149. What is the origin and the fulfillment of the Church? (part 1)

149. What is the origin and the fulfillment of the Church? (part 1)

(Comp 149) The Church finds her origin and fulfillment in the eternal plan of God. She was prepared for in the Old Covenant with the election of Israel, the sign of the future gathering of all the nations. Founded by the words and actions of Jesus Christ, fulfilled by his redeeming death and Resurrection, the Church has been manifested as the mystery of salvation by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. She will be perfected in the glory of heaven as the assembly of all the redeemed of the earth.

“In brief”

(CCC 778) The Church is both the means and the goal of God's plan: prefigured in creation, prepared for in the Old Covenant, founded by the words and actions of Jesus Christ, fulfilled by his redeeming cross and his Resurrection, the Church has been manifested as the mystery of salvation by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. She will be perfected in the glory of heaven as the assembly of all the redeemed of the earth (cf. Rev 14:4).

To deepen and explain

(CCC 758) We begin our investigation of the Church's mystery by meditating on her origin in the Holy Trinity's plan and her progressive realization in history. (CCC 759) "The eternal Father, in accordance with the utterly gratuitous and mysterious design of his wisdom and goodness, created the whole universe and chose to raise up men to share in his own divine life" (LG 2), to which he calls all men in his Son. "The Father… determined to call together in a holy Church those who should believe in Christ" (LG 2). This "family of God" is gradually formed and takes shape during the stages of human history, in keeping with the Father's plan. In fact, "already present in figure at the beginning of the world, this Church was prepared in marvellous fashion in the history of the people of Israel and the old Alliance. Established in this last age of the world and made manifest in the outpouring of the Spirit, it will be brought to glorious completion at the end of time" (LG 2). (CCC 760) Christians of the first centuries said, "The world was created for the sake of the Church" (Pastor Hermae, Vision 2, 4, 1: PG 2, 899; cf. Aristides, Apol. 16, 6; St. Justin, Apol. 2, 7: PG 6, 456; Tertullian, Apol. 31, 3; 32, 1: PL 1, 508-509). God created the world for the sake of communion with his divine life, a communion brought about by the "convocation" of men in Christ, and this "convocation" is the Church. The Church is the goal of all things (Cf. St. Epiphanius, Panarion 1, 1, 5: PG 41, 181C), and God permitted such painful upheavals as the angels' fall and man's sin only as occasions and means for displaying all the power of his arm and the whole measure of the love he wanted to give the world: Just as God's will is creation and is called "the world," so his intention is the salvation of men, and it is called "the Church" (Clement of Alex., Paed. 1, 6, 27: PG 8, 281).

On reflection

(CCC 761) The gathering together of the People of God began at the moment when sin destroyed the communion of men with God, and that of men among themselves. The gathering together of the Church is, as it were, God's reaction to the chaos provoked by sin. This reunification is achieved secretly in the heart of all peoples: "In every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable" to God (Acts 10:35; cf. LG 9; 13; 16). [IT CONTINUES]

(The question: “What is the origin and the fulfillment of the Church?” continues)