One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic

We believe that the Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.  In today’s first reading we see that apostolic succession at work when Peter, the leader of the Apostles speaks and wishes that Judas’ office, though now vacant, be filled.  Eventually his office is filled by Matthias, who was chosen by the Holy Spirit.  This happened to keep the number “12” intact, but also that the Apostle’s ministry would continue even after they were gone.

Throughout the New Testament more Apostles are added to the group, the Apostles went from place to place preaching the Good News and building local churches and as they did so they appointed presbyters, deacons, and bishops, the bishops being the figures of authority, but more importantly leaders of service, service to the Church.

The goal of the Church is to follow Jesus’ mandate, “Go to all the nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  By doing so we would be offered to God and become one with Him, but also as the Gospel points out that we all may be one, united in a common faith

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The “oneness” or unity that we have is at the core of our beliefs, again, “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.”  Unity, however, does not mean we do not have diversity or that we are just complying into uniformity.  We share our core beliefs and dogmas, those do not differ nor do we  believe in different things, but within the vast Church, which is universal we have many different cultures, languages, customs – the way we worship is different, i.e. Eastern Rite Churches or local customs may vary.  Even within our own Diocese we have mass celebrated in the vernacular as well as in the old Latin Rite, we have mass celebrated in Spanish, and many other cultures as I myself have celebrated with the Filipino Community the mass of the rooster, bright and early at 5am.

We also have varying degrees of importance when it comes to belief, for example believing in the Trinity is the core belief of Christianity, maybe the most important belief as opposed to let’s say, should we hold hands when we pray or keep them folded.  You can see the difference, but to some folks there is no difference between the two, they will get all fired up if you don’t pray the right away, if you don’t kneel when you are supposed to, if you receive communion in the hands, etc.  Those are all minor practices relegated to custom and have no bearing on salvation.  People sweat the small stuff sometimes or think if we begin to change the small things we are on our way to changing everything, which is not true, small things have been changing in the Church for 2,000 years and we are still ok, so just R – E – L – A – X, RELAX!

Yet, sometimes even in the midst of confusion, tension, and even division the Truth prevails.  It prevailed for the Apostles in the Upper Room when they gathered to pray, when they gathered in the future to make decisions and so it continues today with Pope Francis and our Bishops, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and so it shall until Jesus Himself calls her home!  FJ