From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus called his disciples to himself and from them he chose Twelve whom he also named apostles: Simon whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, Jude Thaddeus/Judas the son of James and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor. - Luke 6:13-16 - Out of the twelve Apostles Jesus chose Simon Peter to be the first Pope, proclaiming: "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it". - Matt. 16:17-19 -
The Catholic Church is "apostolic" because it preserves the apostolic succession which is the unbroken chain of ordinations connecting all bishops to one of the twelve apostles especially in the case of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, there is the complete historical record of the 265 popes; from Saint Peter till Benedict XVI. However, why did Jesus chose an illiterate fisherman like Simon Peter as his first Pope? Or a notorious sinner like Matthew as his evangelist? Or a traitor as Judas Iscariot as his treasurer?
The Old Testament and New Testament, and further historical revelation in term of oral and written tradition will help understand why each one of us, with all our human limitations are called to the Sequela Christi. ( following of Christ)
Anointed and ordained bishops and priests are no "great shakes". The Lord could find many others far more worthy. "We are no better than pots of earthenware to contain this treasure" - 2Cor. 4:7 - Saint Paul was probably here alluding to the earthen pitchers in which Gideon army carried lamps. - Judges 7:16 - Much light inside but you have to break them to let it out. "We are only human beings no less mortal than you" - Acts 14:14-15 - Even Elijah was "a man with human frailties like our own" - James 5:17-18 - We know why God did not chose the wisest and most virtuous that the glory might be His, not ours. "Few are men of wisdom, by any human standard; few are powerful or highly born" - 1Cor. 1:26-31 -
We are a ragged army and our natures are weak. If a survey were made of us, it would be discovered that we are of twelve different types: (1) The Impulsive - Saint Peter (2) The Chancery - Saint John (3) The Quiet - Saint James (4) The Public Relations - Saint Andrew (5) The Big Shot - Saint Bartholomew (6) The Business - Saint Philip (7) The Unpopular - Saint Matthew (8) The Reciprocal - Saint James, son of Alphaeus (9) The Revolutionary - Saint Simon the Zealot (10) The Secular - Saint Jude Thaddeus (11) The Glum - Saint Thomas (12) The Anti-Christ - Judas Iscariot
But is not this the same motley group the Lord Jesus Christ picked to be His Apostles? We tend to glorify them after they became wholly Christ's. But before His Spirit seized them, they were no different than we are in our dedication.
Saint Peter - The Impulsive - ...
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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