STUDY MATERIALS FOR HOLY COMMUNION

CHAPTER: 5 - THE CHURCH

1. What is the Church?
   
   The Church is the people that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical, above all, a Eucharistic assembly.
   
    
2. What does the world ‘Church’ mean?
   
   It means convocation or an assembly.
   
    
3. How do we become the members of the Church? We become members of the Church by faith and baptism.
   
    
4. What are the synonyms of the Church?
   
   Church can be called as the People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit, Spouse of Christ and Flock of God.
   
    
5. What are the Characteristics of the Church?
   
   i. Church is one
   
   ii Church is holy
   
   iii. Church is catholic
   
   iv. Church is apostolic
   
    
6. What does ‘Catholic’ mean?
   
   It means universal. The Church is universal in a double sense. i. It is universal because Christ is present in her. ii. Because she has been sent out by Christ on a mission to the whole of the human race.
   
    
7. Why is the Church called ‘apostolic’?
   
   Because she is founded on the apostles. Christ governs her through Peter and other apostles, who are present in their successors i.e. the Pope and the bishops.
   
    
8. What do we mean by saying the Church is one?
   
   She acknowledges one Lord, Confesses one Faith, is born of one Baptism, forms only one Body, is given life by one Spirit and exists for the same of one Hope.
   
    
9. Why is the Church considered ‘holy’?
   
   Because the Most Holy God is her author. Christ, her bridegroom gave himself up to make her holy; the Spirit of holiness gives her life.
   
    
10. Who is Pope?
    
    Pope is the bishop of Rome, the Successor of St. Peter and the visible head of the Catholics.
    
     
11. What is the meaning of the word ‘laity’?
    
    The term laity is understood in the Christian circle to mean all the faithful except those in holy orders and religious state approved by the Church.
    
     
12. What do you mean by the Assumption of our Lady?
    
    The most Blessed Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven to share in the glory of her son’s Resurrection. This doctrine of faith about Mother Mary is known as the Assumption of our Lady.
    
     
13. Why is Sunday called the ‘Lord’s Day’?
    
    It is the Day of our Lord’s Resurrection.