Food for thought: 'Teach THEM all that I have commanded YOU'. Not "Teach them everything I've taught" or "...everything I have commanded, in general" The Apostles are central. From this we see magisterial authority in the lineage of the Apostles. But I wonder if this can also support "Universal" or "Catholic" faith. The apostles effectively become the stamp that impresses the faith on "all nations". He doesn't give them license to teach opinions, but all that Jesus has COMMANDED. I don't see room for division or variation here at all. If I looked at this as someone reading it for the first time, having read nothing else in the Gospel, this sounds like a universal faith with a central authority to me.
Really well done, brother. Thanks for writing and posting this! God bless you and your work.
Thank you, Catholic Adventurer! I appreciate your comment and agree wholeheartedly that Christ was very intentional in giving his Church authority. The fullness of Truth that he would bleed and die for was too precious to be left to the whims of time and individual interpretation, no matter how good intentioned it might be. I like your analogy of the apostles becoming a "stamp" that "impresses the faith on 'all nations'". Yes! Indeed! ... A true authentic "stamp" with magisterial authority of the King of Kings! Peace, brother!
I love it NOT when people try to justify something by asking “where is this in the Bible?” Heckfire, not even the word “Bible” appears in the Bible, but we all seem to understand that we’re talking about the compilation of books into one Holy Bible of the inspired Word of God. And I realize you are not one of those with your article. Instead you carefully explain where the idea of a “universal” church of the “wholeness” of God comes from, and I thank the Lord for this very attribute of the Catholic Church. When I was Protestant, first by baptism into a very “high church” Methodist church, and then later confirmed n a Presbyterian church, I had gotten very weary of how it felt they were making the liturgy up as they went along. There was seldom any consistency from week to week in either denomination. Sometimes we would read the Apostle’s Creed as translated by the Korean Methodist Church. In the Presbyterian church we would have weird sign-a-longs where the men on the left side of the sanctuary would sing followed by the women on the opposite side of the sanctuary. I got to where I just couldn’t handle this any more. Then I discovered Catholicism, and finally the liturgy was something that would not change arbitrarily from one week to the next. For me, this is very powerful indeed to know that I am worshiping exactly the same way as my Brothers and Sisters in Christ are in Nigeria, Korea, and South Dakota. The hymns ay be different, but everything else about the Mass is going to be the same. Nothing will be made up, nor will there be silly games played to stir things up among the congregation. The Mass is the Mass is the Mass everyone on the globe. Knowing this both amazes me and humbles me to feel this connection across the centuries and around the globe. It reinforces and accentuates my prayer before the Lord.
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful reflection! I couldn’t agree more with your observation that not every aspect of our faith—whether it’s the word “Bible” itself or the universality of the Church—needs to be explicitly stated in Scripture to be a foundational truth. It’s through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the continuity of Sacred Tradition that we are able to embrace the fullness of the faith handed down to us.
I deeply appreciate your story about finding consistency and unity in Catholicism, especially in the liturgy. Your experience beautifully illustrates one of the most profound aspects of the Mass: it transcends time and space, uniting us with Catholics around the world and throughout history. As you pointed out, while the hymns or cultural expressions may vary, the essential structure and sacredness of the Mass remain constant, reflecting the universality and wholeness of the Church.
Your words about worshiping “the same way as my Brothers and Sisters in Christ are in Nigeria, Korea, and South Dakota” really resonate. This universality is a living testament to what the word “Catholic” means: the Church is truly “universal,” embracing all nations, languages, and cultures, yet grounded in the one faith entrusted to the Apostles.
It’s also humbling to consider how the consistency of the liturgy reflects the timelessness of our faith. The prayers, Scripture readings, and sacraments connect us to the earliest Christians, as well as to the saints and martyrs who have worshiped in the same way for centuries. This unchanging beauty reminds us that we are part of something far greater than ourselves—a visible sign of the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.”
Thank you for sharing your journey and for highlighting how the Mass has strengthened your connection to Christ and His Church. Your reflection is a powerful reminder of the gift we have in the Eucharist and in the unity of the Church. May the Lord continue to bless you as you live out this profound faith and share it with others!
