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Introduction

 “Later this year, I shall have the joy of being

present with you and the Catholics of Scotland on your native soil. As you prepare for the

Apostolic Visit, encourage your people to pray that it will be a time of grace for the whole

Catholic community. Take the opportunity to deepen their faith and to rekindle their

commitment to bear witness to the Gospel”.

These were words addressed by the Holy Father to the Scottish Bishops on their recent ad Limina visit to the Holy See.

This presentation is the first in a series which is offered as part of the spiritual and pastoral preparation for the visit which the Pope has requested.  

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The Creed, which we recite during Mass every Sunday and Solemnity is our way of expressing in words that which we believe in faith. In this way we do not simply repeat words

which are not our own, but rather profess something that is in our hearts.

Pope Benedict, speaking on his own native soil, described the importance of our Profession of Faith in these words:

“The Creed is not a collection of propositions; it is not a theory. It is anchored in the event of Baptism - a genuine encounter between God and man. In the mystery of

Baptism, God stoops to meet us; he comes close to us and in turn brings us closer to one another. Baptism means that Jesus Christ adopts us as his brothers and sisters, welcoming us as sons and daughters into God's family. He thus makes us one great family in the universal communion of the Church. Truly, those who believe are never

alone.” (Islinger Feld, Regensburg, Tuesday, 12 September 2006)

As Saint Peter strengthened the faith of the early community, so we hope that the forthcoming visit of his successor will strengthen our own faith and

give us the opportunity to express the bonds of communion

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For this reason it seems opportune to offer these reflections on the Creed – in particular on the four ‘marks’ of the Church which are explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"This is the sole Church of Christ, which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic. These four characteristics, inseparably linked with each other, indicate essential features of the Church and her mission. The Church does not possess them of herself; it is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, makes his Church one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, and it is he

who calls her to realize each of these qualities.

It is clear that these four essential attributes of the Church are ‘gift’ from God and at the same time ‘responsibility’ of God’s people

Reflecting on this more deeply through Sacred Scripture, the Catechism and other Church teaching, especially that of Pope Benedict XVI, whose visit we so

anticipate, these booklets may be used as opportunities for prayerful preparation for the Apostolic visit by individuals, or by small groups of parishioners

May this time of preparation indeed be a time of grace for the whole Catholic community. 

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• Unity at the beginning

• Unity and the Trinity

• Unity and Diversity

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• Unity at the birth of the Church

Speaking to the crowds in the gathered Saint Peter’s Square on the Solemnity of Pentecost, Pope Benedict recalled these events:

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had”. (Acts 2:1-3, 4:32)

In this extraordinary event we find the essential and qualifying characteristics of the Church: the Church is one, like the community at Pentecost, who were united in prayer and "concordant": "were of one heart and soul". (Regina Caeli, 27th May 2007)

The Holy Father gives us the image of a community which very clearly expresses itself as one – united both heart and soul. Perhaps, at first, the image may seem distant from our own experience of praying together, and yet we still must possess this oneness, since it is Christ himself who brings it about, and we know that Christ will be with his Church until the end of time.

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For Reflection

Thinking of our experience of prayer together in the Church, perhaps in a

prayer group in someone’s home, even in within our families, can we think of a time when we have felt that we were ‘of

one heart and soul’ with our brothers and sisters? What are the most common

obstacles to such an experience? Is there something I could do personally to

overcome them?

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• Unity and the TrinityEarlier in the Creed we profess our belief in the one God, Father, Son and Holy

Spirit—three persons, distinct yet undivided. We could all remember images that were give to us as we grew up to help us try to understand this mystery. Legend has it that Saint Patrick used the shamrock to help his converts understand. Any words or images, however, will fall short of containing this mystery which touches the very depths of the life of God. And yet, it is from this mysterious relationship that the Church is one:

Because of her source in “the unity of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit”.* 

*  Because of her founder: “the Word made flesh, the prince of peace, reconciled all men to God by the cross, . . . restoring the unity of all in one people and one body

*  Because of her soul: “the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the entire Church, who brings about that wonderful communion of the faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle of the Church's unity." (Catechism no. 813):

