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| CHRIST, THE LIGHT OF THE NATIONS |
October 11, 2012, marks the 50th
anniversary of the opening session of the Second Vatican Council. Blessed
Pope John XXIII, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, was
elected to the papacy in October of 1958, at the age of 77. Less than three months into what was
expected to be a “transitional” and therefore uneventful
papacy, he shocked both the Curia and the entire Catholic world
with his announcement of a solemn convocation of all the world’s bishops, to be
held in the grand halls of St. Peter’s Basilica. The goal, mission and purpose of the Second Vatican Council was,
essentially, to recover and reconcile the spirit of the
earliest Christian communities and the writings of the early
Church Fathers with the expectations, situations and genuine
needs of contemporary, post-industrial, twentieth-century man.
Of the 16 documents that emerged from
the Council, four documents, four stand out from the rest as “Constitutions,”
which, essentially, are documents of the highest merit, demanding full,
unconditional acceptance in both our intellect and will by all the faithful,
without exception. The four Constitutions here spoken of are Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Declaration on Divine Revelation Sacrosanctum Concilium, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Gaudium et Specs (Joy and Hope), the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
Modern World and Lumen Gentium Light of the Nations.
Lumen Gentium, has played a most important role in
defining the nature, mission and identity of the Catholic Church in
contemporary times, and has had a monumental impact on theology in general,
ecclesiology in particular, and additionally in the thought, preaching and
writings of the four post-conciliar popes, Pope Paul VI, Pope John
Paul I, Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, all of whom
were present at, and participated in the Council.
Introduction
“Christ is the Light of nations,” (which is
the English translation of the Latin title, Lumen
Gentium) the “sacred synod…eagerly desires…to bring the light of
Christ to all men” (LG, 1). Therefore, “since the Church is in Christ like a
sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of…union with God and of the unity
of the whole human race, it desires…to unfold more fully to the faithful of the
Church and to the whole world its own inner nature and universal mission” (LG,
1).
Chapter
One “The Mystery of the Church”
“The Mystery of the Church,” provides a
summary of the very nature of the Church as both the visible and
invisible reality through which all persons are called to participate in the
Trinitarian, divine life of God through, with and in Christ Jesus. “Fallen in
Adam, God the Father did not leave men to themselves, but ceaselessly offered
helps to salvation, in view of Christ the Redeemer, ‘who is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of every creature’” (LG, 2). This is accomplished
chiefly through the Church’s sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist.
Baptism grafts and unites the elect to Christ’s Mystical Body, and enables them
to participate in Christ’s work of Redemption, perpetuated in the Sacred
Liturgy. “As often as the sacrifice of the cross in which Christ our Passover
was sacrificed (1 Cor 5:7) is celebrated on the altar, the work of our
redemption is carried on, and in the sacrament of the Eucharistic bread, the
unity of all believers who form one body in Christ (cf. 1 Cor 10:17) is both
expressed and brought about.
“By communicating his Spirit, Christ
made his brothers…mystically the components of his own body….Through
Baptism, we are formed in the likeness of Christ: ‘For in one Spirit we were
all baptized into one body’ (1 Cor 12:13 It is precisely in the partaking
of the Eucharist that we are united with both Christ and with each other:
“‘because the bread is one, we though many, are one body, all of us who partake
of the one bread’” (1 Cor 10:17) (LG, 7).
The document uses the analogy of the
Hypostasis in Christ, whereby Christ’s perfect humanity and his perfect
divinity are truly, inseparably united in a hypostatic union in the one Divine
Person of Christ. Thus, the Church, like Christ, is simultaneously human and
divine, earthly and heavenly.
Chapter One summarizes the Church’s
nature stating that, “This is the one Church of Christ which in the Creed we
profess as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, which our Savior, after his
resurrection, commissioned Peter to shepherd (Jn 21:17), and him
and the other apostles to extend and direct with authority (cf.
Mt. 28:18), which he erected for all ages as ‘the pillar and mainstay (or
fortress) of the truth’ (1 Tm 3:15).
Chapter
Two “On the People of God”
The People of God, having been grafted
into the Mystical Body of Christ through Baptism, nd it is primarily through
our participation in the Eucharistic Liturgy that we, the Priestly People,
exercise our common, royal priesthood by offering ourselves through, with and
in Christ to the perfect glorification of the Eternal Father as “living
sacrifice[s], holy and pleasing to God” (cf. Rm 12:1) (LG, 10).
Our unity of belief in all the Church
teaches on matters of faith and morals are a living witness to Christ. All are
given individual gifts by the Holy Spirit which help us to become what God
created us to be.
