Friday, March 7, 2025
Feast of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs
Dear Friend,
Welcome to week ten of BMW, Be My Witnesses. This is Bishop Earl Boyea of the Diocese of Lansing. During this second cycle of our being witnesses, we open our minds to a little learning. All that we hand on has been handed on to us by the Apostles. This is what makes our Church Apostolic. Let us delve into that a bit more.
Learn: Devoted to the Teaching of the Apostles (Acts 2:42)
As Jesus was sending his disciples forth, he warned those who would not heed them, “Whoever listens to you, listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me” (Luke 10:16). Jesus relied on his followers to carry on his message and cautioned all hearers to receive that message with docility.
The Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles as the Book of Revelation points out (21:14). Jesus made sure that the Apostles knew that “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against [the Church]” (Mt 16:18). In fact, Jesus, ready to ascend to the Father, commissioned his apostles to teach, baptize, and make disciples, concluding, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:20).
So, when the early Church members devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles, they were doing exactly as Jesus desired. The Holy Spirit was guiding these evangelizers of the Good News of Jesus Christ. We know that this guidance did not stop with the death of the last Apostle. Rather, Christ continues to work in his Church through the successors of the Apostles, the bishops of the Church, united as one with the successor of Peter, the Holy Father.
The term “apostle” means “sent.” Their task is to preach and teach and we all in the Church are to be devoted to that preaching and teaching. However, this task is not only that of the bishops. Rather, every Christian is to hand on what has been the object of their devotion. It is not enough to receive something like this passively. It is a treasure to be given to others. Basically, we are all called to be missionary disciples, emissaries of the Lord.
So, we must listen, listen to the Scriptures, listen to the preaching, listen to the teaching. Then we must seek to understand what we have heard. We always have questions. That is a good thing. We should not dismiss what we hear, but if there is some difficulty, then we should ask a question. Our desire should be to understand, not to contest or deny. We continue to take it on faith, that Jesus is with his Church until the end of time. And until that end time, we continue to treasure the teachings of the Apostles.
So, our challenge for this week is to read articles 857 through 865 in the Catechism on the Apostolicity of the Church.
Until next week, may God Bless you.
I am sincerely yours in Christ,
+ Earl Boyea
Bishop of Lansing