At the same time, even as we struggle to understand the mysterious unity of the Trinity, it is also our model for that unity to which we are called as members of the Church:

“Grace, love and communion, referring respectively to Christ, to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, are different aspects of the one divine action for our salvation. This action creates the Church and makes the Church – as Saint Cyprian said in the third century – “a people brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”. (Pope Benedict XVI, “The Apostles”)

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Put another way, in words that may be more familiar, one of the formulas of greeting which the priest may use at the beginning of Mass expresses the same desire that the unity of the Trinity may somehow be shared and made visible in God’s holy people:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you”. 

If this is a mystery too great for our minds to understand, perhaps we can open our hearts in faith, asking God to help us embrace his life, the source of our unity as members of his body: 

Prayer

Let us pray to God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God we praise you:

Father all powerful, Christ our Lord and Saviour, Spirit of love. You reveal yourself in the depths of our being, drawing us to share in your life and your love.

One God, three Persons, be near to the people formed in your image,

close to the world your love brings to life. We ask you this, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, true and living, for ever and ever.

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• Unity and Diversity

In the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons. God is united in Himself; there is no confusion or

dissent. Each Person of the Trinity knows His role and fulfils it perfectly. Similarly, the unity of God’s people does not require us all to be the same. 

“From the beginning, this one Church has been marked by a great diversity which comes from both the variety of God's gifts and the

diversity of those who receive them” (Catechism no. 814)

Saint Paul appreciated this variety of gifts when he uses

the image of the body to explain how different gifts

can be at the service of unity:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are

different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. 12The

body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. (1Cor.12:4-6, 11-12)

This is not always easy to achieve! Even Saint Paul had to admonish the early community to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph.4:3), but as the Catechism points out (814), the diversity of her members, or the variety of their different gifts are never a threat to the unity of the Church – only sin and the burdens of its consequences threaten the gift of unity.

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For Reflection

How do I react to the fact that my brothers and sisters in the parish, in my family are

not the same as me, do not have the same gifts? Am I accepting or resistant? Could any of my attitudes threaten the gift of unity. What could I do to make this less

likely?The Catechism tells us that “the unity of the pilgrim Church is also assured by visible bonds of communion” (no. 815) amongst which are the Sacraments. In particular it is

through our baptism that we are made of one family, incorporated into Christ, and become members of His holy Church. All who are baptised, even those outside of the Catholic

Church, are united, even though that unity is imperfect because of differences and divisions which have occurred historically and which we will consider in the next reflection.

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• Unity in the Eucharist

• Wounds to Unity

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• Unity and the EucharistThe ‘bond of peace’ that Saint Paul speaks of is ‘above all, charity (which) binds everything together in perfect harmony’ (catechism no. 815) but there are also ‘visible bonds’ which assure the unity of the Church.

We have already mentioned baptism, and now we consider the Eucharist which, in particular, has a central role as both the source and the means of theChurch’s unity. We often refer to the Eucharist as the ‘Sacrament of Unity’ and when we talk of Holy Communion we already imply a bond which is at the same time vertical (with God) and horizontal (among those who share it). This is what makes the Church:

The unity of the Mystical Body: the Eucharist makes the Church. Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. Through it Christ unites them to all the faithful in one body - the Church. Communion renews, strengthens, and deepens this incorporation into the Church, already achieved by Baptism. In Baptism we have been called to form but one body. The Eucharist fulfills this call: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? the bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread:"

If you are the body and members of Christ, then it is your sacrament that is placed on the table of the Lord; it is your sacrament that you receive. To that which you are you respond "Amen" ("yes, it is true!") and by responding to it you assent to it. For youhear the words, "the Body of Christ" and respond "Amen." Be then a member of the Body of Christ that your Amen may be true.” (Catechism no 1396)

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To be a member of the Church, of the Body of Christ in such a way that our “Amen may be true” is at the heart of our understanding of the Eucharist as the source of our unity with God and with one another. The Eucharist is not a means of spiritualising a human effort towards unity which can remain essentially structural and organisational. It is rather the means by which true unity is experienced.  

