by Fr. Tommy Lane
“I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.” That is part of our profession of faith in the creed that we pray every Sunday. They are four characteristics or distinguishing marks of the Church: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. The last one—apostolic—is highlighted in the Gospel today. In today’s Gospel (Matt 9:36-10:8), Jesus sends the apostles out on a temporary mission much like we had a seminarian in our parish for this past year. The Church is apostolic, founded by Jesus on the apostles. “Apostolic” means we go all the way back to the apostles. The bishop who ordained me a priest, Bishop John Magee, was ordained a bishop by Pope John Paul II in 1987, who was ordained a bishop by Archbishop Baziak in 1958, who was ordained a bishop by Bishop Twardowski in 1919, who was ordained a bishop by Bishop Bilczewski in 1901 and so on. We are apostolic because through the sacrament of Holy Orders in which bishops and priests are ordained, we go back to the apostles in an unbroken line. Bishops are ordained bishops in the sacrament of holy orders, and they ordain priests in the sacrament of holy orders and from priests we receive all the other sacraments. So, everything is channeled to us from the time of the apostles through one sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders.
“Apostolic” also means we share the same faith going back to the apostles. We are in communion with one another and with all Catholics of past times because we share the same faith. I like to think of our communion in the Catholic Church as one big family. The recorded phone greeting of one parish where I helped for a time was “Welcome to St. [Name] Parish, where we are family.” When we were baptized, we became members of an enormous family, the Church, in communion with one another and with all Catholics of past times because we share the same faith.
When we were baptized, the promise of the first reading today was fulfilled (Exod 19:2-6). Just before giving the Hebrews the covenant, God promised them if they would obey his covenant, they would be his special possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation (Exod 19:5-6). Unfortunately, while Moses was up Mount Sinai, they already abandoned God by making and worshipping a golden calf so the promise of the first reading that they would be a priestly people was not fulfilled and only Aaron’s descendants became priests (Exod 28:1). But that promise to be a priestly people was fulfilled in the New Covenant as Peter makes clear in his first letter. Through baptism, the promise of the first reading to be priestly was fulfilled in your life.
In what way are those who are not ordained priests priestly? The New Testament gives us five answers: all the baptized are priestly by making spiritual sacrifices living their daily lives for the kingdom of God (1 Pet 2:5), by singing the praises of God (1 Pet 2:9), by participating at Mass answering the prayers (Rev 1:4-6 a dialogue between priest and people during liturgy), by bringing God’s kingdom to earth in whatever way is appropriate to each person in their role in life (Rev 5:10 ruling the world), and if necessary by undergoing martyrdom for one’s faith in Jesus (Rev 20:6). In all these ways, the New Testament tells us, we accomplish the priestly role we received at baptism fulfilling the promise of our first reading.
All of us, a priestly people since baptism, are with one another all part of God’s family. Just as we would do what we could to help a family member, Jesus our brother in God’s family, has done everything to help us as our second reading reminded us:
But God proves his
love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for
us . . .
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
(Rom 5:8, 10)
In the creed every Sunday, we profess our faith in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We are apostolic because through the sacrament of Holy Orders in which bishops and priests are ordained, we go back to the apostles in an unbroken line. “Apostolic” also means we share the same faith going back to the apostles in communion with one another and with all Catholics of past times. We entered the enormous family of the Church when we were baptized and the promise of being a priestly people was fulfilled in us. Jesus, our brother in this largest of families, has proved his love for us:
But God proves his
love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for
us. (Rom 5:8)
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2023
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for the Eleventh Sunday of Year A
The ministerial priesthood serving the priesthood of all the faithful 2008
Cure the sick, raise the dead, drive out demons
Related Homilies: Homilies on Priesthood; Homilies on Vocation
Second Reading Related: Love of God for us 2009