Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World

11-14-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Michael Straley

One of the documents from the Second Vatican Council is the pastoral constitution on the Church in the Modern World; I want to share a part of that with you this week and next:

“The way in which the earthly and the heavenly city interpenetrate each other can be recognized only by faith; indeed, it remains a mystery of human history, that is, of a history always troubled by sin until the glory of the sons of God is fully revealed.

As she pursues her appointed goal of bringing salvation to men (and women), the Church not only communicates the divine life to mankind but also in some measure reflects the light of that life over the whole world. She does this especially through her work of restoring and enhancing the dignity of the human person, of strengthening the fabric of human society, and of enriching the daily activity of men (and women) with a deeper meaning of importance. The Church believes that in this way she can make a great contribution, through individual members and the community as a whole, toward bringing a greater humanity to the human family and to its history.”

I will continue this next week.