This has profound implications for what it could mean to live our lives in an increasingly Eucharistic way—both inside and outside the Liturgical Assembly. Pope Benedict puts it in these words:

“Through the Eucharist, Jesus Christ fulfils evermore his promise that from the Cross he will draw us into his open arms. In Christ’s embrace

we are led to one another. We are taken into the one Christ, and thereby we now also belong together. These are not remote mystical

thoughts. Eucharist is the basic form of the Church. The Church is formed in the Eucharistic assembly…The Church can remain one only from communion with the crucified Christ.” (Images of Hope, reflection

on the Chair of Peter)

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Reflect for a time on these words from the

Catechism.... 

“Be then a member of the Body of Christ that your Amen may be true!”

What implications do these words have for my life, my dealings with others...my

conversations?

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• Wounds to UnityWe are only too aware that while unity is always a gift from Christ, we often fall short in our realisation of that gift. From Apostolic times until our own times that unity is threatened and eclipsed by the weakness of our humanity. The Church acknowledges the ‘wounds to unity’ by which many communities are no longer in full communion with the Catholic Church and admits that “often enough, men of both sides were to blame”. (no. 847)

However, the unity desired by Christ demands that we cannot be satisfied with this state of affairs:

Christ always gives his Church the gift of unity, but the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her. This is why Jesus himself prayed at the hour of his Passion, and does not cease praying to his Father, for the unity of his disciples: "That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us, . . . so that the world may know that you have sent me."278 The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit. (no. 820)

In rising to this challenge, we return again to the gift of the Eucharist – in the words of John Paul II in Ecclesia de Eucharistia (no 43)

Our longing for the goal of unity prompts us to turn to the Eucharist, which is the supreme sacrament of the unity of the People of God, in as much as it is the apt expression and the unsurpassable source of that unity.90 In the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice the Church prays that God, the Father of mercies, will grant his children the fullness of the Holy Spirit so that they may become one body and one spirit in Christ.91 In raising this prayer to the Father of lights, from whom comes every good endowment and every perfect gift (cf. Jas 1:17), the Church believes that she will be heard, for she prays in union with Christ her Head and Spouse, who takes up this plea of his Bride and joins it to that of his own redemptive sacrifice.

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Pope Benedict refers to these words of his predecessor and reinforces them: 

The Eucharist objectively creates a powerful bond of unity between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches….At the same time, emphasis on the ecclesial character of the Eucharist can become an

important element of the dialogue with the Communities of the Reformed tradition (Sacramentum Caritatis 15)

In Scotland we have made significant efforts in this dialogue to which the Holy Father refers. Indeed, he acknowledged this in a part of his address to the Scottish Bishops earlier this year:

I give thanks to God for the progress that has been made in healing the wounds that were the legacy of that period ( a reference to the Reformation), especially the sectarianism that has continued to rear its head even in recent times. Through your participation in Action of Churches Together in Scotland, see

that the work of rebuilding unity among the followers of Christ is carried forward with constancy and commitment. While resisting any pressure to dilute the Christian message, set your sights on the goal of

full, visible unity, for nothing less can respond to the will of Christ.

This echoes the encouragement given by Pope John Paul II at Bellahouston in 1982:

... We are only pilgrims on this earth, making our way towards that heavenly Kingdom promised to us as God’s children. Beloved brethren in Christ, for the future, can we not make that pilgrimage together hand-in-hand, “bearing with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience,” doing

all we can “to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds us together”? (Eph. 4, 2-3) This would surely bring down upon us the blessing of God our Father on our pilgrim way.

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For Reflection

How do I feel the ‘wounds to unity’ in my heart, my mind, my prayer? Am I ready to engage in an examination of conscience, trusting in God’s mercy?In my reading of Scripture am I aware of the challenge of putting love in the first place ‘which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Col. 3:14), of not judging others (Mt.7:1-5), of forgiving others (Eph. 4:32).Am I aware that my prayer for unity fulfils the madate of Christ and strengthens the bonds of communion.

