CCC 760

Christians of the first centuries said, "The world was created for the sake of the Church."¹⁵³ Pastor Hermae, Vision 2, 4, 1: PG 2,899PG — Patrologia Graeca (Migne); cf. Aristides, Apol. 16, 6; St. Justin, Apol. 2,7: PG 6, 456PG — Patrologia Graeca (Migne); Tertullian, Apol. 31, 3; 32, 1: PL 1, 508-509PL — Patrologia Latina (Migne). God created the world for the sake of communion with his divine life, a communion brought about by the "convocation" of men in Christ, and this "convocation" is the Church. the Church is the goal of all things,¹⁵⁴ Cf. St. Epiphanius, Panarion 1, 1, 5: PG 41, 181PG — Patrologia Graeca (Migne)C. and God permitted such painful upheavals as the angels' fall and man's sin only as occasions and means for displaying all the power of his arm and the whole measure of the love he wanted to give the world:

Just as God's will is creation and is called "the world," so his intention is the salvation of men, and it is called "the Church."¹⁵⁵ Clement of Alex., Paed. 1, 6, 27: PG 8, 281PG — Patrologia Graeca (Migne).

The Church - prepared for in the Old Covenant