Lumen Gentium Chapter 7 Commentary

Read Lumen Gentium

1. Article 48 says, “Therefore, the promised restoration which we are awaiting has already begun in Christ, is carried forward in the mission of the Holy Spirit and through him continues in the Church …” Explain how this is true.
2. “Already the final age of the world has come upon us…” Explain how this is true.
3. How is the Church on earth (traditionally called the Church Militant) united to the Church in Purgatory (traditionally called the Church Suffering) and the Church in heaven (traditionally called the Church Triumphant)? Articles 49-50
4. To what abuses in our veneration of the saints does the Council refer in article 51? How are those abuses to be corrected?

Many Catholics often get confused about the End Times. Who can blame them? Eschatology (the end of history) is a very common topic on Christian radio stations and in Christian literature. My own wife and mother-in-law have read the Left Behind series. I have heard parts of the radio series, and seen the first scene of the movie. It’s everywhere. Questions from Catholics are inevitable. Does the Catholic Church teach that about the End Times? Do we believe that some people will be taken up to Heaven while others remain on Earth to suffer through the millennium? Do we believe in the End Times?

Actually, the Church teaches that we are currently living in the End Times. The “End Times” is also called the “Age of the Church” or the “Age of the Holy Spirit.” It began when Christ ascended into Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to empower the Church to bring His Grace to the world. The Church is in continuous preparation for Christ’s second coming. She prepares for the coming of the Bridegroom. Christ’s Second Coming is not something that needs to be feared. We look forward to the coming of our Beloved, because the end of History is the end of the Fallen world. It is the beginning of the perfected Covenant.

After Christ’s Second Coming, we will experience the resurrection of the body. Heaven (and Hell) will become the complete experience God intended it to be for us. We will experience God’s love with our bodies and our spirits. Though we don’t know for sure, theologians expect that the experience of Heaven will mirror God’s original Covenant in Eden. In some way, we will enjoy the physical and spiritual pleasures of food, companionship, beauty and truth. Knowledge that this perfection is coming is the source of our hope when we get frustrated with life in this fallen world.

Until that time, the Church labors on. As members of the Church, sinners though we are, we are made perfect by the Grace of Christ. With the Holy Spirit dwelling in our souls, we are intimately united to God in the Holy Eucharist. We cooperate in Christ’s work on Earth. We evangelize, bring people to the Fount of Grace, share God’s love with the world though our good works, and bring Christ’s grace to the world through our prayer.

Even in this world, still in history, we are united to the eschatological reality. The saints in Heaven, already intimately united to Christ, participate in Christ’s life and love by praying for us. We also participate in life beyond this world by praying for the souls in Purgatory, who have achieved Heaven but have not yet reached the perfection of love necessary to be in God’s holy presence. The interdependence of the Church on earth, in purgatory and in Heaven is also intimate participation in Christ’s life and love.

The Catholic Church does not teach the rapture. Christ will come at the end of history, once and for all, and the Church will be His presence in the world until then. In fact, the theology of the Left Behind series was not believed by any denomination until the 1800s. This theology is called “Millenial Predispensationalism.” For a great description of it, see Will Catholics be Left Behind? by Cark E. Olson.