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* Do I bring before God any sufferings I have experienced which have been caused by the lack of unity among Christians?

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The Catechism reminds us:

“..many elements of sanctification and of truth“273 are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements."274 Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him,275 and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity."276

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For Reflection 

Do I recognise this adequately? Are there further ways that I can grow in mutual

understanding and appreciation while still remaining faithful to the teaching of the

Church?

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Let us make our own the prayer used at the inauguration of Action of the Churches together in Scotland:

Prayer for Unity

Take us from where we are, to where you want us to be; make us not merely guardians of a

heritage, but living signs of your coming Kingdom; fire us with passion for justice and peace between all people; fill us with that

faith, hope and love which embody the Gospel; and through the power of the Holy Spirit make us one. That the world may believe, that your name may be enthroned in our nation, that your church may more effectively be your

body, we commit ourselves to love you, serve you, and follow you as pilgrims not strangers.

Amen.

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• How is the Church Holy?

• Universal Call to holiness

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• The Church is Holy

How is the Church ‘holy’?The Church . . . is held, as a matter of faith, to be unfailingly holy. This is because Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father and the Spirit is hailed as 'alone holy,' loved the Church as his Bride, giving himself up for her so as to sanctify her; he joined her to himself as his body and endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. (Catechism no. 823)

The second mark of the Church is the hardest to demonstrate. That the Church is holy seems to fly in the face of some of the headlines we read.

 It is true that the church, throughout its history, has witnessed some great evil. There have been Catholics who lied, murdered, stole, and were guilty of corruption, adultery and simony. There have, sadly, been priests who committed the unimaginable crime of child abuse. How can the church be

holy, when some of her members have been so unholy?

We need to bear in mind that our profession that the “Church is holy” is not a guarantee that all its members will be holy. Perfect holiness is found

only in Christ – human beings are holy only to the degree in which they imitate

the holiness of Christ:

“The Church is therefore holy, though having sinners in her midst, because she

herself has no other life but the life of grace. If they live her life, her members

are sanctified; if they move away from her life, they fall into sins and disorders that

prevent the radiation of her sanctity. (Catechism no. 827).

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If Christ is holy, it follows that the Church which he established is likewise holy even although its members do not yet reflect that holiness. Indeed, Jesus addressed this himself in Matthew’s Gospel:

"When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax

collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor,

but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mat. 9:11-13)

Pope Benedict is very sensitive to the fact that this is difficult for many to grasp. The following lines come from Pope Benedict’s Introduction to Christianity.

…let us speak out and say plainly what worries us today at this point in the Creed. We are tempted to say, if we are honest with ourselves, that the Church is neither holy nor catholic..

…and so for many people today the Church has become the main obstacle to belief. They can no longer see in her anything but the human struggle for power, the petty spectacle of those who, with their claim to

administer official Christianity, seem to stand most in the way of the true spirit of Christianity....the word “holy” does not apply in the first place to the holiness of human persons but refers to the divine gift that bestows holiness in the midst of human unholiness. The Church is not called “holy” in the Creed

because her members, collectively and individually, are holy, sinless men....The holiness of the Church consists in that power of sanctification which God exerts in her in spite of

human sinfulness....it is really and truly the holiness of the Lord that becomes present in her (the Church) and that chooses

again and again as the vessel of its presence — with a paradoxical love — the dirty hands of men.

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Question For Reflection 

When have you experienced the holiness of the church, despite the sinfulness of her

members? How can we, in the situation we find ourselves in, proclaim boldly that ‘My

grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’? (cf 2Cor 12:9)

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Although, as we have seen, the holiness of the Church is derived from the holiness of her founder and not from the holiness of her members,

nevertheless, the members of the Church are called to holiness of life so that the holiness of the Church may be more clearly visible to the world: "The

Church on earth is endowed already with a sanctity that is real though imperfect. In her members perfect holiness is something yet to be acquired”

(Catechism no. 825)

