Journey: Lesson 29 - The Way Of The Church And Her Leaders

By Marcel Gervais

This is lesson 29 of the Journey Bible Study Program series. The objective of this lesson is to describe how Jesus is the model for the Church and it’s leaders. In chapter 1 we are taught that God is not indifferent to human suffering. Jesus shows his compassion to the Gentiles as well as his own People. In chapter 2 Jesus shows that God cares about our bodies as well as our soul. In chapter 3 we learn the teaching of the Lord on small communities, on marriage and on leaders.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marcel Gervais
• Release date: Mar 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781927766323

Marcel Gervais

About the Author Archbishop Gervais was born in Elie Manitoba on September 21 1931. He is the ninth of fourteen children. His family came from Manitoba to the Sparta area near St. Thomas Ontario when he was just a teenager. He went to Sparta Continuation School and took his final year at Saint Joseph`s High School in St. Thomas. After high school he went to study for the priesthood at St. Peter’s Seminary in London , Ontario. He was ordained in 1958. He was sent to study in Rome. This was followed by studies at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem. He returned to London to teach scripture to the seminarians at St. Peter’s Seminary. In 1974 he was asked by Bishop Emmett Carter to take over as director of the Divine Word International Centre of Religious Education. This Centre had been founded by Bishop Carter to provide a resource for adult education in the spirit of Vatican II. This Centre involved sessions of one or two weeks with many of the best scholars of the time. Students came not only from Canada and the United States but from all over the globe, Australia, Africa, Asia and Europe. By the time Father Gervais became the director Divine Word Centre was already a course dominated by the study of scripture to which he added social justice. This aspect of the course of studies was presented by people from every part of the “third world”; among which were Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez and Cardinal Dery of Ghana. In 1976 the Conference of Ontario Bishops along with the Canadian conference of Religious Women approached Father Gervais to provide a written course of studies in Sacred Scripture for the Church at large, but especially for priests and religious women. This is when Fr. Gervais began to write Journey, a set of forty lessons on the Bible. He was armed with a treasure of information from all the teachers and witnesses to the faith that had lectured at Devine Word. He was assisted by a large number of enthusiastic collaborators: all the people who had made presentations at Divine Word and provided materials and a team of great assistants, also at Divine Word Centre. The work was finished just as Father Gervais was ordained an auxiliary bishop of London (1980). He subsequently was made Bishop of Sault Saint Marie Diocese, and after four years, Archbishop of Ottawa (1989). He retired in 2007, and at the time of this writing, he is enjoying retirement.

Book preview

Journey- Lesson 29 The Way of the Church and her Leaders

by Marcel Gervais, Emeritus Archbishop of the diocese of Ottawa, Canada

Nihil Obstat: Michael T. Ryan, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

Imprimatur: + John M. Sherlock, Bishop of London

London, March 31, 1980

This content of this book was first published in 1977 as part of the JOURNEY Series By Guided Study Programs in the Catholic Faith and is now being republished in Smashwords by Emmaus Publications, 99 Fifth Avenue, Suite 103, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5P5, Canada ON Smashwords

Cover: "Those in the boat bowed down before him, saying, 'Truly, you are the Son of God.' "Matt 14:33

COPYRIGHT © Guided Study Programs In the Catholic Faith, a division of The Divine Word International Centre of Religious Education 1977. Reproduction in whole or in part is Prohibited.

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Jesus, the Twelve and the Church (Matthew 8:1 - 13:58)

Chapter 2 Peter's leadership (Matthew 14:1 - 17:27)

Chapter 3 The will of the Lord for the Church (Matthew 18:1 - 23:39)

Answer key to practice questions

Self-test

Answer key to self•test

Recommendations for group meeting on Lesson Twenty-nine

About The Author

Psalm 133

The psalm extols the joy of those who live as one family in the Covenant of the Lord. It uses two images: the scented oil which the host poured on the heads of his guests before a festal meal, and the dew which daily falls on the country. The wonder of brotherly love is like the sweet anointing of priests (Aaron) when they gather at the Temple for a sacred meal. It is like the refreshing dew of the snow-capped mountain (Hermon) which gives life to all it gently touches. As the oil runs down abundantly, as the dew falls generously, so brotherly love flows freely from the Lord. For the psalmist the law of love (Lev 19:17f) is not a burdensome commandment, but a life- giving blessing from God.

The prayer captures a truth dear to our Lord and Saint Matthew his evangelist. The Church is the community blessed with the compassion, forgiveness and mercy of the Father. All her members, though holding various positions, are to enjoy the happiness of life as children of one Father with Jesus their brother as a constant companion (Matt 18:20). Like the People under the Old Covenant, they are blessed with the commandment of love (Matt 22:34ff).

Lesson Objective To describe themes characteristic of the Gospel according to Matthew found in Chs.8-23.

In this lesson we concentrate on what is found only in the Gospel according to Matthew. From chapters eight to twenty-three we have selected the passages which are especially characteristic of the evangelist. What comes clearly to the fore is his interest in the Church, her way of life and her leaders.

The model for the Church and her leaders is Jesus. His compassion, gentleness and humility are the standard against which all disciples are measured. As he accepted to be with sinners during his ministry in Palestine, so will his shepherds be forever surrounded by imperfect disciples. Forgiveness will always be the great sign of his presence in the Church. And because the Lord Jesus is with the Church to the end of time, she can be truly called the kingdom of heaven on earth; not a shadow, not a pale reflection of the future reign of the Father, but the kingdom itself among sinners, like a treasure hidden in the earth (13:44).

Because they are a mixed and motley group like their ancestors (Num 11:4), the People of the Lord will not only need forgiveness for their sins, but also guides and rules. They are pilgrims whose goal is God himself and whose way is to be perfect as he is. Lofty ideals alone do not suffice for the journey on this hard and narrow road. Rules are required to mark, as it were, the edges of the path, and guides as well to lead the way. As surely as there is a road there will be those who wander from it. And so the task of leader and community alike is to bring back into the pilgrimage those who have lost their way.

Matthew is especially conscious of the need for both high ideals and practical guidance in living out