In these weeks after Easter, the Church gives us these readings from the Acts of the Apostles and from Jesus’ last discourse in John’s Gospel. What we see in these combined readings is an image of the Church from two different perspectives – from the intention of Jesus who promises to send the Holy Spirit to enliven the Church, and from the perspective of those who are experiencing the effects of the Holy Spirit poured out as life breath for the Church. By offering these perspectives, we are offered the opportunity to reflect on the nature of the Church and our relationship to it. Not only do we see an historical view of the Church, but we are called to reflect on the Church today – this weekly gathering of the local Church – yes – but more importantly, our relationship to those who do or who have professed belief in the Church throughout the last 2 millennia.
And we do profess our belief in the Church every time we gather for Sunday Mass – we say we believe in “oneholycatholicand apostolicchurch…” and we say it just like that – as though it was all one word. But do we ever stop to think about the four assertions we make about the Church when we profess our faith in the Nicene Creed? We believe in ONE Church that is HOLY, CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC. I think we don’t often think about those four things – why do I say that? Because twice in the thirteen years that I have been a priest, two different popes have issued strong teachings about the oneness of the Church and Catholics all over the world have been shocked and dismayed to hear it. “What do you mean there is only one church? That sounds awfully exclusive and can’t possibly be true!?” BUT WE PROFESS EVERY SUNDAY THAT WE BELIEVE IN ONE CHURCH!!!!
These four adjectives are called the “four marks of the Church” in traditional theology – each makes a very important assertion about the nature of the Church. The Oneness and Holiness of the Church are rooted in the oneness and holiness of the head of the Church, Jesus. Even in today’s Gospel we hear that if we love Jesus, we will keep his commandments and the father will come to us and make his dwelling with us. The oneness of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Spirit is attested to throughout the Last Discourse and our invitation to be one in the interior life of the Trinity shows us the oneness to which we are called as believers. Jesus’ faithfulness to his Father’s mission, his willingness to die for our salvation, and his complete obedience to the will of the Father, teach us of the holiness of the Church.
The Catholic nature of the Church is attested to from the very beginning of the Acts of the Apostles where we see the Spirit of God manifested in the preaching of St. Peter, who though he speaks in Aramaic, is understood by men and women from all over the known world in their own languages. The small group of Jewish Apostles begins to take to message to gentiles and win converts among the nations. Even in today’s Gospel, we see the disciples grappling with growing pains by seeking to solve a doctrinal issue that arises in the early years of the Church because Gentiles are converting. We see the Church growing from a Jewish body to a more universal or Catholic body – illustrating the Catholic nature of the Church from the beginning.
It is that fourth mark of the Church “Apostolic” which most of us have never given much thought to. What are we professing when we say that we believe the Church is “Apostolic” – obviously we are saying something about our connection to those earliest followers of Jesus, who were so connected to their having been sent by Jesus to preach the Gospel that they became identified in the earliest days as “sent ones”.” That is what an “apostle” is – one that is sent. So when we profess that we believe in the Apostolic Church, are we saying that we believe that the Church continues to be a community of “sent ones?” Yes perhaps.
But our profession to belief in the Apostolic nature of the Church is really a statement of our belief in the historical nature of the Church. It is, frankly, why I am Catholic. As a young history student studying the history of Western Civilization, I became convinced of the truth and importance of the Church’s claim to an unbroken line of succession between the current leaders of the Church and the Apostles. It is a demonstrable fact and an ancient teaching of the Church called the Apostolic Succession. This tangible link to the Apostles demands that we know the importance of these first followers of Jesus. It is the Apostolic nature of the Church that is addressed beautifully in today’s first two readings.
In John’s vision from Patmos we are told that after the final battle of good and evil, God will “make all things new.” There will be a “new heaven and a new earth” the center of which will be the “New Jerusalem.” It is described beautifully in today’s second reading. There will be 12 gates on which are inscribed the names of the 12 tribes – the New Jerusalem will represent the completion of the “Israel of God.” But all of it will be built on foundation of “12 courses of stone on which are written the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb…” the new Jerusalem and the Church are ikons (images) of each other – the Church is the foretaste of the New Jerusalem; the New Jerusalem is the completion of the Church. And all of it is built on the foundation of the lives, teachings, and blood of the Apostles. Jesus had told Peter that he was the rock on which he would build his Church, ad here the vision f John is that all the apostles form that foundation. This is what we profess when we say that we believe in an Apostolic Church.
