Krystal Faith B.

Macoto
Ms. Stephanie Anne Puen
Th 121
21 September, 2013
Musings of a Catholic on her Church
The word Church originates from the Greek term ekklesia which is formed by the words
ek meaning out and kaleo meaning call; basically, the term ekklesia means to call out
or an assembly. The Church, in the most general sense, is an assembly of a society founded
and established by Jesus to receive, preserve, and propagate His doctrines and ordinances. The
Church is made up of the members of the Catholic faith with each of them having their own
various levels of faith and function within the community. The Church is One (Romans 12:5),
Holy (Ephisians 5:25-27), Catholic (Matthew 28:19-20), and Apostolic (Ephesians 2:19-20, Acts
1:15-26), all these characteristics are unique to the Catholic faith.The Church is not only a
building or a place of worship in which people gather to worship the Lord, but it is also the
people who have their own roles and responsibilities in aiding the understanding of the Catholic
faith. According to Anscar Chupungco in the four chapter, entitled In the Holy Church, in his
book What Then is Liturgy: Musings and Memoirs on the role and ministry of the Church: For
Christ continues His priestly work through the agency of His Church, which is unceasingly
engaged in praising the Lord and interceding for the salvation of the whole word. The Church
does this not only by celebrating the Eucharist, but also in other ways, especially by praying the
divine office.
The Church is needed in a Catholics life because it aids the anamnesis which would help a
Catholic enter into the Paschal Mystery. It is important for a Catholic to remember the deeds
and sacrifice of the Lord, Jesus Christ in order to have a better grasp and understanding of their
faith. The Church not only aids a Catholic in knowing Jesus more along with the rest of the Holy
Trinity, but it also aids in helping one recognize and acknowledge the fact that one is a sinner
who needs redemption and the fact that one is blessed for one is graced by the Lord through his
life, death, and resurrection. The Church not only focuses on all the miracles performed by Jesus
and all the aspects that made Him divine, but it also focuses on how human Jesus really was and
it was through His humanity that we are saved for it is through being human that aids us to
touch upon the divine. The Church also helps us understand the messages of the scriptures for
the Church does not exist apart from the bible, nor does the bible exist apart from the Church.
As an active member of the Catholic Church, I believe that I have a good grasp of my faith. I
feel the need to propagate my faith in order to help others recognize and understand how blessed
they are to be a member of my faith. I am an active minister because I have encountered so many
people who do not understand the importance of the Eucharist or who passively attend mass due to
them feeling obligated and often times I am disheartened because it seems that there are many
members of the Church but few are actively doing their roles to help their fellow brothers and
sisters. I have noticed that not many Catholics, especially in my generation, realize the significance of
their Church, nor do they feel the resonating love the Church propagates. I believe that as a member
of the Church it is important that I help others feel the presence of the Lord in their life. I know that
there are many who are sceptics of their own faith for they have not been taught the rationale of
our faith, nor have they experienced the grace found in their Faith.
Another integral aspect that most people fail to notice about their faith is that their faith
should not be taken literally. There is no face value in the Roman Catholic Faith. I think that a good
aid in understanding the Catholic faith would be using Paul Ricoeurs Hermeneutic of Suspicion in
theological discourse because it teaches one to be suspicious of false interpretation and to be
suspicious of suspicion. The Church is continuously undergoing theological discourse to help its
members understand their faith. Personally, I believe that faith should be grounded on the fact that
despite everything being revealed to us, not everything has been fully realized and it is our active
participation and involvement in the Church that can ultimately help strengthen ones faith.

Sources:
"What, Then, Is Liturgy?:." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2013.