During Pope Benedict’s Apostolic visit to the USA, remembering that ‘apostle’ means’ ‘sent one’.
From yesterday’s gospel:
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
Jesus speaking to the apostles in the gospel from today’s papal Mass:
As the Father has sent me, even so, I am sending you.
From today’s gospel:
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
From Ignatius of Antioch: c.108
Be eager to be firmly established in the doctrines of the Lord and of the Apostles…be submissive to the Bishop as Jesus Christ was to the Father, and the Apostles to Christ…that there may be unity…All who belong to God and Jesus Christ are with the bishop; and all who repent of schism and come into the unity of the Church will also belong to God that they may be living according to Jesus Christ.
Irenaeus of Lyon: c. 190
Therefore we will refute those who hold unauthorized assemblies–by pointing to the tradition of the greatest and oldest church, a church known to all men which was founded and established at Rome by the most renowned apostles Peter and Paul. The tradition the church has from the Apostles has bee proclaimed to all men and has come down to our own day through the succession of bishops. for this church has the position of leadership and authority.
Father, I enjoy your blog very much. I love your sidebar picture and quote, “Where Peter is . . . there is the Church.”I have added it to my sidebar as well. Is that ok with you?
Beautiful truth. Thank you so much.
Fr. Longenecker,The Holy Father’s Vespers Service at the National Shrine was absolutely splendorous! I felt like I was in the rafters of Heaven watching the service on my computer this afternoon. If only Catholic liturgy could be that splendorous all the time!Then this morning I see the Mass from the Nationals Stadium, and I think I’m safe in saying that the Mass the Holy Father celebrated this morning was a musical trainwreck! I could almost sense the Holy Father thinking “Ahh, so this is why so many American Catholics don’t go to Mass on Sunday: their music absolutely SUCKS!” One good thing may come from that Mass. Maybe now the Holy Father will have a better idea of how dour the liturgical music situation is in the United States and do something about it once he gets back to Rome!
Thank you for posting this. we all would do well to consider (the missing politically incorrect) v12 from Psalm 2:2:10. And now, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth.2:11. Serve ye the Lord with fear: and rejoice unto him with trembling.2:12. Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way.2:13. When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed are all they that trust in him.
Even if the one who is sent is wearing fringed curtains!