Word of the Week

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Inheritance: Kleronomia (Gk.): meaning “an inheritance, property received (or to be received) by inheritance”. It can also mean, “What is given to one as a possession.”

“The Holy Spirit’s transforming power in the liturgy hastens the coming of the kingdom and the consummation of the mystery of salvation. While we wait in hope, he causes us really to anticipate the fullness of communion with the Holy Trinity. Sent by the Father who hears the epiclesis of the Church, the Spirit gives life to those who accept him and is, even now, the "guarantee" of their inheritance” (CCC, 1107). It is our right as co-heirs with Christ to share in the glorious work of salvation through our own merit, which is a participation in divine goodness (CCC, 2009).

The Greek term kleronomia can be found 14 times in the New Testament. In principle, inheritance is divine adoption by grace, the promise of heavenly blessings that God pledged to the world through the covenant made with Abraham (Gn.12:1-3; Heb.11:8; Gal.3:18) and ratified in the blood of his Son (Heb.9:15; Mk.14:24). The first installment of this inheritance arrives in Baptism, where we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the seal and guarantor of inheritance (Eph1:14-18), to dwell in the inner life of the Trinity. This endowment is a call to slip into the cloth of Christ (Eph.4:24; Col.3:10) where we now have the right to share a life in Christ here on earth with the expectation of one day sharing in the eternal blessedness that awaits us (Col.3:24; 1 Pet.1:4)). In his letter to Ephesians, Paul leaves us with a very important message regarding inheritance. He charges the faithful to avoid sexual misconduct, less we forfeit heaven altogether (Eph.5:5) (Hahn and Minch, 43). A forfeit we cannot afford!

Often when we think of inheritance we see it synonymous with an increase in material wealth. In some instances, our inheritance is an endowment of some kind, a first installment into an interest bearing account where wealth is gained by just leaving the account alone. In the spiritual journey, the lot of our inheritance is tied to the spiritual wealth we have received as an endowment of grace, a first installment of riches that we are not to leave alone, but use and share to mature in Christ. In the end, we ought to be aware that we are co-heirs to not just property of something, but someone, namely Jesus Christ. This is the inheritance we can take with us beyond this earthly world, an inheritance that lasts for eternity!

“May you also be a partaker, and be ever increasing your inheritance, that you may say not only, we have become partakers of Christ, but also partakers of God.”
--Origen
Primary Texts Consulted

•  Catholic Bible. Suggested trans. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.
•  Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition, 1997.

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