CHAPTER 1

JESUS CHRIST AND THE FOUNDING OF THE

CHURCH

“Christ is the Spouse and Savior of the Church...The more we come to know and love the Church, the nearer we shall be to Christ.”

Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem in Judea around the year 4 BC.

Only a few of the events of his early life are recorded.

• The Presentation: In accordance with Jewish law, Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the Temple to be consecrated to God. While in the Temple they met Simeon and Anna who recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah.

PART ITHE LIFE OF JESUS

CHRIST

Flight to Egypt: Joseph was warned by an angel in a dream that Herod, the King of Judea, planned to murder the child Jesus. Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt. After being told by an angel in a second dream that it was safe for them to return, they went back to Galilee where they settled in Nazareth.

The Finding in the Temple: When Mary and Joseph set out to return home after traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover, they could not find Jesus. After searching for three days they found him in the Temple, which Jesus called his father’s house. The elders were astounded with his wisdom and understanding.

The life of the Holy Family in Nazareth would have been a very normal existence of work, religious observance of the Law, and the enjoyment of friends and family. Joseph was a carpenter and Jesus would have learnt this trade, which he probably practiced until the beginning of his public ministry.

PART ITHE LIFE OF JESUS

CHRIST

At age thirty, Jesus began his public ministry. He was baptized by his cousin, St. John the Baptist, and, immediately afterwards, went into the desert to pray and fast.

Jesus’ teaching constitutes the Deposit of Faith (i.e. the heritage of Faith found in Scripture and Tradition), which has been handed down by the Church from the time of the Apostles.

The most succinct collection of Jesus’ teachings is found in the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, and in the Lord’s Prayer.

In about AD 33, Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover. Although greeted enthusiastically by the crowds, he was opposed by the Jewish authorities.

Accused of heresy and blasphemy, Jesus was crucified by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.

His Death on the Cross was the perfect sacrifice for the salvation of all mankind and in his Resurrection he showed his victory over death.

PART ITHE LIFE OF JESUS

CHRIST

Most of what we know about the life of Jesus comes from the Gospels (meaning “good news”) of Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The Gospels of Sts. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the synoptics (“seeing together”) because their accounts are very similar.

Sts. John and Matthew were Apostles of Jesus and wrote their gospels to Jewish Christians.

St. Mark traveled with St. Peter (probably his source) and wrote the first gospel.

THE FOUR GOSPELS

St. John’s gospel was the last written and shows an in-depth understanding of Christian theology.

St. Luke was a companion of St. Paul and wrote for Gentile Christians. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is thought to be his source, and his gospel includes stories from the early life of Jesus.

The four gospels have always been held as authentic and were officially declared canonical at a synod in Rome AD 382.

THE FOUR GOSPELS

Fifty days after Jesus’ Resurrection, on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, the Apostles were gathered together. A sound from heaven, like the rush of a mighty wind, filled the house, tongues as of fire rested upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

The Apostles went forth preaching to the multitudes. The Apostles were given the gift of tongues, so that each person heard according to his own language.

That day three thousand were baptized.

Pentecost marks the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church, and Jesus’ promise that Christ will live in his Church throughout all ages.

PART IIPENTECOST, THE BIRTH OF THE

CHURCH

The Church is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

The English word for Church comes from the Greek meaning “thing belonging to the Lord.”

The Latin word for Church, ecclesia, comes from the Greek meaning “assembly”.

PART IIITHE CHURCH

The Church (is):

Founded by Jesus Christ, who is its head;

Enjoys the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit;

The means of God carrying out his plan of salvation;

The means by which Jesus unites himself to mankind;

God’s people and the Family of God;

Entered into by faith in Christ and Baptism;

Governed by Christ’s law of love: to love God and to love one’s neighbor.

PART IIITHE CHURCH

The Church has two dimensions: visible and spiritual.

As a visible society it has a hierarchy and manifests itself through its members and its activities.

As a spiritual society, the governing and teaching authority of the Church enjoys the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the Mystical Body of Christ imbued with the healing and sanctifying power of God’s grace.

