Why am I Catholic?

August 27, 2017

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 121

IS 22:19-23

PS 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8

ROM 11:33-36

MT 16:13-20

ty·pol·o·gytīˈpäləjē/
noun - the study and interpretation of types and symbols, originally especially in the Bible.

If you want to understand Catholics, and for that matter most of the earliest Christian writers in the Church, typology is almost a prerequisite.  What we mean by "types" is that certain figures in the Old Testament are precursors to figures later in history.   Isaac is a type of Christ.   That is that in the life and events recorded about Isaac we see some definite correlations with the fulfillment of that image in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.  The wood for instance that Isaac carried up the mountain to be sacrificed on being an image of the Cross.  Isaac is the son of Abraham, being an image of the Father and the Son.  The ram caught in the thicket of thorns symbolizing the crown of thorns.  So and on and so forth we see so many parallels that they could not be formulated even by the best of authors.

One of the rules that types follow is that a type is never greater than its fulfillment.   It’s always less than the thing to come but points out the reality of the thing to come.  The staff of Aaron is a symbol of priestly authority.  Jesus is greater than the staff, being the actual High Priest who mediates for us.  The manna from heaven is a beautiful gift from God but is not as valuable as the true bread from heaven, Jesus Christ.  Image after image points to who Jesus is, what God’s plan truly entails, and exactly who we are in light of that.  Why do I bring up types?  Because today’s readings are extremely important to understanding who we are as Catholics.  

This morning we were watching Joseph, King of Dreams.   In this beautiful Disney cartoon, we see the story of one of the first types of who Jesus is in the Sacred Scriptures.  A descendant of Abraham is abused and sold into slavery.   In the end, he is risen to the right hand of Pharaoh (remember Pharaoh is believed by the Egyptians to be a god.)  In this story, Joseph is given the authority of the kingdom.  When Pharaoh is absent, Joseph is in charge.  No one would dare to question Joseph.  That would be the same as questioning Pharaoh himself.    That’s an important image to keep in mind.  

In our first reading today we hear about Eliakim.  The King of Israel has just made Eliakim his prime minister.   These are the words recorded in Scripture:  “I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut when he shuts, no one shall open.”  Like Joseph with Pharaoh, a more perfect kingdom has been established (remember that all fulfillments are greater than their previous types.)  The Kingdom of Israel is the Kingdom that belongs to God.  David who was the greatest of all the kings of Israel had given all of his authority to Eliakim.  When David was not around Eliakim was in charge.  Whatever he said, was law.  All of the Kingdom did whatever Eliakim says.   Remember, when David was anointed God said to him: “You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’”   That means that when David is not around Eliakim is tasked with being the shepherd.

Then we come to Jesus who is the fulfillment of all of Scripture, the perfection of God’s plan for humanity.   In Jesus, we see the true King.   When Israel asked for a King, they were reminded that God was their King.   They still called out for a mortal king to guide them.   In Jesus Christ we see God himself becoming a man in order to be the King we truly need.  The Good Shepherd who will guide us in all our ways.   The true Godman, who unlike Pharaoh, is actually God and has proven it by coming back from death and ascending into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.   The fulfillment of the promise given to David that his descendant would be on the throne for all eternity.   

I told you that these images in today’s scripture were important to understanding Catholics and our Church.   Why?   Because with Pharoah we had Joseph.  With David we had Eliakim.  Now with Jesus, do we have anyone to be Prime Minister?   Who is in charge of the Church?   Of course Jesus Christ is, but did He leave a representative to have the same authority when He wasn’t physically apparent?  Let’s take a quick look at the words said about Eliakim, and the words Jesus Christ said to Saint Peter himself:

“I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim's shoulder;when he opens, no one shall shutwhen he shuts, no one shall open.”

“and upon this rock I will build my church,and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

If you ever wanted to understand why we Catholics have a leader called a Pope, who sits on the See of Peter, it is because we take Scripture very seriously.   Is the Pope perfect? No.   Jesus though is.  He has seen fit to establish a Prime Minister to help guide the Church under the helpful hand of the Holy Spirit to be as good a guide as it can to help people to get to Heaven.  That’s one of the reasons(one of many) I’m Catholic.   Because I truly believe.   I believe that this is the best way, to follow the authority established by Christ himself, revealed by the Sacred Scriptures to be the truth, and passed on for two thousand years by the laying of hands through Apostolic Succession, and entrusted in the sacred deposit of faith.   Everything we do as Catholics reflects those simple truths.