in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see those first followers of Jesus n their role as teaching authority under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 15 of Acts is an exciting text from which we learn much about the nature of the early Church . We are told that the first major conflict in the Church arose because some Jewish Christians told Syrian Gentile converts that they must be circumcised (aside: this question would have a huge impact on whether or not adult males were going to be a part of the Church ;) This is not a simple disciplinary issue. It cuts directly to the question of how we are saved, it is a soteriological question – a doctrinal conflict. The leaders of the Syrian Church submitted this question to the Apostles for their consideration and their authoritative teaching. Our text today does not include the deliberation of the Apostles and Presbyters – it is worth reading sometime – but does include the teaching letter sent by the Apostles to the Syrians. Note that in that letter, the Apostles do not simply speak for themselves. It does not say simply “it is our decision…” Rather, they say “it is the decision OF THE HOLY SPIRIT…” Understand - at this moment there is NO BIBLE. The only scriptures the early Church has are the Hebrew Scriptures which clearly will not answer this question. They must depend entirely on the work of the Holy Spirit and the sound teachings of their brothers in whom the Holy Spirit is at work in a remarkable way. They don’t consult just any believer, they consult the “Apostles and Presbyters” in whom the Holy Spirit is at work. And their word is, literally, Gospel – not because of them, but because of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in these men so that the ONE Church can speak with ONE voice, the ONE truth of Jesus Christ.
When we profess our belief in the Apostolic Church, we profess our belief in that teaching authority; that in the Holy Spirit we continue to have access to the authentic teachings of the Apostolic Fathers, those original followers of Jesus; that we continue to be connected through an unbroken line of leaders to the Apostles, and therefore, to Jesus himself.
But this doctrine is more than a pedigree or a quaint family history. It has importance to us as believers in the Apostolic nature of the Church today:
The Apostolic Nature of the Church speaks to the antiquity of the hierarchical nature of the Church. That from the beginning, certain of our leaders were set aside for particular ministry among their brethren and given extraordinary authority under the direction of the Holy Spirit to teach in the name of Jesus. Without such, we would not have the Christian Scriptures – a product of the Holy Spirit at work in the Church. As such, those leaders are called upon to speak, not only in their own name, but in the name of the Spirit himself.
The Apostolic Mark of the Church speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church – continuing as Jesus said, to teach and to remind us of all that he said. The Holy Spirit, working in our leaders, continues guarantee the authenticity of Church teaching and to protect the Church from doctrinal error (this is the doctrine of infallibility).
The Apostolic Nature of the Church gives us a time-proven Holy Spirit-guaranteed method for dealing with doctrinal conflicts that arise in the Church today. We still have an appeal to Apostolic Authority to resolve conflicts that arise. The Holy Spirit continues to be active in the life of Christians and our leaders. Over the course of the Centuries new understandings of doctrines have developed – the chief consideration in testing such developments of doctrine is whether or not they can be squared with the earliest teachings of the Church – those of the Apostles.
The Apostolic nature of the Church should create trust in the lives of every Christian in the teaching authority of the Church. It should help us to remain faithful to the teachings of the Church – to understand where they come from, how they have developed and the role of the Spirit in the continuing teaching ministry of the Church. The Apostolic Nature of the Church should help us to understand how the Church continues to be One, Holy, and Catholic.
But how are we to understand this in the context of scandals – when the scandalous behavior of our leaders makes it difficult to believe that Holy Spirit is still guiding the Church. Has the Holy Spirit abandoned the Church. No - such scandals have happened throughout the Church’s history because Jesus had the audacity to leave the Church in the hands of sinful human beings.
But he did not leave us to our own devices. He equipped us with the Holy Spirit to “teach us all things and to remind us of all that we had learned’ from Jesus. Despite the scandalous behavior of our human leaders, the Church has survived, and even thrived in every age – BECAUSE THE WORK OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
It is the times that we have forgotten that we work for the Holy Spirit (and not the other way around) that the Apostolic nature of the Church is forgotten and the ship of the Church is adrift without the wind of the Holy Spirit in its sails.
It is not accident that we profess our belief in the Church in the part of the creed that professes faith in the Spirit – the two realities are intimately tied together. The Holy Spirit gives meaning and power to the Church’s Apostolic Nature.
That we stay connected to and open to the Holy Spirit is the extent to which the Church will stay connected to our Apostolic roots. It is the extent to which we will be faithful to Apostolic teachings and to the Apostolic Mission – It is the extent to which we will continue to be the Church of the “Sent ones.” – Like those original followers – SENT by Jesus, empowered by the Spirit. In this, the Work of the Church will thrive as it has in countless ages before – the Church will continue to be ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, AND APOSTOLIC.
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