We are in the last period of salvation history – the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church – which is white for the spotless bride of Christ.  Salvation history does not end here.  It still continues today until Jesus comes again.  That means we are still in this time period of the Church.  Like the disciples in the 1st century, we are also called to spread the Good News to those we encounter – to be Jesus’ hands and feet – using our gifts and talents to glorify God and live out the kingdom of God in our own lives.  You are to be Christ in the world with tongues of fire in your hearts – where God’s presence dwells in you due to the Holy Spirit.  

One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic are characteristics of the Church we repeat each week in the Nicene Creed (written in the 4^th century).  These marks declare the Church to be the true instrument of salvation for the world, founded by and belonging completely to Christ.   We discussed this in depth to better understand the Church.

God makes us one in His activity, His truth, His grace - “not according to the flesh”—which would have been an issue in the Old Covenant, which was a covenant based on heredity.  …”but according to the spirit.”—and this is the Holy Spirit of God.  Jesus is the head of the Church, the Holy Spirit is the heart, and we all make up the body of Christ.  St. Paul tells us… “For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…with cheerfulness.” In this body of Christ, the Church, the life of Christ is communicated to those who believe in Christ.  He pours out his grace through the sacraments on those who are united to Him.   The Church becomes weak when there is division and separation among the baptized.

Holy means to be set apart for a special purpose by God and for God.  When we speak about the Church being holy, it does not mean that members of the Church are free from sin and selfishness.  The holiness of the Church is not derived from the holiness of its members, but rather from the holiness of Jesus.  Unfortunately, the Church is made up of fallible humans where we find both saints and sinners. 

Sometimes we see things from people who go to “church,” and think, that isn’t very Christian.  Or I’ve met people who stop going to church because so and so wasn’t nice or this priest said something they didn’t like. None of us is perfect.  

In Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the weeds.  In this parable he discusses how the weeds grow up with the wheat, but you shouldn’t pull the weeds because some of the good wheat will be uprooted with it.  He tells them to wait until the harvest, and then the good wheat will be separated from the weeds.  This is the Church.  She is holy, but it is a work in progress filled with wheat and weeds.  When we see weeds, we are tempted to point them out and get rid of them, however God’s need for conversion is greater than your need for a perfect parish.  We are all on faith journeys some further along than others.  The Church exists not only to do the work of Christ, but so we can be in community with each other, and God uses us to work on each other.  I’m sure you would all like others to be patient with you lest they think you are a weed.  Jesus told us there would be false teachers and corruption which would invade our Church - evil is real – however, he also said hell would not prevail against the Church.  My response is work on what you can control – yourself.

The word catholic here (lowercase) means universal.  This means we are sent by Christ on a mission to the whole human race – it’s a universal call to holiness.   This reality is reflected in the fact that the Catholic Church spans every continent and totals 1.3 billion people.  You can hear the Mass in hundreds of languages and hundreds of different devotions. It is amazing to walk in a church, and hear the Mass, and even if you don’t understand, it’s the same response and the same prayers, and the same readings.  It is truly universal.

Jesus transferred his divine power to a hierarchy of apostles to continue his words and deeds to all generations of people.  He set up a system which allows Him to speak to the Church throughout the ages and that is through the Holy Spirit.  After the infusion of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles had the fortitude and divine power to continue Christ’s mission in the world.  

St. Peter was considered the head of the Church because of three events.  First, in Matthew 16:16 - 18 Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter (which means rock).  He is the rock, the foundation, by which the Church is built.  Second, Jesus also gave St. Peter the keys to the kingdom in Matthew 16:19. This isn’t a throwaway line. If you read in Isaiah 22:22, you will learn that in the Ancient Near East, when a king gave the keys to someone, it meant that person had authority over the whole kingdom - like a prime minister.  Keys are a symbol of power and authority.  This is why we say Peter is the leader and first Pope of the Church.  Third, after Jesus’ Ascension, He asks Peter if he loves him in John 21:15 - 17.  Peter replies yes three times, and each time, Jesus commands him to feed and tend his sheep.  Jesus is the good shepherd; however, St. Peter was the earthly shepherd of our Church, and even today, Bishops and the Pope have a Shepherd’s crook called a crosier that reminds us they are our shepherds today.

Further evidence of his leadership is displayed in the Acts of the Apostles; the disciples turn to St. Peter for his final say on tense debates over doctrine.  This authority did not end with Peter, but the Papal office passes on until Jesus returns.  This office is chosen by the College of Cardinals – Bishops appointed by the Pope.  Divine power was secondarily handed over to the other apostles in a more limited way.  They were leaders within the Church starting churches and teaching the people.         

                       

The Apostles are considered the first Bishops.  Jesus established the Sacrament of Holy Orders when he chose and consecrated 12 apostles to share in His priesthood in a unique way.  Holy Orders is the Sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until Jesus comes again.   Holy Orders is aimed at helping bring others to salvation.  

The priesthood is a great mystery of faith revealed to us by Jesus.  Christ is the only true priest.  Because Jesus is fully God and fully man, He established the new and definitive priesthood in which He is both the Priest offering and the Victim being offered for the forgiveness of sins.   

Bishops have the fullness of the priesthood.   The apostolic role of the first apostles is passed on today through the bishops – as the successors to the Apostles.  Jesus’ mission continues through the hierarchy he established by endowing apostles and successors with divine power, through their ordination as priests, by which the actions he exercises from heaven can be imparted on us the laity - through the sacraments, prayers, and blessings.

As Catholics, we are called to practice obedience, humility, and trust – with God and with the Church.  As Americans – we tend to recoil at those words -especially obedience – but Jesus was obedient to his Father in heaven, and we too are called to be obedient to God’s Will and His Church.  Jesus doesn’t just tell us to be obedient; He shows us how to be obedient.  Jesus submits His human will to the divine will.   “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5 – 8) 

This is what we are called to do when our will contradicts the divine will – to humble ourselves and obey.  The more we develop our faith and the closer we get to Jesus, the easier this obedience of faith becomes.  There will be times you struggle to understand and believe a teaching of the Church.  That is perfectly normal.  However, I encourage you to seek understanding of why the Church teaches what she does by seeking out reliable writings and videos by Catholics steeped in theology.   The obedience that is expected is not blind faith but trusting the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit – so seek understanding through study and pray.  When I stop and realize I don’t understand everything that the Church teaches – I must stop and remember this is the Church founded by Christ and led by Christ and has a rich history that’s over 2000 years old; am I that arrogant that I know better?  It challenges me on what I believe and makes me stop and offer some humility and trust.  Humility helps soften our hearts and allows the Holy Spirit to expand our perspective; it opens us up to His truth.  

As the body of Christ, you are all called to take the torch that has been handed down to you from generations of Catholics and continue the mission from all the Catholics that have come before you.    You are the future of the Church – not when you are an adult or a parent, but NOW!  Once you are confirmed, you will have the same fullness of the Holy Spirit as the first Christians.  You have access to the Sacraments, and the community of St. Alphonsus Liguori to support you in your faith journey through prayer, study, and relationship.  The Church community is your family no matter where you are physically or spiritually.  Be the saint you were created to be - we desperately need more saints.  This is how the Church changes the world; saints cause a ripple effect– like St. Mother Theresa, St. Benedict, and our very own St. Alphonsus Liguori– and you can too!