The people of God are one although
they are from many nations and every race – we are all citizens of heaven.
Baptism is the door through which we enter the door of the Church which is the
Body of Christ and we become members of His Body. We receive salvation through Him who is the
one Mediator between God and man.
There are various “degrees” of
membership in the Body of Christ. First, “they are fully incorporated in
Church, possess the Spirit of Christ, accept her entire system and all the
means of salvation given to her, are united with her as part of her visible
bodily structure and through her with Christ, who rules her through the Supreme
Pontiff and the bishops” (LG, 14).
“The Church recognizes Christians
who accept the authority of Sacred Scripture, believe in the truths it contains,
conform to the way of life and have received a valid sacramental
baptism, they are truly incorporated into the Mystical Body of Christ, and are
consecrated in Christ
Salvation is available to every human
person who, with true, sincerity of heart, seeks
the truth and strives to live a morally upright life according to his or
her conscience, even if, through no fault of their own, they have not come to
an explicit knowledge of Christ and the Gospel.
However, we must remember
that just “As the Son was sent by the Father, so too He sent the Apostles,
saying: “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you
all days even to the consummation of the world”.
Chapter
Three “On The Hierarchical Structure
of the Church and in Particular on the Episcopate”
This part of the document takes up the
issue of the governance of the Church of Christ through the Episcopate. Jesus
chose twelve men to be His apostles with Peter as their visible head,
commissioning them to establish, sanctify, minister to and govern the Kingdom
of God on earth. They and their rightful successors serve as the foundation,
with Christ Himself as the “supreme cornerstone.” This apostolic mandate and
mission, moreover, was confirmed at Pentecost, in accord with the promise made
them by the Lord:
Bishops participate fully in the One,
Eternal, High Priesthood of Christ, with the validly elected successor of Peter.
The “Bishops, with their helpers, the
priests and deacons, take up the service of the community, presiding in place
of God over the flock, whose shepherds they are, as teachers for doctrine,
priests for sacred worship, and ministers for governing” (LG, 20). The
sacrament of orders imparts “character”- an indelible mark – on the soul,
enabling him to act in “Persona Christi” (in the Person of Christ). Priests and
deacons also receive this “character” upon ordination, and participate, each in
their own way, in the one, eternal High Priesthood of Christ, as assistants to
their bishops.
The Pope, as the Bishop of Rome and as
the Successor of Peter, receives the charism of infallibility when teaching “ex
cathedra,” or “from the Chair,” on matters pertaining to faith or morality. “The
college or body of bishops has no authority unless it is understood together
with the Roman Pontiff, the successor of Peter as its head. The pope’s
power of primacy over all, both pastors and faithful, remains whole and intact.
Priests, do not possess the highest
degree of the priesthood, and are dependent on the bishops
in the exercise of their power, nevertheless they are united with the
bishops in sacerdotal dignity. By the power of the sacrament of Orders,
they are consecrated to preach the Gospel and shepherd the faithful
and to celebrate divine worship. In collaboration with their bishop,
“They exercise their sacred function especially in the Eucharistic worship or
the celebration of Holy Mass.
A Deacon is an assistant to the
priest. The duties of a deacon are, to administer baptism solemnly, custodian
and dispenser of the Eucharist, to assist at and bless marriages in the
name of the Church, to bring Viaticum to the dying, to read the
Sacred Scripture to the faithful, to instruct and exhort the people, to
preside over the worship and prayer of the faithful, to administer
sacramentals, to officiate at funeral and burial services” (LG, 29)
Chapter
Four “The Laity”
The laity are all the faithful except those in
holy orders and in the state of religious life approved by the Church. By
baptism the faithful are made one body with Christ also known as the people of
God; They too have a mission and share partly in the priestly, prophetical, and
kingly functions of Christ. The laity, are in a privileged position to act as
the “salt of the earth” they can carry the Good News, or the “Gospel” of Christ,
into those worldly arenas that Sacred Ministers do not normally have access to.
The Eucharist is the central sacrament
toward which each of the other. The Laity should know that each of the other
six Sacraments, while having their own specific purpose and graces exist for
the greater purpose of bringing the faithful to a full and complete
participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Holy Mass. It is true that the
purpose of the Sacrament of Penance is to receive forgiveness of sins, receive
grace and help to overcome sin, ultimately, Penance exists for the sake of
forgiving mortal sins, as one cannot receive Holy Communion they are in a state
of mortal sin. Similarly, Baptism, is an absolutely essential Sacrament of initiation
forgiving original sin inherited from Adam, but ultimately, one is Baptized for
the sake of being capable of participating in the Celebration of the Holy
Eucharist, which is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet.
