·
The Christian experience of
God is lived in the mystery of the Church.
·
The Church, the sacrament of
the Kingdom of God plays a central role in the NT (Mk 1, 14; Lk 4, 16-19; LG
5).
·
The Church finds its
foundation, form and finality in the Trinitarian mystery (LG 2, 3 & 4).
·
As pilgrim People of God (LG
9-17)
·
The Church is called to be a
‘participatory community’ that fosters greater involvement of the laity (LG
30-38; EA 25, 45) and all people of goodwill in realizing the Kingdom mission.
·
This is of particular
significance to the Indian Church that seeks to be an incarnated and contrast
community in pluralistic India.
Introduction
This
thesis speaks about the paradigm shift that has taken place after the Vat II in
the self understanding of the Church as ‘
Mystery’, ‘Sacrament of the KOG’ and ‘Pilgrim people of God’.(Participatory
church – How the Indian church can be – incarnated and contrast community)
·
The Gk term used for the church is
Ekklesia=assembly of citizens.
·
The original term –Ekklesia means – ‘to
call or gather together’.
·
Hebrew equivalent word is – Qahal YHWH =
which means the assembly of the people of Israel who are called by YHWH.
1. The Christian experience of God is lived in the mystery of the
Church.
Christian experience of God:
·
The Christian experience of God is
Trinitarian.
·
From creation till the final
fulfillment, the vocation of Christian is to participate in the Trinitarian
life and communion.
·
This God experience and longing for
salvation is lived out in a church which is a mystery.
Church as Mystery:
·
Apostolic Period = community of disciples
·
3rd Century = Assumed
imperial character.
·
Middle ages: Assumed Feudal Character.
·
Between 16th-19th
Century = Perfect society / Vatican I too affirmed this view
·
Vatican II brought about a paradigm
shift in the self understanding of the church from institutional church to
church as a mystery.
·
Church as a mystery means not merely a
social reality about which we can have an objective, scientific knowledge,
rather a faith reality known only through self disclosure and participation in
the life of the church.
Church
as mystery is both divine and human reality because
its source is in God.
·
Church
as divine : Invisible nature – spiritual reality
Sacramental
event
God’s
plan of salvation in time and history.
Reveals
the presence of the divine.
God is gracing the church to be holy and
blameless – grace filled depths.
Human
Reality: = visible
Socio-historical reality – grows in world
Sinful
nature – community of humans.
With
a structure.
Church as a mystery means "a reality imbued with the hidden presence of
God." - Paul
VI.
·
LG 1 - “The Church in Christ, is
in the nature of the sacrament, a sign & instrument i.e., of communion with
God & unity of all humanity.” Divine (invisible nature, faith reality) and
Human (visible nature, historical & hierarchical).
·
LG-2: It speaks about the role
of God the Father in the Church: Theo centric
·
LG 3: speaks about the role of
the Son- giving form-life. Christocentric
·
LG 4: The symbolism of the
origin of the Church is very important because the Spirit guides the Church,
inspires the Church, leads the Church to the finality or destination.
2. The Church, the sacrament of the Kingdom of God plays a central
role in the NT (Mk 1, 14; Lk 4, 16-19; LG 5).
·
Mk 1, 14 – Time is fulfilled - KOG is near – repent and believe in the good news.
·
Lk 4, 16-19 – Mission manifesto of Jesus
·
Till the 20th century church
was identified with the KOG
·
But gradually theologians began to
realize that church and the kingdom are not identical but they are intimately
connected.
·
The kingdom of God was manifested in and
through the life, words and deeds of Jesus.
·
The church has received the mission to
proclaim and establish the kingdom among all the people.
·
Therefore church is at the service of
the kingdom.
·
It’s a sign and sacrament of the
kingdom.
·
Church manifests this KOG by - Coming together
Celebrating Eucharist.
Commits to the mission
LG 5 : Church is the budding forth or
the initial seed of realization of the kingdom.
(=
already and not yet / an ongoing process or process of becoming)
·
Church become the sacrament of the
kingdom through – Kerygma(proclamation)
Koenonia(fellowship)
Diakonia(Service)
– Mk 10,45
The
churches mission is to be the sign/pointer/ agent in the realization of the
kingdom.
·
Sign – pints to the kingdom
·
Agent – Makes the kingdom visible and
present.
·
Realization – through proclamation
Witness
Love
Service
3. The church finds the foundation form and finality in the
Trinitarian mystery (LG 2-4)
·
The church as mystery is founded/ rooted
in the Trinitarian mystery
·
Here Trinitarian mystery is the – Origin
Sustenance
Destiny of the church
1. LG 2 – Theo- centric origin of the
church( from eternity to eternity)
·
LG -2 God in his wisdom and goodness
created the whole universe to share in his divine life.
