Jesus Gives the Keys of His Church to Peter

All About My Catholic Faith

Catechism of the Catholic Church - Lesson 11 At the end of our last lesson about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we asked the questions: What church did Jesus start and is that church still with us today? In this lesson, we will find out what a church is. We will also find out if Jesus started a church. Today, there are many Christian denominations or Christian traditions. To be a Christian means to be a follower of Christ Jesus. Many experts say that there are more than 30,000 different Christian denominations throughout the world today. Do we really need a church or 30.000 churches in our world? Here are some questions for you to think about while you read through this lesson. What do we call the sheepfold of Christ? How does our Lord help his sheep? Why did our Lord choose twelve apostles? Which apostle did Jesus pick to be the leader of the apostles? Who takes our Lord's place, today, as the shepherd of the Church? In the Apostles Creed that we've been learning about, we say: “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church”. Let's read something from the Holy Bible to see if we really should be believing in the Catholic Church, or any church for that matter. Here is a reading from the Gospel of St John, chapter 10: 1-11. “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was trying to tell them. So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came [before me] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus is telling us in this reading, in order for us to be saved from going to hell after we die, we need to follow him. He also said that he is the gate, and that whoever enters through him will be saved. When shepherds are in the field with their sheep, they often have a gate they open to let the sheep go into a place of safety. Jesus is telling us that we can enter that safe place by going through him. He is the gate and our Good Shepherd. Christ will teach his sheep, feed his sheep, heal his sheep’s wounds, and guide his sheep to heaven. Who are the sheep of Christ? That's right, you and I are his sheep. Here's another reading from St. John chapter 21: 15-17 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep.” [...] https://www.allaboutmycatholicfaith.com/2018/11/catechism-catholic-church.html --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allaboutmycatholicfaith/support