Food for thought: 'Teach THEM all that I have commanded YOU'. Not "Teach them everything I've taught" or "...everything I have commanded, in general" The Apostles are central. From this we see magisterial authority in the lineage of the Apostles. But I wonder if this can also support "Universal" or "Catholic" faith. The apostles effectively become the stamp that impresses the faith on "all nations". He doesn't give them license to teach opinions, but all that Jesus has COMMANDED. I don't see room for division or variation here at all. If I looked at this as someone reading it for the first time, having read nothing else in the Gospel, this sounds like a universal faith with a central authority to me.
Really well done, brother. Thanks for writing and posting this! God bless you and your work.
Thank you, Catholic Adventurer! I appreciate your comment and agree wholeheartedly that Christ was very intentional in giving his Church authority. The fullness of Truth that he would bleed and die for was too precious to be left to the whims of time and individual interpretation, no matter how good intentioned it might be. I like your analogy of the apostles becoming a "stamp" that "impresses the faith on 'all nations'". Yes! Indeed! ... A true authentic "stamp" with magisterial authority of the King of Kings! Peace, brother!
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I love it NOT when people try to justify something by asking “where is this in the Bible?” Heckfire, not even the word “Bible” appears in the Bible, but we all seem to understand that we’re talking about the compilation of books into one Holy Bible of the inspired Word of God. And I realize you are not one of those with your article. Instead you carefully explain where the idea of a “universal” church of the “wholeness” of God comes from, and I thank the Lord for this very attribute of the Catholic Church. When I was Protestant, first by baptism into a very “high church” Methodist church, and then later confirmed n a Presbyterian church, I had gotten very weary of how it felt they were making the liturgy up as they went along. There was seldom any consistency from week to week in either denomination. Sometimes we would read the Apostle’s Creed as translated by the Korean Methodist Church. In the Presbyterian church we would have weird sign-a-longs where the men on the left side of the sanctuary would sing followed by the women on the opposite side of the sanctuary. I got to where I just couldn’t handle this any more. Then I discovered Catholicism, and finally the liturgy was something that would not change arbitrarily from one week to the next. For me, this is very powerful indeed to know that I am worshiping exactly the same way as my Brothers and Sisters in Christ are in Nigeria, Korea, and South Dakota. The hymns ay be different, but everything else about the Mass is going to be the same. Nothing will be made up, nor will there be silly games played to stir things up among the congregation. The Mass is the Mass is the Mass everyone on the globe. Knowing this both amazes me and humbles me to feel this connection across the centuries and around the globe. It reinforces and accentuates my prayer before the Lord.
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful reflection! I couldn’t agree more with your observation that not every aspect of our faith—whether it’s the word “Bible” itself or the universality of the Church—needs to be explicitly stated in Scripture to be a foundational truth. It’s through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the continuity of Sacred Tradition that we are able to embrace the fullness of the faith handed down to us.
I deeply appreciate your story about finding consistency and unity in Catholicism, especially in the liturgy. Your experience beautifully illustrates one of the most profound aspects of the Mass: it transcends time and space, uniting us with Catholics around the world and throughout history. As you pointed out, while the hymns or cultural expressions may vary, the essential structure and sacredness of the Mass remain constant, reflecting the universality and wholeness of the Church.
Your words about worshiping “the same way as my Brothers and Sisters in Christ are in Nigeria, Korea, and South Dakota” really resonate. This universality is a living testament to what the word “Catholic” means: the Church is truly “universal,” embracing all nations, languages, and cultures, yet grounded in the one faith entrusted to the Apostles.
It’s also humbling to consider how the consistency of the liturgy reflects the timelessness of our faith. The prayers, Scripture readings, and sacraments connect us to the earliest Christians, as well as to the saints and martyrs who have worshiped in the same way for centuries. This unchanging beauty reminds us that we are part of something far greater than ourselves—a visible sign of the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.”
Thank you for sharing your journey and for highlighting how the Mass has strengthened your connection to Christ and His Church. Your reflection is a powerful reminder of the gift we have in the Eucharist and in the unity of the Church. May the Lord continue to bless you as you live out this profound faith and share it with others!