Friday 29 May 2009

At Pentecost, the Church was not established by human will but by the power of God's Spirit.


"The Church which is born at Pentecost is not primarily a particular Community - the Church of Jerusalem - but the universal Church, which speaks the languages of all peoples. From her other communities were to be born in every part of the world, particular Churches which are all and always actualizations of the one and only Church of Christ. The Catholic Church is therefore not a federation of Churches but a single reality: the universal Church has ontological priority. A community which was not catholic in this sense would not even be a Church." Benedict XVI

2 comments:

bernadette said...

Ontological priority. Too right, Benedict. Just look at the transformation of those few people between The Ascension and Pentecost. They received Power.

Secular people today are only interested in power. Look at votes for leaders, tastes in literature, investment of money.

Therefore, QDP, IF we Catholics actually believe and live in that same power of Pentecost, surely many thousands will be convicted and converted ??

What are we waiting for ? Any Confirmed Christian has the same power that raised people from the dead.

IF WE BELIEVE.

Fr Richard Aladics said...

Thanks for this, Bernadette. Yes, every baptised person has the power to change the course of history - by being in touch with God in the Holy Spirit and making decisions in your life based upon Him.