Reflection: Today’s readings remind
us of the necessity of the Catholic Church’s magisterium, the Papacy, the
councils of Bishops, and our own local priests.
If we remember back to Easter, this authority was given to Peter and the
Apostles, and has been passed on to their successors ever since. On his journey, the Ethiopian eunuch is
reading from scripture. Phillip
questions his ability to understand what he is reading, to which the eunuch
responds: “How can I, unless someone
instructs me?” Throughout history we
have seen new churches develop and many faiths proclaim that religion is rooted
in a personal reading and understanding of scripture. Yet, we see here within scripture, God telling
us to seek guidance, for “they shall all be taught by God.” Church teaching and scripture tell us that
the magisterium and the office of the Papacy receive special guidance from the
Holy Spirit. It is only through their
guidance and their authority that we can truly know and understand
scripture. Without their guidance, we
can easily become lost sheep who are led astray.
Reflection
for younger saints:
The eunuch is reading scripture on his journey, but has trouble
understanding it on his own. We can also
have a hard time understanding God’s message in the bible. Because of this, the Catholic Church gives
authority to the magisterium, the Pope, and priests so that they can guide us and
teach us what God is telling us in the bible.
Big
Picture: God teaches
us through the authority of the Catholic Church
Discussion
Starters:
Younger saints: What is the special name for the teaching authority of the Catholic Church? (The magisterium). Why do we need the magisterium, why can’t we just read the bible and understand it on our own? (Just like the eunuch, it can be hard to understand God’s message for us all the time. We trust in God’s guidance of the people in authority of the Church. If we trust them and listen to what they teach us, we will be listening to God’s teaching.)
Older saints: Take a few minutes today to research what and who the magisterium is. What is their role? In what teachings are they infallible? In what teachings are they not? These are issues that are often confused by those who are Catholic as well as those who are not. If we do not understand the authority of the Church, how can we teach others about it?
Younger saints: What is the special name for the teaching authority of the Catholic Church? (The magisterium). Why do we need the magisterium, why can’t we just read the bible and understand it on our own? (Just like the eunuch, it can be hard to understand God’s message for us all the time. We trust in God’s guidance of the people in authority of the Church. If we trust them and listen to what they teach us, we will be listening to God’s teaching.)
Older saints: Take a few minutes today to research what and who the magisterium is. What is their role? In what teachings are they infallible? In what teachings are they not? These are issues that are often confused by those who are Catholic as well as those who are not. If we do not understand the authority of the Church, how can we teach others about it?
Fun
Fact: The general judgment is the
judgment that will be passed on each one of us immediately after the general
resurrection (St. Joseph’s Baltimore Catechism No. 1, 2008, p. 70).
Saint
of the day:
Name: Saint Apollonius the Apologist
What they are remembered for: St. Apollonius the Apologist was a Roman senator who was sentenced to death after it was made known that he was a Christian. He refused to denounce his faith, which resulted in his martyrdom.
Feast day: April 18
Daily Notes:
Name: Saint Apollonius the Apologist
What they are remembered for: St. Apollonius the Apologist was a Roman senator who was sentenced to death after it was made known that he was a Christian. He refused to denounce his faith, which resulted in his martyrdom.
Feast day: April 18
Daily Notes:
No comments:
Post a Comment