A few years back I was privileged to attend the ordination of Bishop Malloy in Rockford. It’s an interesting thing to think that this country boy who grew up in a heavily baptist part of the Appalachian Mountains would one day find himself sitting in a stadium full of thousands of people, watching as a Catholic Bishop was installed for their diocese. I sat with friends as we watched the imposition of hands, the consecration of a mans very body, to be the shepherd to lead each of us in an unbroken list of men chosen by the Holy Spirit that can be traced directly back to the original twelve chosen by Jesus Christ Himself. It was a powerful moment for me as a new Catholic, and still remains one of those pivotal moments in my life as a Christian.
Today is the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, two of those twelve men. It is a reminder to us of the fact we are an Apostolic Church. The Bishops are there to continue the mission that Jesus gave to those men listed in today’s Gospel to go preaching to all the ends of the earth. It is through the authority given them by Jesus Christ that we are promised “whose sins you forgive are forgiven.” We often take that for granted. In a world where the concept of sin itself is waning, where a common catchphrase is “you do you, and I’ll do me,” the gift that is the Church is often forgotten or much more commonly just dismissed. It is up to us as followers of Jesus to help spread that message, pointing to the one true Church, that the letter to Ephesians declares is the very temple of God, built on the foundation of these men.
That has a great deal to do with why I am a Roman Catholic today. It may not be perfect, and nothing involving men will ever be perfect, but it also involves God and it is the Church founded by Jesus Christ. It is a Church that strives to keep Jesus as the Capstone, the binding force that keeps all of us together as one Body. One Church whose message does indeed go out to all the earth. A Church whose teachings are not only consistent in matters of importance, but that writes down the teachings to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Two thousand years of writing, preaching, and guidance from the Holy Spirit stands alongside the teaching office of the Magisterium and the Holy Bible to guide us to experience Jesus Christ as our Lord, our Savior, and our very life itself. A community that worships the same way, with the same readings, the same Mass no matter where in the world you are or what language you speak. This is what it means to be in a personal relationship with Jesus, to be in relationship with Him and His Body. We need to remember that when we step forward next to receive communion. When we say “Amen” it truly means “I believe. All of it.”
Saints Simon and Jude, pray for us.
A reflection on the readings for Monday, October 28th, 2019: Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles