“The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb”
(Revelation 21:14)
When the Church uses the words “apostolic foundation” in regard to our faith, it is not as a metaphor.
The inscription of the names of the Apostles on the foundation stones of the eternal Jerusalem is a symbolic representation of that reality: our faith comes from the preaching of the Apostles whom Jesus sent to take the Gospel to the whole world.
Jesus chose to communicate the truth of salvation this way, and the existence of the Church depends on it. Without the Apostles and their testimony, there would be no believers, Christian prayer, sacraments, nor liturgy; no Christian buildings, music, arts, nor social movements. The moral framework and worldview that secular society takes for granted would not exist. How much has come from the humble beginnings of our faith!
In the Gospel, Jesus assures his disciples that although he would be departing the world, he would give them the gift of his peace, sending the Holy Spirit. We see the gift in action in the first reading from Acts, when the Apostles take counsel together to resolve a major crisis in the early years of the Church: what must Gentile believers do to be saved? Need they become Jewish to be Christian? They proclaimed the decision of the Holy Spirit and theirs in accord with him that no burden be placed on them besides the moral imperatives of rejecting idolatry and unlawful marriage.
The Apostles understood that Jesus’s promise was not just for them personally, but also those who succeeded them. That is why we trust that the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church through the Pope and the college of bishops with him. Each Pope is called the successor of St. Peter and not the successor of the previous Popes, which expresses our belief that not only the responsibility but also the gifts Christ gave St. Peter continue immediately for each Pope. From the foundation of the Apostles to this day, Jesus continues to be the one who leads and guides his Church, constantly renewing his gifts of peace and the Holy Spirit.
A Prayer for the Pope
We pray for the Pope it in the Eucharistic prayer at every Mass and our petitions on Sundays, but it’s also important to pray personally. Here is a traditional prayer for the Pope:
Let us pray for Leo, our Pope.
May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life, make him blessed upon the earth, and may the Lord not hand him over to the power of his enemies.. [Ps 40:3]
May your hand be upon your holy servant.
And upon your son whom you have anointed.
O God, the Pastor and Ruler of all the faithful, look down, in your mercy, upon your servant, Leo, whom you have appointed to preside over your Church; and grant, we beseech you, that both by word and example, he may edify all those under his charge; so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may arrive at length unto life everlasting.
Through Christ our Lord.
