apostles of truth
Jesus "went out to the mountain to pray, spending the night in communion with God. At daybreak He called His disciples and selected twelve of them to be His apostles." —Luke 6:12-13
How do we know which books are in the Bible? The Church has been given the authority to say which books are in the Bible. How do we know which church is the true Church? The Church which can trace its origins back to the apostles is the true Church because Jesus founded the Church on the apostles (Eph 2:20; Lk 6:13). Therefore, without the apostolicity of the Church, we would not know which books are in the Bible.
Many holy and learned Christians sincerely don't believe that Jesus gives us His body and blood in Holy Communion. Other Christians believe that Jesus literally meant "This is My body" and "This is My blood" (Mt 26:26, 28). Who is right? The Church alone is "the pillar and bulwark of truth" (1 Tm 3:15) and can decide this matter and thousands of other disagreements about interpreting the Bible. Once again, however, we must be able to recognize the true Church. The Church founded by Jesus is recognized by its apostolicity.
Because the apostolicity of the Church has such mammoth ramifications, we celebrate in a special way the feasts of the apostles, including today's feast of St. Simon and St. Jude. Today, we celebrate the true Church and its authority in service to the truth.
Prayer: Father, may the truth set me free (Jn 8:32).
Promise: "In Him you are being built into this temple, to become a dwelling place for God in the Spirit." —Eph 2:22
Praise: Sts. Simon and Jude "went from village to village, spreading the good news everywhere and curing diseases" (Lk 9:6).
Reference: (For related teaching, order our leaflet, Thankful to be Catholic.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, April 10, 1999
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 16, 1999