On Whose Authority?

One of the books I'm currently reading is My Life on the Rock: A Rebel Returns to the Catholic Faith by Jeff Cavins. He talks about leaving the Catholic Church as a young adult, becoming a Protestant pastor, and finding his way back to the Church. I'm only about halfway through it, but I've learned so much already!

Last night, as I was reading it, I had a revelation. In a conversation he had w/ a convert to Catholicism, he asked the man what brought him to the Church. In response, the man said that he had a "...hunger for the sacraments, his yearning for the ancient tradition and authority of the Church..." (page 152). The part about authority really hit me.

Many people (Catholics & non-Catholics) question the authority of the Church. That is one of the biggest complaints I hear about the Catholic Faith. "Who is the Pope that he has the right to tell me what to do?" "Why should we listen to one man?" "Sola Scriptura! All I need to know is what's said in the Bible!"

But think about this...what other faith can trace their roots in authority all the back to Jesus, where He entrusted the Church to our first pope, St. Peter? "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18).

As I was reading, a thought popped into my head, a comparison to our lives to help understand the authority of the Church. How many parenting specialists have said that children need, & in fact WANT, boundaries? Even though the children may balk at the restrictions their parents have placed on them, most will say that having those boundaries made them feel safe, secure, & loved. I know my sister & I are thankful for the boundaries our parents set for us! They've helped shape us into the people we are today.

Isn't that one of the MANY wonderful things about our Catholic Church...safety, security, and the love of our Lord? Sure, we may not always like the boundaries, but they are there to help us be better Catholics & get us to our final reward in Heaven.

I leave you w/ this prayer for Pope Benedict XVI. I found it in a 2003 book, Prayers for All Occasions from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Washington DC).

Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to Your shepherd, Benedict XVI, a spirit of knowledge and love. By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care my he, as successor to the apostle Peter and vicar of Christ, build Your Church into a sacrament of unity, love, and peace for all the world.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives ans reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.