In today’s selection from his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul elaborates on his theme of The Church as Christ’s Body. He prays that the “eyes of our hearts” may be enlightened to grow in knowledge of God and the hope that belongs to His call, to bask in the “riches of glory” that comes from inheritance among the holy ones. God’s might is demonstrated through establishing the unshakeable sovereignty of Christ over all creatures, whose name is far above any another. The reading ends with these stirring words:
And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the Church, which is his Body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. Eph 1:23
End of Christendom
Yet the sad reality is that we’re living in a post-Christian world. Archbishop Fulton Sheen asserted the end of Christendom back in 1974. And he hastened to elaborate, “Not Christianity, not the Church, but Christendom”. So, what is Christendom? Glad you asked. Cue the Archbishop again:” Christendom is economic, political, social life as inspired by Christian principles. That is ending — we’ve seen it die. Look at the symptoms: the breakup of the family, divorce, abortion, immorality, general dishonesty.”
Just the other day, I had a stirring conversation with my mates about a question that increasingly needs to be faced. What is our stance as Catholics when baptized Catholics marry outside the church? Doubt my grandparents had to deal with this question, but we most certainly have to, and the mind boggles at what our grandchildren have to face.
The Church Triumphant
In his brilliant talk titled “Traditionalism vs Progressivism in the Catholic Church”, Msgr. James Shea, one of the featured speakers at the recent Eucharistic Revival in Indianapolis, highlights the Church as being the antidote to every vicissitude that goes back to the days when Saint Paul himself was crisscrossing the Mediterranean, who vigorously strove to prevent the Gentiles from becoming Jews before becoming Christians. Great challenges have arisen throughout the church’s existence and each time, the church took in the sickness, grew sick herself and then from within, brought forth the remedy. The Body of Christ emulates the Head, who is the foremost victim.
Nevertheless, he did not come to abolish all evils here below, but to free us from the greatest slavery, sin. CCC 549
He who could not sin, absorbed all Sin into His immaculate body, died because of It, then rose triumphant from the grave, in a definitive act that destroyed death itself and became the reason for our faith, our hope, and our joy.
The Church Militant
Archbishop Fulton Sheen ends his talk exhorting us all to take up arms – but again, not against powers and principalities. The violence he proposes is to be directed inward, to root out the rot that will kill not just the body but the soul.
Brothers and Sisters, we have the full force of the Church at our disposal. We have the Saints. We have the Angels. And we have the Church!
Have a listen to St. John Chrysostom, regarding Sunday Eucharist:
You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests. CCC 2179
Ponder also these words from Our Blessed Lord:
I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. Lk 12:8-9
St. Paul praises the Ephesians for their faith in God. So, let us exercise it with fervor and rigor. If anyone has strayed away from the Eucharist, pray, reconsider! For those who persevere, fan the flame of faith ever brighter, and let your light shine! Let us love the Church for she has the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way: Jesus Christ, God incarnate, who died so that we might have life. In, with and through the Church, we comprise God’s family, a people who live with endurance and look to the future with hope for the inheritance of those “riches of glory”.
The prolific St. Paul, at the beginning of his letters, gives prayers of thanksgiving for his readers. Know that I do the same for you, dear reader.
Thank you for the reflection, your prayers and being an excellent role model.