When the Holy Spirit Comes Down Upon You.”
(Words of Jesus to the Apostles)
It is evident from the Gospels that Christ gave power to teach, to sanctify and to rule the faithful of his Church to the Apostles, the first bishops of the Church. “Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mk16:15). He, who hears you, hears me, and he, who rejects you, rejects me; and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Lk10:16). “Peace be with you,” he said again. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Then he breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; but if you hold them bound, they are held bound” (Jn20:21-23). “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then you are to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving mission (Isa.11:2, 61:1, Lk4:16-22). The descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his Baptism by John was the sign that this was he who was to come, the Messiah, the Son of God (Mt3:13-17, Jn1:33-34). He was conceived by the Holy Spirit: his whole life and his whole mission were carried out in total communion with the Holy Spirit whom the Father gave him “without measure” (Jn3:34). This fullness of the Spirit was not to remain uniquely the Messiah's, but was to be communicated to the whole messianic people. (Ezek 36:25-27, Joel 3:1-7).
Commandments
EverydayPrayers
Doctrine
Liturgical Seasons
Mary
Prayer
Sacraments
Scripture
Social Justice
The Mass
Christ intended that this power should be exercised by the Apostles and their successors, the Bishops of the Church. Christ gave special power to Saint Peter by making him the head of the Apostles and the chief teacher and ruler of the entire Church. “Blest are you, Simon son of Jonah! No mere man has revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. I for my part declare to you, you are Rock, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the jaws of death shall not prevail against it. I will entrust to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:17-19). "Simon, Simon! Remember that Satan has asked for you, to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may never fail. You in turn must strengthen your brothers" (Lk,22:31-32)
After the Resurrection, “When they had eaten their meal, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes Lord,” he said “You know that I love you.” At which Jesus said, “Feed my Lambs.” A second time he put his question, “Simon son of John, “do you love me?” “Yes Lord,” Peter said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus replied, “Tend my sheep.” A third time Jesus asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because he had asked a third time, “Do you love me?” So he said to him: “Lord, you know everything, You know well that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep" (Jn 21:15-17)
that the Power that He gave to Peter should be passed on.
Christ did not intend that the special power of chief teacher and ruler of the entire Church should be exercised by St. Peter alone, but intended that this power should be passed down to his successor, the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, who is the Vicar of Christ on earth and the visible head of the Church.
The bishops of the Church are the successors of the Apostles because they have received their power of orders by valid ordination through an unbroken line of successors of the Apostles, and have received their power of jurisdiction through their union with the Pope, the successor of St. Peter.