Today’s readings make a big deal about how the Church is Apostolic. We cannot live without this commissioned aspect by Jesus. Nor can we live without the Church also being called as One, Holy, and Catholic, (as well as Apostolic). What are those four things known as? (Come on, you know them as——–) the 4 Marks of the Church!
Today’s readings tell us that we are the Church of Apostles (or bishops, as you may). The reading from Revelation 21 shows how the original apostles are even seated on 12 thrones on high in Heaven, so special is the office and calling by Jesus. It is the appointed office of (in Greek: episcopen) “the overseers.” Read Matthew 10 and see Christ pick these men out for Himself for the foundation of His Church, His Body. See Ephesians 2 and its foundation apostolic-served life of the Church. See 2nd Timothy 1:6 about the imposition or laying on of hands for apostolic ministry to be passed. As Peter’s first epistle will attest: The Apostles are sent forth by Jesus to be as shepherds of God’s flock, in serving the Chief Shepherd, Jesus. That is the Master’s Plan. See 1st Peter 2:25 and 1st Peter 5:1-4. The Flock of Christ was meant by Him to be apostolic. He picked them out and got things started that way in the Church. For a reason…
The opening reading of Acts today shows how it was only the apostles’ authority and nothing less that held the Church in right teaching and right direction as she went along. In this episode in chapter 15, Paul and Barnabas, apostles, have to step in and judge something to be true or not. As it was happening, someone was declaring something to be new and vital to the Faith, but they were doing it on their own—not in accord with their leaders in Christ—but taking it upon their own to do. It was happening at a time with much adjustments going on for the Way of Jesus followers in mixing their Jewish converts to Christ’ Gospel, Gentiles too, and pagans as well. But somebody was teaching their own thing to these mixed people in the apostles’ territories of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia—and it was greatly upsetting and dividing people. The text comments Paul and Barnabas saying: “We have heard that some of our number in the Church went out without our mandate and have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind.” So he invokes his apostolic identity, and that of other apostles’ take on the situation at hand—saying how they are those only entrusted with true authority to teach in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ as for the message of what the Church will accept as true. He and Barnabas make a ruling against these new off-teachings and practices going on—saying that it was the decision of the Holy Spirit (and of one accord) that these Christians in these places of Asia Minor did not have to stray to these independent folks new teachings or practices, as being pushed on them. Here is the wisdom: To trust the Way in which Jesus structured the Church—Who invested His authority in His Peter and His apostles—and abide in them.
So it is so today. With the myriad of new-fangled churches and so many differing teachings on the Christian message or Jesus’ message—who has the authority to say what is right? Loads of Christians are breaking up into little numbers and divided, rather than live under the authority of the Founder of the Faith, for His one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. It’s rebellious.
I was driving on the road and saw the newest church on the block—it’s called the Epic church. There’s one in New Jersey, and I heard some others in other places, too, like Baltimore. Seriously, that’s its name, because, you know, like—this church is Epic. As in The Latest Thing church. (small c). But it is not one with the faith of 2000 years back to Pentecost, nor in the line started by Christianity’s only Founder, Jesus Christ and of His appointed foundation, so they’re not apostolic, nor catholic (as in universal and to all peoples) as they’re the epic new thing just getting started in a few places in America and guess what—they are pointedly geared just for a new generational membership—so they’ve got tunnel-vision—which is not in line with catholic. Going further with the 4 Marks, nor is it Holy, as a church relying on Sacraments instituted by Christ to give grace to people, all in His favor and His choice. Yet this church on its website accepts no sacraments, nor really baptism, as they say to their people that it is not giving grace to people of Christ, but is just used as a public witness action. You get wet, really wet—but the entrance to faith is somebody’s definition that you accepted Jesus before. So this epic church breaks free of the Four Marks of the Church. Why? To be different from Catholics. Surely. To make the church what they want it to be? Yeah. Like the last 10,000 non-denominational churches. Well, 10,001 now. Somebody at Epic has invented their own methods and practices for the authentic just right and comfortable church. And surely it’s not Catholic. Not Jesus’ Church. Why join what Jesus started? That’s what they are trying not to be. Huh?! Jesus had to address this attitude a lot—would they accept Him as Him, or a different Messiah of their liking? Who do you say that I am?
