Apostolicity

Jesus said to Peter, “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matt. 16:19).

            When I was studying at the Seminary, one of my classmates had a unique Spiritual Life. His inability to wake up early meant he was often late for Morning Prayer. While my classmate spent hours learning how to serve Mass, he usually forgot when the chalice was required at the Offertory. Yet, when someone needed help with a project, he was the first to offer assistance. If anyone began to get uneasy about papers or exams he would always find time to listen. Although the external signs of his Spiritual Life needed work, we never doubted his basic goodness which gave him a kind of authority which others respected.

            In this passage from Matthew, Jesus gives Peter the authority to make binding decisions on Spiritual matters for the Church. By doing so, he gives leadership in the Church to someone whose humanity is flawed but still worthy of respect.

            Within the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament, Elders played an essential leadership role within Jewish Society. Their collective experience and wisdom was respected by others. In the Book of Numbers, Moses appointed seventy Elders to relieve his burden of leadership while the Israelites were in the Desert. Later, these individuals established Councils in many communities which supplied advice on issues or handled a crisis. They served as Judges in family matters like: the punishment of a defiant son; the protection of a young woman’s reputation; or the application of the Levirate Marriage Law. Elders also joined in Liturgical Celebrations such as the offerings made for the sins of the entire Community. With their experience and insight gained over many years and the belief they were directed by God Elders had the authority to exercise a leadership role among the Jewish people despite their personal limitations.

            Matthew’s account of Christ’s commissioning of Peter revealed how the Human insight and experience of the Apostles was fortified by God. As one of the earliest Disciples, Peter had witnessed the Teachings and Miracles of Jesus. His response to the question about the identity of Christ recognized Jesus as the Messiah and not a forerunner like most Jews at the time. However, Peter was reminded his reply resulted from a revelation from God and not just human reasoning. Christ then called Peter the rock upon which the Church was built. Yet, in the following passage Peter is rebuked by Jesus for not accepting the need for the crucifixion. Later, during the Passion, Peter will deny knowing Jesus three times. Clearly, he is a flawed character. But Christ does not withdraw Peter’s authority. The flawed goodness in Peter was enough to maintain his leadership role. Later, this same willingness to overlook a flawed character led the Risen Jesus to transform Paul from a persecutor of the Church into a great Evangelist. Apostles like Peter and Paul played the role of Elders who kept the early Church linked to its Spiritual foundation by their profound but sometimes imperfect insights and experiences which were guided by God’s assistance.

            Today, this apostolic authority resides with Bishops and their assistants the Priests. They provide leadership in the Church by teaching and interpreting doctrines which have been passed on through the generations since the time of Peter and Paul. They insure the proper celebration of the Liturgy and Sacraments which enable Catholics to receive the graces they need to flourish as Faith-filled Disciples. They make decisions about how Pastoral Ministry is conducted and insure the Church is properly governed. They follow in the original Apostle’s footsteps. Yet, like Peter and Paul and the others they have imperfect insights and experiences and are flawed characters. There have been times when they have made bad decisions and shown poor example. After all, they are sinners. But the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, has preserved the truth handed down by Jesus. As an institution, the Church has survived many threats and divisions. One of the key characteristics (marks) of the Church is Apostolicity: the belief that the Church’s leadership and authority comes from the Apostles. This quality insures every generation has remained linked to its spiritual roots. However, this passing of the faith on to future generations includes the fact the Church is human institution made up of imperfect leaders. As with Peter and Paul, God takes the limited abilities of Apostles and enables to serve the Church.

            Apostolicity is a tremendous responsibility for those entrusted with the leadership roles in the Church. For this reason, Catholics should pray for their Bishops and Priests. The combination of their insights and experiences along with God’s guidance empowers the Church to continue its mission to spread the Gospel message on earth.

 

June 29, 2019