• The Universal Call to Holiness

It is necessary to rediscover the full practical significance of Chapter 5 of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, dedicated to the "universal call to holiness". The Council Fathers laid such stress on this point, not just to embellish ecclesiology with a kind of spiritual veneer, but to make the call to holiness an intrinsic and essential aspect of their teaching on the Church. The rediscovery of the Church as "mystery", or as a people "gathered together by the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit",15 was bound to bring with it a rediscovery of the Church's "holiness", understood in the basic sense of belonging to him who is in essence the Holy One, the "thrice Holy" (cf. Is 6:3). To profess the Church as holy means to point to her as the Bride of Christ, for whom he gave himself precisely in order to make her holy (cf. Eph 5:25-26). This as it were objective gift of holiness is offered to all the baptized.

But the gift in turn becomes a task, which must shape the whole of Christian life: "This is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Th 4:3). It is a duty which concerns not only certain Christians: "All the Christian faithful, of whatever state or rank, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity".16

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Baptism is a true entry into the holiness of God through incorporation into Christ and the indwelling of his Spirit, it would be a contradiction to settle for a life of mediocrity, marked by a minimalist ethic and a shallow religiosity 

As the Council itself explained, this ideal of perfection must not be misunderstood as if it involved some kind of extraordinary existence, possible only for a few "uncommon heroes" of holiness. The ways of holiness are many, according to the vocation of each individual:

The classes and duties of life are many, but holiness is one - that sanctity which is cultivated by all who are moved by the Spirit of God, and who obey the voice of the Father and worship God the Father in

spirit and in truth. These people follow the poor Christ, the humble and cross-bearing Christ in order to be worthy of being sharers in His glory. Every person must walk unhesitatingly according to his own personal

gifts and duties in the path of living faith, which arouses hope and works through charity. (Lumen Gentium 41).

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For Reflection 

Do I desire holiness of life?

How do I seek it?

Do I feel my striving for holiness to be something personal or can I appreciate that the witness of my holiness has the capacity to make manifest to others the holiness of the Church?

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For Prayer

For it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’(1Pt 1:16 NRSV)

Spend a few moments allowing the Word of God to makes its home within you, meditate on this beautiful phrase,

repeat it softly to yourself.

Ask the Holy Spirit to engrave it on your heart.

Allow the holiness of God to grow in your life, that it may grow in the church.

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• Catholic in Christ

• Catholic by her mission

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• Catholic in Christ

What does "catholic" mean?

The word catholic literally means "universal." Catholic has its origins in Greek from kata meaning "concerning" and holou meaning "whole" thus "concerning the whole" or universal.

The Catholic Church is universal in that it is intended for all people, for all time, and is appropriate in every circumstance of human life. The term catholic was first used to describe the original Christian community after the time of Jesus by Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) in his letter to the Smyrneans (8, 2).

In today's terms the Catholic Church also refers to the institutional church, the one that recognizes the pope as its leader.

The Catechism describes two ways in which the Church is Catholic:

1. Because of Christ

The word "catholic" means "universal," in the sense of "according to the totality" or "in keeping with the whole." the Church is catholic in a double sense: First, the Church is catholic because Christ is present in her. (Catechism no.830)

And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:22-23)

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For Reflection

In what ways do you find Christ in the Church?

In her subsists the fullness of Christ's body united with its head; this implies that she receives from

him "the fullness of the means of salvation" which he has willed: correct and complete confession of

faith, full sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic succession. the Church was, in this

fundamental sense, catholic on the day of Pentecost and will always be so until the day of the Parousia.

(Catechism no. 830) 

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For ReflectionConsider the church as the means of

salvation.What are the issues that this raises?

What have the sacraments meant in your life?

Pope Benedict in his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God is love) writes:-

Union with Christ is also union with all those to whom he gives himself. I cannot possess Christ just for myself; I can belong to him only in union with all those who have become, or who will become, his own. Communion draws me out of myself towards him, and thus

also towards unity with all Christians. We become “one body”, completely joined in a single existence. Love of God and love of neighbour are now truly united: God incarnate

draws us all to himself.

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For Reflection

“completely joined in a single existence.” In the ways in which you have found and

experienced Christ in the Church, how has this manifested itself in being joined to

others as “one body”?

