May 15, 2011 – Catechism 849-856

A very quick note to begin with, in the first paragraph we read the assignment to the Apostles at the end of the Gospel. Go forth to all nations and preach to them in the words that I have commanded. We don't see here that Christ said teach them all that I've written or based on all the Scripture alone, we see here him talking about what he has commanded them orally. This is because Christ never wrote a word and it flies in the face of any type of Scripture alone teaching. All that I have commanded you.

I think is a neat idea that we are of missionary Church first and foremost. That seems to fit because we are understood to not be a part of this world. We are part of a heavenly eternal world, that we are meant for and that we are heading to. We're only here for a short while and while we're here we are meant to preach about the Lord, which is a rather close description of any kind of missionary work that you might of heard of. People going to a foreign land to preach about the Lord to help those that they encounter, but mainly to be in a part of a world where they don't belong to save those people. That is, on a basic level, a description of the Church here on Earth.

Paragraph 855 discusses a topic that we've talked about before. This idea that the Church to Christ is hurt by the fact that there is not Christian unity. The fact of our so many denominations teaching so many different ideas regarding Christianity means that when the world looks at Christianity it sees is a House divided. A House divided does not convince people that Christ is the truth, and that there is salvation in Christ, or that they should change their lives to follow Christ. A house divided allows the world to continue on in moral depravity. What is needed is a house united behind truth in Christ that shows the world that Christ is the way, Truth, and life. Until there is that unity with Christians, it's hard to believe there will be a change in the world towards Christianity.