Get the Workbook | Facilitator Guide | What is the most important thing the Catholic Church offers you? In addition to all the good things like a faith community, prayer, worship, learning, and service, the most important thing of all is salvation. The Church’s primary mission is to continue Christ’s mission of saving souls here on earth. And as we have learned throughout this course, this offer of salvation is something we freely choose to accept and has implications for our lives.
In this episode you will learn that ...
■ The primary mission of the Church is to continue Christ’s mission of salvation here on earth after He returned to His Father in Heaven, which the Church, in part, accomplishes by providing an entryway into a relationship with God and the Church community — the Body of Christ.
■ The Catholic Church is responsible for the canon of Scripture.
■ In Jesus, God has given us a visible, concrete, human way of relating to Him, of entering into relationship with Him.
■ The Church helps us encounter the Lord by teaching the proper interpretation of Scripture, at Mass, in the lives and writings of the saints, in retreats and devotions, in the prayerful reading of Scripture, and through works of art and music that lead us closer to Christ and the Virgin Mary.
■ The Church provides three vital ways for us to more deeply live in relationship with God and His community: worship, learning, and service.
■ We can learn to best imitate Christ in our lives by looking at His example in Scripture, by engaging in Examen prayer, and taking part in a ministry in which we can imitate Him.
About Fr Spitzer: Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on May 16, 1952, Fr. Spitzer is a Catholic priest in the Jesuit order and is currently the President of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith (magiscenter.com). The Magis Center produces documentaries, books, high school programs, college courses, adult-education programs, and social media materials on the close connection among science, reason, and faith. Fr. Spitzer is also the President, Master of Ceremonies, and speaker at the Napa Institute (napa-institute.org).