The Concept of Church, Faith, and Prayer in Catholicism

1571 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Final Exam Review Of Catholic Church History

The Concept of Church, Faith, and Prayer in Catholicism There is no doubt that the fundamental idea of Church, faith, and prayer lived by the early Christian, needs to be rediscovered among many contemporary Christians. The conviction that the apostles had to preach the Gospel of Jesus certainly was aided by their idea of Church, faith, and prayer. In his book “Catholicism: A Journey to the Heat of the Faith”, Father Robert Barron tries to revive the idea of Catholicism that seems to weaken and lose its real sense. With my understanding of Church, faith, and prayer, I argue that because of the lack of understanding about Catholicism that exist today in our midst, many people fall short about what Catholicism really means. However, it is not my intention to answer this question. The Church is the body of Christ where God brings his people together. St. Paul the apostle himself calls the Church the Body of Christ where all those who believe in God join in as its members (New American Bible, 1 Cor. 12; 27). Jesus also refers to the Church as the House of the Father where God should be worshiped and served, although not in the physical sense of the word (NAB, Matt. 21.13). As the House of God, the Church serves as an instrument of salvation for the people of God. God continues to call all His children to come under one roof and dine at His table. There has always been this concern about sharing the Good News and baptizing all the nations in order to bring people under one roof and one belief in order to unify their faith and thus, form one family and one ecumanical Church. The Church still strives to fulfill Jesus’ desire so that all may be one (Ut unum sint 7). As the Body and Bride of Christ, the Church is also concerned abou... ... middle of paper ... ...faith in the God who creates the world, people will always fail to grasp the idea behind the Catholic Vision and Imagination. Furthermore, although God remains always present in the midst of His flock, one can easily lose the awareness and consciousness of this Presence that accompany all human being. When people forget what is to be a Church, that community that is to be formed and lived is also lost. However, there remains the tradition, images, and architecture that speaks and transmits a voice beyond themselves that definitely calls people to relate their desires for depth and truth to the living God. Works Cited New American Bible. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Washington, DC. 2002. On commitment to Ecumenism, Ut unum sint. May 5th, 1995. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes. December 7, 1965.

Show More
Related

  • Desert Religions Richard Rodriguez Analysis

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rodriguez makes a point of stating that there are tensions between the “brother religions”, religions that should be unified but instead are “united and divided by the masculine sense of faith”, still this same pattern is shown within the church (146). Rodriguez acknowledges the fact that the church is being divided each day due

    Read More

  • African American Criticism To Critique The Speech Of Fredrick Douglas's Speech In Faneuil Hall

    1236 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the eyes of the people the church is one place you are spared from judgment and critique. It is the one place you should feel safe, to express your thoughts and opinions, pray to the higher power in which you believe and your faith resides and be free of society qualms, demands, and realism. In a part

    Read More

  • The Mega Church in America: Missionary or Miscreant

    1659 Words  | 4 Pages

    The church or Ecclesia, as it is called in the original Greek language, regardless of size, are the called out ones who assemble to represent the Body and life of Jesus Christ. They engage in meetings of praise, worship, and listening to the Word of God, which is taken from their manual called the Holy Bible, or the Scriptures; those bringing the message are considered to be the mouthpieces for God, and are typically called preachers (KJV, Eph 5.23-32). According to the Bible, the church, which includes the preachers, is to strive to exemplify the type of life that Jesu...

    Read More

  • Irreligious Catholics and Their Potential Threat to the Process of Socialization

    1850 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rausch, Thomas P. "Chapter 9: A Truly Catholic Church." Towards a Truly Catholic Church: an

    Read More

  • Catholicism: Correcting the Misconceptions

    1502 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is this lack of knowledge that gives rise to inaccurate claims about Catholicism. Catholicism is viewed as an impersonal relationship between God and man. This misguided assumption stems from the 16th century belief that only the religious officials had the right and ability to interpret the Word of God, the Bible. In the past, Catholics gained their knowledge of the Lord during mass on Sundays. Priests and other officials studied the Bible and communicated with God through prayer then relayed the message to the people of the church. This way of interaction with God was like going to a foreign country and not being able to speak the national language. Priests acted as a translator, speaking directly to both God and man. Just as with a translator, the personal connection made between God and man is limited. Some of the emotion is lost in translation; nevertheless, the message gets through. This tradition was...