·
Even after the fall of the human being
God never abandoned but offered the means of salvation through the life-death
–resurrection of his son Jesus Christ.
This is being continued through the church by the power of the HS.
·
Church was founded on all those who
believe in Jesus Christ.
·
Church was pre-figured in the history of
the people of Israel.
2.
LG 3:
Christo – Centric Origin of the church (role of Jesus Christ)
·
Jesus inaugurated the KOG according to
the will of the father.
·
The origin and growth of the church are
symbolized in the blood and water that flowed from the side of Jesus on the
cross(Jn 19,34)
3. LG 4 : Role of the spirit
·
Spirit continues the mission of Jesus
through the Church.
·
Spirit – sanctifies the church
·
Dwells in the hearts of the faithful.
·
Guides the church in the way of the
father.
·
Bestows various gifts on the church.
·
Makes the church vibrant.
·
Renews her
Church
finds its foundation, form and finality in the Trinitarian mystery.
·
LG 2 :
Foundation – church is part of the God’s plan of salvation
·
LG 3: Inaugurated by the son
·
LG 4: continued by the spirit
Finality: destiny of the church is to return to the
mystery.
·
LG2 : Father : Theo-centric foundation of the church
·
LG 3 : Son : Christo centric foundation
·
LG 4: Spirit: Pneumato centric –
sustenance and finality of the church.
4.
Church as pilgrim people of God: - LG 14,15,16.
·
Pilgrim means not static but evolving
and moving. Hence it refers to the eschatological dimension.
·
People of God refer to the communion of
Individuals in community
·
Hence ‘People of God’ refers to
equality. That is by virtue of baptism, all of us are equal in dignity yet
functional differences are there.
·
People of God is inclusive unlike
previous doctrines (that stressed church a hierarchical institution)
·
All men are called to belong to the new
people of God.
LG
14 :
Catholic faithful:
·
By virtue of baptism, accepting
different means of salvation, and believing in common priesthood.
LG
15:
Christians those don’t belong to the catholic faithful/ communion
That
is Baptism + Some sacraments+ Faith
LG
16:
People of other religions
1.
Jews: Covenant promises of YHWH made to
them.
2.
Muslims: Acknowledge god as creator =
faith in Abraham – believe god as merciful – God will reign on the last day.
3.
Unknown god: pagans, Greeks, Hindus,(seeking
the Unknown god).
4.
Seeking God( Do not know that God is
Christ) but living according to god’s will
living
good lives according to the conscience.
5.
No Knowledge of god bu lead good life: -
nature worshippers(Forces of nature as manifestations of god)
6.
Atheists: reason without faith.
5.
The church is called to be a participatory community that
involves greater participation of laity.(Lg
31,33,, 38,EA 25,45) and people of good
will in realizing the Kingdom mission.
·
Participatory
community: all are equal members in the church, equal in dignity and freedom, by virtue of baptism.
·
Vat II in LG 30-38 places the laity in
their rightful place as the people of God and their responsibility in the
church. There cannot be a church without the laity.
·
LG
31:
In their own way share the priestly, prophetic and kingly office of Christ and
to the best their ability carry on the mission of the whole Christian people in
the church and in the world.
·
Seek the KOG by engaging in temporal
affairs and directing them according to God’s will.
·
They contribute through temporal works, charisms
to the welfare of the church and co-operate in the mission of the church.(1 Cor
12,14)
·
LG
33 :
-
Sharing in the salvific mission of the
church
-
To make the church present and fruitful
in those places and in circumstances where it is only through them the church
can become the salt of the earth.
·
LG
38
– Be a witness before the world to the resurrection and life of the Lord Jesus
and a sign of the living God.
·
EA
25 :
speaks of communion within the church through universal authority of the
Pope(not juridical power)
-
Service(diakonia)
-
Communion in and through diocese/
particular church/BCC/SCC etc.
·
EA
45 : Speaks of the role of the laity as missionaries
by baptism and confirmation.
6.
This is of particular significance to the Indian church that
seeks to be an incarnated and contrast
community in pluralistic community , in pluralistic India.
·
The mystery of incarnation makes us
realize that the Church has to be firmly rooted in the Indian context.
That
is the spirituality of Incarnation.
·
The Indian pluralistic context (multi
–religious, socio-cultural, political, economical), we have problems such a
Gender discrimination
Casteism
Poverty,
Corruption
Religious
fundamentalism
·
To be incarnated church we need to
address these issues
·
It’s a contrast community, we need to
take the kingdom values seriously(diakonia, Koenonia, kerygma)
·
We need to take inculturation seriously
to be a church suitable in multi-religious context.
