Where can we find Christ in the Church today?

04-28-2019Weekly ReflectionRev. Emmanuel I. Ihemedu

Looking at some of things that have been done in the history of the Church, how can it claim to be guided by God?

Since the Church is made up of human beings who are not perfect, it is to be expected that the Church will be less than perfect.

Jesus knew that those who would represent him were subject to failure. Peter denied him three times, but Jesus, after his resurrection, gave Peter a threefold commission to care for his flock (John 21:15-18). The apostles ran away when Jesus was arrested, and yet he appeared to them after his resurrection and sent them to preach the gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:16-20).

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Because He is risen!

04-21-2019Weekly ReflectionRev. Emmanuel I. Ihemedu

The resurrection of Jesus gives our faith voice, purpose and meaning. “Our faith would have been in vain if Christ had not risen from the dead,” says St. Paul.

But besides that, the resurrection has other implications for our lives. Do you know that because Jesus is risen, we too have the power to rise and breakaway from the graves that often plague our lives such as financial graves, emotional graves, marital graves, the graves of hopelessness, meaninglessness, alcohol and drugs, the graves of sadness, grief, depression and despair?

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Did Jesus intend to Institute a Church?

04-14-2019Why do we do that?

The first generation of Christians believed that Christ intended to establish a Church (Matthew 16:18) with leaders who would make decisions ratified by God (Matthew 18:18). They believed that Christ gave them ritual observances (Luke 22:19), rules of conduct (Matthew 6:21-22), and guidelines for marriage (Mark 10:11).

We know Jesus wanted a community to grow up because he gathered disciples around him. He called them his "little flock" and spoke to them of his kingdom. He taught them the message they were to proclaim and appointed twelve of them as apostles.

Jesus however, didn’t leave a clear-cut plan or blueprint of what to do in his Church and how to do it. He didn’t specify or dictate what to write down.

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What did Paul mean by calling the believers Christ’s body?

04-07-2019Why do we do that?

Paul uses the term “body of Christ” and “church” interchangeably. The word “church” is a translation of the Greek word EKKLESIA, an assembly of people called forth, “the people of God.” Christ calls forth believers to bring him to the world, especially by their love and community: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). It is the task of the church, then, to perpetuate the love of Christ on earth and to mirror the love of the Trinity.

St. Vincent de Paul wrote "You as a community must do all in your power to be formed in the image of God. And what do we find in God? We see equality of persons, what should that teach you if not that you should all be one and equal”

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