Henri Lubac's Ecclesial Theology: Unity In Christ as The Common Destiny of Man

In the Apostles Creed we always recites this statement: "I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church" However, do we really understand this meaning and significance? Henri Lubac, a French Jesuit priest give us a very helpful insight into what it means to be an Individual, as a part of community of the Catholic or Universal Church. In His book, Christ and the Common Destiny of Man, he mentioned how every Christians who has been baptized and been professed Christ as their Lord and Savior are united in what Lubac called, "Spiritual Unity"; the unity of The Mystical Body of Christ.

Therefore, the Holy Catholic Church is not refers to Romans Catholic (RC) only or any specific denominations at field but spiritually, Christians everywhere in anytime, across the historical fabrics of mankind. Lubac elaborate profoundly Christ's merciful works to bring the reality of unity (Erat in Christo Jesu Omnus Homo) with a very simple metaphor yet profound,

"Christ is likened to a needle, the eye in which pierced most painfully at his passion, 

now draws all after him, so repairing the tunic rent by Adam, stitching together the two peoples of Jew and gentile, making them one for always."

 The reality of this Spiritual unity is the common destiny of Christians and the church as Christ himself looked up to heaven and pray, "That they all may be one as we are one" (John 17:21)

There are at least 2 implications that we can draw, as the result of Christ's Work of Unification:

1. All Christians are brother and sisters

       Although people who are coming to church are different, with myriad backgrounds, Christians are not just about people who are coming together in church, but become as Lubac says, "In some sort of Brothers". These origin can be traced back to the first Generation Christian, in the miracle of Pentecost. The story of the tower of Babel was an Irony. Human wanted to be united in their own way but eventually, they were scattered. Yet, The Holy Spirit who comes from heaven in Pentecosts, restores and fixed this problem. Applying the work of Christ into action, to draw all men to God in unity. Therefore we should notice, there is no such thing as stranger nor alien in the Mystical body of Christ. Lubac quoted Claudius Mamertus to nail his point:"If then you see yourself, you see me..."

2. Christian are to be united not divided

       Lubac mentioned further in his book that since Christ united Christian in His Mystical body, Christians are not mere collections of many individuals, it is a "tribe of Christians", quoting Eusebius. They are becoming one tribe, nation and race of those have one purpose and destiny, "to Honor God." Christians were coming in the same origin that is Christ. They are moving to the same destiny, that is Christ. Lubac also says that the duty of the true church is to "share in a life" and "enjoy a "spiritual union." Therefore, division is never been an option to consider but to be eliminated. All Christians must pay attention again to the mystery of Christ (Mysterium Crusis). This is the only way that could transform our mere humanism to be converted humanism, so that, not the mere love that flows from us but we are progressing toward the sharing of the supernatural love. Moreover, to preserve the unity visibly, all Christians need to deny their own selves daily, having a spiritual dialectic as imperative in all its severity, to love man and mankind as Christ already and always loved the church. In this divided world, let us be reminded with this truth that  "The total Christ, is not divided!"