PART IIITHE CHURCH

The Church acknowledges one God and one Faith. All Catholics recognize the same Creed, Sacraments, and moral teaching. All share the same Pope as the Supreme Pastor of the Church.

THE CHURCH IS ONE

Christ is holy, and the aim of the Church is the holiness of its members. Those who live by the Church’s teachings in their entirety become holy.

THE CHURCH IS HOLY

“Catholic” means universal. The Church includes all ages, races, cultures, nationalities, and times.

THE CHURCH IS CATHOLIC

The Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles. It’s hierarchy can be traced back to the Apostles. The bishops are known as the successors of the Apostles, and the Church’s teachings find their source in the Apostles.

THE CHURCH IS APOSTOLIC

The word Apostle comes from the Greek meaning “one who is sent.”

Apostle refers to one of the twelve men chosen by Jesus, who were sent to preach the Good News.

It also refers to St. Matthias, who replaced Judas, and Sts. Paul and Barnabas.

PART IVTHE APOSTLES

The Twelve Apostles included fishermen, a tax collector, and friends and relatives of Jesus.

Upon hearing his call, they immediately left their former lives to follow him.

Jesus selected the twelve from among his disciples after spending a night in prayer.

The twelve coincide with the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

St. Peter is at the head of all listings of the Apostles.

THE CALL OF THE TWELVE

The Apostles, with St. Peter as their leader, received their teachings directly from Christ.

They continued Christ’s mission of preaching, healing, and exorcising demons.

Jesus commanded them to take his message to all people.

They were the ultimate authority on the message of Christ.

Upon the completion of their earthly journeys, they passed on their authority to their successors.

A bishop is a successor of the Apostles, who has received the fullness of Christ’s priesthood. The Church has transmitted the Apostolic Tradition down through the line of bishops, and will continue to do so until Christ returns.

THE APOSTOLIC TRADITION AND THE OFFICE OF BISHOP

As the Church grew the office of deacon was established to provide for the material needs of its members, thus allowing the Apostles to attend to the ministry of the word.

St. Stephen, along with six others, was chosen and commissioned by the Apostles. He evangelized and worked great wonders and signs. He was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. Like Jesus, he was accused of blasphemy. The people were enraged by his testimony, and took him out of the city and stoned him. He became the first Christian martyr.

ST. STEPHEN: THE FIRST MARTYR FOR CHRIST

At St. Stephens stoning, the executioners laid their cloaks at the feet of a man named Saul.

Saul, a pious Jews, was committed to persecuting the Christian Church.

A student of the renowned Gamaliel, he believed that the Law was a sacred Covenant between God and his people, and he felt that the Christians were threatening that Covenant.

ST. PAUL

Saul set out on a journey to Damascus intent on suppressing the Church there. He was blinded by a bright light and heard a voice from heaven saying, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Once converted he was Baptized and regained his sight.

Filled with the Holy Spirit he began to proclaim Christ Jesus in the synagogues.

CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL

The earliest Christians were Jews who had accepted Jesus as the promised Messiah. They still followed Jewish law and customs, which forbade Jews to associate with Gentiles.

The Apostles understood the mission of Christ to be Catholic (universal).

Cornelius was a Roman centurion and a devout and God-fearing Gentile.

In a vision he was told to seek out St. Peter.

At the same time St. Peter had a vision in which he was instructed to admit Gentiles into the Church.

When the people saw that Cornelius had been filled with the Holy Spirit, St. Peter agreed to have him baptized.

AN INTERLUDE: THE CONVERSION OF CORNELIUS AND THE

COMMENCEMENT OF THE MISSION TO THE GENTILES

St. Paul was well educated in Jewish law and scripture, and was a brilliant writer and theologian.

Thirteen of his epistles are in the New Testament and were central to the development of Christian theology.

He spoke about the Cross, the Mystical Body of Christ, grace, and charity.

ST. PAUL, “APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES.”

After Cornelius’s Baptism, Christians still had to decide on the issue of whether Gentiles were bound to follow the Jewish Law.

The Apostles met in Jerusalem to decide the matter.

