GOSPEL - Mk 3:13-19
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons: He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boaneries, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphas; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
PRAYER - Prayer of the Holy Spirit
Prayer #16 from the Oratory: Place of Prayer Book
Prayer #16 from the Oratory: Place of Prayer Book
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Let us pray. O God, who did instruct the hearts ofthe faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of that same Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
STUDY - An excerpt from Link to Liturgy Lesson Apostolic Succession
We believe in One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church
“The Church is apostolic because she is founded on the apostles, in three ways:
- She was and remains built on “the foundation of the Apostles,”(Eph 2:20; Rev. 21:14) the witnesses chosen and sent on mission by Christ himself;(Cf. Mt. 28:16-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7-8; Gol. 1:1; etc)
- With the help of the Spirit dwelling in her, the Church keeps and hands on the teaching,(Cf. Acts 2:42) the ‘good deposit,’ the salutary words she has heard from the apostles; (Cf. 2 Tim. 1:13-14.)
- She continues to be taught, sanctified, and guided by the apostles until Christ’s return, through their successors in pastoral office: the college of bishops, ‘assisted by priests, in union with the successor of Peter, the Church’s supreme pastor”: (AG 5)
With this as our framework we see the importance of our Apostles. However, as the original apostles began being killed for their faith, how were there to be new apostles appointed? This was to be done through apostolic succession
What is apostolic succession? “’In order that the mission entrusted to them might be continued after their death, [the apostles] cosigned, by will and testament, as it were, to their immediate collaborators the duty of completing and consolidating the work they had begun, urging them to tend the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit had appointed them to shepherd the Church of God. They accordingly designated such men and then made the ruling that likewise on their death other proven men should take over their ministry.' ” [2]
“’In order that the full and living Gospel might always be preserved in the Church the apostles left bishops as their successors. They gave them ‘their own position of teaching authority.' Indeed, ‘the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved in a continuous line of succession until the end of time.’ ” [3]
[2] CCC 861
[3] CCC 77
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