The apostles Paul and Barnabas saw the Good News spreading quickly in this Asia Minor area, as Acts of the Apostles records. But—ugh oh—some people in Asia Minor region were going around making their own changes to the gospel message and the way of life and liturgy for Christ’ Church. Not good. Paul and Barnabas dealt with it, so did John the apostle in the wide region. Read his 1st Epistle and hear him speak strongly in his apostolic authority, too. He cries: Belong to the Truth! Belong to God! Do what pleases Him! Test the spirits for they may not acknowledge Jesus Christ as God in the flesh, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. Those who belong to the world, and are not given up for our God, will love the world! But hear us (the apostles) who are of God and remain in Christ. That is a snippet of St. John the apostle, as he speaks in apostolic authority, courtesy of Jesus, The Master. These apostles were acting in Christ’ authority from Heaven, and in His Holy Spirit, to set the right course for His flock. Paul and Barnabas are saying in Acts 15: “We have heard that some of our number in the Church went out without our mandate and have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind.” They say: We will address that—because we are apostles, given for that very job. They write down the specific course to take, and send out two presbyters (that would be priests under them), Judas and Silas, to convey the message. That is your Easter text to ponder today.
The Catholic Church works in apostolic authority since the time of Jesus; working against a tide of self-opinions of what people want for a different church for themselves, not of what Christ has wanted and set forth. It goes on and on.
I find the issue rather weird of what three problems were going on in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia—with those Jewish and Gentiles and former pagan converts together in Christ and in one church. The apostles give this simple three-fold directive: A/abstain from meat sacrificed to idols B/ abstain from eating meat from a strangled animal, and C/ keep away from joining in an unlawful marriage, getting unequally yoked with someone against your Faith, as to put sex over faith and allegiance in Christ. That’s their clear teaching to follow. (They do follow it.) That’s what prompted apostolic action in the Acts 1 time! Today in 2025 it is more than 500 things that can upset Christ’ Church with bad teachings and disturbances in the flock. (Not just three!) Personally, I would have agreed easily back then with not eating stuff dedicated to false gods, or of having a strangled bird for lunch, or of marrying a prophetess of some weird cult to Venus!)
The point is further explained by St. Paul in 1st Corinthians 10: I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. So I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Meaning: We should not mix our holy Catholic graces and blessings today into a blending with the new age things, or occult things, or humanistic ways that won’t exalt Jesus in them. The apostles’ ministry was to shepherd and guard the flock of Christ. Read 1st Peter 5. We are not to trade in our freedom to go back into blind secularism. Yet, of course, we live among people, so we accept them, but try to show them Christ and His Way and Truth that sets all people free from their common bonds of sin and death, and their separation problem with God and others. God can come, save us, sanctify us and give us reborn lives. God offers a lot in Christ! The world offers really nothing in the end—you get your selfish ways and death apart from God.
So the example in Acts 15 is a discipline of not mixing and polluting one’s faith with paganism. Acts 15 was about sensitivity with people, a loving witness, while also not living in bad compromise in our community living, but instead be still living the Gospel and in the Church.
Pope Leo the 14th says: “We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs his light. Humanity needs him like a bridge to reach God and his love.”“God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward.” Remember: “Our blessed Mother Mary always wants to walk with us, be close to us, she always wants to help us with her intercession and her love.” ”With you I am a Christian, for you a bishop. So may we all walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us.”“To be a good shepherd means to be able to walk side-by-side with the People of God and to live close to them, not to be isolated.”“St. Augustine said it in the 4th century, about how you cannot say you are a follower of Christ without being part of the Church. Christ is part of the Church. He is the head.” (Live it forth.) Fr/Barry