“you will be called Cephas”
This Sunday marks the beginning of Ordinary Time. We have gone through the Christmas Season, the time of Christ’s hidden years, and now we are at the beginning of Jesus public ministry. In the Gospel reading, we hear of the beginning of his ministry.
What was the first thing Jesus does? Jesus seeks out His disciples. In fact, we do not read anywhere yet of any miracles or great signs from Jesus, Himself. We hear John the Baptist calling out that Jesus is indeed the Messiah and the promised one, but Jesus does not put Himself out there. Jesus simply goes out to call Andrew, John (who tradition has as the other person alongside Andrew) [1], and Peter, who Andrew goes to bring to Jesus. In the first reading we read of Samuel being called by God. Samuel did not recognize the voice and thought it was his dad. His father finally understands and gives Samuel instructions on how to fully hear God.
The first thing Jesus is doing in our lives is calling us out. He is always on the lookout for fisher’s of men. He is looking for disciples and apostles to build up the Church, even today. Blessed Pope John Paul II said we must not be afraid to be the Saints of the new millennium.
Why did Jesus start forming a Church? Jesus knew His time here on earth was going to be short, but He also knew His followers would need leadership, enlightenment, and something to look to for the fullness of truth. Jesus also knew He needed a way to dispense Grace and mercy to everyone, and this is why He formed the Church and placed it upon Saints Peter, Andrew, John, and all the other Apostles. “With the Ascension, one stage in Revelation is closed, and with Pentecost, the new age, the time of the Church, commences.” [2]
What does the Church do? The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. The Church continues on the ministry that Christ asked her to do by sanctifying the world primarily through the sacraments. The Church’s wisdom and doctrine also helps enlighten our minds, bring us to know Our Lord, and enables us to converse with Him and to love Him more deeply. This is why we say the Church has the Fullness of Truth in the matters of faith and morals because she has always stayed close to the teachings and doctrines taught by Christ. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, we are better able to understand the teachings of Jesus without any change in which He taught it. We continue to hear Christ’s voice two thousand years later. [3]
How can we know the foundation of the Church is solid? First, we look to see if it has stood the test of time. With two thousand years of constant attack, the Church is still here, so it is pretty clear the Church’s foundation is very strong. We also look to the first followers of Christ and even the first followers of the Apostles, and we see the good fruit from the Church. “Every sound tree bears good fruit.” [4] Jesus took His time choosing who was going to be His disciples. We see with the foundation of Peter, Andrew, and John their holiness and ultimately their saintliness. The Holiness of Jesus in the Gospel reading today was one that did not attract a lot of attention or make a lot of noise. Only Andrew and another follower of John the Baptist came to Jesus. Likewise, when we are striving and practicing holiness, it is supernatural; yet it is instantly recognizable because those who live in holiness live in charity for God and one another. The foundation of the Church is holiness and the fruit is charity. Finally, we see Jesus in the Gospel reading changing the name of Simon to Peter, which means large firm rock to which Jesus would build His Church.
Search: Peter and the Papacy
“Gates of Hell 2” by Akalyte
But hasn’t the Church had a lot of bad fruit? How can we trust the Church if it’s full of sinners?It is true; there have been members within the Church who have been terrible sinners. Even as part of our foundation, Peter denied Jesus three times during His Passion. However, that does not tarnish the Church in anyway because first and foremost, it is founded upon Jesus Christ and thus makes the Church forever holy. When we see the foundation of the Jesus’ followers we see great men, and we see sinners as well, and yet Jesus called every one of them to be with Him. The Church herself is made up of saints and sinners. “In her, good and bad are gathered together. She is made up of a diversity of children, because she brings them all forth in the faith. She does this although, through their own fault, she does not manage to lead all of them to the freedom of grace by a renewal of their lives.” [5]
While there has been some “bad fruit” it was never a result of the Church’s doctrine or teachings. Those who choose sin do so freely and willingly under their own choice. It is their free will to do so, but it sin is something that the Church and Jesus ever wants us to choose. We cannot let a small number of those who claim to be saints, who live in sin, affect our outlook on the spotless bride of Christ, the Church; the same Church Jesus said the gates of Hell shall never overtake her.
What other layers of the Church are there? The Church is made up of the Church Militant, the Church Suffering, and the Church Triumphant. Another way of looking at it is the “men and women who have already reached their eternal destiny - the saints in heaven (Church Triumphant); of others who are being cleansed while waiting for their definitive reward - the holy souls in Purgatory (Church Suffering); and by those who, here on earth, have to struggle against their defects and evil inclinations in order to be faithful to Christ. (Church Militant)”
How can we be part of the foundation? To be a good foundation for the Church, we must first look at the Church as our Mother. Jesus Christ is the groom and the Church is the Bride of Christ. From the Church she bears children, the followers of Christ. No one can be a good child of God without loving the Church because “he cannot have God for his Father who does not have the Church for his Mother.” [6] The Church is holy because Jesus makes it holy. We can be part of the foundation by not allowing people to insult, criticize or treat our Mother, the Church badly. We also should not place blame on the Church for defects that she does not have. [7] Lastly, we can be a part of the foundation by appreciating and participating in love for all that the Church, through God, has to offer us. “We owe him love for the priesthood, for all the Sacraments, and, very especially, for the Blessed Eucharist, for the liturgy, for the treasure of the Faith that she has faithfully safeguarded down the centuries... We look at her with eyes of love and faith. We see she is holy, pure, without spot unwrinkled” [8], and with no foundational cracks.
[1] Jn 1: 37 NAB Footnotes
[2] cf. Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, 4
[3] cf. In Conversation with God 3, 10.1
[4] Mat. 7:17
[5] St. Gregory the Great, Homily, 38:7
[6] St. Cyprian, On the Unity of the Catholic Church, 6
[7] cf. In Conversation with God 3, 10.3
[8] In Conversation with God 3, 10.3