Did Jesus found the Catholic Church?
Catechism Meditation:
In keeping with the Lord’s command, the Gospel was handed on in two ways: orally “by the apostles who handed on, by the spoken word of their preaching, by the example they gave, by the institutions they established, what they themselves had received – whether from the lips of Christ, from his way of life and his works, or whether they had learned it at the prompting of the Holy Spirit”; in writing “by those apostles and other men associated with the apostles who, under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, committed the message of salvation to writing”….continued in apostolic succession. “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.” ―No. 76-77
REFLECTION. The first Christians had no doubts about how to determine which was the true Church and which doctrines were the true teachings of Christ. The test was simple: Just trace the apostolic succession of the claimants. Apostolic succession means that every Catholic bishop is part of an unbroken chain back to one of the original Apostles who were sent into the world by Jesus after receiving his authority as the original shepherds of his Church.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we see a kind of “prototype” for apostolic succession. Matthias is chosen to replace Judas Iscariot after he betrays Jesus and dies (Acts 1:20-26). Importantly, Matthias wasn’t just picked out of a hat. Peter cited the Old Testament as a guide, they prayed for guidance, and they cast lots to determine God’s will. Matthias then takes his place as an Apostle, part of the foundational leadership of the Church. To make sure that the apostles’ teachings would be passed down after the deaths of the apostles, Saint Paul told Timothy, “And the things you learned from me in the presence of many witnesses you must pass on to trustworthy people who will be capable of teaching others” (2 Tim. 2:2). In this passage he refers to the first three generations of apostolic succession—his own generation, Timothy’s generation, and the generation Timothy will teach.
Seek a Church with apostolic succession. This is not about personal preference or sympathy. It’s about belonging to the Church that Christ Himself founded. If you are in the Catholic Church, you are in communion with the
apostles. Boldly proclaim that the true Church is not a vague idea but a visible reality, founded on Peter and the apostles, with succession down to our days. Apostolic succession is not just another doctrine. It is the backbone of the Church. It is the testimony that God has not abandoned His people. Amid doctrinal confusion, division, and spiritual self-sufficiency, apostolic succession is a light, a certainty, an anchor. Because when the priest lifts up the Body of Christ at Mass, he does so through a chain of hands that reaches all the way back to Christ Himself.
As Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen puts it, “If I were not a Catholic, and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hates. My reason for doing this would be, that if Christ is in any one of the churches of the world today, He must still be hated as He was when He was on earth in the flesh. If you would find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world. Look for the Church that is hated by the world, as Christ was hated by the world. Look for the Church which is accused of being behind the times, as Our Lord was accused of being ignorant and never having learned. Look for the Church which men sneer at as socially inferior, as they sneered at Our Lord because He came from Nazareth. Look for the Church which is accused of having a devil, as Our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils. Look for the Church which the world rejects because it claims it is infallible, as Pilate rejected Christ because he called Himself the Truth. Look for the Church which amid the confusion of conflicting opinions, its members love as they love Christ, and respect its voice as the very voice of its Founder, and the suspicion will grow, that if the Church is unpopular with the spirit of the world, then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly, it is other-worldly. Since it is other-worldly, it is infinitely loved and infinitely hated as was Christ Himself.”
PRAYER. Our heavenly Father, we ask that You would enable us to see the truth about Your body, Your people, Your assembly, Your Church; and from Your word, believe it, embrace it, and live it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Timeless Wisdom Quote:
“… the Catholic Church is the only Church existing today which goes back to the time of Christ. History is so very clear on this point, it is curious how many miss its obviousness…” ― Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen