. The Mystical Body of Christ • The Church came into being when Christ died on the Cross, but it was formally inaugurated on Pentecost, when He sent the Holy Spirit as He had promised • St. Paul speaks of all Christians as members of Christ, so that with Him, they form one Mystical Body • The Church, the Mystical Body, exists on this earth, and is called the Church militant, because its members struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil.

5. The Mystical Body of Christ • The Church suffering means the souls in Purgatory. • The Church triumphant is the Church in heaven • The unity and cooperation of the members of the Church on earth, in Purgatory, in Heaven is also called the Communion of Saints

6. The Word Saint • The word "Saint" in the modern sense means someone who has been canonized by the Church in recent times, or was accepted as such by the Church in earlier times. • If a person is shown to have practiced heroic virtue--beyond what people in general do - in all virtues, the title "Venerable" is given; • with two miracles by that one's intercession, the title is "Blessed"; • two more miracles can lead to canonization and the title of Saint.

7. The Bride of Christ • “What does it mean that the church is the bride of Christ?“ • The imagery and symbolism of marriage is applied to Christ and the body of believers known as the church • In the New Testament, Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church to be His bride • Just as there was a betrothal period in biblical times during which the bride and groom were separated until the wedding, so is the bride of Christ separate from her Bridegroom during the church age.

8. The Bride of Christ • Her responsibility during the betrothal period is to be faithful to Him • At the Second Coming of Christ, the church will be united with the Bridegroom, the official "wedding ceremony" will take place and, with it, the eternal union of Christ and His bride will be actualized • As believers in Jesus Christ, we who are the bride of Christ wait with great anticipation for the day when we will be united with our Bridegroom • Until then, we remain faithful to Him and say with all the redeemed of the Lord, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

9. The Church as “She” • The "church" is the "mother" of God's Children • The Holy Spirit with the nourishment of God's Word, the Bread of Life. • "Husbands, love your wives, EVEN AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED THE CHURCH, AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT; (St. Paul) • This description stems from Saint Paul's description of the Church being a marriage between Christ and its members.

10. The Church as The Family of God • The family of God metaphor is perhaps the most endearing term to describe Christ’s church • God, our Heavenly Father, has adopted us into His family, the church. • Jesus and other N.T. writers reminded us that we are brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and members of God’s household

11. The Church as The Family of God • There is nothing quite like the atmosphere of a home to confirm the fact that we are indeed God’s family. • Today’s church movement is a return to the church as the family of God. • It’s the realization that we desperately need community lived out in face-to-face relationships. • God is calling His church to come home.

12. The Church as The People of God • 1 Peter 2:9 -But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light • The Church is the ‘people of God’ because it pleased God to sanctify and save men not in isolation but by making them into one people gathered together by the unity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

13. The Church as The People of God • The people of God participate in Christ's priestly office • The people of God share in his kingly office by means of service, imitating Jesus Christ who as King of the universe made himself the servant of all, especially the poor and the suffering. • We are all “Called” to be the People of God! • WE are all called, only the few answer!!!!

14. The Kingdom of God • Christ makes it clear in all that he does and says, that he is the King of the New Israel. • A Kingdom he was given by his Father for all he endured – His Paschal Mystery • His Kingdom is often compared to that of David, but he is the Temple, the source of all Grace and Love. • As The Messiah he fulfilled the Covenants made in the Old Testament, by giving the new Israelites the King they pined for. Christianity is the new Israel!

15. Other Images • The Church as Flock – we are the flock and Jesus is the Good Shepard who will not turn his back on the least of his brothers. • The Church as Branches on a Vine – Christ is the Vine, we are his branches. Those of us who believe in him will thrive, those who do not will wither away! • The Church as Temple – Jesus is the cornerstone, the pillars that hold the Church together. Weare his building blocks which lay on the foundation he built for us!

16. Welcome to the Kingdom Of God! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q7Hk4zl-OM.com

17. JESUS as CHURCH RISE WITH A SHOUT OUR GOD IS ALIVE IN US THROUGH HIS CHURCH! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w77t4upWSYM.com