  |
||
 |
|
| >> | What is Let Your Light Shine? |
| >> | Archbishop's foreword |
| >> | A shared spirituality |
| >> | Church and world |
| >> | Archdiocese of Brisbane |
| >> | The vision we hold |
| >> | Priorities |
| >> | Planning |
| >> | Review |
| >> | Particular plans |
| >> | Resources |
| >> | Order form |
“We are challenged to live as Christ did, in our community
of faith, our communion of the Church, and to spread the good
news, by word and action. Because we walk in the footsteps
of Christ and take up our cross daily to do so, the task will
not always be easy, but nevertheless with the help of God’s
Holy Spirit, fulfilling.”
Archbishop John Bathersby, Synod Preparation Day 2, 22 March 2003 |
| Communion |
Two experiences were fundamental to Jesus’ sense of mission: the experience of God to whom he prayed as Abba, and the experience of the Spirit of God enlightening and empowering him in his mission. Christians would come to see that the God whom Jesus revealed was a communion of Abba (Father), Jesus Christ (Son) and Spirit. To be in communion with Jesus was to be in communion with the God who is Trinity. The Second Vatican Council [Lumen Gentium #1] teaches us that our membership of the Church is, before all else, the expression of our relationship with God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Church is called to be a communion of love modelled on the Trinitarian communion of God. As communion, the Church must itself in its internal relationships model that mutuality of love existing within God. Communion, therefore, means much more than being linked together at a social level, like members of a club or even a nation. It means more than being just a community with a common purpose. It means being in a relationship whose intimacy flows from our relationship with the three divine persons – the Trinity. Such an understanding of what it means to be Church demands that we share a common spirituality, transcending but not ignoring those many particular forms of spiritual devotion designed to promote growth in individual holiness. This has already been identified as a “spirituality of communion” or a “spirituality of relationships”, flowing from the communion among the divine persons.  We are never more truly Church as communion than when
we gather together around the table of the Lord, as brothers
and sisters in Christ. There we share the living Word
of God, the body and blood of Christ, and our communion
with one another in the Spirit. It is through the Eucharist
that the Church is truly a communion of love, with the
power to attract and energise others. The Eucharist is
where we experience communion and are empowered for mission. |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
* Privacy * Copyright © Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane 2001 - 2004
Optimised for 800 x 600 resolution and above. Last updated 28/07/2004
Optimised for 800 x 600 resolution and above. Last updated 28/07/2004