Friday, January 9, 2009

Unity in the Seat of Peter and Apostolic Succession - Part Two

Every generation has had Peter, this Vicar of Christ on earth. There could be no other way to preserve the Church. Our God is in the details. When they killed St. Peter, they did not kill the Church. Another took the Seat of Peter. And another and another.

And the list remains to this day.

Our Lord knew that the only way the Church could stay the course is if She had someone at the helm. And the only way to preserve Truth is if the Spirit of Truth leads that man. I will send you a Helper. The Holy Spirit, who will lead you into all Truth. Whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven. You are Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

So many verses from my childhood came back to me and swirled around in my head, and when the dust settled, an image began to emerge.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would lead us into all Truth. How could I explain so many versions of truth, so many people claiming to have been inspired by the same Holy Spirit – but in total disagreement with each other? Either Jesus lied and the Holy Spirit never came – or it happened just as Jesus said it would. And someone was still holding the keys.

The Deposit of Truth is entrusted to the Seat of Peter, and it is preserved through a clear line of Apostolic Succession. The Holy Spirit guarantees it.

I found myself saying, of course it makes sense. It makes perfect sense.


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