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2. Because of her Mission

Secondly, the Church is catholic because she has been sent out by Christ on a mission to the whole of the human race. (Catechism no. 831)And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ (Mt. 28:18-20)

For ReflectionWho was the missionary that made you a

disciple? For whom are you a missionary?

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This missionary mandate of the Lord has its origin in the eternal love of God who has sent his Son and the Holy Spirit because “God desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4 NRSV).

For ReflectionGod desires everyone to be saved.” How

have you experienced this message being communicated at international, national

and local level?Pope Benedict in his most recent encyclical, Caritas in veritate writes:

Christians long for the entire human family to call upon God as “Our Father!” In union with the only-begotten Son, may all people learn to pray to the Father and to ask him, in the words that Jesus himself taught us, for the grace to glorify him

by living according to his will, to receive the daily bread that we need, to be understanding and generous towards our debtors, not to be tempted beyond our

limits, and to be delivered from evil (cf. Mt 6:9-13). (No. 79)

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Prayer“Spend a moment or two recollecting that

Jesus promised to be with us always, and so become aware that He is with you now.

Conscious of the Lord’s presence, reflect on how you have experienced his love and grace in the life of the church.

Conscious of the Lord’s presence, reflect on the gift of faith. Call to mind those who shared their faith with you and those with

whom you have shared faith.Conscious of the Lord’s presence, reflect on the coming visit of

Pope Benedict to our country. At the last supper Jesus asked Peter to strengthen his brothers. This suggests the purpose of Peter's mission as the one who strengthens and supports faith. How is

our country’s faith life in need of being strengthened and supported?

How is our Church in need of being strengthened and supported?Bring these reflections to the Lord and entrust Pope Benedict and

his visit to the Lord’s care and protection.Conclude your prayer with the Lord’s Prayer for the intentions of

the Pope.

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• Founded on the Apostles

• In the power of the Spirit

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The Church is apostolic because she is founded on the apostles, in three ways: - she was and remains built on "the foundation of the Apostles," The witnesses chosen and sent on mission by Christ himself;- with the help of the Spirit dwelling in her, the Church keeps and hands on the teaching, The "good deposit," the salutary words she has heard from the apostles;- she continues to be taught, sanctified, and guided by the apostles until Christ's return, through their successors in pastoral office: the college of bishops, "assisted by priests, in union with the successor of Peter, the Church's supreme pastor“ : (Catechism no. 857)

The fourth mark of the true church is that it is "Apostolic." That means that the faith given to us, in an unbroken chain of succession, directly from the Apostles and as taught by the Apostles.In the Acts of the Apostles (1:15-26) we read how Jesus hand picked the men He wanted to start the Church. He likewise, gave them the power to pick successors. Therefore, the Apostles, themselves, picked the replacement for Judas the betrayer. Likewise, there are many other examples of this practice. The church expanded throughout the world and passed the succession of the apostles on and on and on.It is also well established historically that Peter, the first Bishop of Rome (pope) was replaced by Linus, who was replaced by Anacletus, then Clement I and so on and so on, all the way to our current pope, Benedict XVI.Since we can follow this unbroken chain back, we can compare today's doctrines to those of a thousand or 1500 years ago. We find that our beliefs and practices are the same.

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Apostolic succession is what makes the promise possible that the gates of hell could not prevail against the Church (Cf. Matt. 16:19). In every age of the Church the scriptures were taught and the Mass was celebrated, the hungry were fed and Christ was proclaimed to the world.

The Church is apostolic, because she professes the faith of the Apostles and attempts to live it. There is a unity that marks

the Twelve called by the Lord, but there is also continuity in the apostolic mission. St Peter, in his First Letter, described himself as "a fellow elder" of the presbyters to whom he writes (5: 1). And with this he expressed the principle of apostolic succession: the same ministry which he had received from the Lord now continues in the Church through priestly ordination. The Word of God is not only written but, thanks to the testimonies that the Lord

in the sacrament has inscribed in the apostolic ministry, it remains a living word. (Pope Benedict XVI, Homily on Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul, 2005)

Speaking to new Archbishops, the Holy Father continues:

Unity as well as apostolicity are bound to the Petrine service that visibly unites the Church of all places and all times, thereby preventing each one of us from slipping into the kind of false

autonomy that all too easily becomes particularization of the Church and might consequently jeopardize her independence.

