Have you ever been confused when we Catholics use the word “Church”? As we are endeavoring to raise funds to take good care of our church, I wanted to reflect for a moment upon what we mean by the word “church.” Most importantly, the Church is the people of God. You are more significant than bricks, mortar, statues, altars, and pews. The universal church is the unity we share with all our fellow Catholics throughout the world. People are more important but people do need a place to gather. The church is also a building; the house of the people of God. We have called the church the house of God because it is the place where we gather and celebrate the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a cooperative work between God’s grace and our worship. The people and the building are sanctified when the power of the Holy Spirit flows through the scriptures proclaimed, the body and blood of Christ received, and through the Body of Christ assembled (that’s us). The Church is a who and a what.
Our church building is now 50 years old and needs our care and dedication to make it inviting, safe, and comfortable. Thank you church (you) for all you do for our church (building).
Being a bit confused about what the word “church” means is a good thing because there are so many layers of meaning behind those six letters. I hope and pray that the word means a lot to you. The word means a lot to me because it includes you, it includes Jesus and our beloved building. Happy Easter!