From the moment of our Baptism we
became participants in the Priestly, Prophetic and Kingly offices of Christ,
the Eternal High Priest. Additionally, we became adopted sons and daughters of
the Eternal Father, and brothers and sisters of Christ Jesus.
Chapter
Five “The Universal Call to Holiness”
“The Universal Call to Holiness,” explains,
that all the Christian faithful, regardless of their particular vocation in
life, are all called to that same “perfection” and holiness of life that Christ
speaks of in the Gospels in general, and in the “Sermon on the Mount” in
particular “The Church…is believed to be indefectibly holy. Indeed Christ, the
Son of God, who with the Father and the Spirit is praised as “uniquely holy,”
loved the Church as His bride, delivering Himself up for her. He did this that
He might sanctify her. He united her to Himself as His own body and brought it
to perfection by the gift of the Holy Spirit for God’s glory. Therefore in the
Church, everyone whether belonging to the hierarchy, or being cared for by it,
is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostle: “holiness” and
“sanctity” that all the Christian faithful, who have been baptized are called
to holiness and sanctity no matter what our vocation in life.
Chapter
Six “Religious”
Some are called to embrace a vocation
to the religious life, they give up everything that would hinder them from
living a radically Christ-centered lifestyle, in imitation of our Lord, Who
proposed this way of life to those who could accept it. Heeding the Lord’s call to strive for
perfection, they embrace the evangelical counsels of holy poverty, chastity for
the Kingdom of heaven, and obedience. This calling must be praised for they are
an inspiration and model for others to follow.
Chapter
Seven
“The
Eschatological Nature of the Pilgrim Church and its Union with the Church in
Heaven”
“The Church, will attain its full
perfection only in the glory of heaven, when there will come the time of the
restoration of all things. At that time the human race as well as the entire
world, which is intimately related to man and attains to its end through him,
will be perfectly reestablished in Christ” (LG, 48).
In this chapter the document explains
that, while is true that, as members of the Body of Christ, we are, indeed,
adopted sons and daughters of the Father, it is additionally true that while we
are in the flesh, we live as exiles. The Spirit, which grafts us to the
Mystical Body, longs for a perfect union with Christ through works of Charity. We
strive to be pleasing in the sight of the Lord, and when our life here on earth
comes to an end we will go to the place prepared for us in Heaven.
The Church Militant, the Church
Triumphant and the Church Suffering are one Church forming the one Body of
Christ.
Through participation in the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass we who are the pilgrim Church or the Church Militant, are
most closely and perfectly united with the Church Triumphant as we worship God
together in the sacred Liturgy.
Chapter
Eight
“The
Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God in the Mystery of Christ and the Church”
It is fitting that the Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church, devotes the last chapter to Mary, the Mother and
Model of the Church. She is to Christ what Eve was to Adam. Eve
participated with Adam, by providing him with the fruit, which served as the
instrument of the fall of humanity from God’s grace and friendship, in like
fashion, Mary, the new Eve, participated with Christ, the new Adam, by
providing Him with His body, which served as the instrument of the redemption
of humanity back to God’s grace and friendship.
In view of her role in the salvific
work of redemption wrought by Christ, she is also the Spiritual Mother and
Model of the Church of Christ. She profoundly personifies the Church and all
that can be stated about Mary can also be said of the Church and vice-versa. **
Many of the early Fathers compare
Mary with Eve, and call her ‘the Mother of the living,’ ‘death through Eve,
life through Mary’”
It is most interesting to note
that almost all of the theology needed to support a solemn, dogmatic
definition of Mary as “Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate,” is present,
almost entirety, in this final chapter of Lumen Gentium.
She is Co-redemptrix since, she was called
by Divine Providence, to collaborate with her Son, in the work of Redemption.
She is Mediatrix because by her maternal
charity she makes constant intercession for the brethren of her Son, who are still
on earth. This, however, neither takes away from nor adds anything to
Mary’s participation in Christ’s
salvific act is entirely subordinate to and dependent upon the perfect work of
Redemption wrought by Christ.
Read LumenGentium in doing so, you will avail yourself of the riches of
the Second Vatican Council in general, and the Apostolic Constitution on the
Church, in particular.*
*
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
Note: For a more detailed summary please check the link below on which the above summary is based:
http://marianapostolate.com/2012/04/10/summary-of-lumen-gentium-dogmatic-constitution-on-the-church/
____________________________________________________________
** Note: For a more detailed summary please check the link below on which the above summary is based:
http://marianapostolate.com/2012/04/10/summary-of-lumen-gentium-dogmatic-constitution-on-the-church/
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