The Church Founded by Jesus on the Apostles

The Apostles were Twelve people with

different personalities and jobs,
neither powerful nor important. The
Apostles become the connection
between the living Jesus, the Risen
Jesus, and the early Church that
developed after Jesus ascended to
heaven.

Jesus has 72 Disciples and out of 72 he picked out 12 to

be His Apostles
Jesus’ mission on earth will come to its
end for He must return to His Father in
heaven. To ensure that His mission will
lasts forever He entrusted His People
(Church) to His Apostles under the
leadership of St. Peter.
Leaders are important in order for a group or organization
will succeed. Without the guiding hand of the leader the
group will not flourish.

However, leaders are not forever in their position, that’s

why we need successors. Taking for instance the leaders of
our country can you name the first president and its
successors?
Jesus began to gather a group who sought God’s reign and to
carry on His own mission of service. He chose the twelve apostles
to be His companions, to preach, cure, and to cast out demons as
He did. They would be with Him in a special way, and He sent
them out to preach even while He was still among them. They
would be the foundation of His Church, with Him as the
cornerstone and at the same time the origin of a sacred
hierarchy.

Simon Peter’s confession of Jesus as the “Messiah, the Son of the

Living God” prompted Jesus to declare, “You are Peter and upon
this Rock I will build My Church.
Jesus gave Simon Peter the opportunity to profess repeatedly his
dedication to Him as the Messiah sent by God and thrice entrusted His
flock to him. A three-step process of purifying love replaced Peter’s
triple denial of Jesus. After each affirmative answer, Jesus tells him to
take care of His flock: “feed My lambs… tend My sheep… feed My
sheep.”

These phrases meant that Peter would teach them to follow Jesus ensure
their following of the Master by guidance, reminders, encouragements
and correction and lead the flock entrusted to him by example.
 As mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, it is true that the followers of Christ early
became known as "Christians" (Acts 11:26)

Very early in post-apostolic times, however. the Church did acquire a proper name--and precisely in order to
distinguish herself from rival bodies which by then were already beginning to form. The name that the Church
acquired when it became necessary for her to have a proper name was the name by which she has been
known ever since-the Catholic Church.
Around the year A.D. 107, a bishop, St. Ignatius of Antioch in the Near East, was
arrested, brought to Rome by armed guards and eventually martyred there in
the arena. In a farewell letter which this early bishop and martyr wrote to his
fellow Christians in Smyrna (today Izmir in modern Turkey), he made the first
written mention in history of "the Catholic Church." He wrote, "Where the
bishop is present, there is the Catholic Church" (To the Smyrnaeans 8:2).

The term was already understood even then to be an especially fitting name because
the Catholic Church was for everyone, not just for adepts, enthusiasts or the specially
initiated who might have been attracted to her.
Some historians argue against the notion that Peter was the first bishop of Rome, noting
that the episcopal see in Rome can be traced back no earlier than the 3rd century.

The writings of the Church Father Irenaeus who wrote around AD 180 reflect a belief that
Peter "founded and organized" the Church at Rome.

Moreover, Irenaeus was not the first to write of Peter's presence in the early Roman
Church.

Clement of Rome wrote in a letter to the Corinthians, c. 96, about the persecution of
Christians in Rome as the "struggles in our time" and presented to the Corinthians its
heroes, "first, the greatest and most just columns", the "good apostles" Peter and Paul.
"Paul V Borghese, Roman, Pontiff, in 1612, the seventh of his pontificate, [built] in honour of the Prince of Apostles”
1.Jesus Christ, after His resurrection,
commissioned Peter, together with the
other Apostles, to shepherd, to extent,
and to direct the Church with authority.

2.This Church which Jesus founded on His

Apostles is a hierarchical community.

3.Jesus appointed Peter as the head, a

leader who would become the visible sign
and source of oneness in the Church to
continue His mission on earth.
4. Because this commission is destined to last until the end
of the world, the Apostles were careful to appoint
successors in this hierarchically structured society, the
Church. (Election of the Pope) (Holy Orders)

5. This power, which is called Apostolic succession, has

been handed down directly from the Apostles to the Pope
and bishops of the Church today and this handing on is
what we call TRADITION
"I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper
and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to
face, so that our joy may be complete."
2 John 1:12

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were
written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not
have room for the books that would be written.
John 21:25
The Church was founded by Christ on His Apostles.
Answer the following Questions

1. As an Olpsian –Paulinian student how can you show your solidarity and respect to the Church
Authority?
2. How can you convince a non believer that our Church is the one founded by Jesus through St.
Peter?
3. Name at least ONE tradition of the Church that you and your family faithfully fulfill? What is the
impact of this in nurturing your faith?
4. What Parish involvement do you practice? Why? If none, what Parish activity do you wish to part
of? Why?