    Read More

  • Geocentricism In The Catholic Church

    1396 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through the years from the medieval ages up until now, the Roman Catholic Church has always had a major influential presence in all walks of life for European people, whether it was for taxation, the establishing of laws, the rise and fall of monarchs, and even daily social life. Furthermore, the Catholic Church held such power that they could even appoint and dispose of great kings with just the writing of the pen. However, their power started to wane once human curiosity overcome ignorance and blind obedience. For example, the Enlightenment Age brought a series of shocking blows to the Church’s power such as disproving the Church’s theory of geocentricism and presented an age of questioning and secularism. In essence, by looking at the Church’s

    Read More

  • The Story of Christianity by Justo Gonzalez

    915 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Story of Christianity is a very informative summation; a continuation of Volume 1 which covered the beginning of the church up to the Protestant Reformation, while Vol. 2 dealt with the Protestant Reformation up to more modern time period. This author delivers a more comprehensive and deeper look into the development of Christianity, which includes particular events which had transpired throughout the world; particularly how Christianity has expanded into Central and South America. Gonzalez opens up this book with the “Call for Reformation,” where he shares with his readers the need for reform; the papacy had started to decline and was corrupt, in addition to the Great Schism, which had further weakened the papacy (p.8). The author explains how the church was not the only issue but that the church’s teachings were off track as well, seeing that the people had deviated from...

    Read More

  • Bring America Back to its Christian Roots

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    But to explore the thoughts regarding the boundaries of the church any further, we must clarify exactly what the church is. When Paul gives his closing salutations to the Romans, he says “…greet the church that is in their house.” (Romans 16:5) He was referring to the people, the believers, within the house. Additionally, Paul says in his exposition on Christ “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills a...

    Read More

  • Reformation's Religious and Educational Impact

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before the printing press was invented, books and Bibles were very rare, and people thought that the Roman Catholic Church held the final authority concerning religion and God. The Catholic Church not only possessed...

    Read More

  • Catholicism is Christ’s Church

    819 Words  | 2 Pages

    Catholicism's Theology as explained above is of an inclusive nature. Therefore, as explained in the Gospel of Christ humanity is called to him and hi...

    Read More

  • The Church of the Trinity

    890 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chapter four addresses the divisions within the Corinthian church, such as jealousy, quarrelling and their defective view of the church. The apostle Paul links their view of the church to church leadership stating “If they had a true view of the church, they would have a true view of the leaders of the church” (p79). The situation was that their view was lower for the church and higher for the leaders thus they were boasting about the leaders. Paul’s view was that the Corinthian church was spoon feed Christians not maturing as they should. Paul’s reference to addressing the church as worldly did not mean they were unregenerate because they did possess the Spirit but they were not being spiritual, not being controlled by the Holy Spirit. He goes on to say “They have experienced new birth by the Spirit but have remained babies in Christ; they have not yet become mature in Christ” (p80) The Apostle most likely would express the same opinion about many Church congregations today. Many churches are elated with their church growth, but it is often superficial. If the church does not offer a real growth opportunity the journey is short lived. The church fills up with Christians not participating in the sanctification process. As with many churches today the Corinthians had a self-serving attitude about themselves and their church. The Corinthians would have never behaved the way they did if they had a higher view of the church and what it stood for and a lesser view of the leaders. Paul outlines three visions of the church “each of which has important implications” (p82). The first metaphor is agricultural: God’s field (v9) 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God...

    Read More

  • Renaissance Essay

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Roman Catholic Church is the largest body of Christians in the world. Catholics are concentrated more heavily in North America, Europe and South America than any other place. The traces of the beginning of the Catholic Church began about A.D. 30; this is the time when Jesus Christ was mandating his apostles to spread the teachings about the Kingdom of God. (Gills Web). Catholics have the belief that Christ inaugurated the church to carry to his people the salvation that he had brought to the world. They also believe that with the aid of God they have managed to preserve his teachings. Belief in God’s revelation is religious faith. Some beliefs that the Roman Catholic’s acquire are the Trinity and creation, Sin, the Incarnation, and salvation, Life after death, Worship and Baptism, Confirmation, and Mass. (Gills Web). Trinity and creation is where Catholics presume there is only one God. This one God exists of a unit of three persons – The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three persons form the Holy Trinity. (Gills Web) Although this is true there is still only one God.

    Read More

  • Accepting Guilt In Bonhoeffer's Ethics

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    The church confesses that it has not professed openly and clearly enough its message of the one God… The church confesses its timidity, its deviation, its dangerous concessions… The church was mute when it should have cried out, because the blood of the innocent cried out to heaven… It did not resist to the death the falling away from faith and is guilty of the godlessness of the

    Read More

  • The Reformation and the Church

    1602 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved February 21, 2010 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org

    Read More

  • What Is The Role Of Religion In Gothic Tales

    330 Words  | 1 Pages

    Catholicism has been around for centuries. It is among many of the known religions around the world. It has also been used in a number of events in history in conquering other places. In the text of David Stevens, there is a lot that can be learned about how Catholicism is portrayed during the old times. He discusses his insights on Catholicism and other insights he has learned along the way.

    Read More

More about The Concept of Church, Faith, and Prayer in Catholicism

Open Document