Everyone alive* is either actually or potentially a member of Christ, that is, a member of the Church.

By a member of the Church, I mean either a Hebrew Christian of Jewish origin who has not fallen off the original root or who, having fallen off, has been reintegrated into the original Abrahamic root – or a Gentile grafted onto the original and still existing root by the free choice of God and in a visible and sacramental way – or a Gentile who has in no way been visibly and sacramentally integrated into the Church but whose actions tend towards integration in the visible, sacramental Church or the Church of Heaven.

By actually I mean in a living way. The life of Christ is divine. The life of the Church is the life of grace. The Trinity lives in us by grace. I mean someone living a life of grace, either as if grace comes as second nature or in a kind of awkward, inchoate way.

By potentially – well, what do I mean by potentially?

In what way can anyone I meet be potentially a member of Christ and, thus, of his Church?

I think some people hear these words as a negative thing: “‘Potentially’. Oh well, they might be. That’s so negative.”

I don’t think a negative interpretation is justified.

First, one has to recall, very openly, that anyone thrown into the muck of this world, who does what is true, “comes” to the light. This applies to Christians. But, in a special way, it also applies to non-Christians. It applies to Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, agnostics, atheists, and anyone else. An inner dynamic towards the light come hand in hand with doing truth. An inner dynamic of doing the truth brings someone towards full integration in the Church and a manifestation of the truth to their soul. This full manifestation of truth can happen either in this world or in the next.

Second, one has to specify just how “likely” it is that this potential membership in the Church has been made actual. I don’t mean that we need to judge someone’s soul. But we should have some idea. Is it incredibly unlikely? Is it likely?

The best we can do to answer this question is to speak about God’s part and the human part. On the human part, we don’t know how many misunderstandings can be made in good will; we don’t know how debilitated human reasoning can be by culture and by generations of misunderstandings. There’s no way to arrive at a judgment of the human part. In fact, on the Cross, Jesus specifically commented that one may sin and not know what one is doing. How could we ever claim to judge the human part?

But as to the divine part? How “potential” is a non-Christian’s membership in Christ and in the Church? Immensely. God does not give up. He rains down grace on the just and the unjust alike. He wants all to be saved. He says that all those who act towards others as towards Jesus will be saved. His saints beg daily for the conversion of souls and the grace to flow from their Saviour’s wounds.

It’s as if the Trinity is pounding on the door, knocking, knocking, knocking, waiting for an answer and never giving up. The non-Christian cannot receive sacramental grace? Then the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit send other, secret graces. Graces all, of course, flow from the Cross. And, if there were no historical and psychological impediments, they would all flow back to the Catholic Church. But historical and psychological impediments will not stop a God who is Love. He wants all to come to the full manifestation of the truth, yes. But he wants more that all should be saved and begin to live a divine life of grace. Besides, the latter leads to the former.

From God’s side, the probability appears immense. God has not given up on anyone. At any moment, a conversion can happen. Of course, at any moment, a conversion can be lost. But, then, at any moment a conversion can happen.

That is how anyone is potentially a member of the Church. Saying that anyone we meet is “potentially” saved, “potentially” a member of Christ, or “potentially” a member of the Church – they all amount to the same thing – is not negative. It’s not dismissive. It’s not a low probability. It’s precisely a statement about a dynamic: God’s never-ending will that all be saved, that all come to be transformed into love by Love, that all see him in heaven as he really is. God’s will is persistent. His actions, knocking, knocking, knocking on the doors of souls and working for conversion of heart, are without rest.

“Potential” membership in the Church has an entirely positive, hopeful, deeply hopeful meaning.

When I go out, day after day, into a country that is more than 99% non-Christian (and non-Jewish), this is an almost necessary hope. Without such a great hope, contemplative life would collapse. Everyone I meet, great and small, Christian and not, is potentially a member of Christ’s Church!

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* I don’t want to beg any questions about the population of hell. If that question interests you, there’s a thoughtful post about it on another blog.