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Questions for

ReflectionDuring the First Eucharistic prayer at Mass we offer our gifts “for Benedict our Pope and N. our bishop, and for all who hold and teach the catholic faith

that comes to us from the apostles”. What is the importance of this prayer in the light of the above

quotation to new Archbishops.

In the concrete situation in which we pray the first Eucharistic Prayer, how can we make sure that the faith that comes to us from the apostles, the “good deposit” mentioned in the Catechism, is handed on

faithfully? 

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• With the Help of the Spirit

And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’ (Mt 13:52 NRSV)Part of the rich tapestry of the church’s life is how the Holy Spirit has raised up men and women outstanding in holiness, who have formed movements that have transformed and enriched the church. St Francis and St Dominic are forever linked in the Litany of Saints, very different men and missions, yet it is the same Spirit that inspired them to bring out something new for the church of their and our time. In the future litany of the saints we as a church will also be invited to reflect on the men and women, particularly of the twentieth century, who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Speaking to representatives of these New Movements, Pope Benedict said:

Dear representatives of the new Movements in the Church, the vitality of your communities is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s active presence!  It is from the faith of the Church and from the richness of the fruits of the Holy Spirit that your

mission has been born.  My prayer is that you will grow ever more numerous so as to serve the cause of the Kingdom of God in today’s world. Believe in the grace of God which accompanies you and bring it into the living fabric of

the Church, especially in places the priest or religious cannot reach.  The movements you belong to are many. You are nourished by different schools of spirituality recognized by the Church. Draw upon the wisdom of the saints, have recourse to the heritage they have left us. (Częstochowa, 26 May 2006)

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Questions for

ReflectionMake a list of inspired people like Frederick Ozanam who gave us

the Society of St Vincent De Paul; Frank Duff and Edel Quinn witness in the Legion of Mary. The Pope asks the new movements to “Believe in the grace of God which accompanies you and bring

it into the living fabric of the Church, especially in places the priest or religious cannot reach.” Looking at the concrete

situation around you what are the places the grace of God needs to reach through inspired groups and individuals. 

How is the “living fabric of the church” experienced on the margins of society? What might the Holy Spirit be asking of us

as a church to do today and tomorrow?  

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PrayerPope Benedict, speaking to the Bishops of Scotland at the recent Ad Limina meetings, encouraged them to ask the faithful to pray that the Pope’s apostolic visit to Scotland “will be a time of grace for the whole Catholic Community.”Let us spend some time now in prayer for that “time of grace”. Perhaps you might wish to light a candle, or in some other way concentrate on the presence of God who loves you with an everlasting love. Invite the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind your experience of being part of the church which has the apostles for its foundation. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to the graces you have received as a member of Christ’s body, the Church.Perhaps you might reflect on the sacraments you have celebrated; the community of faith you belong to; the Word of God proclaimed and lived. As you become more and more aware of these graces, give thanks with a cheerful voice for your faith in Christ Jesus. Invite the Holy Spirit to bring to mind some of those who’s lives have for various reasons become separated from the life of grace in the Church. Perhaps you experienced that yourself, and have now returned. As these faces and names come to mind, entrust them to the Lord, who is constant in his affection for them. Pray for them that they too may remember the graces they received and allow the Holy Spirit to guide them into the whole truth.Invite the Holy Spirit to allow you to see your local parish, your deanery, your diocese, your country as God sees it. See the interconnectedness, the relationships that bind us together in unity. See the community that remains faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers (cf Acts 2:42). Ask the Holy Spirit for a fresh outpouring of his power that all the faithful may live in such a way that others will see that the Lord is living among us and making his presence felt in the life of the church. Ask God to strengthen and protect our holy father, the Pope.