St. Peter, speaking with the authority as head of the Church, supported by St. James, the leader of the Church in Jerusalem, made the definitive decision that the Law would not be imposed on Gentiles. They would only be required to abstain from eating the meat of animals sacrificed to idols, animals which had been strangled, and to refrain from unlawful marriage.

The idea of a council, guided by the Holy Spirit, convened to make a decision on a theme under discussion, would come to be very important in the history of the Church.

THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM (A.D. 49/50)

St. Peter: In around AD 64, he was crucified upside down in Rome, saying that he was not worthy to die as Jesus did.

St. Paul: Because he was a Roman citizen, he was beheaded, not crucified. Like St. Peter, he was martyred in Rome between the years AD 62-65.

St. Andrew: The brother of St. Peter, his missionary activities took him to the Ukraine, Russia, and Greece. According to tradition he was crucified on an X – shaped cross.

St. James: The son of Zebedee and the brother of St. John, he was a simple fisherman before being called as an Apostle. He is sometimes known as James the Greater, and with Sts. Peter and John, formed Jesus’ inner circle. He was present at the Transfiguration. Beheaded in AD 44, he became the first Apostle to be martyred.

MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES OF THE APOSTLES

St. John: Known as the “beloved disciple,” he wrote a gospel, three Catholic Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. He was the only Apostle not to be martyred, but was exiled to the Isle of Patmos.

St. Bartholomew: It is possible that St. Bartholomew was known by another name, possibly Nathanael. He preached the gospel throughout Persia, and tradition has him suffering martyrdom by being flayed alive in Armenia.

St. Matthew: The author of the Gospel of Matthew, his mission was directed toward the Jews. It is the only gospel written in Aramaic, and he quotes extensively from the Old Testament. Before being called as an Apostle, he was a tax collector known as Levi.

St. Thomas: Known as doubting Thomas, he would not believe in the risen Christ until he saw him personally. Some sources have him evangelizing the Parthians in present day Iran and Turkmenistan, while others have him preaching and suffering martyrdom in India. Curiously, when Portuguese explorers arrived in India they found an ancient Christian community called the Malabars who claimed to have been evangelized by St. Thomas.

MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES OF THE APOSTLES

St. James: Very little is known of St. James, the son of Alphaeus, often referred to as James the Less to distinguish him from the other Apostle with the name of James. After Pentecost, he became the head of the Church in Jerusalem, and presided over the Council of Jerusalem.

St. Phillip: He brought Nathanael to Christ and was present at the multiplication of the bread and fish. He also presented a group of Greeks to Jesus.

St. Judas: The brother of St. James the Less, he was also known as Thaddeus. In English speaking countries, he is often referred to as St. Jude and is the patron of lost causes. He wrote an epistle and is believed to have suffered martyrdom in Persia.

Judas Iscariot: He betrayed Jesus to the Jewish authorities. Concerned with financial matters, monetary gain might have been a motive. His fall serves as a warning that Christ’s graces are to no avail if one is unfaithful and does not believe.

MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES OF THE APOSTLES

St. John was the last Apostle to die, and with his death, public revelation ended.

The Deposit of Faith entrusted to the Apostles forms the body of living truths called the Tradition of the Church.

During their lives, the Apostles transmitted their

authority to their first successors, the bishops. These successors have the duty to protect and transmit Christ’s teaching as it was taught and interpreted by the Apostles.

CONCLUSION

The Sanhedrin was the highest judicial court and primary legislative body for the Jews. It judged all religious matters and even civil matters that did not fall under Roman jurisdiction.

It was made up of seventy-one members, and consisted of chief priests, scribes, and elders.

To become a member a person was required to receive the laying upon of hands.

Its origin is in the seventy elders that Moses appointed, and tradition says that there was an unbroken succession since that time.

THE SANHEDRIN

St. Paul’s missionary journey took him over 10,000 miles and into every corner of Asia Minor, to Arabia, Macedonia, Greece, Eastern Europe, Rome, and possibly to Spain.

Five times he was whipped, three times beaten with rods, once stoned, three times shipwrecked, and was driven out of many cities by mobs.

For two years, he was under house arrest in Rome and in AD 64 he was beheaded.

TRAVELS OF ST. PAUL

The End